The Beginning of the Partisan Movement
Oktyabrsky District was established in June 1939 and was part of the Polesia Region. At the beginning of World War II, it was led by 29-year-old First Secretary of the District Party Committee Tikhon Bumazhkov. Immediately after the outbreak of hostilities, he organized an urgent meeting of party activists, at which a decision was made to create partisan detachments. The movement was led by commanders such as Semyon Makhan’ko, Fyodor Pavlovsky, and Grigory Baryash, while overall coordination was carried out by Bumazhkov himself.
Heroism and Resistance Against the Occupiers
By the fall of 1941, 13 partisan detachments were operating in Oktyabrsky District. The occupiers put a large bounty on Tikhon Bumazhkov’s head, but he continued the fight. For his bravery and contribution to the struggle against the enemy, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on August 6, 1941. Under his leadership, life continued behind enemy lines: crops were harvested, partisans were supplied with food, schools and mills operated, and an underground newspaper was published.
The Hero’s Last Battle
Later, Tikhon Bumazhkov was recalled behind the front line. In December 1941, he was killed in Poltava Region near the village of Orzhytsa during the retreat of Soviet troops from encirclement. However, his name remains forever in the memory of the people.
Eternal Memory
A monument to Tikhon Bumazhkov was erected in Oktyabrsky in 1961. His heroic deeds are described in books by Belarusian writers, and the streets bearing his name remind us of his bravery. You can visit this place as part of tours across Belarus.
Today, a tour from Minsk to Oktyabrsky allows tourists to touch the history of Belarusian resistance. You can book a tour to learn more about Tikhon Bumazhkov’s heroism and other partisans. Such tours in Belarus help preserve the memory of those who fought for a peaceful future.
