Brest Fortress

Soviet border troops and their families are caught by surprise as German forces launch Operation Barbarossa, besieging the fortress at Brest. Despite being cut off and vastly outnumbered, the garrison holds out for weeks in a desperate, doomed defense.

The Brest Fortress garrison resisted the German invasion for nearly a month starting 22 June 1941, becoming an enduring Soviet symbol of resistance despite being overwhelmed and largely destroyed.

The film closely follows documented accounts of the siege and its commanders, produced with Belarusian state support to commemorate the battle.

The largest invasion in military history opened a front that would consume the majority of German ground strength for the rest of the war.

Brest Fortress resisted for weeks behind the front line. Leningrad was encircled in September, beginning a siege of nearly 900 days. The advance on Moscow stalled in the mud and frost and was thrown back by a Soviet counter-offensive in December.

Directed by Aleksandr Kott

Cast: Andrei Merzlikin, Pavel Derevyanko, Aleksandr Korshunov, Alyosha Kopashov

Positioned at 22 June – 23 July 1941 within the Operation Barbarossa phase of the war, as part of the Defense of Brest Fortress. This is entry 41 of 150 in the chronological archive.

• Brest Fortress
• Barbarossa
• Soviet resistance
• border defense
• siege

• 

  Attack on Leningrad

  September 1941 – early 1942

• 

  The Desert Rats

  April–December 1941

• 

  Defiance

  1941–1944

• 

  The Unknown Soldier

  June 1941 – September 1944

• 

  Panfilov's 28 Men

  16 November 1941

• 

  1939 Battle of Westerplatte

  1–7 September 1939