According to the plan of the German invaders, the hero city of Brest was to be taken already during the first hours of warfare. This settlement was located on the terrain where the main strike of the armies, called the "Center" was planned.
About the settlement today
The city of Brest is located on the southwestern side of Belarus, is the administrative center of the region. The total area of the city today is 146 km². According to 2016, its population is about 340 thousand people.
The hands of the Western Bug and Mukhovets flow through the territory of the settlement. It borders with Poland. There is a large junction of the railway and river shipping, as well as road transport.
The named settlement has an ancient and rich history. The first mention of it is contained in the annals of Novgorod the First and dates back to 1017. If you rely on these data, then Brest can be considered the fifth city of Belarus in education chronology.
The ancient city was often destroyed and rebuilt again, it passed from the hands of some rulers to others, obviously, its location was to blame. Now it is located on the territory between the Eurasian and European Unions.
In the fire of battle
Of course, the heroic feat of the military who fought here during the Second World War gives special glory to this territory. When the Germans attacked the hero city of Brest on June 22, 1941, about 7-8 thousand Soviet soldiers were in the fortress. Together with the military, about 300 of their families immediately lived.
Due to the fact that the troops were not in a combat readiness position, the borders on the border turned out to be free. And in the first minutes of the fighting, this place was intensively bombed and fired from artillery mounts.
The border has become a place of bloody battles, as well as the fortress itself. The soldiers of the hero city of Brest repelled the attack of the 45th Infantry Division, which outnumbered them - it had 17 thousand officers and soldiers. For an hour, shelling was carried out, having fallen on the fortress. Because of it and the fires that followed it, the material part and many warehouses were destroyed and destroyed, the water supply system ceased to function, and, moreover, communications failed.
Unequal battle
The first attack was reflected by a detachment of border guards in the area of the Terespol fortification, as well as cadets and soldiers of the Red Army. On the morning of June 22, 1941, a significant breakthrough was made at the Kobrin and Volyn fortifications, thanks to which most of the personnel were able to go outside, taking with them guns and tanks.
They went to their own units to evacuate the wounded soldiers. At that time, the hero city of Brest was a haven for 4 thousand troops. The enemy forces exceeded them 10 times, so the Germans so easily managed to surround the fortress.
Defense
It becomes clear why Brest was called a hero city when you find out what pressure had to withstand the local military. Indeed, according to the Germans' plan, the assault carried out by the advanced units of the 45th division should have taken no more than 12 hours, however, Soviet soldiers did not agree to surrender the fortress so easily.
Near the Kholmsky Gate, the 3rd battalion and the headquarters of the riflemen began to resist the enemy. An engineering regiment and a communications battalion stood up for defense. Bayonet attacks were carried out, thanks to which the hero city of Brest survived. And near the Terespol gate of the Nazis there was a dense fire of the defenders of the village.
Fight to the last
At one point, the entire fortress was burning with fierce fighting. The Germans transmitted through radio communications threats and orders to surrender. Also, parliamentarians were sent to local soldiers, but the resistance did not weaken, and the hero city of Brest continued to defend its freedom.
The summary of this story may seem incredible, but the defenders of the fortress really managed to accomplish the impossible. A 2-kilometer defensive ring was created, consisting of a barracks belt. Bombing, attacks by the enemy and shelling did not cease.
Feat of patriots
Since June 23, the assault has reached its peak, the battle has become hotter and longer. The German command did not expect such a reaction. In every fortification the Nazis were met by the heroes of Brest, who were resisting. Often they had to show such dedication, for which, as a result, the settlement was made into hero cities.
The Hero Fortress Brest became the place where not only the military, but also the medical staff fought to the bitter end. But on June 23, the Nazis managed to seize children, the wounded, doctors and patients, thanks to which they managed to create a living screen.
The machine gunners walked towards the Kholmsky gate, followed by the attackers. And the hostages shouted for the soldiers to shoot from their side, no matter what.
At the end of the week, focal defense attenuation near the fortifications was attenuated.
Victory of the defenders
A large number of battles took place, as a result of which the defense was divided into separate foci, suffering heavy losses. Until June 12, resistance of a small group of military men, led by Gavrilov, continued.
When the soldiers managed to break out of the fort on the outside of the rampart, the commander-in-chief and the secretary of the Komsomol bureau, political instructor Derevyanko, became prisoners of the Germans. Despite this, local soldiers continued to defend, which is why admiring descendants have long understood why Brest is a hero city.
There are legends about the last days of the battle. On the walls you can still find inscriptions inscribed by the military. The enemy failed to capture a single banner of the city. The Germans were struck by such stamina and a manifestation of heroism. Shlipper, the general of the 45th Infantry Division, wrote a report to the higher leadership in July, in which he noted that the Russian soldiers were stubborn and persistent in the fight, showed excellent fighting skills (which is why Brest is a hero city). Having briefly described the events in this way, the Hitler commander recognized the courage and patriotism of the enemy.
Honor and Glory
It is to be assumed that it was precisely thanks to similar examples that the Soviet Union won the war. The independence of their native land was protected, albeit at a very high price. The superpower remained united and indestructible.
By the way, representatives of more than thirty different nationalities took part in the defense of the fortress, who acted as one and did not abandon their duty. Their feat can be called one of the greatest accomplishments that the Soviet people made during the entire Great Patriotic War. Such heroism was appreciated by the authorities.
Lieutenant Kizhevatov and Major Gavrilov awarded for valor and courage. Two hundred combatants were awarded medals and orders. And on May 8, in 1965, the fortress received the title "Hero City". Brest, a photo of which you can see in the article, demonstrates that even after decades, it still inspires respect and is an example of power. The impression is enhanced even more when you learn more about the legendary events that took place here.
During the period of occupation by the fascists, 40 thousand civilians were exterminated, and the country's economy was in complete decline. The torment of the inhabitants ended in 1944, when soldiers of the first front of Belarus appeared in the city.
Everlasting memory
Stories about the exploits of Soviet soldiers are transmitted from one generation to another, and to this day, the inhabitants of Brest are proud of the heroic actions of their grandfathers. This place was the first of all the cities of the Soviet Union where the Germans sent their troops, but his defenders showed significant resistance, forcing the enemy to radically overestimate their strengths and capabilities. Despite the lack of preparation and warning, the soldiers managed to defend the city and protect it from the enemy's invasion.
To honor the memory of the dead, on September 25, 1971, a memorial was opened in honor of the Great Victory, which the soldiers achieved while defending Brest. Once here, you can look at the necropolis with three tiers. The remains of more than eight hundred soldiers who heroically defended the walls of the city are buried there.
In addition, a sculpture was created under the name “Thirst”, which is a reminder of what a painful test the soldiers had to go through when they were unable to deliver to the city and were exhausted from lack of water.
Access to the river was blocked, which only complicated the already quite tense circumstances. Therefore, the named monument is a figure of a warrior who crawls to the bank of the river, holding a helmet in his hands. A little later, in 1992, within the framework of this memorial, a museum was opened dedicated to the combat exploits of aircraft soldiers.