Pretoria is a city of the most impressive architectural structures in South Africa, and all of them are in different styles, from colonial to modern. If you want to wander the streets, looking up and wonder at the innovative design of the capital, or be more "down to earth" and go deep into the history – come and explore this city! One of the controversial structures in Pretoria is the Voortrekker Monument dedicated to the descendants of Dutch colonists, which was declared a National Heritage Site in 2011. Designed by the architect Gerard Moerdijk and built in 1937-1949, this massive granite cube is a reminder of the Voortrekkers. This was the name of the pioneer trekkers, the first colonists to explore the interior parts of South Africa in the 1830s. The Cape Dutch from the British colony arrived on land that was not suitable for life. So the monument is dedicated to these people who started the modern development of South Africa. The 40x40 meter Voortrekker Monument and rises 40 meters above the hill, which offers a panorama of Pretoria. And the structure itself is visible from many parts of the city. Besides, this symmetrical squat square constructivist tower with neoclassical details is built of dark red brick. Daylight enters the room through large stained-glass windows. There are bas-reliefs inside the tower depicting the key events in the development of Africa – a kind of history set out in sculpture. The Hall of Heroes houses the world's largest marble frieze. There is also a Cenotaph inside the building: on the memorable date of December 16, at noon, sunlight falls on the symbolic grave in commemoration of the oath taken on the day of the Battle of the Bloody River in 1838.

The "white" state on the black continent has many cruel pages in its chronicle, including this battle that was not equal in strength (the advantage was initially on the side of the Boers, who, unlike the defenseless African Zulus, knew the battle tactics).

For Europeans, the Voortrekkers are the explorers of the African South, while for native tribes they are cruel invaders. The brave Boers against the helpless Zulu who tried to defend their land: their interests clashed in the African history of the 1830s. The monument is a memorable and rather dramatic structure worth visiting for those who are interested in the history of South Africa. A time gallery, a museum, a monument – all these definitions characterize the Voortrekker memorial complex.