BARYSAW

Baˈrysaw

City, centre of Barysaw Rajon, Minsk Voblasc, hithe on the Biarezina River. It is located 74 km from Minsk; railway station (on the Minsk — Orsha line); on the highway Minsk — Smolensk. Large industrial centre.

In 1939, 49,108 inhabitants lived in Barysaw.

During the Great Patriotic War

From June 29, 1941, defensive battles in Barysaw Rajon were conducted by the cadets of the Barysaw Tank Training School (the head of the training school was corps commissar I. Z. Susaikov); a combined division of soldiers who had left Minsk Rajon (mostly, subunits of the 13th Army); from June 30, the 1st Moscow Motorised Rifle Division (colonel Ja. G. Kreizer). In the city and along the Minsk — Moscow highway, fierce battles took place for 3 days with about 300 tanks participating in them from both sides. Many Soviet soldiers distinguished themselves in battles, including commander of the machine gun company R. R. Ibarrury. In total, more than 2,000 Hitlerites, about 70 tanks and a lot of other enemy’s equipment were destroyed.

Barysaw was invaded on July 2, 1941. The German Nazi invaders formed 6 death camps there, where they killed more than 33,000 people (including about 9,000 ghetto prisoners); a total of 47,862 people died under their invasion in the city and rajon.

The Barysaw Party-Patriotic Underground, the Barysaw Underground City Committee and Rajon Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Belarus, Barysaw Underground City Committee of the Leninist Young Communist League of Belarus and Barysaw Underground Interrajon Committee of the Leninist Young Communist League of Belarus, the Barysaw Rajon Interrajon Party Centre, Barysaw Underground Rajon Committee of the Leninist Young Communist League of Belarus operated in the city and rajon. The Bolshevitskaja Trybuna («Большэвіцкая трыбуна» lit. ‘Bolsheviks’ tribune’) underground newspaper, i.e. the body of the Barysaw Underground City Committee and Rajon Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Belarus, was published. The 1st Anti-Fascist Partisan Brigade, “Dziadzki Koli” (uncle Kolia’s) Partisan Brigade, “Stary” (old man) Partisan Brigade, S. M. Kirov Partisan Brigade (Minsk Voblasc, commander M. I. Koreshkov), S. M. Kirov Partisan Brigade (Minsk Voblasc, commander F. Ts. Pustavit), P. K. Ponomarenko Partisan Brigade (Minsk Vloblasc, commander F. S. Kharlanov), M. A. Shchors Partisan Brigade (Minsk and Magiliow voblascs), “Razgrom” (overthrow) Partisan Brigade, “Smierts Fashizmu” (death to fascism) Partisan Brigade; the “Artur” (Arthur) Partisan Detachment, Partisan Detachment under A. Ja. Vasiliewski, “Miastsovyja” (the local ones) Partisan Detachment, “Mstsiviets” (avenger) Partisan Detachment, A. V. Suvorov Partisan Detachment (Minsk Voblasc), Partisan Detachment under I. A. Jarash, etc. The northern part of the rajon belonged to the Barysaw-Biagoml Partisan Zone.

Barysaw was liberated on July 1, 1944, during the Minsk offensive of 1944, by the troops of the 3rd Belarusian Front. Units of the 5th (colonel N. L. Volkov) and 83rd (major general A. G. Maslov) Guards Rifle divisions of the 8th Rifle Corps; the 34th Light (colonel D. M. Gnatyshyn), 60th Howitzer (colonel S. M. Piatrow) and 93rd Heavy Howitzer (Lt.Col. V. M. Niestsiarovich) Artillery brigades of the 20th Breakthrough Artillery Division (major general M. P. Beliakov) of the 11th Guards Army; the 331st Rifle Division (major general P. F. Berestov) of the 71st Rifle Corps; the 66th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division (major general S. S. Sazonov) of the 31st Army; the 3rd Guards Tank (lieutenant colonel K. A. Grytsenka) and 2nd Guards Motorised Rifle (colonel D. N. Dolganov) brigades of the 3rd Guards Tank Corps; the 32nd Tank Brigade (lieutenant colonel N. A. Kurnosov) of the 29th Tank Corps of the 5th Guards Tank Army with support from the 1st Air Army and Long-Range Aviation took part in the liberation of the city.

During the liberation of the city, the tank crew under the command of lieutenant P. M. Rak distinguished itself. On the night of June 30, 1944, it became the first to break into the city and for 17 hours waged an unequal battle with the enemy in complete encirclement. The tankers died but did inflict great losses on the enemy in manpower and equipment.

13 units and formations of the Red Army which distinguished themselves during the liberation of the city (see Barysaw Military Units and Formations) were awarded the Barysaw honorary title.

In Barysaw, there are:

• mass graves of Soviet soldiers, partisans, Soviet prisoners of war, fascism victims with the monuments raised on them;

• memorial complex on the military plot of the civilian cemetery (at the intersection of Zaslonava and 8 Sakavika vulitsas) where there are mass graves of Soviet soldiers;

• memorial complex at the ghetto prisoners execution and burial place;

• memorial square and mass grave of Soviet war prisoners with the To Fascism Victims monument raised on it, located in the territory of the former concentration camp for war prisoners and civilians;

• memorial at the mass grave of Soviet soldiers who died from wounds in a military hospital in 1944–1947;

• the Alley of Heroes memorial complex;

• the Victory Road memorial;

• stele in honour of awarding the city with the Order of the Patriotic War;

• monument to the cadets of the Barysaw Tank Training School who defended the city in 1941;

• monument to the Soviet tankers, i.e. the tank crew under P. M. Rak;

• monument to underground member L. I. Chalowskaja;

• monument in honour of the 1st Guards Proletarian Moscow-Minsk Motorised Rifle Division;

• the To the Victims of the Labour Camp memorial sign (1941–1944)’;

• memorial sign in honour of the compatriots, i.e. Heroes of the Soviet Union;

• memorial sign at the place of the ghetto gate;

• memorial plaques to underground members.

By the Decree of the Praesidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 7, 1985, the city of Barysaw was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War for the courage and fortitude of the Barysaw residents during the Great Patriotic War and for the success achieved in economic and cultural construction.

By Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus № 355 dated June 29, 2009, the city of Barysaw was awarded the ‘For Courage and Fortitude during the Great Patriotic War’ pennant.