Marchuk Nina Grigoryevna

In the western areas of our country there is a large number of military cemeteries of times of World War I. And it is not surprising. Exactly here in "imperialistic" the Russian-German front stopped, and there were bloody fights. One of places where in 1915 soldiers of the Kaiser and fighters of the Russian Imperial army clashed in deadly fight (further – RIA) Kobrin district of the Brest region is.

What remained from military burials of World War I?
In the summer of the 1915th the Russian army under the pressure of superior forces of the opponent hastily receded from the Privislensky region. War inevitably approached Belarus. In August near Kobrin there was heavy fighting to scales of which extensive German and Russian military cemeteries in Gaykovke, Izabelin, Bogs, Borodichakh, Gorodtsa, Tevlyakh, Polyatichakh with hundreds of burials on everyone testify.

Soldiers of the Russian Imperial army

It is necessary to tell about each of these military churchyards in more detail. Near the village of Gaykovka (Katasha) in August, 1915 there was one of the first large fights between the German Russian by armies. Losses were on both sides. When Russians receded towards Kobrin, the German funeral platoon "powdered" with the earth of the dead on those places where they died. When the front departed on the East, the local population together with Germans was collected by corpses of the dead and buried them in several deep ditches near the road. In that grave soldiers of two armies were together buried. After a while on the place of burial Germans constructed a concrete monument.

Graves of the German soldiers

Already during World War II, in 1943, soldiers of Wehrmacht drove local population to a cemetery and led exhumation of remains of the soldiers. Old residents remember that Germans had exact plans of burial made 1915 more. According to them works on exhumation were also carried out. Remains of kayzerovsky soldiers were taken out to Germany.

One of the German cemeteries in Kobrin district. Photo of the 1930th

After Kobrin's release from fascist aggressors the Soviet soldiers brought trophy ammunition to the place of the former cemetery and blew up them. The concrete monument put by Germans in 1915 was destroyed.

Today on the place, where when that was the German cemetery - a dump. Locals are still sure that under a heap of household garbage remains of the Russian soldiers which in 1943 Germans did not take away are based.

In 1915 near Kobrin there was heavy fighting

Big joint Russian-German burial of World War I was also in the village of Izabelin. Configuration of a cemetery was following: in the center, probably, emphasizing respect for heroism of the opponent, buried "Russians", and around on perimeter of the. Burial was surrounded with a deep ditch and laid over by big stones. In the center it was given big oak up as a bad job.

In times when these territories were a part of Poland, to Izabelin there arrived the German military and having exhumed remains of the military personnel, took away them to Germany. Here truly, nobody is forgotten and nothing is forgotten. And what became with remains of fighters Russian Imperial? They remained not touched. Over time the barrow grew with a grass and a bush. The cross decayed … Only in 2006 the local collective farm "The ascending dawn" arranged well the place of burial. In its center the new orthodox cross appeared.

Near the village of the Bog (Girsk) the German military cemetery of times of World War I is also located. Officially on this churchyard there are no Russian graves. But old residents remember that when Germans buried the, a row arranged also the Russian mass grave. This German burial and today in perfect tune. There come volunteers from Germany.

German grave

The village Borodichi had a big Russian military cemetery. But over time, that place where soldiers of RIA were based, overgrew a tall weeds and forgot about it. The cemetery reminded of itself after World War II when to Borodichakh began to carry out the new road.

The bucket of the excavator one by one began to dig out human skulls and bones. Except remains heel-taps from boots, cartridge pouches to Mosin's rifle were found. Also the semi-decayed notebook on which cover the surname of "Thunders" appeared was among other things found. Surprising circumstance was the fact that the majority of the skulls found then were shot as though, these people were not killed in battle, and they were shot.

Russian gunners

Everything, found in Borodichakh, collected and reburied on a local cemetery. Unfortunately, the place of burial of those remains was not designated.

Is to Borodichakh and the German cemetery. The reminiscence remained that in September, 1915 to the village Germans went on the coast of the Dnepro-Bugsky channel, from the town of Gorodets. And here, suddenly, from an ambush they were attacked by soldiers of the Russian army. Fight was fierce, but in view of the fact that the reinforcement approached Germans Russians receded.

Part of the dead, probably officers, Germans transported to the town of Gorodets, and buried near a church. And privates were buried in a deep trench on the bank of the channel where the high round concrete nadmogilny column soon appeared.

After the Great Patriotic War the German monument was destroyed. The main reference point was gone and today already nobody will remember where the German cemetery settled down.

History and the German military churchyard in Gorodtsa is not less sad. Near a local church the wall constructed at the beginning of the 19th century settled down. From its inside buried priors of the temple and the local nobility. There were also burials of the Russian soldiers who died during war of 1812 there. For example, on this cemetery, parents of the famous writer Maria Rodevich were buried.

German graves

In 1915 Germans buried the soldiers on the other side of a wall. Graves put plates. In such state the cemetery existed till 1962 when local authorities transferred the building of a church to the order of local collective farm, and that, in turn, organized a warehouse of mineral fertilizers there.

In one of days the chairman of collective farm adjusted the bulldozer to a cemetery and destroyed a wall. The broken stones, nadmogilny plates including the German, used at construction of the base of drying plant. Today in Gorodtsa there is neither church, nor the cemetery which was once near it any more.

And here to a military necropolis near the village of Tevli has the luck much more. In 1915 Germans on the suburb of the village buried the died soldiers, and also fighters of RIA killed there. During fights of the Soviet-Polish war of 1920 on that cemetery were buried, the died Red Army men.

In the 1970th years local authorities received from above the instruction: "Immediately to fill up a cemetery". No sooner said than done. Stones filled up with sand. But the first grass as local chiefs did not manage to break through through sand received the new directive: "To dig out!". And made. Moreover, in the center of a churchyard established a stele.

In the 1980th years on a cemetery the memorable sign on which it was specified that on a cemetery about 200 soldiers of the Russian army, soldiers of the German army and 50 Red Army men are buried was established …

Also the cemetery near the village Polyatichi remained. There not only the Russian and German soldiers who died during World War I but also "zholnezh" of Army Polish and the Red Army men killed during the Soviet-Polish war of 1920 are buried. The last 5-7 years come volunteers here and examine this necropolis.

Such is a sad story of some military burials of World War I located in the territory of Kobrin district of the Brest region. I think that our society has to think seriously of a problem of preservation of military burials in the territory of our republic because each died soldier is worthy respect for the grave.

Nina Marchuk, "Historical truth", 29.10.2012

After the publication of material to me there were several calls of locals who remember stories of the great-grandfathers, witnesses of kayzerovsky occupation of Mr. Kobrin in 1915-1918. Here the generalized material of human memory. For the beginning of the XX century in the suburb of of Kobrin with Lepesa's name (today the being military camp), and the name of "Lepesa", most likely, from the name of Lepesovk's small river twisting and deep once which reminds a streamlet today there were military kazarama still for a long time.

Soldiers lived there at the tsar-father, at Poles, at councils, and the first and second. This place and kayzerovets chose. They lived in barracks. There were both a kitchen, and hospital there. And they adapted an orthodox garrison churchlet for "Lutheran church". And this street that goes today to the former staff, at right angle to Lenin Street where on the right the drugstore, once carried the name Church. And so here, on the left side of the street there was also a Saint church of Elena. The waste ground was near (nowadays there school No. 4). This waste ground was also used by kayzerovets under graves for the soldiers.

Can generals and all for whom the destiny prepared eternity here took away to Germany, but the others, laid down to our litvinsky earth. I remember a card of 1915-1918 where in the forefront the whole field of white small birch crosses against a wooden churchlet with a mark of Kobryn, 1916 (Russland). Where the churchlet and when crosses decayed disappeared – do not know even in the local museum.

But very many heard and hear from builders and road builders that they at earthwork very much even often came across human bones. Probably - it is and there are bones of kayzerovsky soldiers. It follows from this that for today on our Kobrin earth it already the eighth burial of soldiers of times of World War I, the soldier of once great Germany.

January, 2014



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