Meanwhile in the city

Kobrin → Outstanding persons → Alexey Mikhaylovich Martynov

Alexey Mikhaylovich Martynov is the honourable citizen of our city, his nastoshchy patriot, the talented publicist, - created and not one decade headed the museum of Suvorov, the living witness and the direct participant of those memorable events of release of the city. Its article "Kobrin: July, 1944" it was published in our newspaper during lifetime of the author. It, certainly will interest also new generation kobrinchan.

Actions of guerrillas more and more became more active. In close proximity to the city machine-gun jabber was nightly heard among automatic turns also. And along the railroad far summer lightnings of explosions guerrilla min. flashed.

Special scope rail war reached to the middle of June, 1944 in connection with preparation the offensive operation "Bagration" at the front. In Kobrin's vicinities train service often was interrupted for long time. Despite the desperate measures taken by invaders, on rather small stage between Kobrin and Pinsk appeared under a slope of 398 enemy structures with manpower and military freights. And as the overwhelming number of demolition men was made by youth, the Komsomol of Kobrin district established near a railway crossing on Pinskoye Highway the memorable sign which immortalized it a feat in rail war.

By this time the desperate situation for Hitlerites developed also on highways which with nightfall were completely blocked by guerrillas. Truly the saying was repaid: "In the afternoon the power German, at night — Soviet".

Every day everything became more notable approach of the front. In the reports of Sovinformburo distributed by underground workers not so remote Belarusian cities were called. Even more often in the sky krasnozvyozdny planes appeared. At night the earth heavy shuddered from the deaf remote explosions accompanied with a reflection of man-made summer lightnings in the West. Grown wise experience people significantly commented: "It is ours bomb the Brest railway junction".

Infinite horse wagon trains and motorized columns of Wehrmacht were already careful to spend the night in the city, preferring to stop at villages, and it is even better - to take refuge in the passing woods in order to avoid losses from air attacks. In one of nights bombing squall fell upon east suburb of Kobrin.

By councils of guerrillas, escaping from compulsory evacuation, the mass of youth of the city and villages hid in the woods and bogs. Families guerrilla coherent and underground workers also began to leave under guardianship of guerrillas. The last week of occupation was marked by revelry of an impetuous robbery and export of everything that was of value. Then the turn of systematic destruction of immovable public property came.

The city power plant and the railway station were blown up, all industrial enterprises are destroyed, all water-engineering systems on the unsubdued Dnieper and Bugsky channel are completely destroyed. With special frenzy the elements of destruction fell upon the railroad and means of communication.

And here, at last, from the East began to accrue clearly a rumble of the approaching fight, inducing the radical old residents who remained in the thin city all families, often on supplies, with kids, belongings and a cow wet nurse to escape to the country. Nobody knew plainly in what direction it is necessary to look for safety therefore much had to endure a strong shock, having appeared early in the morning "on anybody's earth", under the mines and bullets which are flying by over the head. Someone decided to come back home by the night more bravely. As usual happens in such cases, completely frozen city stood in thrill of anticipation of decisive changes.

At dawn on July 20 on deserted streets the first groups of intelligence agents appeared. Soon the city was dammed by columns of dusty Red Army men in until white the faded soldier's blouses with shoulder straps. And in their 1941 was not trace yet and. On street cobble-stones heavy guns, for masking entirely covered with fresh branches roared. And day after day after this memorable morning the uncontrollable flow of people, wagon trains, cars, the tools which are torn to the West was rolled through the downtown. By the time of release in Kobrin there were no more than 2-3 thousand inhabitants while in 1941 the number of the population reached 15-16 thousand.

Soon the city quickened: hundreds of guerrillas who left the woods lodged in the thrown houses. Groups were disbanded, the considerable part of young fighters joined ranks of Red Army. The labor crews directed to the fastest restoration of the tormented Dnepro-Bug were formed of the former guerrillas. At the initiative of the party management in a district committee meeting of the former underground workers and coherent, involved in adjustment of normal life of the city took place. Life sovereignly came into the own.

A. Martynov

Martynov, And. Meanwhile in City / Alexey Martynov//Kobrynsk_ vesn_k. – 2012. – 21 l_penya. – Page 3.

About Kobrin's release.



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