The fireboat 'Extinguisher' was built at a shipyard in Sormovo, near Nizhny Novgorod, and launched in 1903 under the name 'Tsarev'. In 1926, it was renamed 'Extinguisher' in Soviet Russia. The vessel went through two wars: the Civil War and the Great Patriotic War.

During the Civil War, the fireboat actively participated in combat operations due to its speed and maneuverability. It escorted ships carrying weapons, carried out reconnaissance missions, and transported units of the Red Army. The crew of the 'Extinguisher' was noted for their bravery and coordination, earning admiration from notable figures such as Gorky and Voroshilov. For their displayed heroism, a cannon and machine guns were installed on the deck.

The first feat of the 'Extinguisher' occurred during the Great Patriotic War on July 27, 1942. The Germans set fire to oil barges near the village of Yerzovka, but the crew of the fireboat, risking their lives, saved them and escorted them 70 km from Tsaritsyn to the Shadrinsk backwater. This fuel was used for the ships of the Volga military flotilla.

During the Battle of Stalingrad, the fireboat evacuated residents and the wounded, extinguished fires on the shore and on other vessels, and also transported weapons and food to the city.

Another feat was accomplished on August 8, 1942, when the crew participated in extinguishing a fire at the Saripta railway station. The fireboat sustained serious damage, with about 3,000 holes, and sank. However, it was raised from the bottom the following year and served Volgograd for another 23 years.

In 1966, the ship was decommissioned and sunk in the Volga. Eight years later, in 1974, it was raised from the bottom, and all of Volgograd witnessed this event. The 'Extinguisher' became a monument, installed at the bottom of the basin. Nearby stands a 30-meter stela, designed by architect Vadim Maslyaev. At the base of the stela is an anchor, and at the top, a star.

On the stela, faced with balsamite plates, the following words are engraved: 'Glory to the river workers and firefighters of the Volga basin, heroes of the Civil War, defenders of Red Tsaritsyn', 'The Soviet people will never forget the brave sons of the Volga who glorified themselves in the battles for Stalingrad.'