The monument was erected in honor of the peaceful residents of the village of Matryonovka and the settlement of Belev, brutally killed by fascist occupiers on May 20, 1943. On that day, 253 people died. The monument was consecrated on May 20, 2013.

In 1943, in the village of Matryonovka in the Zhukovsky district, the fascists carried out a punitive operation. The village was completely destroyed by the occupiers for supporting partisans. On May 20, 1943, German soldiers entered the village to punish the residents. People tried to escape, but they were caught and herded into the surviving bathhouse. When the building was full, the Nazis locked the doors, doused the walls with gasoline, and set it on fire. On that day, 253 villagers died, including children, women, and the elderly.