Grigory Bysyuk: This is our sanctuary, our heritage and our pride. Here the foundations for the future victory over fascism were laid. Today, the memorial complex “Brest Hero Fortress” is the largest monument in the post-Soviet space to the courage of the peoples who defended the freedom and independence of a vast country. It is very problematic to go around all the objects in one day, and we are happy to see that after more than 80 years the path of the heirs of the victors does not invade them. Belarusians and Russians have a special attitude towards the fortress.
That’s what I want to talk about…
Grigory Bysyuk: In 2018, the implementation of the Union State project for the overhaul, restoration and museumification of the buildings of the Brest Fortress was launched. In the first stage, more than 300 million Russian rubles have been disbursed in three years and the 16 planned activities have been completed. The ruins of the White Palace, where the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was concluded in March 1918, have been restored, the decorative and artistic lighting has been renewed, the bridge over the Mukhavets River has been remodeled and the southeastern barracks, a two-story U-turn, has been revamped. An interactive exhibition “Chronicle of the Brest Fortress” was opened there, which has already received tens of thousands of visitors.
The large-scale exhibitions “Defense of the Eastern Fort”, “Fifth Fort”, created alternately every year, have also become in great demand. The total exhibition area after their opening increased by 2,000 square meters. The defense museum of the Brest fortress, which celebrated its 65th anniversary not so long ago, is always crowded. It presents more than 4,000 exhibits devoted to the history of the citadel on the Bug from its creation to the present day. The holdings include approximately 90,000 items.
How is all this used to resist attempts to rewrite history, to minimize the achievement of the Soviet people who defeated fascism?
Grigory Bysyuk: In order to understand in today’s realities where the truth about the war is and where the lie is, you need to visit the Brest Fortress. I feel it when young defenders of the fatherland take the military oath, when delegations from the most remote regions of Belarus and Russia gather in the ceremonial square, united by a common memory of the heroic past, when many patriotic actions originate from here. Last year, on the eve of the Day of National Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and the Genocide of the Belarusian People, the world’s largest copy of the Victory Banner with an area of 2022 square meters, delivered from Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow, was deployed in the Brest Fortress. You should have seen the cheering faces of the guys when a huge banner, which had already been in 11 cities of military glory, hovered over the memorial. The relic was transferred to the Defense Museum of the Brest Fortress, where it is kept. It is one of the symbols of our common memory of heroic events.
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p class=””>Five years ago, the Patriotic Youth Center was established in the fortress. The President of Belarus supported the idea of building the Republican Center for Patriotic Youth Education on its basis. How is it implemented?
The State of the Union will continue to fund the restoration and museumification of the structures of the citadel. Photo: Roman Shcherbenkov
Grigory Bysyuk: A new center will be created at the base of the Kobrin fortification of the Brest Fortress, it is planned to rebuild more than 2.5 thousand square meters of barracks for him, and improve the territory. Up to 20,000 children will be able to visit the institution every year, study the features of the formation and development of the Belarusian state, get acquainted with traditions, practice physical education and sports, and participate in military reconstructions and historical. I am convinced that over time it will be a joint Belarusian-Russian project, very important for our peoples. For example, in the first quarter of this year, more than 5.4 thousand Russians visited the memorial complex “Brest Hero Fortress” – almost four times more than in the same period last year. We work closely with dozens of regions of the Russian Federation, from Kaliningrad to the Far East. Recently, we received a delegation from the Kaluga region led by Governor Vladislav Shapsha.
What joint projects in the “Brest Hero Fortress” memorial complex are planned to be implemented?
Grigory Bysyuk: The State of the Union will continue to fund the restoration and museumification of buildings. The repair and reconstruction of 12 objects are planned. These are the main monument “Courage”, the central entrance “Star”, the premises of the southern barracks, the northern gate and others. In the ruins of the 44th Infantry Regiment, it is planned to create a memorial area “Sorrow” – a sculptural composition in the image of a woman who did not wait for her relatives from the war. Total funding for the work is estimated at 500 million Russian rubles. These projects must be implemented for the benefit of future generations.
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