AKCIABRSKY

Akˈciabrski

Urban settlement, centre of Akciabrski Rajon, Gomiel Voblasc, on the Nieratowka River. 190 km west of Gomiel, 230 km from Minsk, 7 km from the Rabkor railway station on the Babrujsk — Rabkor line; on the Glusk — Azarychy highway.

Akciabrski was formed in 1954 as a result of the merger of Karpilawka (centre of the rajon in 1939–1954), Rudabielka and Rudnia villages.

During the Great Patriotic War

In the first days of the war, an extermination battalion was formed in the territory of Akciabrski Rajon (see Extermination battalions), numbering 100 people at the beginning of July, the organisers and leaders of which were the first secretary of the Akciabrski Rajon Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Belarus Ts. P. Bumazhkow and the authorised representative of the People’s Commissariat of Procurement of the BSSR in Akciabrski Rajon F. I. Pawlowski. In July 1941, the mechanised detachment of the Red Army under the command of lieutenant colonel L. V. Kurmyshow (250 people) arrived to the area. Both commands acted together, i.e. they conducted reconnaissance, destroyed military equipment and manpower of the enemy. On July 15, they destroyed 15 enemy tanks crossing the Pcich River. On July 18, with the support of armoured train № 52, they demolished the headquarters of the German division in the village of Voziemlia (see Voziemlia battle of 1941).

In July 1941, on the basis of the battalion and Party-Soviet activists, the Red October Partisan Detachment was formed (see in the article Partisan Brigade 123, Akciabrski, 25th Anniversary of the BSSR).

By the end of July 1941, in cooperation with Soviet troops, the battalion had destroyed about 300 Nazis, 20 tanks, dozens of cars, and blasted 20 bridges. Surrounded on three sides by the Nazis, under aviation fire, in fierce battles until August 1941, the battalion’s soldiers held the territory of the rajon.

From the autumn of 1941 to January 1944, the territory of the rajon was part of the Akciabrski-Liuban Partisan Zone. The Akciabrski Underground Rajon Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Belarus and the Akciabrski Underground Rajon Committee of the Leninist Young Communist League of Belarus; the 37th A. Ja. Parkhomenko Partisan Brigade, 99th Kalinkavichy Partisan Brigade, 100th Glusk Partisan Brigade, 121st A. F. Bragin Partisan Brigade, 123rd Akciabrski the 25th Anniversary of the BSSR Partisan Brigade, 225th Partisan Brigade, 258th V. V. Kujbyshev Partisan Brigade; the Partisan Detachment under P. A. Dudaĺ, Partisan Detachment under I. S. Gubin, Partisan Detachment under A. F. Sarafanov operated in the rajon. The Narodny Mstsiviets («Народны мсцівец»; lit. 'people’s avenger') underground newspaper, i.e. the body of the Akciabrski Underground Rajon Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Belarus, was published. The Minsk Underground Voblasc Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks)‌ of Belarus, headquarters of the Minsk Partisan Formation, the Partisan Formation of Minsk and Paliessie voblascs; the underground printing house of the Zviazda («Звязда»; lit. 'star') newspaper, i.e. the body of the Minsk Underground Voblasc Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks)‌ of Belarus, were based in Dzviesnica urochyshcha (isolated terrain feature).

The Nazi invaders more than once tried to liquidate the partisan zone and conducted punitive operations. Karpilawka, on August 5, 1941; Rudabielka, in March — April 1942, and Rudnia, on January 24 — June 27, 1944, were invaded by the Nazis who killed 6 thousand local inhabitants in these and other villages of the rajon, burned 97 villages there.

During the Gomiel-Rechyca offensive of 1943, as a result of the fighting of Soviet soldiers and partisans in the rajon, a gap in the German front line, the so-called Rudabielka Gate, was formed.

Karpilawka, Rudabielka, and Rudnia were liberated on June 27, 1944 by soldiers of the 48th Guards Rifle Division (major general G. N. Korchikov) of the 20th Rifle Corps of the 28th Army of the 1st Belarusian Front during the Babrujsk offensive of 1944 with the participation of partisans of the 123rd Akciabrski the 25th Anniversary of the BSSR Brigade.

In Akciabrski, there are:

• fraternal cemetery of Soviet soldiers and partisans where a memorial complex was raised, graves of fascism victims with the monuments raised on them;

• the Kaplitsa (chapel) of Memory monument, in honour of inhabitants of Akciabrski Rajon who died during the Great Patriotic War;

• monument to Ts. P. Bumazhkow;

• memorial sign at the place of the transit centre on the way to the Azarychy death camps;

• Alley of Heroes;

• memorial plaques in honour of the partisans, the Akciabrski Underground Rajon Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Belarus and the headquarters of the 123rd Akciabrski the 25th Anniversary of the BSSR Brigade.

By Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated June 29, 2009 № 355, Akciabrski urban settlement was awarded the ‘For Courage and Fortitude During the Great Patriotic War’ pennant.