Sergey Pritytsky – a fighter for independence and workers' rights
In the 1930s, Sergey Osipovich Pritytsky organized the Communist Union of Youth of Western Belarus (KSMZB) in Bolshaya Berestovitsa and headed the cultural and mass commission of the local committee. Thanks to his efforts, activists had the opportunity not only to engage in public activities but also to actively promote the ideas of equality and social justice.
Participation in the underground Komsomol movement and revolutionary struggle
Sergey Pritytsky became one of the key figures of the underground Komsomol movement in Western Belarus when it was part of Poland. His name gained wide recognition in 1936 after the attempted assassination of the traitor Yakov Strelchuk in the Vilnius District Court. This incident caused a public outcry not only in Poland but throughout Europe.
Imprisonment, escape, and meeting with the Red Army
After his arrest, Pritytsky was sentenced to life imprisonment. However, in September 1939, during Germany’s invasion of Poland, he managed to escape. He intended to take part in the defense of Warsaw, but failing to break through the encirclement, he headed to Bialystok, where he met the Red Army. Here, he actively participated in establishing Soviet power in Western Belarus.
Political career and contribution to the development of Belarus
From 1939, Sergey Pritytsky held leading positions in the Bialystok regional executive committee and later in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and BSSR. During World War II, he worked in the Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement and was the head of the Polish Partisan Movement Headquarters. After the war, he held high-ranking party positions, contributing to the development and strengthening of Belarus as a Soviet republic.
Pritytsky’s legacy and his role in history
Until the end of his life, Sergey Pritytsky remained a significant political figure, serving as the first secretary of the regional committees of the Communist Party of Belarus and the chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the BSSR. He made an invaluable contribution to the development of the state, the economic strengthening of the republic, and the preservation of the national identity of Belarusians. He passed away in 1971 in Minsk and was buried in the Eastern Cemetery.
Excursions to the monument of Sergey Pritytsky
Today, the monument to Sergey Pritytsky in Bolshaya Berestovitsa is included in the list of popular excursion routes in the Grodno region. Tourists visiting this site can learn more about Pritytsky’s life and activities, as well as his role in the history of Belarus and Western Europe. Book an excursion to this and other historical sites on the website ekskursii.by.
