Marshes Of Belarus: A Natural Wonder's Location

Belarus is known as the lungs of Europe due to its vast number of marshes, which are famous for their ability to cleanse the air. The country is home to a variety of marshlands, some of which are impenetrable and mysterious, while others are welcoming and popular tourist destinations. The Pinsk Marshes, also known as the Pripet Marshes, Polesie Marshes, and Rokitno Marshes, are a vast natural region of wetlands in Belarus and Ukraine, along the forested basin of the Pripyat River. They are one of the largest wetland areas in Europe, constituting roughly 269,400 square kilometres.

The Pinsk Marshes

Historically, the Pinsk Marshes were considered impassable for major military forces, influencing strategic planning during World War I and World War II. During World War I, the marshes separated the Austro-Hungarian Fourth Army from the XII Corps, allowing the Imperial Russian Army to gain an advantage. In World War II, the marshes served as a hideout for Soviet and Polish partisans and were dreaded by the Wehrmacht troops.

Human intervention has also impacted the Pinsk Marshes over the years. Land reclamation projects began in 1872, and by the late 19th century, drainage of the marshes had recovered 1.5 million hectares of wetlands for pasture and farmland. In the 1950s, there were further plans to drain the wetlands, but these did not come to fruition.

The Pripyat Marshes

Historically, the Pripyat Marshes played a strategic role in military operations due to their impassability for major military forces. During World War I, they separated the Austro-Hungarian Fourth Army from the XII Corps, influencing the planning of military campaigns. Similarly, during World War II, the marshes divided the central and southern theatres of operation and served as a hideout for Soviet and Polish partisans. Unfortunately, the Pripyat Marshes were also the site of massacres during World War II, with Nazi Germany carrying out mass murders of Jewish civilians in Belarus and Ukraine in 1941.

The Olmanskye Marshes

The marshes are a remote and isolated place, with around 40% open marshland and approximately 50% marsh forest. Visitors can expect to see a wide variety of birds, with 118 species observed in the area. The marshes are also home to rare plant species and provide a vital habitat for endangered animal species.

The Kozyanskye Marshes

The magical landscape of the Kozyanskye Marshes is dotted with blooming water lilies and crystal-clear waters, with large areas of beautiful shoreland ideal for swimming. However, visitors are warned to step carefully and avoid unintentionally straying into the deep, marshland waters.

This marshland is home to 21 species of plants, 47 species of animals, and 175 species of birds. It is one of the few locations in the country where lynx and brown bears have been known to live in recent years.

The Yelnya Marshlands

During World War II, the Yelnya offensive was a military operation by the Soviet Army during the Battle of Smolensk, which was part of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The offensive was an attack against the semi-circular Yelnya salient, which the German 4th Army had extended 50 kilometres (31 mi) southeast of Smolensk, forming a staging area for an offensive towards Vyazma and eventually Moscow. The German army evacuated the salient by September 8, 1941, leaving behind a devastated and depopulated region. The battle was covered by Nazi and Soviet propaganda and served as a morale boost to the Soviet population.

The town of Yelnya was located 82 km southeast of Smolensk, near heights deemed strategic by General Heinz Guderian, commander of the 2nd Panzer Group, as a springboard for further offensive operations towards Moscow. The 2nd Panzer Group took the heights on July 19, 1941, but ran out of fuel and nearly ran out of ammunition. The extended flanks of the bridgehead were subject to frequent counter-attacks by the Red Army, while the Army Group Centre paused operations in late July to rest and refit.

The first phase of the Soviet offensive began at the end of the first week of August but was called off within 48 hours. However, offensive operations continued until August 20 and then resumed on August 30, in concert with operations by the Western Front and the Bryansk Front under General Andrey Yeryomenko. The intent of the August 30 offensive was to assault the bases of the salient, with various divisions forming the outer and inner fronts of the encirclement.

On September 3, under the threat of encirclement, the German forces started retreating from the salient while maintaining resistance on the flanks. After a week of heavy combat, Hitler permitted Army Group Centre's commander, Fedor von Bock, to evacuate the Yelnya bridgehead. On September 6, Yelnya was retaken by the Red Army, and the Soviet offensive continued through September 8, when it was halted at the new German defence line. The fighting in August and September caused the XX Army Corps 23,000 casualties, and the 4th Army was unable to recover for the rest of the year.

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