An international festival dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the first 'Katyusha' salvo was held in Orsha

The First International Festival dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the first salvo of the "Katyusha" was held in Orsha. The festive events began at a historically significant site of the Great Patriotic War – near the memorial sign in the village of Pishchalovo, 6 kilometers from Orsha. It was here, on July 14, that the first salvo of the experimental battery of BM-13 rocket artillery took place. Captain Ivan Andreevich Flerov opened fire in the direction of the Orsha railway junction on a concentration of wagons with enemy equipment, ammunition, and manpower. The first salvo of the "Katyusha" was enough to completely engulf the railway station with German echelons in flames. The force of the explosions overturned locomotives, and 10-ton German tanks flew apart like toys. On the same day, the battery directed fire at the crossing of German-fascist troops across the Orshitsa River, destroying hundreds of Hitlerites, tanks, guns, and enemy vehicles along with the crossing.

A solemn rally was held in the forest area near the village of Pishchalovo at the memorial sign, where participants recalled the great events and heroic people. From here, a patriotic motor rally started towards the main venue of the celebration – the memorial complex "For Our Soviet Motherland." Built in 1966, when the 25th anniversary of the first salvo of the most terrible weapon that instilled fear in the enemy was celebrated, the memorial complex is included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Values of the Republic of Belarus. Residents of Orsha and guests of the city also affectionately called it "Katyusha."

Many residents of the district came here with their families to join the celebration. The guests and participants of the festival were welcomed by Igor Isachenko, Chairman of the Orsha District Executive Committee:

- Today, the memorial complex is the city's calling card. A kind of open-air classroom. The most interesting lessons on the history of the Great Patriotic War take place right here. This is a unique opportunity to raise worthy citizens and patriots through concrete examples of the heroic past of their country. And it is gratifying to note that today we are joined by guests from the Russian Federation. The Great Victory, which came at a high price, was won together with our fraternal people, therefore, we must cherish the truth about those events. Special words of gratitude go to the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus, in particular, to the Chief of Missile Forces and Artillery of the Armed Forces – Head of the Missile Forces and Artillery Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Gennady Nikolaevich Kozlovsky, for his personal participation and assistance in preparing the festival.

 

- The BM-13, or "Katyusha," became one of the first multiple launch rocket systems in the world, stressed the significance of the famous weapon, the Chief of Missile Forces and Artillery of the Armed Forces – Head of the Missile Forces and Artillery Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Gennady Kozlovsky. – This unique development proved its effectiveness on the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War and has been further developed in modern multiple launch rocket systems, which are rightfully considered among the most powerful means of fire destruction. Today, at the exhibition sites, we will showcase, so to speak, its "descendants" – modern models in service with our army. Our Belarusian guys serve on these models, including those conscripted from the Orsha district. They honorably bear the high title of defender of the fatherland and are worthy successors to the combat glory of their predecessors and veterans. The actions of Belarusian missile troops and artillerymen have repeatedly received high praise from the leadership of the Armed Forces during exercises.

 

Alexey Talai, a renowned motivational speaker, member of the national Paralympic team, and public figure, also took part in the celebration and shared his opinion:

- As a descendant of the victors, it is a great honor for me to be here today, to bow to the great feat of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers – the liberators of all of Europe. We must remember this, we must talk about it. And this is important, first and foremost, for us – the living. And if we forget, death will come with quiet steps for each of us. This can happen in moments of oblivion, succumbing to some external persuasion, information technologies. We see from the example of the fraternal Ukrainian people what this can lead to. I recently visited the Donetsk region and paid tribute to the graves of children who died in the civil conflict. And today I convey words of gratitude to the entire Belarusian people, including for the fact that we have withstood modern challenges. And in the Year of Unity, we must, by rallying together, move with firm steps towards our, I am sure, good and bright future.

 

Alexey Talai thanked his compatriots and guests who came to share the celebration for their motivation and civic duty. Igor Komolov, Chairman of the interregional public organization for the study and operation of military equipment "Military-Technical Society" of Elektrostal, also welcomed the guests of the celebration.

- It is very pleasant to see representatives of the younger generation who are also taking part in such events. With great pride, I convey a huge greeting and best wishes from the residents of our city, the government of the Russian Federation, and the administration of our city of Elektrostal. We have traveled 650 kilometers in equipment from the USSR era. And with great pride, we are taking part in your, or rather our, first international festival in honor of the 80th anniversary of the first combat use of the legendary "Katyusha". We know that the "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" arts festival is also taking place in Belarus these days. We try to stay informed about all the events that are happening here, because we are one people, we are Slavs, and our brotherly friendship spans centuries. I am sure that it will always be so. And we will gladly participate in them to preserve and pass on our common history – the history of the Great Patriotic War.