"Odumershchina"

Kobrin → Outstanding persons → Alexey Mikhaylovich Martynov

This dissonant ancient word hitherto occurring in informal conversation of Kobrin old residents and meaning something ominous vacant, steadily recurs to my memory at a view from the bridge of terrible serenity of Mukhavts. It is unlikely when for the uncountable centuries which sank into oblivion from the origin of our river, its waters during the navigation period were so sad show of a certain decorative uselessness. It is enough to remember that the beginning beginnings of Kobrin was connected with the fishing settlement which inhabitants, out of doubt, tirelessly plowed a river smooth surface on "oaks". And what high spirits were brought in city life since early spring by the river on which it rafted ten thousand of rafts a year one hundred years ago. Mukhavets and in time recent still was rather recovered waterway, at least, during a certain season.

In winter months from rather woods, remote from the river, to its coast in different places wagon trains of the country carts and sledge delivering perfect wood for an alloy were flown down. In river creeks pine logs were weaved ashore, and even on river ice in certain the sizes the rectangle making one of numerous links of the long raft with impatience of the expecting termination of a spring flood. This work provided seasonal collateral earnings to a great number of residents of coastal villages. Immediately after restoration of normal water level rafts went to far wandering. Mukhavets was consistently replaced by Bug which joined Narev which waters then fed majestic Vistula. The final purpose was the remote Gdansk from where the Polesia wood by sea dispersed across all Europe.

Usually on a lodging for the night at city bechevnik the long chain of rafts was late. And what for a colourful show was represented by the chain of the fires reflected in water which is brightly blazing on rafts and ashore. I remember, all this was before in 1940 on east suburb of Kobrin the Dnieper and Bugsky channel appeared. Earlier not cleared Mukhavets was nobody incomparably any more and melkovodny present.

However all this did not turn the river into a dead water heathland at all. In the city there lived families of hereditary fishermen which flat-bottomed boats, it is equal as various swimming means of a great number of fans to fish and disinterested aquatics, did not stiffen for a long time on a leash at all. Besides the bridge had a boat station belonging to Jew Shimshel. There it was possible to use for rent any type the boat.

Emergence on Mukhavtsa of flat-bottomed bronemonitor of the military river flotilla which is based in Pinsk was occasionally original event for the city. They floated from Pinsk to Brest and back, as if in confirmation of the fact that this waterway still exists.

And with what greedy impatience thousands of citizens expected an opportunity to wash the transitory body in flowing water. In the city completely there was no hint on a water supply system even. Hygiene was maintained by two small baths: one city, the second - specifically Jewish. In it for the purpose of the maximum economy of fuel for heating of water there was public cheap "mykva" - a certain similarity of the big pool in which in seldom replaced water the opportunity in plenty was given to be rinsed at once to a large number of washing.

And here the long-awaited swimming season opened by tradition by irrepressible children gradually comes. And to what river coast mainly in two places quickened then: on the flat coast "at Brovar" where in a consequence there was SSh N 2, and at "Svinyachyego Podrechya" is protected from st. on September 17 to Belarusian. It was the colourful show reminding a national feast. Especially populously happened on Fridays on the eve of the Jewish holiday "shabes". I will remember that Jews made the vast majority of urban population. All day in the river hundreds, and even thousands of bathing at the same time luxuriated. And the man's font was in some distance from the female, teeming with a set kids. Then on all river joyful children's cries, squeal, musters, a laughter, abuse were far carried. Very essential detail: during that time nobody thought of such attributes of bathing, obligatory from the modern point of view, in public places as pants and a bathing suit. However, by an example of the Greek gods, more bashful gracefully covered "nature" with a palm. Elderly matrons acted also that simpler: made ablution in shirts, rotating in them diversely the lower extremities. All this was, passed and it's just water under the bridge...

And what representatives only of the European nationalities mobilized in Hitlerite Wehrmacht did not bathe herds in Mukhavtsa during occupation! On coast the guffawing multilingualism was carried. It is necessary to do justice, from the very first days in the most recovered bathing places there were primitive, quick hammered together nuzhnik...

In post-war years between Kobrin and Brest even the regular water transport was adjusted. For overcoming of so modest distance low-speed passenger parokhodik spent till ten o'clock. In summer serene days kobrinets were provided to float pleasure from a lock to a lock on a small walking teplokhodik.

However this idyll not for long lasted. From year to year the increasing scope was gained by a regular grass-roots movement of the heavy-load barges delivering to Poland the Kryvyi Rih iron ore, a crushed-stone stone from Mikashevich and other "low-speed" freights. So to speak, immemorial spontaneous "amateur work" strongly was suppressed with "industrialization".

Round the clock during all navigation season of water of the Dnepro-Bugsky channel constantly foamed under screws of towing motor ships. And suddenly all this joyful revival quickly became a legend. As, vrochy, there was something similar not only on Mukhavtsa. From a field of vision so habitual cranes of numerous shrews imperceptibly disappeared, heavy gate of locks for the admission of casual lonely "floating means" seldom began to swing open. It is somehow supernatural quickly blew softly despondency and desolation from a lazy surface of the water.

Remembering all this, a conclusion involuntarily arises: if to carry out notable revival of our centuries-old water highway it is temporary not in power even in nation-wide scale, then it would not be necessary to begin with local, not so ruinous "melochishka": to try to restore at us once so prospering boat and kayak sport, it is equal how to organize lessons of swimming and regular competitions of swimmers. On a number of annoying circumstances all this was completely thrown whereas the advantage of it, first of all concerning improvement of the population is not subject to doubt that eloquently proves international experience.

A.M. Martynov



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