A monument to fallen soldiers will be unveiled near Beshenkovichi on June 22

On the border of Beshenkovichi and Shumilino districts, beyond the pontoon crossing on the north bank of the Western Dvina, an obelisk in the form of a rifle barrel with a bayonet rises. The final preparations for the monument's opening are underway.

The idea of immortalizing the memory of soldiers who died defending the borders in 1941 had long been nurtured by an amateur local historian, local entrepreneur, and master of artistic forging, Andrey Trubetsky:

– Back in our school years, we explored these surroundings thoroughly, studied all the archival documents and recollections of local residents. We ourselves found the remains of fallen soldiers in the forest more than once, and even identification tags. Unfortunately, no full-scale excavations have been carried out in these places, and we are confident that dozens, even hundreds, of fallen soldiers still lie here unknown.

According to some reports, the crossing on the Western Dvina became the first and last battle for 40 percent of the soldiers of the 186th Rifle Division, including the inexperienced cadets of the Lepel Mortar School.

The battle on the bank of the Dvina, where our units hastily took up defensive positions, took place two weeks after the start of the war – on the evening of July 5, 1941. After artillery and mine preparation, under the cover of 80 bombers, the fascists attempted to force the Western Dvina three times, and the Red Army soldiers repelled them back into the water time and again.

The main initiators of the monument's installation were activists of the historical club – Andrey Trubetsky, Deputy Head of the USC for the Beshenkovichi District Andrey Burneyko, and museum employee Stanislav Leonenko.

Enterprises and organizations of the district, and the public joined the project. For example, the forestry department carried out the earthworks, the foundation for the pedestal was prepared by workers of the local PMS, the tiles were laid by employees of PMK-41, the monument was manufactured at "Belkotlomash," and the fence was made by Andrey Trubetsky. The housing and communal services department carried out the landscaping, and money for the memorial plaque was raised with the help of the Officers' Union.

On June 22, a memorial rally will be held here, at the crossroads of forest roads. In memory of those who never returned home.

Elena Begunova, SB Belarus Today