Brest Fortress. Kobrin fortification. Major Gavrilov's casemate. June 22, 2016. 5 o'clock in the morning.
Every year a similar event takes place at this place. To which a large number of Brest residents and guests gather. But this year, since the date was very impressive, the participants gathered not only a lot, but also varied. According to our estimates, about 600 people took part in the reconstruction of the battle in the fortress. And this is despite the cruel selection by the organizers.
A few words about them. This commemorative action is organized by the military-historical club "Garrison". Garrisons are renowned for their scrupulous selection of participants, and their brutality has already become legendary. But what to do, 1941 is not easy to portray.
This June the festival was international and international. In addition to Belarusian and Russian clubs, participants from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Estonia, Bulgaria, Israel and … Japan arrived. More than 50 military history clubs and societies.
Having already visited several reconstructions and clearly realizing that this was not mine, as they say, nevertheless, I was pretty surprised. Both the organization and the spirit of the event. A mess, of course, there was a certain place to be, as without him at such a large-scale event, but even he was some kind of … kind, or something. And painfully dear, army. Especially in terms of relations with the commandant's office.
There were some unpleasant moments, especially during filming. It is a pity, of course, that they did not save our third camera, which the participants from the German side simply swept into the trench, and the second one, which filmed the back of the head of the Estonian correspondent Evgeny for half of the working time. But what is left, we hope, will give you an opportunity to appreciate the scale of the event.
I will say that this was the fifth event that I attended. And so far the most impressive. It was not just a reconstruction of a certain moment of the battles. It was a full-fledged forty-minute performance. Bright, beautiful and does not leave anyone indifferent. It is surprising how the organizers were able to rehearse a performance of this magnitude in just two days.
Kobrin fortification of the Brest Fortress, June 22, 4:30 am.
The participants of the event crowded around the fires with frank pleasure. It was, to put it mildly, not hot.
While we were exhibiting, the final preparations were coming to an end. Field hospital.
It all started somehow suddenly and imperceptibly. The fires were quickly extinguished, and the evening began on June 21st. Horse patrol of border guards.
Evening dances. "Riorita", "Burnt Sun", "Black Rose" and other melodies of that time.
I could not resist, to be honest, and translated some photographs, where there are no modern details, into black and white format. In my opinion, it turned out quite in the spirit of the times.
An airplane rattled in the morning sky. Perhaps he symbolized the German intelligence officer.
A border post at the far end of the site.
Historic moment: delivery to the headquarters of the defector from the other side.
Meanwhile, German intelligence was already filming our patrols.
4:20 am ET, 5:20 am ET.
The start of the war was impressive. The earth really shuddered, the sappers worked in full.
The civilians are hiding in the barracks.
Petersburg armored car BA-6.
The soldiers of the NKVD regiment went into battle.
The first Germans are on the way.
The first counterattacks by our fighters.
Wedge T-27.
The first prisoners.
The first losses were with the Germans.
The sun rose. It is quite possible that 75 years ago the sunrise looked the same …
The Germans call on the defenders of the fortress to surrender. The answer from the fortress was heard all over the field: "Don't wait, you freaks!"
Surrender of civilians and wounded. The episode took place on June 24, 1941.
Not very accurately thrown grenade. She lay down exactly between us.
[center] A German armored car knocked out our car, but itself was destroyed by Soviet artillerymen
The Germans seize the hospital.
And now the fortress is captured.
Winners? 75 years ago, they thought so too.
I pay tribute to the participants in the reconstruction. They did not play, they lived in what was happening. I saw, as they say, with my own eyes. A magnificent performance, the finale of which was the "revival" of all the fallen. They stood on the field in a minute of silence, civilians, Germans, Soviet soldiers, and the crowd of thousands applauded them …
To be honest, we succumbed to the general impulse. It was difficult to resist witnessing this. Therefore, this moment was captured only by a pinned camera in the trench. The only thing that could be taken from her was just a moment of silence. We in our sector applauded the participants furiously. And they stood silently, looking towards the "Bayonet" stella, to the place where those whom they portrayed were buried.
After graduation, everything, as usual at such events, was confused. Soviet fighters shared their impressions with the Germans, both sides willingly took pictures with the audience. We tried to communicate with everyone in a row about impressions, but soon gave up this business. Everyone's impressions were about the same. And, in order not to waste time, we decided to leave the opinion of probably the calmest person in this field. Basically, he said for everyone.
We are extremely grateful to the press service of the RF Airborne Forces and personally to Comrade Colonel-General Shamanov for his opinion, which he shared exclusively for the readers of the Military Review.
Summing up what we saw, it is worth saying only that it left an indelible impression on us. And how everything was carried out, and how all the participants lived in these minutes. It was a truly animated episode in our history. Heavy, bloody, but ours. And the way participants and organizers relate to the story inspires respect.
Thanks everyone!
