"To the conquerors of virgin land" Monument is a kind of an unofficial symbol of Kostanay. This monument is reflected as one of the most important pages in the history of the city and the entire region of Kostanay. The land of Kostanay became one of the main centers on development of virgin lands in the fifties of the last century, and then Kostanay received unofficial status of barns Kazakhstan.
Today, the feasibility of development of virgin lands is criticized from the point of view of modern views about the history of our country. However, it should be noted that labor feat which made the first virgin landers by providing bread to a huge state - the Soviet Union.
"Conquerors of virgin land" Monument has a history of creation, as it would capture the essence of time and collective creative work of many nationalities, which made up the Soviet Union.
The idea of construction of the monument was launched on October 1973, when residents gathered at Kostanay Station Square for meeting to mark the 20th anniversary of virgin and fallow lands. The first virgin landers and komsomols recalled the first echelon, which arrived to Kostanay with volunteers from Moscow, Leningrad, Minsk and Kharkov in 1954. A symbolic stone with the inscription: "Here is a monument was erected to the conquerors of the virgin lands" was laid in the station square. Komsomol members of region had decided to earn funds for the construction of the monument on Saturdays. The Komsomol Central Committee and the Council of Ministers supported the idea.
The Bureau of the regional committee of the KP of Kazakhstan and executive committee announced closed All-Union Competition of teams for creation a monument project on 12 November 1973 in accordance with the provisions of the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR from 19 July 1973.
After 1 year 7 months - the winner was recognized as part of the team of sculptors Mikhail Smirnov and architect Anatoly Semenov from Moscow and Kostanay architect Alexander Timoshechkin on 12 May 1975. The authors modified the project in accordance with judgments' wishes and presented the final version on 19 December, which was adopted.
The art-expert of the council USSR Ministry of Culture approved the main provisions of the monument in 1976. The monument work lasted almost ten years, during that period of time had made adjustments. In 1983, Komsomol Square was appeared by the decision of the Executive Committee in Kostanay. First virgin lander's monument was decided to be built there.
All elements of the monument, as the layout in the clay, were made in Moscow. Belarusian specialists carried out "arable land" and "the first furrow" on the materials in Minsk. Figures sowers and Tapes Glory were cast of bronze at the Leningrad factory "Statue". The support installation was developed in Alma-Ata, and the masters from Moscow, Kostanay and Rudnyi did granite work.
"To the Conquerors of virgin lands" Monument was opened on 13 October 1984 in the Komsomol Square (Sq. Tselinnikov).
The monument presents sculptures of three young people - two boys and a girl, and long flowing ribbons. Sculptures boys represent sowers, girl - Land Surveyor; together they go by the first furrow. They were fluttering tape depicting wheat ears. On the ribbon, with the glory of the eastern and southern sides are pictures of all the stages of the virgin epic from the first furrow to the first victory and the first collection of harvest. Figures are sowers and girl, as well as tape Fame cast in bronze. The base was lined with granite slabs. The area was paved of concrete slabs. The monument was created over 10 years and the construction took more than 300 tons of bronze.
After opening, the monument was immediately taken under state protection as a monument of history and architecture by the decision of the Executive Committee of Kostanay on 10 December 1984.