East - West

1 September marked exactly 70 years to the day, as Europe plunged into the horrors of World War II. On the eve of a bitter anniversary for Jeep Cherokee SUV, we went to Brest - the place where the confluence of the Bug and Mukhavets is an old Russian fortress, during that terrible war twice experienced the deadly force of German arms. First, in September 1939 in the fortress of Brest few days defending the Polish side, and in June 1941, the Brest Fortress was an example of steadfastness and heroism of Soviet soldiers. From Moscow to the Moscow ring road at 9:00 at seven in the morning we come from Moscow ring road to Minsk highway and go towards Brest. The weather is good, the sun shines brightly, and at the sides, like mushrooms after rain, in some indecent amount grow ambush DPS. Not counting the duralumin dummy police cars and the very real fixed positions, which are on the Minsk highway, too, I should say a lot, to the Belarusian border, we counted 10 police ambush. The very borders of the Union State of Russia - Belarus reminds one of the borders within the EU. Cars are mostly pass without even stopping. Inspected only multi-ton trucks. Go abroad, as, indeed, in front of her on the roadside crowd insurers. Russian OSAGO in Belarus does not work, you need to buy a green card. Prices in the roadside office "is 20-25% higher than the insured in advance in Moscow. Road, or rather, cross freeway, crossing the country from east to west, is also paid. But the road - excellent, but prices are quite reasonable. To Brest in the way we meet the four points of payment, each of which is easier on the wallet 22 Russian ruble. And you can only pay in the currency of the country in which the vehicle is registered. But fines Belarusian road inspectors will only accept the local currency. If the BLR you will not, and the violation is not too serious - probably just be released. Although, it should be recognized fines in Belarus is much worse than in Russia. For example, speeding up to 20 km / h will cost 35,000 rubles - about 400 Russian, at 20-30 km / h - up to 70 000 RUB/800 RUR, exceeding the same speed over 30 km / h is capable of once empty your wallet up to 350 000 RUB/4000 RUR. In most cases, negotiate with Belarusian ministers of the MRF can be on the same principle as in Russia: 50-50. However, one should recognize that they behave is not an example of cultural Russian colleagues, and the number of them are inferior. For 600 km from the Russian border to Brest, we meet only four ambushes, and three of them - are closer to the western border - in the vicinity of Brest and Kobrin. Fished mainly for high-speed mode. But there just have to be careful. Settlements on the through highway where the speed of 120 km / h is extremely small. But we should not forget that the speed limit law in Belarus is limited figure of 90 km / h. And mark the "end of limit 120", which the German autobahn really allowed to disperse with the wind, Belarus has a diametrically opposite meaning: it is necessary immediately ottormazhivatsya to 90 km / h. But with the ingredients in Belarus are all very properly and wisely. Pay for fuel at any of four currencies: the Russian, Belarusian rubles, euros or dollars. The price for all gas stations are unified. Moreover, if the pay in Russian rubles, because costs for the effects of filling about 10% cheaper than paying the national currency. Learning all the nuances of these leaves almost all the way from the border to Minsk. At the entrance to the capital of Belarus, we briefly parting with so beloved by our Jeep Cherokee road to making 50-mile detour to look at Khatyn - Memorial, built on the site of the Belarusian village, in 1943, was burnt to ashes by the Nazis. Chilling stories of atrocities the German invaders in the Belarusian land to wade shivering even in the hottest day. After paying tribute to the victims of Khatyn, returning to the capital. Clean, quite a European city, Minsk, even in the midst of working day does not suffer from an abundance of traffic jams. Out to pass through it, takes no more than 20 minutes. So, exactly nine o'clock, after we moved out with the Moscow ring, bus Jeep Cherokee again utyuzhat Ring Road, only now Minsk. To Brest is some three hundred kilometers. Hero-Fortress By six o'clock the Jeep Cherokee is already drove to a gigantic rock star - the main entrance was built in the early 70's memorial complex "Brest Fortress - a hero." First on-site modern front gate of the fortress was a defensive shaft, part of which had to be razed, to pave a clear path out of town to the memorial. In the dungeons of the fortress east of the shaft to the left of the star, where hot days of June 1941 there were 98 men to death by the shedding (a separate anti-tank artillery battalion), is still preserved scorched German flamethrower brick casemates with parched "tears" on the ceiling. Leading the way - on Central Island Citadel, gleaming in the sunlight, towering 100-meter metal bayonet and two obelisks. On the contrary Kholmsky gates - where a granite memorial slabs found the remains of 962 victims rest of the defenders in June 1941, the land rises from the 30-meter reinforced concrete soldier, a symbol of the courage of Soviet soldiers and commanders, to death standing there in that bloody June. A little closer to the bridge - on-site hacked More Poles in the early XX century the gap in the ring barrack - creeps to Mukhavets with pot in his hands hardened from thirst 13-meter fighter. Then in the last days of June 1941 here on surrounded on all sides by rivers central island fortress, people went mad with thirst. All approaches to the water day and night sweep by German machine-gunners. And dozens of brave men are resolved to crawl to the river to fetch water for the wounded, found their death on the sandy banks of the Bug and Mukhavets. Behind the backs of brave towering red stone ruins of a two-storey barracks, a ring that ran once around the perimeter of the entire citadel. Today, from this grand building, whose 1.5-2-foot wall in June 1941 is securely protected the defenders of the German bullets and shells, only a few sectors in the south and west of the main island - where in 1941 they fought fighters 84 th Infantry Regiment and 132 th of a separate battalion of the NKVD. By an irony of these are addressed in the border areas of the ring came to us almost in the same form in which they left the last defenders in the summer of 1941. Preserved Holmsk and Terespolsky gates of the fortress, as well as southern polubashnya, the sister of which lies in ruins on the left of Terespolsky gate, shattered to the ground hitting a single 600-millimeter projectile German mortar "Karl". In the adjoining ruins of the very West Wing Ring barracks today someone thought of the mill place. And then - from the majestic barracks and did nothing but memories were so overgrown with weeds basement dungeons. And the most insulting, that old half meter wall, settled in June 1941 under the blows of storming the fortress of 45 Panzer Wehrmacht, after the war had already been dismantled and stolen by the bricks on the local population and based in the fort and surrounding military units. The same fate befell the ruins of the former Arsenal, where they put to death by guards and soldiers of the 333rd Infantry Regiment, as well as the remains of the Engineering Management and the ruins of the White Palace, where in 1918, was signed by the infamous Brest mir.Lish restored church of St. Nicholas and a small recovered under Museum defense of the fortress, the sector ring barracks near the bridge on the strengthening of Kobrin (called "Officers", the defense which lasted until June 26, 1941) - were all that remained of the historic buildings in central and northern parts of the citadel. Buildings in the North or the strengthening of Kobrin was lucky a few more. The remaining post-war ruins of buildings commanders quickly carried off on the bricks. However, the entire western part of the island until recently was the military unit, and therefore remained more or less in the form, which was in the early postwar years. East gate of the fortress, near where in 1941 he fought 98 litter, soared into the air when an attempt to mine back in 1944. The ruins of the casemates "paragraph 145", the defenders of which every one killed in the bloody June, was restored, revealing in them a restaurant and cafe "Citadel". And East Fort - the last seat of the organized resistance of the fortress, fought until June 30, 1941, now farmed out to local merchants, who discovered in his dungeons washed in the blood service center. South Island Hospital or the fortress partially occupied by a historical museum Berestye, partly overgrown with weeds, or captured by gardens. Western - Terespolsky strengthening - not available to tourists closed the border zone. However, the Brest Fortress - is not only the four fortified islands, and two belts Fortov fortifications, the nearest of which is located at a distance of 4-5 km from the citadel. In Forte V today opened a branch of the memorial. And believe me, nowhere else in Russia can not be so realistic to soak up the spirit otgremevshey war, as in the depths of the deep dungeons of Brest forts and the old Russian fortress, has long become a symbol of steadfastness and heroism of Soviet soldiers. Text: Alex boys photo: Alex Guy