Brest Fortress - this phrase evokes in any person an association about the heroic defenders who fought against the treacherously attacked fascist invaders in the early summer of 1941. How long did her defense last? Official sources say about eight days, unofficial sources say that the soldiers defended it until August 1941.

The history of this world-famous symbol of the heroism of Soviet soldiers began long before the events that glorified it.

The appearance of a medieval fortress

The first mention of the fortress is found in the literary monument “The Tale of Bygone Years” in the eleventh century. Berestye - that’s what the settlement of those times was called - was located between two rivers - the Western Bug and Mukhavets. In those days, the main trade routes were mainly along waterways. There was also the best possible place - along the Bug it was possible to sail to the European part - Lithuania, Poland and beyond, and along Mukhavets - through the steppes to the Middle East.

It is practically impossible to restore the original appearance of the medieval fortress - very rare museum documents have been preserved about how the fortress originally looked. Over the course of many centuries, it passed from the power of one state to the possession of another, its appearance underwent changes, and the fortress was overgrown with buildings. But, despite the changes inspired by the demands of the times, the fortress managed to retain its medieval charm for a very long time.

Military history of the fortress

The fortress finally became Russian possession only at the end of the eighteenth century. Before that, it was owned by Lithuanians and Poles, and it was also under the jurisdiction of the Principality of Turov.

IN Russian Empire The fortress was not given strategic importance until the nineties of the eighteenth century. It was then that the top officials drew attention to its favorable location. Russian army, concerned about strengthening the boundaries. But they did not succeed in realizing their plans for restructuring and strengthening it soon.

Every Russian feels like the year of the invasion of Napoleonic troops. It was then that the military history of the fortress began. Russian troops successfully repulsed the cavalry attack, preventing the enemy from gaining a foothold in Brest. That military episode impressed the tsarist government, which decided to build a powerful defensive structure on the site of ancient buildings.

In 1825, Emperor Nicholas I ascended the throne. He considered strengthening the western borders of the Russian Empire one of the main priorities of his state activities. In 1829, General K.I. Opermann created a project for the Brest-Litovsk Fortress, and in 1830 it was already put on the table of the emperor for approval.

Fire in the old fortress

The fire that broke out at the old fortress in 1835 accelerated the construction of a new structure, and already on June 1, 1836, the commander-in-chief of the army, Prince I.F. Paskevich laid the first stone in construction. The work was completed in April 1842. The fortress was a citadel, the thickness of the walls of which was about two meters, fortified by a fortress wall, the length of which was 6.4 km. The five hundred casemates located there could accommodate more than 12 thousand people. It was located on an island and connected to the main land through drawbridges. At the time of its opening, it was the most powerful and modern structure in Russia.

The military managed to convince the emperor that it was inappropriate to house the civilian population in the fortress. That’s why the cadet corps settled there. The residents of the old fortress who had previously suffered from the fire were given money and recommended to settle in another place, a couple of kilometers away. Thus, the fire clearly played into the hands of all participants - the government resolved the issue of relocating residents, residents received compensation for arranging a new life, and the military received a well-fortified fortress.

IN Peaceful time The rhythm of life in Brest was very measured. There were several churches, services were held, and officer meetings were held in the White Palace, which previously served as a monastery.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the fortress was no longer a model of advanced military thought. Only a third of the weapons the military had were modern. At the beginning, the defense capability of the fortress was undermined, oddly enough, by the military reform - it removed the infantry from the citadel, and the militia became the defenders of the fortress. They began to urgently reconstruct the fortress - thousands of civilians were involved in this construction. In the spring of 1915, Russian borders received one of the most powerful defensive structures.

But by decision of the command, already in August 1915, valuable property was taken away, the fortress was partially blown up and abandoned by Russian troops.

The humiliating Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

The next significant event that occurred here dates back to March 3, 1918. The humiliating agreement was signed precisely in Brest, which came into the possession of first the Germans and then the Poles. The latter, with the outbreak of the Soviet-Polish war in 1919, set up a camp for Russian prisoners of war in it.

In 1920, Brest was conquered, but then fell back to the Poles. Brest was finally annexed to Poland for several decades after the conclusion of the Peace of Riga in 1921.

The Poles used the fortress for its intended purpose - as a barracks, and there were military warehouses there. A political prison was also located there, where political figures opposed to the current government were kept.

On September 2, 1939, the Germans launched an attack on the fortress and recaptured it from Poland. And on September 22, 1939, the fortress was transferred to the Soviet side. In honor of this, a joint parade of German and Soviet troops took place. That day can be considered the date of Brest’s entry into the USSR.

The most dramatic history of the fortress

On the day of the German attack on Soviet Union the garrison numbered 9 thousand soldiers, not counting the families of military personnel. On June 22, the most dramatic page in the history of the fortress opened. The garrison woke up to heavy fire, which the Germans opened at 4.15 am. By noon, the German command planned to capture Brest and move on. But the defenders, taken by surprise, managed to mobilize. And although it was not possible to organize a general command in this fiery chaos, the fighters began to resist, interacting in small groups. Even bayonet battles began at the Volyn and Kobrin fortifications.

Two days later, the Germans managed to capture the Volyn and Terespol fortifications, and their garrisons went under the protection of the Citadel. Every day the defenders repelled several attacks, they were subjected to heavy fire, interrupted by the Nazis only to invite the remaining defenders to surrender. On June 26, the Citadel finally fell, three days later - the Eastern Fort. But the resistance did not end there - single fighters and small groups continued to put up fierce resistance, trying to break into the partisan detachments.

Single resistance by Soviet soldiers continued until August. This is evidenced by the inscriptions on the stones left by soldiers of the Soviet Army. In order to clear the fortress of the last fighting soldiers, the Wehrmacht was forced to flood the basements of the buildings.

The results of this fierce and heroic resistance were large-scale losses on both sides: the Germans lost approximately 1,200 people, more than a hundred of them officers. Soviet army lost about 7,000 prisoners, 1,877 killed.

Interesting facts about the Brest Fortress will tell little-known nuances about the construction and its capture during the war. It is located near the city of Brest. It began to be built in 1833. The construction of the fortress was completed in 1842. The area of ​​the fortress is 4 square kilometers, and its length is almost 7 kilometers.

1. Construction of the second ring of the fortress has begun. The year 1913 was to become significant in the history of the fortress. We began to build a second fortification ring. In the district, according to the plan, it was supposed to be 45 kilometers. But, unfortunately, this idea was never realized. The First World War began.

   

2. Preparations for defense - the first destruction with the outbreak of war. Intensive preparations began for the defense and defense of the fortress. In 1915, it was partially blown up by Russian troops. In 1918, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed. Until the end of this year it belonged to a German. Then power passed to the Poles, and in 1920 it was recaptured by the Red Army. As a result, at the conclusion of the Peace of Riga, it was given to the Poles.

   

3. General Guderian's armored corps began to capture the fortress. As a result of the battle, the Poles were forced to retreat. They went to Tiraspol.

   

4. Fire was opened on the Brest Fortress on June 22, 1941. For those who defended it, this was a surprise. The warehouse was shot up, there was no water, and communication was interrupted. The garrison suffered colossal damage. Next came the assault. The Germans' goal was to capture the Citadel. They managed to get there.

   

5. The last defenders of the Brest Fortress did not give up. During the war, the Germans tried to capture it twice. In 1939, the fortress was stormed by soldiers Soviet troops. The fortress was defended by the Poles. The defenders of the Brest Fortress held firm until the last.

   

6. The first news about the capture and defense of the fortress became known and available in 1942. Before this, only rumors were known. And in 1951, one famous artist painted the painting “Defenders of the Brest Fortress.” The writer Smirnov also shed light on the events of that time and told the truth about the defense of the fortress.

   

7. Assignment of the title – Fortress Hero in 1965. On May 8, the Brest Fortress received the title of hero fortress and was awarded the Order of Lenin. And also the Gold Star medal.

   

8. A monument to courage left in memory for posterity. One of the main monuments is the Monument of Courage. on his back side you can see reliefs depicting real events protection and defense of the fortress.

   

9. They still rest in the Brest Fortress fallen heroes . One of the monuments is a three-tier necropolis. It contains the remains of the defenders, there are 850 of them.

   

10. The symbol of the most tragic part of the defense is “Thirst”. The memorial complex also has a sculpture called “Thirst”, it symbolizes the lack of water among the defenders. Due to the fact that the Germans blocked access to water.

    

11. 1971 was a significant year in the history of the fortress. It was this year that the status of the memorial complex was officially given. On its territory, monuments were made in honor of the defenders and a museum was opened, in which the entire history of the defense of the Brest Fortress was opened.

    

12. Unity of war veterans and defenders of the Brest Fortress on Victory Day. This is significant for many, especially for participants in military operations. On this day, veterans of the war and defense of the Brest Fortress gather together. They go to the Monument of Courage. Near the eternal flame they remember the fallen defenders of the fortress.

    

13. The Tiraspol gates took the first blow from the invaders. Border guards and their families lived in the buildings near the gate. There was also a water supply system that supplied water throughout the entire area of ​​the fortress. When the shelling began, many border guards, their wives and children died. And the fortress was left without water.

    

14. The memory of brave border guards and defenders was established in 2011. Opposite the Tiraspol Gate they made a monument that conveyed all the feelings of that time. The courage of border guards going into battle and the courage of women.

    

15. Kholm Gate - a symbol of the defense of the fortress. This building was connecting the Citadel and the bridge. The Germans entered the fortress through them; they covered themselves with children. There is also a plaque in memory of the execution leader of the Citadel’s defense, Fomin Efim.

The Slavic settlement of Berestye appeared on an island at the confluence of the Western Bug and Mukhavets rivers about 1000 years ago. Many scholars believe that the name “Berestye” comes from one of the elm tree species - birch bark, the wood of which was very valued in the old days as a good material for making sleighs, arcs, etc. However, there is another opinion that this name came from birch bark - birch bark, which played important role in the economy of the ancient Slavs. Geographical location settlement of Berestye was not accidental, since in those days it was large rivers were the main routes of communication. Merchants transported their goods on them on rowing and sailing ships, and all business connections between the principalities were carried out along them. Ancient Rus', in which the first cities of Belarus passed the initial path of their development. Due to its beneficial geographical location the settlement was repeatedly subjected to devastating raids by cruel conquerors. He was robbed and put to the sword by princes Kievan Rus, Tatar-Mongol hordes, knights of the Teutonic Order, Lithuanian and Polish feudal lords. And therefore, the inhabitants of Berestye, later Brest, more than once had to erect powerful earthen and wooden fortifications and engage in mortal battles with enemy hordes. Brest began to strengthen under the Volyn prince Vladimir. In 1276–1289, a high stone tower and a pentagonal castle were erected in the city, which existed until 1831, and then were dismantled for the construction of new fortifications. In 1319, Brest became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for several centuries, and then the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. With the growth of the city, its main part was moved to a second, more large island, where a shopping area with religious buildings took shape. Then the city expanded its borders to the neighboring banks of the Mukhavets and Western Bug rivers. In the 14th century, the knights of the Teutonic Order rushed east to capture the East Slavic lands and conquer the peoples who lived on them. They captured Prussia and part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and in 1379 they burned and plundered Brest, but they failed to take the fortress. In 1500, the city suffered from a raid by the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey, but was then built again and even expanded. In 1554, Brest received its own coat of arms, on a red field of which a stone tower was depicted. The basis of the city was a castle, the walls of which with five watchtowers towered over the waters of Mukhavets and the Western Bug. Inside the castle there were city government buildings, a church, a monastery, a market and houses of wealthy citizens. Outside the castle walls began the suburbs where small artisans, townspeople and the urban poor lived. Hard tests fell to the lot of Brest during the war between Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1657, the troops of the Swedish king Charles X, who took advantage of this war, captured Brest Castle and devastated the city. Again swedish army, this time King Charles XII, captured and plundered the city in 1706 - during the Northern War. When Brest and the surrounding lands became part of Russia in 1795, the military-strategic importance of the city increased even more, and the question arose of turning it into an unassailable outpost of the state. In 1796, General Engineer of the Russian Army KI Opperman developed the instruction “To survey the new border with Prussia and Austria” and a plan for it, according to which it was planned to build 9 powerful first-line fortresses, including the Brest-Litovsk fortress. Soon a number of projects were drawn up for the construction of these fortresses, but the invasion of Napoleon’s armies delayed the implementation of these plans for a long time. The issue of strengthening Brest was returned to only in 1829. In 1830, a Construction Committee headed by Maletsky and an engineering team led by Captain Wilman were formed. During the construction of fortifications, it was decided to move many city buildings to new locations, but even during the preparation for construction, a fire broke out, destroying more than 500 houses. This disaster accelerated the clearing of the territory on which future fortresses were to be built. In a solemn ceremony, on June 1, 1836, the first stone of the future fortress was laid, at the base of which a board and a box of coins were walled up. Over several years, thousands of Russian soldiers and peasants sent here by the government did a tremendous job: they manually dug up and moved hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of earth, They poured huge earthen ramparts and dug canals. In the spring of 1842, the work was completed, and the military flag hoisted over the Brest Fortress. On four islands formed by the Western Bug and Mukhavets rivers and artificial bypass canals, there are Kobrin, Volyn and Terespol bridgeheads and central part fortresses - Citadel. Under the huge earthen ramparts that enclosed the bridgeheads there were stone casemates and storage rooms. The citadel is a closed massive two-story barracks, built of dark red brick. The length of the building along the outer circumference of the central island was 1.8 kilometers; in its walls, the thickness of which was almost 2 meters, loopholes and embrasures were made for firing from guns and small arms. The Citadel barracks could accommodate 12,000 soldiers. With the appearance in the armies European countries new artillery systems, there was a need to carry out additional defensive work to strengthen the Brest Fortress. In the 1860s, at the suggestion of General E.I. Totleben, a famous Russian fortification engineer, strengthened the main earthen rampart in the fortress, built redoubts on the Kobrin fortification, built traverses, and built new powder magazines. The Brest Fortress was strengthened later: before the First World War, for example, it was decided to build a second line of 9 powerful forts 6–7 kilometers from the Citadel. The history of the construction of the fortress is also connected with the name of the talented Russian military engineer D.M. Karbyshev, who served with the rank of captain in the Brest Fortress from August 1911 to November 1914. Under his leadership, work was carried out to strengthen the 7th fort on the left bank of the Western Bug, the construction of Fort “I” and other structures. During the First World War, reserve units for the front were formed in the Brest Fortress and warehouses were located. When German troops approached Brest during the offensive on the Eastern Front in 1915, the Russian command evacuated the fortress garrison; Most of the warehouses were also taken away, and some fortifications were blown up. Until the end of the war, the occupiers ruled the fortress, and in 1918, the Brest Peace Treaty was signed in the building of the former White Palace. In 1921, Poland, with the support of the Entente countries, achieved the separation of the western regions of Ukraine and Belarus, and until September 1939, units were stationed in the Brest Fortress Polish army . After the annexation of Western Belarus to the Soviet state, several units of the Red Army were stationed in the Brest Fortress, which by that time had already lost its former military significance. In the spring of 1941, the 6th Oryol Red Banner and 42nd Rifle Divisions remained here. At the beginning of summer, the regiments of these formations, as well as artillery and tank units, left for the camps. Only isolated units and economic services remained in the fortress. At dawn on June 22, 1941, thousands of air bombs, mines and shells fell on the city and fortress. The surrounding area was illuminated by flashes of fire, the earth trembled, the one and a half meter walls of the Citadel guardhouse shook, glass flew out, the iron frames of the windows curled up like dry leaves... The Nazis were sure that after a while Russian soldiers and officers would come out to meet them with their hands raised, because this is no longer the case this happened in many European cities. The German command planned to capture the Brest Fortress on the first day - by 12 o'clock, because the direct assault on the fortress was entrusted to the assault troops of the 45th division, formed in the mountains of Upper Austria - in Hitler's homeland and therefore distinguished by its special devotion to the Fuhrer. To storm the fortress, the division was reinforced with three artillery regiments, nine mortars, heavy mortar batteries and heavy-duty siege guns “Karl” and “Thor”. But it was different here than in Europe. Soldiers and officers ran out of houses and barracks, looked around for a moment, but instead of raising their hands, they pressed themselves against the walls of buildings and, using any cover, began to shoot. Some, riddled with German bullets, remained where they had fought their first and last battle; others, continuing to fire, left... In the first hours, the enemy captured the territory of the fortress, many buildings and fortifications, but those remaining in the hands of Soviet soldiers were so well located that they made it possible to keep significant areas under fire. The defenders were confident that they would not have to defend for long - regular units were about to arrive 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 how can you get to it! Many fighters crawled for water - and did not return... The Nazis did not take seriously the resistance of scattered groups that did not even have any connection with each other, 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 give up. And then, with a piercing screech, heavy artillery shells rushed from behind the Bug, and then the Nazis again went on the attack, and again they had to retreat, leaving behind the dead and carrying away the wounded. Every day the Nazis intensified their attack, but their losses were so great that the army commander ordered to stop the assault on the fortress. Aviation was thrown into the battle and additional artillery was brought up. It seemed that after the shelling and air bombing in the fortress, not a single person could survive. But as soon as the Nazis launched their next attack, they were again met with rifle and machine-gun fire. A few days after the start of the war, the Germans threw armored vehicles and tanks at the fortress, but when they approached, bunches of grenades flew at them. Several cars caught fire, but the rest continued to move. And suddenly - an explosion, followed by a second, a third... These were anti-tank mines exploding, quietly placed by the defenders of the fortress. The surviving tanks crawled back, and fascist aircraft appeared over the fortress again. In a rage, Hitler's pilots began to drop barrels of fuel from their planes; a sea of ​​fire raged in the fortress, and it became hell. It seemed that the fire would completely destroy all living things, but when the flames went out and the Nazis went on the attack again, they were met by bullets and bayonets from the defenders of the fortress. On the seventeenth day of the assault, the Germans announced the capture of the fortress, but this was not the case. For about another month, the Brest Fortress defended itself - a handful of Soviet fighters against almost an entire corps of fascists. The Nazis entered the fortress only after only seriously wounded and unconscious soldiers and officers remained there. Even enemies later spoke with involuntary respect about the steadfastness and courage of the defenders of the Brest Fortress. In particular, Otto Skorzeny in his book “Special Assignment” will later write: “The Russians in the central fortress of the city continued to offer desperate resistance. We captured all the external defensive structures, but I had to crawl my way, because the enemy snipers hit without a miss. The Russians rejected all offers of capitulation and an end to futile resistance. Several attempts to sneak up and take the fortress by storm ended in failure. The dead soldiers in gray-green uniforms that littered the area in front of the fortress were eloquent evidence of this. The Russians fought until last minute and to the last man."

Description

Brest Fortress

“We will die, but we will not leave the fortress”, “I am dying, but I will not give up” - who among Belarusians has not heard these words? The defense of the Brest Fortress is a page in history that every resident of our country is rightfully proud of. Children are told about this at school, written in newspapers, and shown on television. Until now, the courage of the defenders of the fortress serves as a source of inspiration for writers and poets, and makes the hearts of boys beat faster. This is a Monument with a capital M. A monument not only to courage, but also to boundless love for the Motherland.

A fortress with a difficult fate

The Brest Fortress is the heart of the city, it is from here that the history of Brest began many centuries ago. It was here that the Nadbuzh Slavs in ancient times formed the settlement of Berestye, which was first mentioned in 1019 in the Tale of Bygone Years. Years passed, the city grew, strengthened, and became the political, economic and cultural center of this region.

The third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795 led to the fact that Brest-Litovsk (it was called that way then) became part of the Russian Empire. And almost immediately the need arose to build additional fortifications in order to strengthen the defense capability of the state’s borders. The War of 1812 showed that the construction of a number of military fortresses on the western borders, including in Brest-Litovsk, was inevitable.

In 1830, military engineers - generals K.I. Opperman and N.M. Maletsky, Colonel A.I. Feldman - developed a plan for the construction of the Brest-Litovsk Fortress. According to the plan, it was to be built on the site of the old city. This led to the destruction of a large number of ancient buildings of Brest-Litovsk; only a few cultural buildings remained - monasteries and churches, which were adapted to the needs of the fortress garrison. New town was built two kilometers from the fortress fence.

In 1833, the first work began on this territory, and three years later the first stone of the future glorious fortress was laid. In addition to the first stone, a memorial plaque and a box with coins were walled into the base of the Citadel. The official opening of the Brest-Litovsk Fortress took place in 1842. It consisted of the Citadel and three fortifications that formed the main fortress fence and covered the Citadel on three sides: Volynskoye - from the south, Terespolskoye - from the west and Kobrinskoye - from the east and north. The fortress was protected by a bastion front - a fortress fence (an earthen rampart with brick casemates inside), which stretched for 6.4 km and was 10 meters high. In addition, the fortress fence was also strengthened by a bypass channel filled with water. The total area of ​​the fortifications was 400 hectares.

The Citadel itself was a natural island, along the perimeter of which a closed two-story barracks (length 1.8 km) was built. The barracks had about 500 casemates, which could accommodate up to 12 thousand soldiers. Bridges and gates connected the Citadel with other fortifications.

In the early 50s of the 19th century, construction of the Orthodox St. Nicholas Church began here. This project was developed by academician Russian Academy arts architect D.I.Grimm.

In the second half of the 19th century, a decision was made to build additional defensive fortifications - forts. In addition, reconstruction of the fortress itself began. Over the course of 10-15 years, nine first-line forts were built, each of which could accommodate up to 250 soldiers and 20 guns. The length of the defensive fortifications has now reached 30 km.

The reconstruction of the Brest-Litovsk Fortress continued at the beginning of the 20th century. By the beginning of the First World War, the fortress defense line consisted of 14 forts, 21 intermediate strong points, 5 defensive barracks, 7 powder magazines and 38 artillery batteries.

In the first months of the First World War, intensive work was carried out in the fortress: five forts that had been started earlier were completed here. The defense line was now 45 km. True, the command decided to evacuate the fortress garrison; from August 12 to 13, 1915, Russian soldiers left the city. Part of the forts and barracks was blown up, ammunition and property were taken away. The fortress and the city fell into the hands of the Germans.

One of the most important events of this war for Russia took place on the territory of the fortress: the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty was concluded here. This happened on March 3, 1918 in the building of the White Palace of the fortress. According to this peace treaty, Russia lost 780 thousand square meters. km of territory with a population of 56 million people.

In the period from 1918 to 1939. both the fortress and the city were Polish territory. Brest-Litovsk, which since 1923 was called Brest-nad-Bug, became the administrative center of the Polesie Voivodeship of Poland, and Polish military units were located in the fortress. In 1939, Brest became part of the BSSR.

Two years later, the Brest Fortress came face to face with one of the most terrible wars in the history of mankind - the Second World War. In Belarus, this war is usually called the Great Patriotic War.

On June 22, 1941, German troops attacked the Brest Fortress. There were about 8 thousand people here that night. Almost 300 families of command and control personnel also met the war in the fortress. The selfless defense became one of the most heroic and tragic pages of the war; thanks to the courage of the defenders of the Brest Fortress, this place is known throughout the world.

The fortress was stormed by soldiers of the 45th Infantry Division of Major General Fritz Schlieper, together with all the units and reinforcements there were about 20 thousand of them. At 3:15 European time (4:15 Moscow time), hurricane artillery fire was opened on the fortress, as a result of which the water supply was seriously damaged, communications were interrupted, and the garrison suffered serious losses.

The first shock passed quickly, and the defenders of the Citadel began to desperately resist. The names of Kizhevatov, Zubachev, Fomin, Gavrilov and other commanders will forever remain in the memory of all Belarusians. The Germans planned to capture the Brest Fortress in a day, but organized resistance lasted for more than a month. Major P.M. Gavrilov was one of the last to be captured - on July 23. To this day, in the Museum of Defense of the Brest Fortress you can see the inscription “I am dying, but I am not giving up. Goodbye, Motherland. 20/VII-41.” According to eyewitnesses, shooting was heard in the fortress almost until the beginning of August. To eliminate the last pockets of resistance, the German high command gave the order to flood the basements with water from the Western Bug.

The feat of the defenders of the Brest Fortress will forever go down in history as an example of courage and patriotism. About 150 participants in the legendary defense were awarded high government awards, and Major P. M. Gavrilov and Lieutenant A. M. Kizhevatov (posthumously) were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

For the exceptional services of the defenders of the Brest Fortress to the Motherland, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 8, 1965, the Brest Fortress was awarded the honorary title “Hero-Fortress” with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

To be remembered

The memorial complex “Brest Hero Fortress” was inaugurated on September 25, 1971. The complex consists of surviving buildings, preserved ruins, ramparts and works of modern monumental art. A whole team of authors worked to perpetuate the feat of the defenders of the Brest Fortress; the main artistic director was the People's Artist of the USSR, sculptor A. Kibalnikov.

The complex itself is located in the eastern part of the Citadel. There is not a single random element here: each is designed to emphasize the greatness of the soldiers’ feat. Already at the entrance, an atmosphere is created that does not allow you to be indifferent to visiting the fortress. The main entrance is made in the shape of a five-pointed star, passing through it, the visitor hears the legendary “Holy War” of Alexandrov, as well as the voice of Levitan, reading out a government message about the treacherous attack of the Nazi troops. Here, at the entrance, there is a board with the text of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 8, 1965, according to which the Brest Fortress was awarded the title “Hero-Fortress.”

From the main entrance there is a direct alley to the Ceremonial Square. A little short of the square, on the left, is the sculptural composition “Thirst”: soviet soldier pulls the helmet towards the water. Left without drinking water Under hurricane fire, the defenders of the fortress tried with all their might to get it. A lot of soldiers died at that very moment, when they tried to get water from Mukhavets.

Then the alley leads to the main square of the complex - Ceremonial Square. All public celebrations take place here. Adjacent to the square is the Museum of Defense of the Brest Fortress and the ruins of the White Palace. The compositional center of the ensemble is the “Courage” monument, which is a chest-length sculpture of a warrior 33.5 meters high. This monument is made of concrete. On the reverse side there are relief compositions telling about the heroic episodes of the defense of the fortress. “Attack”, “The Last Grenade”, “Party Meeting”, “Machine Gunners”, “Feat of the Artillerymen”: all these episodes took place in real story. Under the monument there is a 3-tier necropolis where the remains of 823 people are buried. There are memorial plaques nearby, but there are only 201 names here. All the rest could not be identified. The Eternal Flame of Glory burns here. Two steps from the “Courage” monument, a hundred-meter-tall obelisk bayonet rises into the sky.

On the observation deck you can see types of artillery weapons from the middle of the 19th century, as well as from the times of the Great Patriotic War. The ruins of the barracks of the 333rd Infantry Regiment, the defensive barracks, and the building of the club of the 84th Infantry Regiment have been preserved. Towards the Northern Gate there are ruins of a medical unit and residential buildings, and the Eastern Fort.

Every visitor should visit the Museum of the Defense of the Brest Fortress at least once. It is there that you can put all the information together and understand how great the feat of the defenders of the fortress was. The museum is located in one of the restored barracks on the central island of the Citadel. This barracks was built back in 1842 and is already a landmark itself - an architectural monument of the 19th century.

The museum here was opened in 1956; it was created on the basis of a museum room in which objects found during excavations and all the collected material were stored. In 1959 the museum was accepted into International Association weapons museums and military history. In the same year, military units were withdrawn from the fortress, and entry here became free. The museum developed, its funds were actively replenished. By 1961, there were already 8,108 museum exhibits.

The museum is still active today. Its main exhibition is located on the second floor. It occupies ten halls, each of which sequentially narrates the facts of the long history of the fortress.

Deep into the centuries

On the territory of the memorial complex there is another unique object - the Berestye archaeological museum. It was opened on March 2, 1982, and over time became one of the most visited museums in the Brest region.

In 1969-1981, excavations were carried out on the territory of the city of Detinets, which is located at the confluence of the left branch of Mukhavets with the Bug. They were led by Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor P.F. Lysenko. The results of the excavations shocked the whole of Belarus. Archaeologists discovered a village of the 11th-13th centuries: wooden houses and barns, pavements, palisades, as well as a large number of household items.

This find served as the basis for the creation of a wonderful museum - the Berestye Museum. The museum building, with its outlines, resembles an ancient dwelling, inside of which there is an archaeological excavation. Here you can see 28 small wooden residential and outbuildings from the 13th century, two wooden pavements, and a preserved palisade. Around the excavation site there are 14 niche pavilions that tell about the life of ancient Berestye. More than 42 thousand exhibits are collected here. Among them there are also very rare ones: a boxwood comb with an alphabet (early 13th century), a bone figurine of a chess king, an oak plow for plowing the land, a bronze cross-encolpion, writing objects (wrote, tsera - writing tablet, book clasps), jewelry, including a gold ring (early 14th century), all kinds of children's toys, leather goods and many other items.

"Berestye" is considered one of the most visited museums in the Brest region. There are always visitors here who are happy to leave rave reviews. Recently, a souvenir shop opened in the museum building, where you can buy memorable souvenirs.

The Brest Fortress has long become a symbol of the steadfastness of our soldiers and officers during the Great Patriotic War. In this fortress, Hitler’s troops received a real tough rebuff for the first time.

The capture of the Brest Fortress was one of the first tasks of the Nazis in accordance with the Barbarossa plan. They hoped to do this within a few hours, without expecting to encounter serious resistance there.

However, the rebuff of the Red Army units in the Brest Fortress thwarted all their plans, and the Wehrmacht troops were forced to capture this fortification for several days, losing a lot of manpower and military equipment.

Fortress in Brest on the map

The city of Berestye, on the site of which the Brest Fortress stands today, is mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years. It was a rich city, but it was located at the junction of lands, so it often changed hands between Russians, Poles and Lithuanians.

The Brest Fortress was built by order of the Russian Emperor Nicholas I on the island where the Western Bug and Mukhavets rivers merge. Here is the most direct and shortest route from Warsaw to Moscow.

The fortress was a two-story structure with powerful thick walls and five hundred casemates. More than 12,000 people could be in it at once. And the walls could withstand any weapon that existed in the 19th century.

Around the natural island where the Brest Fortress stands, several artificial islands were created with additional fortifications to protect the citadel from enemy troops.

The fortress was built in the early 40s of the 19th century

Over time, military engineers came to the conclusion that the Brest fortress needed a third line of defense to protect the citadel from a distance of almost 10 km. So an artillery battery, barracks, strongholds and forts were built here.

An extraordinary find

At the beginning of 1942, during the most terrible times of the Great Patriotic War, the Nazis advanced deep into the USSR, and the Red Army tried to stop them. Near Orel, a Wehrmacht division was defeated and its archive was confiscated.

A report with attached documents was found in the captured archive, in it German officer reported on the capture of the Brest Fortress. This is how the first information appeared about what actually happened in Brest in June 1941.

By the time the Nazis attacked the USSR, this fortress was, in fact, a military town where Soviet border guards lived with their families. The premises there were used as barracks.

Military exercises were planned for June 22, so various army units arrived at the Brest fortress. And Brest was stormed by an elite infantry division of the Wehrmacht, which had already crossed half of Europe.

The Germans had a plan for the Brest Fortress. Because They had already taken it from the Poles once, using aerial bombardment; they knew all its strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, we started traditionally - with artillery shelling, and then an assault followed.

The German attack aircraft quickly reached the citadel through the Terespol fortification, occupied the dining room, the club, and some casemates. Our soldiers and officers took up defensive positions, and the first detachments of attack aircraft were surrounded.

The next day, the second Nazi offensive began. But our military managed to organize a defense and were sure that they only needed to hold their positions and wait for reinforcements. To connect with outside world they couldn't anymore.

The Germans' attempt to immediately capture the Brest Fortress failed; they withdrew their troops and resumed shelling as darkness fell. It is important that the Wehrmacht retreated for the first time since the start of World War II.