April 8–14, 1944. 21 weeks before Liberation

A new project of the National Library of Belarus is dedicated to the Great Patriotic War – "Reading newspaper lines with your heart. On the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders."
Every week from January to August 2024, the portal of the National Library publishes materials from newspapers of Soviet Belarus in 1944, reflecting the chronicle of news and events of that time.

April 11. In Belarus, "fierce battles between partisans and punitive military formations of the Nazis began in the Vitebsk region – <...> The Battle of Polotsk-Lepel. About 60 thousand punishers were involved in the battles against 17.5 thousand partisans, 8.3 thousand of whom were killed and 13 thousand wounded. About 15 thousand people of the local population were withdrawn from the blocked zone."

[1418 days of the Great Patriotic War..., p. 306].

"The partisans fought heroically against the punishers for 25 days. They inflicted heavy losses on the enemy" in manpower, 59 tanks, 116 cars, 7 armored vehicles, 22 guns, 2 aircraft were "destroyed and shot down" [Chronicle of the Liberation of Belarus...].

The VI session of the Supreme Council of the BSSR was held in Gomel, at which a number of documents (Laws and Resolutions) were adopted [Vicebsky Worker, No. 30, p. 2; Vicebsky Worker, No. 31, p. 2] and an appeal to the Belarusian people in the temporarily occupied territories, in which they expressed confidence in the near full liberation of Belarus [Vicebsky Worker, No. 30, p. 1].

The session heard a report by the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR P. K. Ponomarenko on the liberation of the Belarusian lands, on further tasks of the struggle against the Nazi occupiers, on the restoration of the national economy of Belarus [Savetskaya Belarus, No. 61, pp. 2-3 and No. 62, pp. 2-4 ]; and a report on the state budget of the BSSR for 1944 [Savetskaya Belarus, No. 63, pp. 2-3; No. 64, pp. 2-3].

The publication of materials on the most relevant topic of spring field work continued. In the Vitebsk region, social competition unfolded in the battle for a high harvest in 1944 [Vicebsky worker, No. 30, p. 3]. The initiative was also picked up in the Terekhovsky district [now the Gomel region – author's note] [Savetskaya Belarus, No. 63, p. 4].

Echelons with equipment for industrial enterprises, agricultural machinery, household goods came from Udmurtia and Yaroslavl, workers from these regions of the USSR expressed a desire to continue to provide assistance to the liberated regions of Belarus [Savetskaya Belarus, No. 63, p. 4].

Krasnoyarsk railway workers took patronage of the Belarusian highway, liberated from the Nazi occupiers, and sent an echelon in which 23 wagons with equipment, seeds for sowing 150 hectares of land, 20 heads of cattle [Savetskaya Belarus, No. 60, p. 1].

20 heads of animals sent by railway to Belarus. It seems that the numbers are small. But they were expected here. Along the way, the animals needed food and care, not to mention the fact that in a harsh time of war, even for people, they had to be saved.

Without such brotherly mutual assistance, it would have been difficult for the Soviet people to stand up and win!

A network of pharmacies was opened in the liberated territory [Savetskaya Belarus, No. 63, p. 4]; residents began to receive interest and winnings on bonds of the pre-war Soviet loan [Za Radzimy, No. 45, p. 2]. The Academy of Sciences of the BSSR continued to research scientific approaches to the restoration of the national economy [Savetskaya Belarus, No. 61, p. 3].

Personnel training was conducted in various specialties and areas: accountants, tractor drivers, foremen and linkmen for collective farms, chairmen of audit commissions [Savetskaya Belarus, No. 63, p. 4]. Gomel River Technical School announced the admission of students [Savetskaya Belarus, No. 64, p. 4]. Signalmen of the Polessky region, in order to establish communication facilities as soon as possible, undertook training for beginners and advanced training of working signalmen [Savetskaya Belarus, No. 64, p. 4].

Teachers began to return to the Mogilev region from the evacuation [Savetskaya Belarus, No. 61, p. 4].

The regional library has resumed its work in Gomel [Savetskaya Belarus, No. 61, p. 4], it has already received 820 parcels with books for the restoration of the fund.

The Gomel Regional Universal Library named after V.I. Lenin dates back to 1928.

An interesting topic is presented in the publication of the newspaper "Savetskaya Belarus" [No. 60, p. 4] – "Partisan caricature" LINK. The author told about the cartoonist from the partisan brigade of Commander L. and about his cartoons, the artist's name was also hidden behind the letters – N.G.

The underground newspaper "Crush the fascist serpent" was also generously illustrated with satirical drawings. Here is one of them by the artist D. Krasilnikov [No. 126, p. 1]: 

Krasilnikov Dmitry Nikolaevich (1903–1952), Soviet graphic artist; during the Great Patriotic War he worked in the editorial office of the newspaper "Crush the fascist serpent!"; became one of the founders of the Belarusian satirical magazine "Vozhyk", was the head of the art department, consultant, artist (in 1945–1952).

Several of his cartoons are presented in the slider of this news article.

 There are 20 weeks left before the Liberation…

The material was prepared by L. G. Tupchienko-Kadyrova,
Candidate of Historical Sciences, chief bibliographer
of the information and analytical department.

Sources

Newspapers*

The full news papers issues are available on links.

*The titles of the newspapers are given accordance to modern spelling.

1. Віцебскі рабочы : орган Віцебскага Абласнога і Гарадскога Камітэтаў КП(б)Б, Абласнога і Гарадскога Саветаў Дэпутатаў Працоўных, 1944, № 30.
2. Віцебскі рабочы, 1944, № 31.
3. За Радзіму : орган Магілёўскага абласнога і гарадскога КП Беларусі і абласнога і гарадскога Савета дэпутатаў працоўных, 1944, № 45.
4. Калгаснік Капыльшчыны : орган Капыльскага райкома КП Беларусі і раённага Савета дэпутатаў працоўных, 1944, № 16.
5. Калгаснік Капыльшчыны, 1944, № 17.
6. Раздавім фашысцкую гадзіну : газета-плакат : выданне ЦК КП(б) Беларусі. – 1944, № 126, 127–128.
7. Савецкая Беларусь : орган ЦК КП(б) Беларусі, Саўнаркома і Прэзідыума Вярхоўнага Савета БССР, 1944, № 60.
8. Савецкая Беларусь, 1944, № 61.
9. Савецкая Беларусь, 1944, № 62.
10. Савецкая Беларусь, 1944, № 63.
11. Савецкая Беларусь, 1944, № 64.
12. Сталінец : орган Грэскага райкома КП Беларусі і раённага Савета дэпутатаў працоўных, 1944, № 21.
13. Чырвоная звязда : орган Баранавіцкага гаркома КПБ, гарадскога і раённага Саветаў дэпутатаў працоўных, 1944, № 23.
    

Books, pictorial edition, resource

1. Партизаны [Изоиздание] / [автор стихов] Демьян Бедный // Фотогазета Главного политического управления Красной Армии [Изоматериал]. – [Москва : Воениздат. – 1942. – № 31 (июнь). – 1 л. : фототипия. – З фонду НББ.
   
2. 1418 дней Великой Отечественной войны : хронология событий : хронология событий : [солдату Великой Отечественной посвящается / сост. Е. В. Малашевич ; науч. ред.: Е. И. Барановский, Г. И. Баркун ; фото: В. В. Харченко]. – Минск : Мастац. літ., 2014. – 421, [1] с.
3. Хроника освобождения Беларуси: 11 апреля 1944 года. Полоцко-Лепельская битва / // БЕЛТА. – 2014. – 11 апр. – Рэжым доступу: https://www.belta.by/society/view/hronika-osvobozhdenija-belarusi-11-aprelja-1944-goda.-polotsko-lep.... – Дата доступу 29.03.2024.