Major Gavrilov

The commander of the 44th Infantry Regiment of the 42nd Infantry Division, Major Gavrilov Petr Mikhailovich, for 2 days led the defense in the area of ​​the Northern Gates of the Kobrin fortification, and on the third day of the war he moved to the Eastern Fort, where he commanded a consolidated group of fighters from various units in the amount about 400 people. According to the enemy, “... it was impossible to approach here with infantry means, since excellently organized rifle and machine-gun fire from deep trenches and from a horseshoe-shaped courtyard mowed down everyone approaching. There was only one solution left - to force the Russians to surrender by hunger and thirst ... "On June 30, after a long shelling and bombing, the Nazis captured most of the Eastern Fort, but Major Gavrilov continued to fight there with a small group of fighters until July 12. On the 32nd day of the war, after an unequal battle with a group of German soldiers in the North-Western caponier of the Kobrin fortification, he was taken prisoner in an unconscious state.

Released Soviet troops in May 1945. Until 1946 he served in the Soviet Army. After demobilization he lived in Krasnodar.

In 1957, for courage and heroism in the defense of the Brest Fortress, he was awarded the title of Hero. Soviet Union. He was an honorary citizen of the city of Brest. Died in 1979. He was buried in Brest, at the Garrison Cemetery, where a monument was erected to him. Streets in Brest, Minsk, Pestrachi (in Tataria - in the homeland of the hero), a motor ship, a collective farm in the Krasnodar Territory are named after him.

Lieutenant Kizhevatov

The head of the 9th outpost of the 17th Brest Red Banner Border Detachment, Lieutenant Andrei Mitrofanovich Kizhevatov, was one of the leaders of the defense in the Terespol Gate area. On June 22, Lieutenant Kizhevatov and the soldiers of his outpost from the first minutes of the war took battle with fascist german invaders. Was wounded several times. On June 29, with a small group of border guards, he remained to cover the breakthrough group and died in battle. The border post was named after him, where a monument was erected to him, streets in Brest, Kamenets, Kobrin, Minsk.

In 1943, the family of A.M. was brutally shot by fascist executioners. Kizhevatova - wife Ekaterina Ivanovna, children Vanya, Nyura, Galya and an elderly mother.

The organizers of the defense of the citadel

Captain Zubachev

Assistant commander for the economic part of the 44th Infantry Regiment of the 42nd Infantry Division Captain Zubachev Ivan Nikolaevich, participant civil war and battles with the White Finns, from June 24, 1941 he became the commander of the combined battle group of the defense of the Citadel. On June 30, 1941, seriously wounded and shell-shocked, he was captured. He died in 1944 in the Hammelburg camp. Posthumously awarded the order Patriotic War 1st degree. Streets in Brest, Zhabinka, Minsk are named after him.

Regimental Commissar Fomin

Deputy commander for political affairs of the 84th Infantry Regiment of the 6th Oryol Rifle Division, Regimental Commissar Efim Moiseevich Fomin, led the defense at first at the location of the 84th Infantry Regiment (near the Kholmsky Gates) and in the building of the Engineering Directorate (currently its ruins remain in the area of ​​the Eternal fire), organized one of the first counterattacks of our soldiers.

On June 24, by order N1, the fortress defense headquarters was created. The command was assigned to Captain I.N. Zubacheva, regimental commissar E.M. Fomin was appointed his deputy.

Order No. 1 was found in November 1950 during the dismantling of the rubble of the barracks near the Brest Gates among the remains of 34 Soviet soldiers in the tablet of an unidentified commander. The banner of the regiment was also found here. Fomin was shot by the Nazis at the Kholmsky Gate. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Lenin. Buried under the slabs of the Memorial.

Streets in Minsk, Brest, Liozna, a garment factory in Brest are named after him.

Defender of the Terespol Gate Lieutenant Naganov

The platoon commander of the regimental school of the 333rd rifle regiment of the 6th Oryol rifle division, Lieutenant Naganov Alexei Fedorovich, at dawn on June 22, 1941, with a group of fighters, took up defense in a three-story water tower above the Terespol Gates. Killed in action on the same day. In August 1949, the remains of Naganov and his 14 fighting friends were discovered in ruins.

Urn with ashes of A.F. Naganova is buried in the Necropolis of the memorial. Posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War 1st class.

Streets in Brest and Zhabinka are named after him. A monument was erected to him in Brest.

Defenders of the Kobrin fortification

Captain Shablovsky

The defender of the Kobrin bridgehead Captain Shablovsky Vladimir Vasilievich, commander of the battalion of the 125th rifle regiment of the 6th Oryol rifle division stationed in the Brest Fortress, at dawn on June 22, 1941, led the defense in the area of ​​the Western Fort and the houses of command staff on the Kobrin fortification. For about 3 days, the Nazis besieged residential buildings.

Women and children took part in their defense. The Nazis managed to capture a handful of wounded soldiers. Among them was Captain Shablovsky, along with his wife Galina Korneevna and children. When the prisoners were being led across the bridge over the bypass canal, Shablovsky pushed the guard away with his shoulder and, shouting: “Follow me!”, threw himself into the water. Automatic burst cut short the life of a patriot. Captain Shablovsky was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class. Streets in Minsk and Brest are named after him.

In the winter of 1943/44, the Nazis tortured Galina Korneevna Shablovskaya, the mother of four children.

Lieutenant Akimochkin, political instructor Nesterchuk

The chief of staff of the 98th separate anti-tank artillery division, Lieutenant Akimochkin Ivan Filippovich, together with the deputy commander of the division for political affairs, senior political officer Nesterchuk Nikolai Vasilievich, organized defensive positions on the Eastern ramparts of the Kobrin fortification (near the Zvezda). Surviving cannons and machine guns were installed here. For 2 weeks, the heroes held the Eastern Walls, defeated the column of enemy troops moving along the highway. On July 4, 1941, the Nazis seized the seriously wounded Akimochkin and, having found a party card in his tunic, shot him. He was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class. A street in Brest is named after him.

Defense of the Terespol fortification

Art. Lieutenant Melnikov, Lieutenant Zhdanov, St. Lieutenant Black

Under the cover of artillery fire at dawn on June 22, the advance detachment of the 45th Infantry Division of the enemy managed to break through the Terespol Gate into the Citadel. However, the defenders stopped the further advance of the enemy in this area and firmly held their positions for several days. A group of the head of the courses for drivers, Art. Lieutenant Fyodor Mikhailovich Melnikov, 80 border guards led by Lieutenant Zhdanov and soldiers of the transport company led by Senior Lieutenant Cherny Akim Stepanovich - about 300 people in total.

The losses of the Germans here, by their own admission, “especially officers, took on deplorable proportions ... Already on the first day of the war, the headquarters of two German units, unit commanders were killed. On the night of June 24-25, the joint group of Art. Lieutenant Melnikov and Cherny made a breakthrough to the Kobrin fortification. The cadets, led by Lieutenant Zhdanov, continued to fight on the Terespol fortification and on June 30 made their way to the Citadel. On July 5, the soldiers decided to join the Red Army. Only three managed to break out of the besieged fortress - Myasnikov, Sukhorukov and Nikulin.

Myasnikov Mikhail Ivanovich, a cadet of the district courses of drivers of the border troops, fought on the Terespol fortification and in the Citadel until July 5, 1941. With a group of border guards, he broke through from the enemy ring and, retreating through the Belarusian forests, joined with units of the Soviet Army in the Mozyr area. For the heroism shown in the battles during the liberation of the city of Sevastopol, Senior Lieutenant Myasnikov M.I. was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Senior Lieutenant Cherny Akim Stepanovich, commander of the transport company of the 17th Red Banner Border Detachment. One of the leaders of the defense at the Terespol fortification. On the night of June 25, together with a group of senior lieutenant Melnikov, he made his way to the Kobrin fortification. June 28 shell-shocked was captured. Passed fascist camps: Biala Podlaska, Hammelburg. He took part in the activities of the underground anti-fascist committee in the Nuremberg camp. Released from captivity in May 1945.

Defense of the Volyn fortification

Military doctor 1st rank Babkin, Art. political instructor Kislitsky, commissar Bogateev

The Volyn fortification housed the hospitals of the 4th Army and the 25th Rifle Corps, the 95th Medical Battalion of the 6th Rifle Division, and the regimental school of the 84th Rifle Regiment. At the South Gate, the fortifications were held back by the cadets of the regimental school of the 84th Infantry Regiment under the leadership of senior political officer L.E. Kislitsky.

The Germans captured the building of the hospital by noon on June 22, 1941. The head of the hospital, military doctor of the 2nd rank Babkin Stepan Semenovich and battalion commissar Bogateev Nikolai Semenovich, saving the sick and wounded, died heroically, shooting back from the enemy.

A group of cadets of the regimental school of junior commanders, with some of the patients from the hospital and fighters who arrived from the Citadel, fought until June 27.

Pupils of musician platoons

Petya Vasiliev

From the first minutes of the war, Petya Vasiliev, a pupil of the musician platoon, helped to pull out ammunition from destroyed warehouses, delivered food from a dilapidated store, performed reconnaissance tasks, and obtained water. Participating in one of the attacks on the liberation of the Red Army club (church), he replaced the deceased machine gunner. Petya's well-aimed fire forced the Nazis to lie down, and then run back. In this battle, the seventeen-year-old hero was mortally wounded. He was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class. Buried in the Memorial Necropolis.

Petr Klypa

A pupil of the musician platoon of Klypa, Petr Sergeevich, fought at the Terespol Gates of the Citadel until July 1st. He delivered ammunition and food to the fighters, obtained water for children, women, the wounded and the fighting defenders of the fortress. Conducted reconnaissance. For fearlessness and ingenuity, the fighters called Petya "Gavroche of Brest". During a breakout from the fortress, he was taken prisoner. Escaped from prison, but was captured and taken to work in Germany. After his release he served in the Soviet Army. For courage and heroism shown during the days of the defense of the Brest Fortress, he was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.

Women in the defense of the Brest Fortress

Vera Khorpetskaya

"Verochka" - that's what everyone in the hospital called her. On June 22, a girl from the Minsk region, together with the battalion commissar Bogateev, carried the sick out of the burning building. When she found out that there were many wounded in the thick bushes where the border guards were stationed, she rushed there. Dressings: one, two, three - and the soldiers again go to the line of fire. And the Nazis are still squeezing the ring. A fascist emerged from behind a bush with an overweight machine gun, followed by another, Khoretskaya leaned forward, covering the exhausted warrior with herself. The crackle of automatic fire merged with the last words of a nineteen-year-old girl. She died in battle. She was buried in the Memorial Necropolis.

Raisa Abakumova

In the Eastern Fort, a dressing station was organized in the shelter. It was headed by military assistant Raisa Abakumova. From under enemy fire, she carried seriously wounded soldiers on herself, in shelters she provided them with medical care.

Praskovya Tkacheva

Nurse Praskovya Leontievna Tkacheva from the first minutes of the war throws herself into the smoke of the hospital on fire. From the second floor, where postoperative patients lay, she managed to save more than twenty people. Then, after being seriously wounded, she was taken prisoner. In the summer of 1942, she became a liaison officer in the Chernak partisan detachment.

I read it today with a colleague poltora_bobra post . I thought, but, really, how long did the Brest Fortress fight? How to count? From June 22 to June 29, 1941 (organized resistance, the fall of the Eastern Fort ended), or until the moment when her last defender was killed or captured? Judging by the information from the Internet, the commander of the 44th Infantry Regiment, Major Gavrilov, after all, could be not the last defender of the fortress. How reliable are the stories that such could have been up to the beginning of February 1942, I do not know. But logic and common sense I am told that this is unlikely to be true. And, here, the fact that on July 23, 1941, being seriously wounded, Major Gavrilov was captured is well known. He fought as much as he could, as long as his human strength was enough, fought like a hero. His defense of the Brest Fortress is not 7 days, it is a month. Such an account!

By June 22, 1941, the Germans already had experience of fighting for this fortress. In September 1939, the Poles defended her from September 14 to 17, after which they left. They fought then well, competently, they could fight further, but they preferred to leave. Later, on September 22, 1939, Germany handed over Brest and the fortress to the USSR.

The Germans took into account the experience of the battles of September 1939, but, nevertheless, they miscalculated in the "small" - the Poles are not Russians!

"The German command planned to capture the Brest Fortress on the very first day - by 12 o'clock, because the direct assault on the fortress was entrusted to the assault detachments of the 45th division, formed in the mountains of Upper Austria - in Hitler's homeland and therefore distinguished by special devotion to the Fuhrer. To storm the fortress, the division was reinforced three artillery regiments, nine mortars, heavy mortar batteries and super-powerful Karl and Thor siege guns.

But here it was different than in Europe. The soldiers and officers ran out of the houses and barracks, looked around for a moment, but instead of raising their hands, pressed against the walls of the buildings and, using any cover, began to shoot. Some, riddled with German bullets, remained where they took their first and last battle; others, continuing to shoot back, left ...

In the first hours, the enemy captured the territory of the fortress, many buildings and fortifications, but the remaining in the hands of the Soviet soldiers were so well located that they made it possible to keep significant areas under fire. The defenders were sure that they would not have to defend themselves for a long time - the regular units were about to come up and sweep away the Nazis. But hours and days passed, the position of the defenders worsened: there was almost no food, there was not enough water ... Mukhavets is nearby, but can you really get to him! Many fighters crawled for water - and did not return ...

The fascists did not take seriously the resistance of disparate, even unconnected groups, and expected that very soon the besieged would raise a white flag. But the fortress continued to fight, and soon the Nazis realized that the Russians were not going to surrender. And then, with a piercing squeal, shells of heavy artillery rushed from behind the Bug, and then the Nazis went on the attack again, and again they had to retreat, leaving the dead and carrying away the wounded ... "

“It was July 23, 1941, that is, on the thirty-second day of the war ... On this day, the Nazis brought a major who had just been captured in the fortress to the camp hospital. The captured major was in full command uniform, but all his clothes turned into tatters, his face was covered with powder soot and dust and overgrown with a beard. He was wounded, unconscious and looked emaciated to the extreme. It was in the full sense of the word a skeleton covered with skin. To what extent exhaustion had reached, one could judge from the fact that the prisoner did not could even make a swallowing movement: he did not have enough strength for this, and the doctors had to apply artificial nutrition to save his life.But the German soldiers who took him prisoner and brought him to the camp told the doctors that this man, in whose body life was barely glimmering, just an hour ago, when they caught him in one of the casemates of the fortress, he single-handedly took a fight with them, threw grenades, fired a pistol and killed and wounded several the Nazis. They spoke of this with involuntary reverence, frankly amazed at the fortitude of the Soviet commander, and it was clear that only out of respect for his courage the prisoner was left alive. ... within a few days, German officers came from Brest who wanted to look at the hero who showed such amazing stamina, such will in the fight against the enemy "

C. Smirnov "Brest Fortress"

Former commander of the 44th Infantry Regiment of the 42nd Infantry Division, retired Major Gavrilov. 1961 Photo from the archive of Alexander Vasilyevich Kurpakov

Hero's grave

Major Gavrilov performed by Alexander Korshunov. Film "Brest Fortress"

Having unexpectedly attacked the Soviet Union, the fascist command hoped to reach Moscow in a few months. However, the German generals met resistance as soon as they crossed the border of the USSR. The Germans took several hours to capture the first outpost, but the defenders of the Brest Fortress held back the power of the huge fascist army for six days.

The siege of 1941 became

for the historical Brest Fortress, however, it was subjected to attacks even before that. The fortress was built by the architect Opperman in 1833 as a military structure. The war reached it only by 1915 - then it was blown up during the retreat of the Nikolaev troops. In 1918, after the signing, which took place in the Citadel of the fortress, it remained under German control for some time, and by the end of 1918 it was in the hands of the Poles, who owned it until 1939.

The real hostilities overtook the Brest Fortress in 1939. The second day of the Second World War began for the garrison of the fortress with the bombing. German aircraft dropped ten bombs on the citadel, damaging the main building of the fortress - the Citadel, or the White Palace. Then in the fortress there were several random military and reserve units. The first defense of the Brest Fortress was organized by General Plisovsky, who, from the scattered troops he had, managed to assemble a combat-ready detachment of 2,500 people and evacuate officer families in time. Against the armored corps of General Heinz, Plisovsky could only oppose an old armored train, several of the same tanks and a couple of batteries. Then the defense of the Brest Fortress lasted three full days

From September 14 to 17, while the enemy was almost six times stronger than the defenders. On the night of September 17, the wounded Plisovsky led the remnants of his detachment south, towards Terespol. After that, on September 22, the Germans handed over Brest and the Brest Fortress to the Soviet Union.

The defense of the Brest Fortress in 1941 fell on the shoulders of nine Soviet battalions, two artillery battalions and several separate units. In total, this amounted to about eleven thousand people, excluding three hundred officer families. The fortress was stormed by the infantry division of Major General Shliper, which was reinforced additional parts. In general, about twenty thousand soldiers were subordinate to General Schliper.

The attack began early in the morning. Due to the suddenness of the attack, the commanders did not have time to coordinate the actions of the fortress garrison, so the defenders were immediately divided into several detachments. The Germans immediately succeeded in capturing the Citadel, but they were not able to gain a foothold in it - the invaders were attacked by the Soviet units left behind, and the Citadel was partially liberated. On the second day of defense, the Germans offered

surrender, to which 1900 people agreed. The remaining defenders united under the command of Captain Zubachev. The enemy forces, however, were immeasurably higher, and the defense of the Brest Fortress was short-lived. On June 24, the Nazis managed to capture 1250 fighters, another 450 people were captured on June 26. The last stronghold of the defenders, the Eastern Fort, was crushed on June 29 when the Germans dropped a 1800-kilogram bomb on it. This day is considered the end of the defense, but the Germans cleared the Brest Fortress until June 30, and the last defenders were destroyed only by the end of August. Only a few managed to escape to Belovezhskaya Pushcha to the partisans.

The fortress was liberated in 1944, and in 1971 it was mothballed and turned into a museum. At the same time, a memorial was erected, thanks to which the defense of the Brest Fortress and the courage of its defenders will be remembered forever.

Who were the "heroic defenders" of the fortress and why did they actually fight the Wehrmacht soldiers to the last.

On the day that in the USSR and now in modern Russia It is considered to be the beginning of the "Great Patriotic War" - June 22 - the traditional influx of Russian tourists to the Belarusian Brest. Guests walk around the memorial, watching performances. There are guided tours adapted to the perception of the citizens of the Russian Federation. And in Russia itself, on TV channels these days, films on military topics are spinning. Naturally, a special place is given to the defense of the Brest Fortress, one of the few facts that can be used in agitation - you won’t talk about the “heroic flight”.

Pyotr Krivonogov. Defenders of the Brest Fortress.

At first glance, there is nothing to add here, the words have long been learned, the memorial has been rebuilt, the script for the annual action has been "rolled back". But there is at least one fact, one episode, one monument that tourists are not told about. It is associated with the activities of the 132nd NKVD battalion, which defended itself in the casemates of the fortress and whose fighters, without exaggeration, fought to the last.

But it is not in vain that the official Soviet historiography tightly "forgot" about the full name of the battalion, and what its fighters did in the fortress, and modern Russian continues to "not remember" after it. And so far the Belarusian has not "remembered".

To begin with, let's think: the Brest Fortress, according to Soviet historiography, was a military garrison, that is, it was under the jurisdiction (and on the balance sheet) of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA). The NKVD is a completely different department. He was in charge of prisons, arrests, repressions, the Gulag and executions. Even more confusion comes when you read the full name of the battalion: "132nd (escort) NKVD battalion." That is, he must protect the prisoners.

This is what his fighters did. The personnel, except for the first company, guarded the prisons in Brest. The main one, No. 23, or, as it was called, "Rubella" was significantly expanded after the capture of Brest by the "soviets" in 1939. But all the same, there was “not enough space” - according to a memorandum on the “capacity of prisons”, as of June 10, 1941, 3807 people were kept in Brest prison No. 23, with 2680 places.

Again, a logical question arises: if Rubella was in the city, why was the 132nd battalion stationed in the fortress? The answer to it can be found if you look for documents and memories of another institution - the internal prison of the UNKVD or "Brigitki". The former building of the Brigid convent on the territory of the fortress was converted into a prison by the Russian Empire after the divisions of the Commonwealth.

It contained primarily political prisoners. Given that the uprisings against the "Russian brothers" on the territory of modern Belarus in the 19th century took place with enviable regularity, the prison was not empty. Kosciuszko's comrades-in-arms after the uprising of 1794, soldiers of the Poniatowski corps and hussars of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania who fought in Napoleon's army, underground "philomancers" arrested in 1823, rebels of 1831-32, kasiners of the Kalinovsky uprising of 1863-64, members of underground organizations of the end 19th century.

During the period of the Second Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the "prison on Brigitki" was also used - the location on the territory of the fortress, filled with troops, made it extremely convenient to keep political prisoners there. In particular, 21 deputies of the Polish Seimas were placed there, accused of preparing coup d'état. The commanders of the Belarusian and Ukrainian anti-Polish partisans were also kept there. "Brigitki", as they cynically joked then, were "an elite resort for very important people." A small number of places (up to 350 according to Polish data) and good security made escape impossible.

On this we again turn to the 132nd escort battalion of the NKVD. One of his key tasks was to protect the prisoners of the "Brigitok" - the "soviets" used the prison as a place for holding especially important prisoners, as they wrote, "Belarusian and Polish nationalists." True, the word "protection" in this case is only partly true. The cells of the "Brigitok" were death cells - people were placed there who needed to be destroyed.

As of June 20, 1941, the number of prisoners was "about 680 souls" - the battalion commanders found it difficult to give an exact figure, since they shot some, but more and more suicide bombers came to replace the dead. For example, in just three days, from June 19 to June 22, 1941, 24,442 people were arrested in Western Belarus. Of these, 2059 - members of Belarusian, Polish and Ukrainian organizations - were placed in special prisons (including death row). The rest are "evicted" to camps. The last train left Brest at one in the morning on June 22.

Now back to the events of June 22. According to the documents (including the testimonies of participants in the events), a hole was punched in the wall of the Rubella by artillery preparation, the guard fled, the prisoners were released.

With the "prison on Brigitki" there was a different story - artillery preparation bypassed the building of the complex, the prison was stormed by groups of the reconnaissance battalion of the 45th Wehrmacht infantry division under the command of Helmut von Panwitz. The guard was quickly destroyed, the Germans escorted about 280 people from the prison to the rear, who were released the next day. Among them, by the way, was Kazimir Swiatek, the future Catholic cardinal, who at the end of the 20th century headed the Belarusian Catholic Church.

Let's dwell on these data - 280 people out of 680 got to the Germans. Where are the others? Part, as Russian historians sparingly say, "died during the assault." But after all, artillery was not used, there was a shooting battle in the prison, the cells were separate rooms behind an iron door. It is possible that a stray bullet caught up with some of the prisoners, but it is highly likely that the soldiers of the 132nd NKVD battalion on the night of June 22 and even at the beginning of the assault simply shot people. For them, it was the most logical and familiar thing to do. By the way, it was precisely this logic that was contained in the orders for the department, which were already issued on June 23 and were sent to the western regions of the USSR.

Alas, even if somewhere in the archives there are documents and evidence of what happened "at Brigitki" in the first hours of the war, they are not yet available. And if they are in the special archives of the FSB, they will not be available for a very long time, because the 132nd battalion is the "heroic defenders of the Brest Fortress."

And all because the soldiers of this unit heroically defended not the Brest Fortress, but themselves - they simply had nowhere to go. Even in the edited version of the story, information slips through, to put it mildly, the disloyal attitude of local residents towards Soviet power. Even in the fortress there were cases when soldiers from among the inhabitants of Western Belarus surrendered or shot at their commanders and especially zealous Bolsheviks.

Why? You can cite a lot of facts, or you can refer to the document mentioned in the text about the special operation on June 19-21, when more than 24 thousand people were captured in three days. And this is after several large-scale waves of arrests and executions, which were carried out by the NKVD since the autumn of 1939. Every inhabitant of the region had a friend or relative who fell into the millstones of the red terror.

This, among other things, is the reason for the desperate defense of the soldiers of the 132nd battalion. The executioners had nowhere to run. If they were local, there would be at least one chance. But, on the Web there is a list of names of personnel, including the national one. Of the 563 people on the payroll, there were only eight Belarusians called up from the eastern regions. And even then, out of these eight, four are doctors. The soldiers and officers of the NKVD battalion were well aware that even breaking out of the fortress did not mean being saved - they would have been killed by local residents.

And this is not an assumption. For example, there is evidence that when the Germans approached the cities of Western Belarus, the local population looked for NKVD officers in the Houses commanders- buildings built (or taken from their owners) near military camps. The fate of those who were found was unenviable.

In the city of Novogrudok, local residents attacked a train with prisoners, who were preparing to be sent "to the rear." They killed the convoy, released fellow countrymen to freedom. I note that this happened at a time when Novogrudok was in the rear of the Red Army.

Therefore, the soldiers of the 132nd NKVD battalion fought to the last bullet, did not retreat, did not surrender. They fought heroically. Just as heroically as when they were surrounded in 1944 and 1945, soldiers and officers of the SS from the detachments guarding the camps outside Germany fought. They also understood that an attempt to "leave one by one", to surrender means guaranteed death, and that an attempt to resist even in complete encirclement leaves more chances for survival. In the same way, a rabid beast driven by hunters rushes into the last attack.

But the whole truth about the 132nd NKVD battalion does not fit into the official Soviet-Russian myth about the "valiant defenders of the fortress." The protector cannot be the killer. Therefore, there is not even a mention of the "prison on Brigitki" in the official guides to the Brest Fortress. Moreover, knowing that the guard took the fight in the prison, no one carried out excavations in order to find the bodies of the fighters. It is logical - after all, instead of the bodies of soldiers and officers of the NKVD, one could stumble upon the "uncomfortable" remains of those very "Brigitok" prisoners who "died during the assault" with characteristic bullet holes in their skulls.

In the Soviet Union, a myth was created without noticing or destroying everything that interfered with it. Therefore, even the building of the former monastery, which practically survived during the war (I remind you that it was not shelled with artillery) was blown up in 1955 by army sappers. Today, this place is a wasteland overgrown with forest. But tourists are not taken into this forest. Russian historians do not write about him. "Prison on Brigitki" is not in the official historiography of the Russian Federation, nor is it in the Belarusian one.

The study of the topic "Brigitok" until recently was carried out by Belarusian enthusiasts. In the last 2-3 years, the situation began to change - publications appeared, including in the local press. I really hope that sooner or later professional historians, archaeologists, archivists will supplement the already available data and recreate a real picture of the "heroic" 132nd NKVD battalion in Belarus and in the Brest Fortress, in particular.

The famous Brest Fortress has become synonymous with unbroken spirit and resilience. During the Great Patriotic War, the elite forces of the Wehrmacht were forced to spend 8 full days on its capture, instead of the planned 8 hours. What motivated the defenders of the fortress and why this resistance played an important role in the overall picture of the Second World War.

Early in the morning of June 22, 1941, the German offensive began along the entire line of the Soviet border, from the Barents to the Black Sea. One of the many initial goals was the Brest Fortress - a small line in the plan of Barbarossa. The Germans took only 8 hours to storm and capture it. Despite the loud name, this fortification was once the pride of Russian Empire, turned into simple barracks and the Germans did not expect to meet serious resistance there.

But the unexpected and desperate rebuff that the Wehrmacht forces met in the fortress went down in the history of the Great Patriotic War so vividly that today many believe that the Second World War began with an attack on the Brest Fortress. But it could happen that this feat would remain unknown, but the case decreed otherwise.

History of the Brest Fortress

Where the Brest Fortress is today, there used to be the city of Berestye, which is mentioned for the first time in The Tale of Bygone Years. Historians believe that this city originally grew around the castle, the history of which has been lost for centuries. Located at the junction of Lithuanian, Polish and Russian lands, it has always played an important strategic role. The city was erected on a cape formed by the Western Bug and Mukhovets rivers. In ancient times, rivers were the main communications for traders. Therefore, Berestye prospered economically. But the location on the very border entailed dangers. The city often moved from one state to another. It was repeatedly besieged and captured by Poles, Lithuanians, German knights, Swedes, Crimean Tatars and troops of the Russian kingdom.

Important fortification

The history of the modern Brest Fortress originates in imperial Russia. It was built by order of Emperor Nicholas I. The fortification was located at an important point - on the shortest land route from Warsaw to Moscow. At the confluence of two rivers - the Western Bug and Mukhavets - there was a natural island, which became the location of the Citadel - the main fortification of the fortress. This building was a two-story building, which housed 500 casemates. There could be 12 thousand people at the same time. Two-meter-thick walls reliably protected them from any weapons that existed in the 19th century.

Three more islands were created artificially, using the waters of the Mukhovets River and a man-made system of ditches. Additional fortifications were located on them: Kobrin, Volyn and Terespol. Such an arrangement suited the generals defending in the fortress very well, because it reliably protected the Citadel from enemies. It was very difficult to break through to the main fortification, and it was almost impossible to bring wall-beating guns there. The first stone of the fortress was laid on June 1, 1836, and on April 26, 1842, the fortress standard was raised over it in a solemn ceremony. At that time it was one of the best defensive structures in the country. Knowing the design features of this military fortification will help you understand how the defense of the Brest Fortress took place in 1941.

Time passed, and weapons improved. The range of artillery fire was increasing. What had previously been impregnable could now be destroyed without even getting close. Therefore, military engineers decided to build an additional line of defense, which was supposed to encircle the fortress at a distance of 9 km from the main fortification. It included artillery batteries, defensive barracks, two dozen strongholds and 14 forts.

unexpected find

February 1942 turned out to be cold. German troops rushed deep into the Soviet Union. The Red Army tried to hold back their advance, but most often they had no choice but to continue to retreat inland. But they didn't always fail. And now, not far from Orel, the 45th Wehrmacht Infantry Division was utterly defeated. We even managed to capture documents from the headquarters archive. Among them, they found a "combat report on the occupation of Brest-Litovsk."

Accurate Germans day after day documented the events that took place during the protracted siege in the Brest Fortress. The staff officers had to explain the reasons for the delay. At the same time, as was always the case in history, they went out of their way to exalt their own bravery and downplay the merits of the enemy. But even in this light, the feat of the unbroken defenders of the Brest Fortress looked so bright that excerpts from this document were published in the Soviet edition of Krasnaya Zvezda to strengthen the spirit of both the front fighters and the civilian population. But history at that time had not yet revealed all its secrets. The Brest Fortress in 1941 endured much more of those trials, which became known from the documents found.

Word to the Witnesses

Three years have passed since the capture of the Brest Fortress. After heavy fighting, Belarus was recaptured from the Nazis and, in particular, the Brest Fortress. By that time, stories about her had become almost legends and an ode to courage. Therefore, interest in this object was immediately increased. The powerful fortress lay in ruins. Traces of destruction from artillery strikes, at the first glance, told experienced front-line soldiers what hell the garrison stationed here had to face at the very beginning of the war.

A detailed survey of the ruins gave an even more complete picture. Literally dozens of messages from participants in the defense of the fortress were written and scratched on the walls. Many came down to the message: "I'm dying, but I don't give up." Some contained dates and last names. Over time, eyewitnesses of those events were also found. German newsreel and photo reports became available. Step by step, historians reconstructed the picture of the events that took place on June 22, 1941 in the battles for the Brest Fortress. The graffiti on the walls revealed something that was not in the official records. In the documents, the date of the fall of the fortress was July 1, 1941. But one of the inscriptions was dated July 20, 1941. This meant that the resistance, albeit in the form of a partisan movement, lasted almost a month.

Defense of the Brest Fortress

By the time the fire of the Second World War flared up, the Brest Fortress was no longer a strategically important object. But since it is not worth neglecting the material resources already available, it was used as a barracks. The fortress turned into a small military town where the families of commanders lived. Among the civilian population permanently residing in the territory were women, children and the elderly. About 300 families lived outside the walls of the fortress.

Because of the military exercises planned for June 22, rifle and artillery units and the highest commanders of the army left the fortress. The territory was left by 10 rifle battalions, 3 artillery regiments, air defense and anti-aircraft defense divisions. Less than half of the usual number of people remained - approximately 8.5 thousand people. National composition defenders would do honor to any UN meeting. There were Belarusians, Ossetians, Ukrainians, Uzbeks, Tatars, Kalmyks, Georgians, Chechens and Russians. In total, among the defenders of the fortress were representatives of thirty nationalities. They were approached by 19 thousand well-trained soldiers who had considerable experience in real battles in Europe.

Soldiers of the 45th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht stormed the Brest Fortress. It was a special unit. It was the first to triumphantly enter Paris. Soldiers from this division went through Belgium, Holland and fought in Warsaw. They were considered practically the elite of the German army. The 45th division always quickly and accurately carried out the tasks assigned to it. The Fuhrer himself singled her out among others. This is a division of the former Austrian army. It was formed in Hitler's homeland - in the district of Linz. It diligently cultivated personal loyalty to the Fuhrer. A quick victory is expected of them, and they do not doubt it.

Fully prepared for a fast assault

The Germans had a detailed plan for the Brest Fortress. After all, just a few years ago they had already won it from Poland. Then Brest was also attacked at the very beginning of the war. The assault on the Brest Fortress in 1939 lasted two weeks. It was then that the Brest Fortress was bombed for the first time. And on September 22, the whole of Brest was pompously handed over to the Red Army, in honor of which they held a joint parade of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht.

Fortifications: 1 - Citadel; 2 - Kobrin fortification; 3 - Volyn fortification; 4 - Terespol fortification Objects: 1. Defensive barracks; 2. Barbicans; 3. White Palace; 4. Engineering management; 5. Barracks; 6. Club; 7. Dining room; 8. Brest gates; 9. Kholmsky gate; 10. Terespol gates; 11. Brigid Gate. 12. The building of the border outpost; 13. Western fort; 14. Eastern Fort; 15. Barracks; 16. Residential buildings; 17. North-Western Gate; eighteen. north gate; 19. East gate; 20. Powder magazines; 21. Brigid Prison; 22. Hospital; 23. Regimental school; 24. Hospital building; 25. Strengthening; 26. South gate; 27. Barracks; 28. Garages; 30. Barracks.

Therefore, the advancing soldiers had all the necessary information and a diagram of the Brest Fortress. They knew about the strengths and weaknesses of the fortifications, and had a clear plan of action. At dawn on June 22, everyone was in their places. Installed mortar batteries, prepared assault squads. At 4:15 the Germans opened artillery fire. Everything was very clearly defined. Every four minutes, the line of fire was advanced 100 meters forward. The Germans diligently and methodically mowed down everything that could be obtained. detailed map The Brest Fortress served as an invaluable help in this.

The bet was made primarily on surprise. Artillery bombardment was to be short, but massive. The enemy needed to be disoriented and not given the opportunity to put up a cohesive resistance. For a short attack from nine mortar batteries, they managed to fire 2880 shots at the fortress. No one expected a serious rebuff from the survivors. After all, in the fortress there were rear guards, repairmen, and families of commanders. As soon as the mortars subsided, the assault began.

South Island attackers passed quickly. Warehouses were concentrated there, and there was a hospital. The soldiers did not stand on ceremony with bedridden patients - they finished off with rifle butts. Those who could move independently were killed selectively.

But on the western island, where the Terespol fortification is located, the border guards managed to orient themselves and adequately meet the enemy. But due to the fact that they were scattered in small groups, it was not possible to hold back the attackers for a long time. Through the Terespol Gate of the attacked Brest Fortress, the Germans broke into the Citadel. They quickly occupied some of the casemates, the officers' canteen and the club.

First failures

At the same time, the newly appeared heroes of the Brest Fortress begin to gather in groups. They draw their weapons and take up defensive positions. Now it turns out that the Germans who have broken through ahead are in the ring. They are being attacked from the rear, with undiscovered defenders waiting ahead. The Red Army purposefully shot officers among the attacking Germans. Discouraged by such a rebuff, the infantrymen try to retreat, but then they are met with fire by the border guards. German losses in this attack amounted to almost half of the detachment. They retreat, and settle in the club. This time already as besieged.

Artillery cannot help the Nazis. It is impossible to open fire, as the probability of shooting your own people is too high. The Germans are trying to break through to their comrades stuck in the Citadel, but Soviet snipers force them to keep their distance with accurate shots. The same snipers block the movement of machine guns, preventing them from moving to other positions.

By 7:30 in the morning, it would seem that the shelled out fortress literally comes to life and completely comes to its senses. The defense is already organized along the entire perimeter. The commanders hastily reorganize the surviving fighters and place them in position. No one has a complete picture of what is happening. But at this time, the fighters are sure that they just need to hold their positions. Hang on until help arrives.

Complete isolation

Links with outside world the Red Army did not have. Messages sent over the air went unanswered. By noon the city was completely occupied by the Germans. The Brest fortress on the map of Brest remained the only center of resistance. All escape routes were cut off. But contrary to the expectations of the Nazis, the resistance only grew. It was quite clear that the attempt to capture the fortress immediately failed. The advance faltered.

At 13:15, the German command throws into battle a reserve - the 133rd Infantry Regiment. It does not bring results. At 14:30, the commander of the 45th division, Fritz Schlieper, arrives at the site of the Kobrin fortification occupied by the Germans to personally assess the situation. He becomes convinced that his infantry is not able to take the Citadel on their own. Schliper gives the order at nightfall to withdraw the infantry and resume shelling from heavy guns. The heroic defense of the besieged Brest Fortress is bearing fruit. This is the first retreat of the illustrious 45th division since the start of the war in Europe.

The Wehrmacht forces could not just take and leave the fortress as it is. In order to move forward, it was necessary to occupy it. The strategists knew this, and this has been proven by history. The defense of the Brest Fortress by the Poles in 1939 and the Russians in 1915 served as a good lesson for the Germans. The fortress blocked important crossings across the Western Bug River and access roads to both tank highways, which were crucial for the transfer of troops and supplying the advancing army with supplies.

According to the plans of the German command, troops aimed at Moscow were to go through Brest without stopping. The German generals considered the fortress a serious obstacle, but they simply did not consider it as a powerful defensive line. The desperate defense of the Brest Fortress in 1941 made its own adjustments to the plans of the aggressors. In addition, the defending Red Army soldiers did not just sit in the corners. Time after time they organized counterattacks. Losing people and rolling back to their positions, they reorganized and again went into battle.

Thus passed the first days of the war. The next day, the Germans gathered the captured people, and, hiding behind women, children and the wounded from the captured hospital, began to cross the bridge. Thus, the Germans forced the defenders to either let them through or shoot their relatives and friends with their own hands.

Meanwhile, artillery fire resumed. To help the besiegers, two super-heavy guns were delivered - 600 mm self-propelled mortars of the Karl system. It was such an exclusive weapon that they even had their own names. In total, only six such mortars were produced in history. Two-ton projectiles fired from these mastodons left craters 10 meters deep. They knocked down the towers at the Terespol Gate. In Europe, the mere appearance of such a "Karl" at the walls of a besieged city meant victory. The Brest fortress, how long the defense lasted, did not even give the enemy a reason to think about the possibility of capitulation. The defenders continued to shoot back even when seriously wounded.

The first prisoners

However, at 10 a.m., the Germans take their first breather and offer to surrender. This continued in each of the subsequent breaks in the shooting. Persistent proposals to surrender sounded from German loudspeakers throughout the district. This was supposed to undermine the morale of the Russians. This approach has borne some fruit. On this day, about 1900 people came out of the fortress with their hands up. There were many women and children among them. But there were also soldiers. Basically - reservists who arrived at the training camp.

The third day of defense began with shelling, comparable in power to the first day of the war. The Nazis could not but admit that the Russians were defending themselves courageously. But they did not understand the reasons that made people continue to resist. Brest was taken. Help is nowhere to be found. However, initially no one planned to defend the fortress. In fact, it would even be a direct disobedience to the order, which said that in the event of hostilities, the fortress should be immediately abandoned.

The soldiers who were there simply did not have time to leave the facility. The narrow gate, which was the only way out at that time, was under aimed German fire. Those who failed to break through initially expected help from the Red Army. They didn't know that german tanks already in the center of Minsk.

Not all women left the fortress, heeding the exhortations to surrender. Many stayed behind to fight their husbands. German attack aircraft even reported to the command about the women's battalion. However, the fortress never had women's divisions.

premature report

On the twenty-fourth of June, Hitler was informed about the capture of the Brest-Litovsk fortress. On that day, stormtroopers managed to capture the Citadel. But the fortress has not yet surrendered. In the evening of the same day, the surviving commanders gathered in the building of the engineering barracks. The result of the meeting is Order No. 1 - the only document of the besieged garrison. Because of the assault that had begun, they did not even have time to finish it. But it is thanks to him that we know the names of the commanders and the numbers of the fighting units.

After the fall of the Citadel, the eastern fort became the main center of resistance in the Brest Fortress. The attack aircraft try to take the Kobrin shaft repeatedly, but the artillerymen of the 98th anti-tank division firmly hold the line. They knock out a couple of tanks and several armored vehicles. When the enemy destroys the guns, the fighters with rifles and grenades go into the casemates.

The Nazis combine assaults and shelling with psychological treatment. With the help of leaflets scattered from aircraft, the Germans call for surrender, promising life and humane treatment. Through the loudspeakers they announce that both Minsk and Smolensk have already been taken and there is no point in resistance. But the people in the fortress simply do not believe in it. They are waiting for help from the Red Army.

The Germans were afraid to enter the casemates - the wounded continued to shoot. But they couldn't get out either. Then the Germans decided to use flamethrowers. Brick and metal melted from the terrible heat. These streaks can still be seen on the walls of the casemates today.

The Germans put forward an ultimatum. His surviving fighters are carried by a fourteen-year-old girl - Valya Zenkina, the daughter of a foreman, who was captured the day before. The ultimatum says that either the Brest Fortress, down to the last defender, surrenders, or the Germans will wipe out the garrison from the face of the earth. But the girl did not return. She chose to stay in the fortress along with her.

Current Issues

The period of the first shock passes, and the body begins to demand its own. People understand that they have not eaten anything all this time, and the food warehouses burned down during the very first shelling. Worse, the defenders have nothing to drink. During the first artillery shelling of the fortress, the water supply system was disabled. People suffer from thirst. The fortress was located at the confluence of two rivers, but it was impossible to reach this water. Along the banks of rivers and canals are German machine guns. The attempts of the besieged to reach the water are paid with their lives.

The cellars are overflowing with the wounded and the families of command personnel. It is especially difficult for children. The commanders decide to send women and children into captivity. With white flags, they get out into the street and go to the exit. These women did not stay in captivity for long. The Germans simply let them go, and the women went either to Brest or to the nearest village.

On June 29, the Germans call in aircraft. This was the date of the beginning of the end. Bombers drop several 500kg bombs on the fort, but it holds its own and continues to snarl with fire. After lunch, another super-powerful bomb (1800 kg) was dropped. This time, the casemates pierced right through. Following this, attack aircraft broke into the fort. They managed to capture about 400 prisoners. Under heavy fire and constant assaults, the fortress held out in 1941 for 8 days.

One for all

Major Pyotr Gavrilov, who led the main defense in this area, did not surrender. He took refuge in a hole dug in one of the casemates. The last defender of the Brest Fortress decided to wage his own war. Gavrilov wanted to hide in the northwestern corner of the fortress, where there were stables before the war. During the day, he buries himself in a pile of manure, and at night he carefully crawls out to the canal to drink water. The major feeds on the compound feed left in the stable. However, after several days of such a diet, acute abdominal pains begin, Gavrilov quickly weakens and begins to fall into oblivion at times. Soon he is captured.

About how many days the defense of the Brest Fortress lasted, the world will learn much later. As well as the price the defenders had to pay. But the fortress began to acquire legends almost immediately. One of the most popular was born from the words of one Jew - Zalman Stavsky, who worked as a violinist in a restaurant. He said that one day, while going to work, he was stopped German officer. Zalman was taken to the fortress and led to the entrance to the dungeon around which the soldiers gathered, bristling with cocked rifles. Stavsky was ordered to go down and take the Russian soldier out of there. He obeyed, and below he found a half-dead man, whose name remained unknown. Thin and overgrown, he could no longer move independently. Rumor attributed to him the title of the last defender. This was in April 1942. It has been 10 months since the beginning of the war.

From the shadow of oblivion

A year after the first attack of the fortification, an article was written about this event in the Red Star, where the details of the protection of the soldiers were revealed. In the Moscow Kremlin, they decided that she could raise the militant ardor of the population, which had subsided by that time. It was not yet a real memorial article, but only a warning about what kind of heroes those 9 thousand people who fell under the bombing were considered. The figures and some names of the dead soldiers, the names of the fighters, the results of the fact that the fortress was surrendered and where the army is moving further were announced. In 1948, 7 years after the end of the battle, an article appeared in Ogonyok, which already looked more like a memorable ode to the dead people.

In fact, the presence of a complete picture of the defense of the Brest Fortress should be credited to Sergei Smirnov, who at one time set out to restore and organize the records that were previously stored in the archives. Konstantin Simonov took the initiative of the historian and a drama, a documentary and a feature film were born under his direction. Historians conducted a study in order to get as many documentary shots as possible and they succeeded - the German soldiers were going to make a propaganda film about the victory, and therefore the video material was already there. However, he was not destined to become a symbol of victory, because all the information was stored in the archives.

Around the same time, the painting “To the Defenders of the Brest Fortress” was painted, and since the 1960s, poems began to appear where the Brest Fortress is exhibited as an ordinary entertaining city. They were preparing for a scene based on Shakespeare, but did not suspect that another "tragedy" was brewing. Over time, songs have appeared in which, from the height of the 21st century, a person looks at the hardships of soldiers a century earlier.

At the same time, it is worth noting that propaganda was carried out not only from Germany: propaganda speeches, films, posters that prompt action. This was also done by the Russian Soviet authorities, and therefore these films also had a patriotic character. Courage was sung in poetry, the idea of ​​a feat of small military troops on the territory of the fortress, caught in a trap. From time to time, notes appeared about the results of the defense of the Brest Fortress, but the emphasis was on the decisions of the soldiers in conditions of complete isolation from the command.

Soon the Brest Fortress, already known for its defense, had numerous verses, many of which fell on songs and served as screensavers for documentaries during the Great Patriotic War and the chronicles of the advance of troops to Moscow. In addition, there is a cartoon that tells about the Soviet people as foolish children ( junior classes). In principle, the viewer is explained the reason for the appearance of traitors and why there were so many saboteurs in Brest. But this is explained by the fact that the people believed the ideas of fascism, while sabotage attacks were not always carried out by traitors.

In 1965, the fortress was awarded the title of "hero", in the media it was referred to exclusively as the "Brest Hero Fortress", and by 1971 a memorial complex was formed. In 2004 Beshanov Vladimir published complete chronicle"Brest Fortress".

The history of the creation of the complex

The museum "The Fifth Fort of the Brest Fortress" owes its existence to the Communist Party, which proposed its creation for the 20th anniversary of the memory of the defense of the fortress. Funds had previously been collected by the people, and now it only remained to get approval to turn the ruins into a cultural monument. The idea was born long before 1971 and, for example, back in 1965 the fortress received the Hero Star, and a year later a creative team was formed to design the museum.

She did a lot of work, right down to specifying what facing the obelisk bayonet should have (titanium steel), the main color of the stone (gray) and the necessary material (concrete). The Council of Ministers agreed to the implementation of the project, and in 1971 a memorial complex was opened, where sculptural compositions are correctly and accurately located and battlefields are presented. Today they are visited by tourists from many countries of the world.

Location of monuments

The formed complex has a main entrance, which is a concrete parallelepiped with a carved star. Polished to a shine, it stands on a shaft, on which, from a certain angle, the abandonment of the barracks is especially striking. They are not so much abandoned as left in the condition in which they were used by soldiers after the bombing. Such a contrast emphasizes the state of the castle. Casemates of the Eastern part of the fortress are located on both sides, and the Central part is visible from the opening. Thus begins the story that the Brest Fortress will tell the visitor.

A feature of the Brest Fortress is the panorama. From the elevation you can see the citadel, the river Mukhavets, on the coast of which it is located, as well as the largest monuments. The sculptural composition “Thirst” is impressively made, praising the courage of soldiers left without water. Since the water supply was destroyed in the first hours of the siege, the soldiers themselves, needing drinking water, gave it to families, and the remains were used to cool the guns. It is precisely this difficulty that they mean when they say that the fighters were ready to kill and go over the corpses for a sip of water.

The White Palace, depicted in the famous painting by Zaitsev, is surprising, which even before the start of the bombing in some places was destroyed to the ground. During the Second World War, the building served as a dining room, a club and a warehouse at the same time. Historically, it was in the palace that the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed, and according to myths, Trotsky left the famous slogan “no war, no peace”, imprinting it over the billiard table. However, the latter is not provable. During the construction of the museum near the palace, approximately 130 people were found dead, and the walls were damaged by potholes.

Together with the palace, the ceremonial area is a single whole, and if you take into account the barracks, then all these buildings are entirely preserved ruins, untouched by archaeologists. The scheme of the memorial Brest Fortress designates the area most often with numbers, although it has a considerable length. In the center are plates with the names of the defenders of the Brest Fortress, the list of which was restored, where the remains of more than 800 people are buried, and ranks and merits are indicated next to the initials.

Most visited attractions

The eternal flame is located near the square, over which the Main Monument rises. As the diagram shows, the Brest Fortress rings this place, making it a kind of core of the memorial complex. The Post of Memory, organized under Soviet rule in 1972, has been serving near the fire for many years. Yunarmiya members serve here, whose shift lasts for 20 minutes and you can often get to a shift change. The monument also deserves attention: it was made from reduced parts made from plaster at a local factory. Then casts were taken from them and enlarged 7 times.

The engineering department is also part of the untouched ruins and is located inside the citadel, and the Mukhavets and Western Bug rivers make an island out of it. A fighter was constantly in the Office, who did not stop transmitting signals over the radio station. And so the remains of one soldier were found: not far from the equipment, until the last breath, which did not stop trying to contact the command. In addition, during the First World War, the Engineering Department was only partially restored and was not a reliable shelter.

The garrison temple has become an almost legendary place, one of the very last to be captured by enemy troops. Initially, the temple served as an Orthodox church, however, by 1941 there was a regiment club there. Since the building was very profitable, it was it that became the place for which both sides fought hard: the club passed from commander to commander and only at the very end of the siege remained with the German soldiers. The temple building was restored several times, and only by 1960 was included in the complex.

At the very Terespol Gates there is a monument to "Heroes of the Border ...", created according to the idea of ​​the State Committee in Belarus. A member of the creative committee worked on the design of the monument, and the construction cost 800 million rubles. The sculpture depicts three soldiers defending themselves from enemies invisible to the eye of the observer, and behind them are children and their mother giving precious water to a wounded soldier.

underground stories

The dungeons, which have an almost mystical aura, have become an attraction of the Brest Fortress, and legends of various origins and content circulate around them. However, whether they should be called such a loud word - still needs to be figured out. Many journalists made reports without first checking the information. In fact, many dungeons turned out to be manholes, several tens of meters long, not at all “from Poland to Belarus”. The human factor played its role: those who survived mention the underground passages as something big, but often the stories cannot be substantiated by facts.

Often, before looking for ancient passages, you need to study the information, thoroughly study the archive and understand the photographs found in newspaper clippings. Why is it important? The fortress was built for certain purposes, and in some places these passages may simply not exist - they were not needed! But there are certain fortifications worth paying attention to. A map of the Brest Fortress will help with this.

Fort

When building forts, it was taken into account that they should only support infantry. So, in the minds of the builders, they looked like separate buildings that are well armed. The forts were supposed to protect the areas between themselves, where the military was located, thus forming a single chain - the line of defense. In these distances between the fortified forts, there was often a road hidden on the sides by an embankment. This mound could serve as walls, but not a roof - there was nothing to keep it on. However, the researchers perceived it and described it as a dungeon.

The presence of underground passages as such is not only not logical, but also difficult to implement. The financial costs that the command would incur absolutely did not justify the benefits of these dungeons. Much more effort would have been spent on the construction, but it would be possible to use the moves from time to time. You can use such dungeons, for example, only when the fortress was defending. Moreover, it was beneficial for the commanders that the fort remained autonomous, and did not turn into part of a string that provides only a temporary advantage.

There are certified written memoirs of the lieutenant, describing his retreat with the army through the dungeons, spread out in the Brest Fortress, according to him, for 300 meters! But in the story, it was mentioned in passing about the matches with which the soldiers lit the way, but the size of the passages described by the lieutenant speaks for itself: such lighting would hardly be enough for such a distance, and even taking into account the way back.

Old communications in legends

The fortress had storm drains and sewers, which made it from the usual heap of buildings with large walls a real stronghold. It is these passages of technical purpose that can most correctly be called dungeons, since they are made as a smaller version of the catacombs: a network of narrow passages branched over a long distance can only let one person of average build through. A soldier with ammunition will not pass through such cracks, and even more so, several people in a row. This ancient system sewerage, which, by the way, is located on the scheme of the Brest Fortress. A person could make his way along it to the place of clogging and clean it so that this branch of the highway could be used further.

There is also a lock that helps maintain the right amount of water in the fortress moat. He, too, was perceived as a dungeon and took the form of a fabulously large manhole. You can list numerous other communications, but the meaning will not change from that and they can only be considered dungeons conditionally.

Ghosts avenging from the dungeons

Already after the fortification was handed over to Germany, legends about cruel ghosts avenging their comrades began to be passed from mouth to mouth. Such myths had a real basis: the remnants of the regiment hid for a long time through underground communications and shot at night watchmen. Soon, the descriptions of the unmissable ghosts began to frighten so much that the Germans wished each other to avoid the Frau Mit Avtomat, one of the legendary avenging ghosts.

Upon the arrival of Hitler and Benito Mussolini, everyone's hands were sweaty in the Brest Fortress: if ghosts fly out of there while these two brilliant personalities pass by the caves, trouble cannot be avoided. However, this, to the considerable relief of the soldiers, did not happen. At night, the frau did not cease to be atrocious. She attacked unexpectedly, always swiftly, and just as unexpectedly hid in the dungeons, as if she was dissolving in them. From the descriptions of the soldiers it followed that the woman had a dress torn in several places, tangled hair and a dirty face. Because of her hair, by the way, her middle name was "Kudlataya".

The story had a real basis, since the wives of the commanders were also under siege. They were trained to shoot, and they did it masterfully, without a miss, they had to pass the TRP norms. In addition, being in good physical shape and being able to handle various types of weapons was in honor, and therefore some woman blinded by revenge for her loved ones could well do this. One way or another, the frau mit automatic was not the only legend among German soldiers.