Osovec-Tverdza

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The name Osovets etymologically means a deserted, abandoned, gloomy place, where aspen prevailed among the forest trees. This value is reflected in the name of the neighboring (6 km) village of Osovets, lying on the right bank of the Biebrza river. Since 1998, the village is called Osovec Fortress.

People have inhabited the surroundings of this settlement since prehistoric times. These areas belonged to the Poliesyans (one of the Yatvyag tribes) that lived on the right bank of the Bebzha River and in the forests and swamps along the Elk River. The settlement in this place, known as the village of Okpaca, existed until 1444. The area owes its further development to the Lithuanian sub-Chancellor Stanislav Schuk , who built a bridge over the Biebrza river and established customs . In 1743, Osovets received the status of a city and was renamed Maptsinpol, where two taverns were founded. In 1827, he lost city rights.

In the 1880s, the Białystok - Elk - Königsberg railway line was built, passing through Osovets. In the period 1882-1892 a fortress was built in Osovts by the Russian army. The construction of fortifications continued until the outbreak of World War I.

The German 8th Army during the first assault on the fortress from January 29 to February 6, 1915 failed to break through the defenses, the garrison of the Osovets fortress successfully defended itself. Assistance was provided by troops stationed in Dovnapy ( pl: Downary ), and the 16th Infantry Division in Bialystok. During the second assault in February - March 1915, the Germans used the Skoda siege mortars of 305 mm caliber specially thrown under Osovets. Above the fortress was bombed by German airplanes. Despite heavy losses as a result of shelling by artillery, which was most intense on February 14-16 and February 25 - March 5, 1915 and led to numerous fires inside the fortress, the Russian fortifications survived. Moreover, a number of siege weapons, including two Big Bertas, were destroyed by the fire of Russian batteries. After several mortars of the largest caliber were damaged, the German command took these guns out of the reach of the defense of the fortress. This failure forced the command of the German army to switch to positional actions on this sector of the front, which continued until early July. During the fighting, about 2,000 Russian soldiers died. In early July 1915, under the command of Field Marshal von Hindenburg, German troops launched a large-scale offensive. Its part was also a new (third) assault on the still unconquered fortress of Osovec. At the end of April, the Germans inflicted another powerful blow in East Prussia and at the beginning of May 1915 broke through the Russian front in the region of Memel-Libava. In May, German-Austrian forces, which concentrated superior forces in the Gorlice area, managed to break through the Russian front (see: Gorlitsky breakthrough ) in Galicia. After that, in order to avoid encirclement, the general strategic retreat of the Russian army from Galicia and Poland began. By August 1915, due to changes on the Western Front, the strategic need for defending the fortress lost all meaning. In connection with this, the supreme command of the Russian army, it was decided to stop the defensive battles and evacuate the garrison of the fortress. On August 18, 1915, the evacuation of the garrison began, which took place without panic, in accordance with the plans. Everything that could not be taken out, as well as the surviving fortifications were blown up by sappers. In the process of retreat, Russian troops, if possible, organized the evacuation of civilians. The withdrawal of troops from the fortress ended on August 22. On August 25, German troops entered an empty, ruined fortress.

During the Second World War, there were no military operations in the Osovets fortress . In accordance with the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of September 25, 1939, the Wehrmacht forces left the Osovets of the Red Army . After the outbreak of World War II, the Red Army left Osovets on June 27, 1941.

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  Osovets. Hotel of the 18th century (illustration by Z. Gloger , "Staropolskaya Encyclopedia")

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  Osovets Fortress . Fort No. 1. Military Court of Appeal - Vladimir 61st Infantry Regiment

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  Osovets Fortress. Monument

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  Osovets Fortress . Fort No. 1 - Barracks 2010

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  Osovets Fortress. Railway station

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  The ruins of the 2nd fort of Osovec fortress

• OSOVETS - Russian defense fortress on the Beaver River
• Forgotten Osovets - Brest Fortress of the First World War
• S. A. KHMELKOV “THE FIGHT FOR THE FATHER” Moscow - 1939. STATE MILITARY PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE NARCOMA OF DEFENSE OF THE USSR

• Attack of the dead