Press releases

17 Jul 2026

Historian: Belarusian WWII resistance had no equal in Europe

Igor Marzalyuk

MINSK, 17 July (BelTA) – Chairman of the Commission on Education, Culture and Science of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Igor Marzalyuk explained why Belarusian resistance during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) was unparalleled in Europe in a recent episode of BelTA’s project True History. Lectures by Igor Marzalyuk.

“Nazi-occupied Belarus became a country that saw the largest resistance movement, unparalleled anywhere else in Europe. The Belarusian resistance encompassed both partisan warfare and the underground movement,” Igor Marzalyuk noted.

The historian recalled that over 1.3 million Belarusians and natives of Belarus fought on the frontlines of the Great Patriotic War in the ranks of the Red Army. “Over 374,000 partisans fought against the Nazis, and about 400,000 people made up the unarmed reserve of the partisan forces. More than 70,000 underground patriots operated in cities and other settlements. Representatives of the Belarusian people fought not only on all fronts of the Great Patriotic War, but also in the ranks of partisans and underground fighters of the European resistance, as well as in the Allied forces, taking part in the liberation of European countries from fascism. And we, Belarusians, made, without any false modesty, a very significant contribution to the defeat of fascism. Our ancestors demonstrated miracles of personal courage and fought truly heroically,” Igor Marzalyuk emphasized.

The MP stated that for outstanding exploits during the Great Patriotic War, 475 Belarusians and natives of the country were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. “Four individuals received the Golden star medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union twice. Among the Full Cavaliers of the Order of Glory, 74 are our compatriots. Fighter pilot and defender of Leningrad, Aleksei Antonenko, was the first Belarusian to be awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on 14 July 1941. In just one month, he shot down 11 enemy aircraft, including one by a ramming attack. On 26 July 1941, Aleksei Antonenko was killed in action. In total, 10 Belarusians were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in 1941,” the parliamentarian said.

Igor Marzalyuk highlighted the outstanding exploit of pilot Boris Kovzan, a Belarusian who became the only person in the world to perform an aerial ramming four times. His combat record includes 127 dogfights and 28 downed Nazi aircraft.

“Belarusian snipers deserve a special mention. Let us recall the 18-year-old hero and defender of Leningrad, Feodosy Smolyachkov, a native of Bykhov District. His combat record stands at 125 fascists killed. To achieve this result, he fired just 126 shots. Snipers Leonid Butkevich and Gennady Velichko eliminated 315 and 330 German soldiers and officers, respectively. Blockbusters could be made about their exploits. Moreover, any fiction pales in comparison to what these guys actually accomplished,” the historian is convinced.

He also recalled the great Battle of Kursk in 1943, during which 40 Belarusians were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union for their heroism and courage. “It is enough to recall the exploit of Pavel Shpetny, an anti-tank rifle platoon commander and a native of Gomel Oblast, who knocked out six enemy tanks in a single battle during that engagement. At the same time, in the skies over the Kursk Salient, pilot Aleksandr Gorovets single-handedly charged into an armada of German bombers and shot down nine of them. He is the only Soviet pilot to down so many enemy aircraft in a single battle. While returning to his airfield, he was killed in an unequal fight with German fighters,” he added.

Igor Marzalyuk noted that in terms of numbers, Belarusians held a prominent position among the generals, officers, and sergeants of the USSR Armed Forces.

Furthermore, Belarusians actively participated in the battles for Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk, the Caucasus, and the Dnieper, as well as in the liberation of Karelia, the Baltic states, and European countries.

The historian also noted 15 Belarusian admirals who fought in the Soviet Navy. “Vice Admiral Valentin Drozd, a native of Buda-Koshelevo in Gomel Oblast, commanded the breakout of Baltic Fleet ships from Tallinn to Kronstadt in the autumn of 1941 and organized the defense of Leningrad from the Baltic Sea. He was killed in 1943 on an ice road in the Gulf of Finland,” Igor Marzalyuk added.