A Lesson in Courage Through the Lens of Newsreel Film: Secondary School No.27 in Minsk Hosted a Film Lecture for the 85th Anniversary of the Defense of the Brest Fortress

On May 7, 2026, Secondary School No.27 in Minsk took up the baton of memory dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War. A film lecture entitled «Hero Fortress» was organized for students, led by Sergei Ryndin, Deputy Director of the National Historical Archives of Belarus.

The students were shown a documentary film based on archival primary sources from the collections of the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents. Newsreel footage transported the students back to June 1941, vividly depicting the first hours of heroic resistance by the citadel’s defenders. This visual testimony of the era allowed the students to more deeply understand the tragedy and grandeur of the Soviet soldiers’ heroism. Sergei Ryndin focused the youth’s attention on the role of archival documents in preserving historical memory. During the open dialogue, attempts to distort facts about the war and the importance of relying on reliable sources were discussed. The students were particularly impressed by the stories of individual heroes whose courage within the walls of the Brest Fortress laid the foundation for the future Great Victory.

Holding such meetings within the school environment fosters a sense of belonging to the history of their country in the younger generation. Through documentary heritage, the students were able to understand the price at which peace was won and why the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland remains sacred to the Belarusian people.

Pictured: Film lecture series at Secondary School No.27 in Minsk