Footsteps of WWII · Russia & Belarus
Brest Fortress, Belarus (June 1941)
Fortification · 22 Jun – Jul 1941
The story
At 04:15 Moscow time on 22 June 1941 German artillery, including 60 cm mortars, opened Operation Barbarossa against this 19th-century fortress on the Bug. The attackers were the Austrian 45th Infantry Division under Fritz Schlieper, about 17,000 men. Inside were around 9,000 Soviet troops from the 6th and 42nd Rifle Divisions and NKVD border guards, plus families. The Germans expected one day; it took about a week. Captain Ivan Zubachyov and Commissar Yefim Fomin led the citadel's resistance; Fomin was shot after capture. The East Fort surrendered on 29 June after Luftwaffe bombing. Major Pyotr Gavrilov, wounded, was taken on 23 July. About 6,800 Soviet soldiers were captured.
What to look for
Enter through the star-shaped main gate cut into the earth rampart, then walk to the huge stone head of the 'Courage' monument and the 100 m bayonet obelisk. Look for the battered Kholm and Terespol gates, the ruined barracks, the 'Thirst' sculpture and the defence museum in the old barracks ring.
Plan your visit
FCDO advises against all travel to Belarus. The grounds are open; the Museum of the Defence opens 9:00–18:00, closed Mondays, with tickets on site. Some side exhibitions close on Tuesdays and the information centre is shut until 15 April 2027. Check the website before you go.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
Nearby sites
- Sobibór Museum and memorial · 71 km
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Footsteps of WWII: Europe 1939–1945
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