ASIPOVICHY

Asiˈpovichy

Town, centre of Asipovichy Rajon, Magiliow Voblasc, located on the Siniaja River. 160 km southwest of Magiliow, 100 km from Minsk, railway junction (lines to Minsk, Gomiel, Magiliow, Sluсk); it is connected by highways with Minsk, Babrujsk, Shyshchycy.

In 1939, Asipovichy had 13,723 inhabitants.

During the Great Patriotic War

Asipovichy was invaded on June 30, 1941. Nazi invaders killed more than 1,979 people in the town and rajon. In Asipovichy, the Nazis formed a ghetto where more than 440 Jews as well as prisoner-of-war and civilian camps died.

The Asipovichy Party-Komsomol Underground, the Asipovichy Underground Rajon Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Belarus and the Asipovichy Underground Rajon Committee of the Leninist Young Communist League of Belarus, partisan formations of the Asipovichy Military Operation Group, as well as uncommitted the 1st Babrujsk Partisan Brigade, 161st G. I. Kotovskij Partisan Brigade, and “Chyrvony Stsiag” (red banner) Partisan Brigade operated in the town and rajon. The Za Sovetskuju Rodinu («За Советскую Родину»; lit. 'for the Soviet Motherland') underground newspaper, i.e. the body of the Asipovichy Underground Rajon Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Belarus, was published here. On July 30, 1943, underground member F. A. Krylovich committed one of the largest sabotage acts during the war, the Asipovichy sabotage of 1943.

Asipovichy was liberated on June 28, 1944 during the Babrujsk offensive of 1944 by soldiers of the 69th (major general I. I. Sankovskij), 37th Guards (colonel V. L. Morozov) and 15th (major general K. E. Grebennik) Rifle divisions, 251th Independent Tank Regiment (lieutenant colonel F. S. Vierlań), 925th Light Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (lieutenant colonel P. S. Lozhkin) of the 65th Army of the 1st Belarusian Front; the 9th Guards (major general of aviation B. V. Blinov), part of the forces of the 50th (major general of aviation F. I. Menshikov) and 45th (major general of aviation V. I. Lebedev) Aviation divisions of the 6th Long-Range Aviation Corps (lieutenant general of Aviation G. N. Tupikov), as well as partisan commands of the Asipovichy Military Operation Group (V. V. Glotaw).

In Asipovichy, there are:

• mass graves of Soviet soldiers, partisans and victims of fascism; ones of Soviet soldiers, including soldiers of the 32nd Cavalry Division who died in Asipovichy Rajon in July — August 1941 (reburial in 2021 from a forest near Prudok village, Asipovichy Rajon); ones of Soviet soldiers and partisans; ones of partisans; ones of Soviet war prisoners; ones of fascism victims; graves of Hero of the Soviet Union P. I. Morozov, underground members M. M. Niavierka, F. A. Krylovich, underground security officer I. M. Gierasimchyk, R. Kh. Golant, participants in the Great Patriotic War major I. I. Garmashev and medical service lieutenant G. F. Mustafina, an unknown soldier (monuments were raised on the graves);

• the Alley of Heroes memorial complex;

• monument to Liberation;

• monument to F. A. Krylovich;

• monument to the bakery plant workers who died during the Great Patriotic War;

• memorial sign in honour of one of the organisers of the partisan movement in Asipovichy Rajon S. S. Sumchanka;

• memorial plaques to F. A. Krylovich, R. Kh. Golant, P. T. Kazlowskaja, I. K. Patotski, I. D. Sankovich, R. V. Kuńko, Heroes of the Soviet Union Ja. M. Stelmakh, M. R. Abrosimov, A. V. Gorbatov, S. M. Kadanchyk, Marshal G. K. Zhukov, the participant in the Great Patriotic War I. I. Garmashev.

By Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated February 2, 2024 № 44, the town of Asipovichy was awarded the ‘For Courage and Fortitude During the Great Patriotic War’ pennant.