The Great Patriotic War in Kobrin district    

At dawn on June 22, 1941 on peacefully sleeping Kobrin fascist bombs collapsed. At this time on the Brest direction on the 4th army of the Western front consisting of 4 divisions and the mechanized case, the 4th German army prepared for blow which included 12 divisions and tank group of Guderian as a part of 3 cases suddenly attacked. The aggressor had more than threefold superiority in manpower, tanks, planes. In unexpected blow of artillery and aircraft it managed to burn hundreds of our planes in boundary airfields, to break many staffs, to break communication, to destroy artillery warehouses.

And on the Kobrin staff of Army of a bomb fell upon the 123rd destructive regiment which was based on Kobrin airfield at 4 hours 30 minutes. In the first day of war pilots within 10 hours conducted continuous air battles, shot down 30 fascist planes, having lost at the same time 9. The commander of a regiment Surin B. N. who carried out 4 air fights was killed in unequal battle and personally shot down 3 enemy planes. The lieutenant Ryabtsev around 10.00 in fight near Brest made on June 22 one of the first air rams in this war.

Because of huge losses from sudden enemy blow, our parts could not keep on border. In the second half of the first day of war the remained parts 28 of the shooting case of the general Popov V. G. and the 22nd tank division of the general Puganov V.P. departed from Brest to Zhabinka, formed the front of defense on the line of Kamenets-Zhabinka-Malorita.

Any parts and divisions departed from border to Kobrin's region. From these parts the summary regiment headed by the lieutenant colonel Manevich was created A.V. Polk arranged the troops on the western suburb of Kobrin. The command post of army moved to Dams. At night there reported that in the 22nd tank division there were about 100 tanks with very small stock of shells and fuel. During the whole night in the 28th shooting case and the 22nd tank division gathered and put the divisions which remained and disseminated at derogation from border in order.

The opponent concentrated the main effort on the Kobrin direction. Under blow 2nd tank, 1 motorized and several infantry divisions of the 4th army enemy troops pushed aside our parts to 10 o'clock in the morning for the boundary of Tevli-Andronovo-Patriki.

In heavy fighting on the approaches to Kobrin reaching often hand-to-hand fights, our fighters and commanders showed exclusive heroism. At midday bombing attacks of fascists fell upon arrangements of these troops twice. Encounter tank action inflamed. Everything was on fire and a smoke. And in this scorching heat shooters continued to hold with firmness the fort. Especially selflessly the battalion of the 6th shooting division under command of the captain Olszewski battled here. Without stopping command of fight near. A name-day the commander of a division major general Puganov V.P. died.

At the price of big losses the opponent broke to the north of Kobrin. Its tanks began to come to Moskovskoye Highway. However about 16 hours they again were detained at the river Mukhavets by divisions 205 of a motor-shooting division which appeared in time here.

About 19 hours the opponent tightened tank divisions to the river and with strong support of aircraft once again attacked our parts. Exhausted by heavy fights, at an acute shortage of shells, antiaircraft means, anti-tank artillery of army of the 4th army did not bear this blow and were forced to depart to Gorodtsu. By the evening on June 23, 1941 Hitlerites entered the city. From this point the most tragic period in all its more than seven hundred-summer history began.

In Kobrin fascists destroyed and burned more than 200 houses, over 250 other constructions, blew up power plant, 3 mills, skinnery, timber mill and other enterprises, destroyed railway station, 2 railway bridges through the river Mukhavets and the channel with a general extent of 250 m. Robberies, violence, torture and murder were built in norm of Hitlerite soldiers and officers. In July, 1941 parts of Gestapo on streets of our city seized more than 200 peace citizens. They were taken out to the country to the region of a manor of Patriki and shot.

In August, 1941 local occupational troops under the pretext of delivery of grants in the school No. 1 called all disabled sick residents with families in number of 180 people. They were shot near. Name-day.

From the first days of occupation of Kobrin among the population so-called "slope" gained ominous popularity from turn of Pinskoye Highway at rise on the bridge at the Dnepro-Bugsky channel. For intimidation of hostile Soviet citizens the Hitlerite military commandant's office chose this place for executions which were carried out here literally in the face of the passersby captured by horror.

Usually in the afternoon this place was approached by one or two vehicles. Filled with convicts and escorts. For this time the traffic on the highway was blocked off. Suicide bombers with the twisted hands, most often a beating, forced to kneel to the brow of an embankment, then executioners bypassed the stiffened rank and methodically shot at an ear or a nape then the killed slid a slope down. Sometimes punishment was diversified with the fact that the victims faced in blows of a leg the highway, and running shot down with submachine guns in a back, thus Grinyuki's newlyweds who ran away from death were shot, strong holding hands.

The tremendous impression is made by the story about destruction at a slope of a family of the guerrilla Koshel. At a gendarme round-up the wife Koshelya Efrosinya and three her sons from whom to the senior 7 years were executed, and younger - fell 3 years into hands of executioners. Especially heroically the senior brother who was courageously trying to calm the younger brother Vitalik behaved under barrels of automatic machines.

During a row of months hundreds kobrinchan were brutally exterminated at a terrible slope which name became nominal for citizens. In the spring of 2004 the decision to carry out recovery work on the obelisk established in the 50th years was made. Memory of innocently murdered stiffened on a memorial board: "Here the Soviet citizens by fascist aggressors in 1941-1944 were shot"

On July 25, 1942 the German Gestapo with police surrounded part of the city between Sovetskaya Street, Svoboda Square, Belarusian and st. on March 8. All inhabitants of these streets (more than 1800 people) were shot around railway station of Bronnaya Gore.

Late fall 1942 the crime, terrible on the scales, was committed on the southern suburb of Kobrin between of Borisovo and park. Here from bullets of fascists more than 4 thousand Kobrin Jews died.

In connection with the increasing scope of the guerrilla movement fascists began to deal shortly with the victims in prison. Many inhabitants of Kobrin found the eternal calm here. Among them - active guerrilla coherent Pavel Getman, Kirill Omelnyuk.

In the spring of 1944, covering up tracks of sodeyanny crimes when under their legs the earth began to burn, fascists took from prison of 80 prisoners and forced them to dig out graves on the place of mass execution of 1942. The semi-decayed corpses got from holes, put alternately with firewood, and then poured gasoline and set fire. After everything were shot as witnesses of events and these 80 people among whom there was a priest. The smoke brought by wind to the city within several days comprised a smell of the burned human bodies.

And only facts: from all inhabitants of of Borisovk only 18 people survived, 186-it is shot; to Belsk and the Shouting of the Novoselkovsky Village Council more than 200 people died in the years of occupation; in Recyca of the Eremichsky Village Council in September, 1942 fascists burned 33 civilians; of death more than 100 peace citizens shot in days of the Great Patriotic War are reminded by the obelisk established in Divin. Surnames of 33 peace citizens who died in the years of occupation are listed on a monument in. Bulls. Four families here were exterminated by Hitlerites completely.

On extermination of peace citizens and settlements by Hitlerites in our area 65 retaliatory expeditions were carried out. 8 villages of Kobrin district were comprehended by a fate of Khatyn: Borisovk, Novoselki, Bulls, Kamenka, Recyca, Borki, Eagle, Cherevachitsa. Villages the Eagle and Recyca did not revive to this day.

For the entire period of occupation total number shot, tortured, burned alive in Kobrin and the area makes about 13 thousand people.

Blood of millions of people tortured by the German invaders appealed to fair and cruel revenge, to general hatred to Hitlerite bandits. From the first days of occupation the population of Kobrin district was stirred to action which was coming to be long and resolute. Hitlerites estimated Kobrin's value as knot of highways to Minsk, Brest, Malorita, Pinsk and railway stations on the line Brest-Gomel at once. Besides, through Kobrin district there passes the waterway - the river Mukhavets and the Dnepro-Bugsky channel. Therefore strong garrisons in Kobrin, Antopole, Gorodtsa, Zhabinke, Divin were created - all these settlements were a part of the Kobrin administrative unit in the years of occupation. The number of garrisons was from 100 to 250 people, and in Kobrin - more than 1 thousand. But, despite all tricks, fascists could not break freedom-loving spirit of the people, his desire live freely on the earth.

At the beginning of August in Turnaya the underground anti-fascist committee was created. Dmitry Borisyuk, the active underground worker during rule burzhuazno of landowner Poland was elected its chairman; the deputy - Timofey Kravchuk, the former chairman of collective farm of Kalinin, the first in Kobrin district. Also Matvei Lukashuk and Ignat Fisyuk were a part of committee. Members of the committee conducted active work with the population, acquainting them with the course of military operations on fronts. Writing and distribution of leaflets with reports of Sovinformburo was adjusted. Thanks to the fact that at Matvei Lukashuk the radio receiver remained the anti-fascist committee had an opportunity all the time to be aware of the events happening on fronts. Leaflets with reports of Sovinformburo were regularly transported in Kobrin where the anti-fascist committee headed by Alexey Kuresha who was the member of KPZB who is repeatedly judged by the authorities of bourgeois and landowner Poland for revolutionary activity also worked.

In September, 1941 in the territory of repair shops which invaders organized on the place of repair plant the warehouse with oil products lit up. Organizers of this diversion did not manage to be established though many to the kobrinchena remember how the flame in the first months of war blazed. Fight was so secret that invaders sometimes also did not suspect about any diversion.

On Pervomayskaya St. in the building where today No. 2 SSh is placed, invaders placed field gendarmerie. Alexey Nikolaevich Kuresha was employed to take out manure from stables on the field there. Having got access to stables, it began to pour regularly in a forage to horses so-called Parisian greens. Eating it together with hay, horses began to be ill and died. Thus 80 horses were poisoned. The gendarmerie decided that the fact that near stables there is a cemetery where horses were grazed is the reason of a mass case of horses and together with a grass ate the harmful substances causing an unclear illness.

Actively the group of wives of the military personnel, dead at defense of the Brest fortress acted in Kobrin also. Galina Korneevna Shablovskaya with four daughters stopped in Turna. Through it connection with those who live in the city was also established. It often went to the city to a meeting with Ekaterina Lisovskaya who settled to work as the translator in Kobrin gebitskomissariat. She reported about the operations undertaken by chasteners against guerrillas, about the preparing lists of the youth which is subject to sending to Germany. Guerrillas received a carbon paper, writing paper for writing of leaflets from it.

In one group Olga Lopatina, Ksenia Mayorova, Galina Arbuzova worked with Lisovska. In July, 1942 female underground workers helped to run from Kobrin camp to 48 prisoners. After July escape to intimidate local population, invaders decided suit a public execution. In the downtown, opposite to present jewelry store, the gallows was installed. Opposite to it, on the sidewalk, in 2 rows 20 stools in order that the fascist administration and their wives could observe all procedure of execution were put sitting. During a round-up invaders caught three guerrillas. They were decided to be hung up to fight off the population desire to any resistance.

The animal grin of fascism to the kobrinchena was already well known, but new executions caused a bigger resistance.
Fight of underground workers in the years of occupation was a component of the guerrilla movement which captured all Kobrin district. The guerrilla movement began with small separate groups. These groups were replenished with residents of neighboring villages and fighters of Red Army who because of wounds remained in the territory of the area.

The fall 1941 spring of 1942 is time of accumulation of forces of guerrillas, collecting the weapon, work among the population, distribution of leaflets. Wide scope of the guerrilla movement was promoted also by the fact that the area abounds with forests.

So, from North side the Dakhlovsky wood in which from the very beginning of war the group of Chapayev which grew in crew of the same name as a part of 4 guerrilla groups was based is located: Orlova, Panfilov, Postovalov, Chapayev.

From East side there are Grushevsky and Detkovichesky the woods which were occupied by guerrilla group of Kirov. In these woods also road groups of other guerrilla connections stopped. Here began the activity and guerrilla group of Shish.

From the southwest party the Old rural and Chernyansky woods where from the first days of war the guerrilla group of Chernak called in honor of the organizer and the commander of investigation Chernak of Mikhail Nikitich who was killed in battle with Hitlerite aggressors worked are located.

Shikanov Sergey Sergeyevich ordered group. In 1943 from group the group of guerrillas which grew up in group of Frunze separated.

On the southeast party around Divinsky bogs for Dnepro-the group of Shchors which tasks included protection of guerrilla airfield about Svoryn prepared for reception of planes from the Continent in the same place was the Bugsky channel also the guerrilla group to them was based. Leshchev Alexander Ilyich, Kotovsk under command.

Thus, the city from all directions was surrounded by guerrillas. And invaders did not feel like full owners on the Kobrin earth any day. And after 18 hours any of them did not risk to leave the city. In 1942 along highway and the railroads Hitlerites povyrezat all trees and bushes on depth from 100 to 200 meters. But also these measures did not help. Soon for them roads were closed from Dams to Pruzhan. They could pass only on Moskovskoye Highway and that under the strengthened protection. They did not use and the road on Divin. even then, when they should have passed on the highway from Brest to Kobrin, ahead of themselves from the village to the village they drove peasants on vehicles. Guerrillas closed the road and on Malorita. And to pass structure by rail, it was checked in the beginning by Hitlerites: locals felt it rods on which ends there were metal tips, or ahead of structure the empty platform with people from nearby villages was passed. But all these precautions helped the enemy a little.

Alexey Naumchik, the chairman of the Village Council in of Zasima, the former secretary of turnyansky underground committee of KPZB condemned for 4 years of prison during rule of bourgeois and landowner Poland went to the Dakhlovsky wood also. Together with it his adherents left: Alexey Maksimuk, Konstantin Gapasyuk, Ivan and Alexey Semenyuki, novel Zhigman, etc. In the spring of 1942 Alexey Naumchik by the right of the owner of the Village Council united Ivan Orlov, Victor Boyko's separate groups. Victor Oladin in group who received a name of the legendary hero of Civil war V. I. Chapayev. Orlov Ivan Ivanovich was elected the commander of group.

This group was the main striking power of the guerrilla movement in our area. Already to the middle of 1942 chapayevets destroyed several enemy garrisons, undermined 18 echelons, 87 cars and platforms with manpower and equipment of the opponent, put out of action of 18 engines.

Except the above-named guerrilla groups, in the wood near Kobrin in 1943 two prospecting and diversionary groups from a staff of Red Army were formed. One of them, under Savelyev's command, was based in the Dakhlovsky wood, another, under Nikitin's command - near. October.

Says the fact that on a site of the railroad from Kobrin to Pinsk by demolition men it was lowered under a slope of 398 enemy echelons about scope of the guerrilla movement.

By the end of 1943 in group of Chapayev there were 448 people. In view of big dispersion and dispersal the order on reorganization of guerrilla group of Chapayev in the crew of the same name, as a part of 4 groups and a separate company followed. Gapasyuk Konstantin Ivanovich exempted from duties of the commander of group was appointed the commander of crew.

During activity of the guerrilla groups entering into crew of Chapayev, and crew in general the following losses were put from April 8, 1942 to July 25, 1944 to Hitlerite aggressors: it is blown up railway bridges-1; it is lowered under a slope of echelons - 125; it is blown up highway bridges - 25; it is destroyed communication lines - 273 km.

In April, 1944 Hitlerites equipped retaliatory expedition to which carrying out the huge number of military equipment was attracted against guerrillas: tanks, planes, armored troop-carriers, and also manpower to 20 Ltd companies of soldiers and officers. Under legs of fascists the earth burned. Wishing to detain by all means advance of Red Army, they wanted to secure the backs.

The guerrilla crew of Chapayev with honor passed this test. Without having enough manpower and equipment, guerrillas beat off all attacks of the coming opponent within several days. Then the guerrilla camp was under the screen of night brought out of an environment to the region of Sporovsky bogs. There the group of Kirov left. Later, when blockade was raised, guerrillas returned small, but very mobile efficient groups again, actions of guerrillas went now according to the course of military operations of Red Army which carried out the operation "Bagration", exempted Belarus from Hitlerite aggressors.

The front uncontrollably approached Kobrin. Fascists decided to create powerful strengthenings here and to detain for a long time advance of Red Army. In May pillboxes began to be constructed. And today it is possible to see them in Kobrin. Almost at the building of a town house of culture x from the earth the concrete construction with narrow cracks from which it was possible to fire storming the city acts. The same point remained also behind park to them A. V. Suvorova.

Parts of 61 Army approached Kobrin evening on July 19, 1944. The task was set for them: without putting damages to the city, to take it straight off, with one blow.

In fights for the city soldiers 12 Guards Pinska Krasnoznamenna and 212 Krichevskoy of divisions courageously battled. Despite the furious resistance of the opponent, in the morning, on July 20, Kobrin was released. For successful military operations after release of the city the name of "Kobrin" was appropriated to 12 regiments of 61 Army.
Liberators saw half-ruined, almost empty city. All were struck by this emptiness. And it is not surprising - fascists destroyed over 8 thousand people.

Kobrin's release had great strategic and operational value. It created favorable conditions for liberation of Brest and an exit to frontier.

Near Kobrin during preparation of operation on liberation of Brest, Arseny Ivanovich Morozov made the last feat. 19-year-old it began war, from its first days. Arseny Ivanovich passed a nice fighting way from the private to the deputy of a squadron. Learned bitterness of retreat and pleasure of victories. He was one of the best pilots of the case. Made 271 fighting departures, carried out 33 air fights, personally shot down 13 planes of the opponent.

Then, on July 27, 1944. Morozov received a task from a staff of a regiment to reconnoiter places of concentration of troops of the opponent, the possible directions of retreat. He performed a task. It was possible to come back to airfield. But on the way from Brest to Kobrin at one of crossings he noticed a congestion of enemy troops and equipment. On communication he requested permission to storm an enemy column though on character of the task it could not do it. And before permission arrived, it a circle behind a circle began to come over a column and to destroy equipment of the opponent. Already cars on a crossing lit up, the fire captured all column, but fascists with frenzy of fateful opened fire from all types of weapon. At the last minute Morozov was fatally wounded, the plane was lined. Losing the last forces, Arseny Ivanovich held on the plane to the freed territory, put him as pilots speak, on "belly" - the chassis was not. When companions appeared in time, Morozov was dead. Posthumously to it the rank of the Hero of the Soviet Union is given.

Morozov was buried in the downtown, and the square called by his name. In 1959 its remains were transferred to the square by it V.P. Puganova. There, in the Mass grave, 174 soldier and the guerrilla, died at release of the city are buried. There are gravestones on Victor Pavlovich Puganov and Arseny Ivanovich Morozov's graves symbolizing the beginning and the end of war for Kobrin district.

As it was: The Great Patriotic War in Kobrin district: materials of archives. Kobrin's release and Arseny Morozov's feat.



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