Border Guards Day

Opening of guided-tour and interactive areas to visitors:

• “Stalin Line” Guided Tour Route
• “Our Armoured Train” Exhibition
• Operational Military Vehicle Display
• Photo Area
• Shooting from a tank and gun**
• Blank-Firing Weapons Shooting**

Ready for Labour and Defence (GTO) These are interactive entertainment areas.

Everyone taking part in the Stalin Line GTO Challenge Area can enter the prize draw.

To enter the prize draw, you must:

• Complete all GTO areas and receive a score for each one
• Arrive at the specified time for the announcement of the prize-draw results
• Certificates and prizes will be awarded exclusively to participants who attend the prize-giving ceremony.

Main GTO areas:

• Airgun Shooting






• Weapon Assembly and Disassembly






• Scout Trail






• Historical Quiz






• Grenade Throwing






• Artillery School






• Tracker

• Hand-to-Hand Combat

Школа по подготовке инструкторов служебных собак была сформирована 24 января 1995 года на<базе Сморгонского учебного пограничного отряда (н.п. Девятни, Сморгонского района, Гродненской области).

В октябре 1995 года Школа по подготовке инструкторов служебных собак передислоцирована в<Сморгонский пограничный отряд (н.п.Гаути, Сморгонского района, Гродненской области).

In November 2002, the Service Dog Instructor Training School was reorganised as the Canine Centre.

В настоящее время Кинологический центр является учебным подразделением органов пограничной службы, и предназначен для подготовки, переподготовки и повышения квалификации специалистов-кинологов и подготовки служебных собак по различным видам служб, таким как розыскная (поиск человека по запаховому следу), сторожевая, специальная (поиск наркотических средств и психотропных веществ, оружия, боеприпасов и взрывчатых веществ), караульная (охрана объектов), а также для разведения и<выращивания собак служебных пород.

Today, the Border Service Canine Centre is recognised as one of the best not only in the CIS, but also in Eastern Europe.

Through the military-historical reenactment, spectators will have an opportunity to witness first-hand a pivotal event in the history of our country: the unification of the lands of Western and Eastern Belarus within a single republic in the autumn of 1939. This will be followed by scenes depicting the defence of the new border, the establishment of peaceful life and the tragic outbreak of war. Visitors will witness the determined defence of one of the border posts.

On this day, we would also like to recount the tragic events of 22 June, when the border posts bore the full brunt of the initial fighting against the advancing German forces.

The reenactment recreates events that took place in the Vladimir-Volynsky sector. Although it presents a composite portrayal, similar actions occurred in one form or another along the entire western border of the USSR.

It should be noted that war does not begin without warning, and by 21 June the border troops’ intelligence service had gathered extensive evidence that Germany would begin the war in the very near future.

In a document dated 2 June 1941, L. P. Beria, People’s Commissar for Internal Affairs of the USSR, reported the following to Comrade Stalin:

“The NKVD border detachments of the Byelorussian, Ukrainian and Moldavian SSRs have obtained the following information on German military activities near the border with the USSR.

Two army groups are concentrating in the Tomaszów and Leżajsk areas. The headquarters of two armies have been identified in these areas: the headquarters of the 16th Army in the small town of Ulanów, 85 km south-west of Lublin, and the headquarters of another army at the Usmierz estate (45 km south-west of Volodymyr-Volynskyi), commanded by General Reichenau (subject to confirmation).

On 25 May, troops of all arms were observed moving from Warsaw towards Lublin–Chełm and along the Lublin–Zamość–Hrubieszów route. Troop movements are taking place mainly at night.

Pontoons, canvas boats and inflatable boats have been concentrated at numerous locations near the border. The largest numbers have been observed on the approaches to Brest and Lviv.

Work continues on the construction of defensive positions near the border, mainly at night.

Leave for servicemen in German Army units has been cancelled.

People’s Commissar for Internal Affairs of the USSR Beria»

By the end of 21 June, reliable information on the date and time of the offensive had been obtained from defectors. Unfortunately, however, the border guards never received orders to take up their defensive positions… This was not the case everywhere: for example, after learning from a defector that the invasion was about to begin, the commander of the 90th Border Detachment placed all 16 border posts on combat alert.

Each border outpost guarded a six-to-eight-kilometre section of the state frontier. The front occupied by an advancing German division was of a similar width. It goes without saying that the border guards had to fight superior enemy forces along the entire western frontier. The enemy outnumbered them in manpower by between six and twenty to one, and in small arms by between five and seventeen to one. The outposts fought while encircled, down to their last round. On the Vladimir-Volynsky axis, the 4th, 6th, 12th and 14th Border Outposts of the 90th Vladimir-Volynsky Border Detachment were wiped out to a man.  Some border outposts held their positions even when completely encircled. One example was the 13th Border Outpost, commanded by Lieutenant Lopatin, which held its defences until 3 July 1941.

Supported by servicemen of the 1st Battalion, 16th Rifle Regiment, the 4th Border Outpost of the 90th Border Detachment drove the enemy back and held its positions for several hours under enemy artillery and machine-gun fire. What we know of those battles comes from the terse lines of official reports: ‘In the sector of the 4th Outpost, at 03:10 on 22 June 1941, an enemy force of up to two infantry regiments, supported by artillery and machine guns, crossed the river and launched a vigorous attack on the outpost. After allowing the enemy to approach to within 70–100 metres, the outpost opened heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, halting the enemy advance. However, a small enemy force succeeded in seizing the outpost building.

A bold and decisive counter-attack by the outpost, supported by heavy rifle and machine-gun fire, drove the enemy back to its starting positions…»

The Germans themselves also acknowledged this. The diary of the Chief of the German Army General Staff contains the following entry: ‘Reports from the front confirm that the Russians are fighting everywhere to the last man… The Russians’ stubborn resistance compels us to fight in strict accordance with all the rules laid down in our field manuals. In Poland and in the West, we could permit ourselves certain liberties and departures from established principles; now this is no longer acceptable.’

Returning to the 4th Border Outpost, the border guards, with support from the personnel and equipment of the 16th Rifle Regiment, repelled enemy attacks and managed to hold their positions against elements of the Wehrmacht’s 298th Infantry Division for several more hours.

To overcome the defiant outpost, the enemy had to commit armoured vehicles and tanks from the 14th Panzer Division. Only then did the forward elements of the 298th Infantry Division manage to break through the border guards’ defences and begin advancing eastwards.

The border guards’ heroic stand allowed the 212th Howitzer Artillery Regiment to deploy and take up firing positions. Its fire delayed the Germans’ further advance in the Ustyluh–Volodymyr-Volynskyi sector.

The price is 40 BYN per person for both children and adults. Children aged 4 to 7 accompanied by an adult ride free of charge. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted.

Payment is accepted at the boarding point. Card payments are available.

The boarding point is marked on the map.

The ride location is marked on the map: