BREST, Belarus, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Early Monday morning, as fog still lingered over the Western Bug River in Brest in Belarus, thousands gathered at the Brest Fortress to commemorate the 85th anniversary of a significant event.
On this day in 1941, Nazi Germany launched a surprise attack on the fortress at dawn, the first fierce battle between Soviet forces and the invading fascists in the Great Patriotic War.
Vastly outnumbered and outgunned, the defenders fought on for more than 30 days, even after ammunition and food ran out. Their resistance became one of the war's most heroic and tragic episodes, and in 1965 the Soviet Union granted Brest Fortress the title "Hero Fortress" -- the only fortress in the country to hold that distinction.
The ceremony began at 3 a.m. local time (0000 GMT), as soldiers laid wreaths at the Eternal Flame -- an enduring symbol of Victory. Border guards set candle-lit wreaths adrift on the river, while officials and residents laid flowers around the flame and at the graves of fallen soldiers.
During a moment of silence, the entire square fell still, broken only by the ticking of a metronome and the thumping of hearts. The "Courage" monument, the imposing sculpture of a Soviet soldier, was illuminated with a red glow, paying tribute to those who had refused to surrender to fascism.
A message from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, read by Igor Sergeenko, chairman of the House of Representatives, stressed the importance of remembering history -- urging citizens to protect the truth, honor the heroes, and pass on to future generations the story of the great sacrifices made.
The most anticipated event took place at 5 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) -- a reenactment of the battle by around 1,000 participants, bringing history to life.
On the "battlefield," model tanks and aircraft rolled through explosions, fire, and smoke, while large screens broadcast live footage so the audience could catch every detail. Many visitors were visibly moved, some to tears.
Alexey, a reenactor playing a Soviet soldier, told Xinhua that his grandfather fought bravely and died in the war -- one of the every-third Belarusian lives lost in World War II. Taking part in the reenactment, he said, was his way of honoring his ancestors and passing on their story.
As dawn broke and the first light bathed the fortress's scarred walls, the bullet holes and bomb craters were impossible to ignore -- silent witnesses to the fighting. Amid the ruins, wildflowers pushed through the rubble as the bells of Brest tolled for peace.
Carved into the fortress's wall is an inscription that has endured for 85 years: "I am dying, but I will not surrender" -- words that, for Belarusians, will never be forgotten. ■