The Bagration Festival, marking the Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus, was held near Minsk on 2 July.

On 2 July 2018, with the support of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Belarus, the Stalin Line Historical and Cultural Complex hosted the Bagration Festival, marking the Republic of Belarus’s principal national holiday, Independence Day, which is celebrated on 3 July.

The Bagration Festival is a traditional event and one of the complex’s most popular. Both the scope of the event and the number of participants increase each year. This year, members of military-history clubs from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic took part in the reenactment. More than 140 people participated in the field.

Visitors were treated to a large-scale military-historical reenactment of events from the Great Patriotic War that took place on 28 June 1944 during the Bagration Belarusian Strategic Offensive Operation. This major offensive liberated the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic and almost completely destroyed the German Army Group Centre, leaving Germany unable to replace the losses it had sustained.

Original military vehicles took part in the reenactment, including the StuG III, T-34, SU-100 and T-44, as well as GAZ-67 vehicles and other machines.

Despite the rain, the spectator stands were full. Around 3,000 visitors attended the festival.

At the end of the reenactment, the participants and spectators observed a minute’s silence in memory of those who died in the Great Patriotic War.

The most active reenactment participants received certificates of commendation.

As always, visitors to the complex could attend the Artillery School, take part in the “Operation Bagration” quiz and tackle the “Scout’s Trail” obstacle course, while Motya the Clown provided entertainment for children.

Gifts and souvenirs awaited the most active visitors, while the winners of the Ready for Labour and Defence (GTO) competition had the opportunity to enjoy a Military Vehicle Ride free of charge as part of the extreme leisure programme.

Photo: Vitaly Dorosh. Based on material from the website travel.otzyv.by

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