The beginning of the war in Belarus

Wartime situation in Belarus

Radio announcement of the German attack on the Soviet Union. 22 June 1941. Text read by Yuri Levitan. Magnetic tape. Duration 55 sec. (BGAKFFD, 934)
German artillery and infantry at the walls of the Brest fortress. Brest. June 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-71235)
The message left by an unknown soldier on the wall of the Brest fortress “We shall die but not abandon the fortress”.  Brest. 1941. (BGAKFFD, 4-393)
Report from the secretary of the Brest Party Regional Committee, M.N. Tupitsyn, to the Central Committee of the Soviet Union Communist Party about the situation at the front on the Brest – Kobrin direction. 25 June 1941. (NARB, f. 4p, op. 33a, d. 77, l. 237-240)
Machine gunners from the 331st rifle regiment, 100th rifle division, Western Front, camouflage a firing position before battle. Minsk region. 26 June 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-135269)
A sanitary officer from the 355th rifle regiment, 100th rifle division, Western Front, I.A. Kashin, transports a wounded machine gunner from the battle field. June 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-135291)
German motorised infantry supported by tanks enter the town of Volkovysk. Grodno region. June 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-71264)
Soldiers from the 355th rifle regiment, 100th rifle division, Western Front, prepare for battle near the town of Ostroshitsky Gorodok. Minsk district. 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-135271)
German tanks on the Gorky Street (now Bogdanovicha Street) in Minsk. June 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-71262)
Machine gunners from the 175th motorised rifle regiment, 1st Moscow proletarian motorised rifle division, Western Front, Ya.I. Stelyuk (left) and N.P. Guschin, fire at the enemy on the Berezina river near Borisov. Minsk region. 2 July 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-135292)
The guncrew of the 175th motorised rifle regiment, 1st Moscow proletarian motorised rifle division, Western Front, give defensive fire in the area of Borisov. Minsk region. 2 July 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-135293)
A column of German vehicles at the Mir Castle. Grodno region. 6 July 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-136281)
A German armoured vehicle knocked out during the defence of Mogilev. Mogilev district. July 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-71093)
V.I. Syromolotov, chief of the regional militia administration, one of active organisers and participants in the defence of Mogilev.  [Before 1941]. (BGAKFFD, 0-88593)
B.L. Khigrin, commander of the artillerymen who distinguished themselves in the defence of Mogilev.  [Before 1941]. (BGAKFFD, 0-81266)
The commander of the 546th corps artillery regiment, F.M. Mikheev, at the command post in the area of Rogachev. Gomel region. July 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-71118)
Soviet pilots discuss the details of operational flights performed in the area of Gomel. Gomel district. July 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-71130)
A disabled armoured vehicle and a killed German soldier after battle. Belarus. July 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-135295)
Soviet artillerymen fire on the enemy during the defence of Gomel. August 1941. (BGAKFFD, 0-71132)
Special message from the Gomel postal control office concerning the contents of letters going from Gomel, directed by the Belarusian NKVD to the Belarusian Party Secretary, P.K. Ponomarenko. 4 August 1941. (NARB, f. 4p, op. 33a, d. 22, l. 1-4)
N. Loban’s diary notes about the beginning of the war and the first combat actions. Belarusian language. 18 September 1941. (BGAMLI, f. 148, op. 2, d. 105, l. 1-4 )