In the history of every city, there are periods that remain in memory due to significant events that affect not only the city itself but the entire country. For Maloyaroslavets, such a period was the Patriotic War of 1812.

The maneuvers of the Russian army in the area of Maloyaroslavets were led by the great commander Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov. In the center of the 1812 Square, a monument to this commander-in-chief was erected. It was unveiled on October 24, 1955, on the 210th anniversary of the birth of the field marshal, coinciding with the anniversary of the Battle of Maloyaroslavets.

In 1987, for the 175th anniversary of the battle, the old plaster monument was replaced with a bronze bust of Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, created by sculptor S.I. Gerasimenko.