A bridge to Frontier Island is planned to be restored in Brest Fortress. It will be easier for tourists.

Today, visitors access Frontier Island via another suspension bridge. It connects the Terespol fortification with the Volyn fortification and is located in the southern part of the island. In 2024, this crossing was reconstructed: worn-out elements were replaced, suspension cables reinforced, and the surfacing updated.

However, authorities want to bring back another, direct route from the Terespol Gate. Chairman of the Brest City Executive Committee, Sergei Labadzinsky, believes that Frontier Island unfairly remains outside the main tourist routes. Most visitors are well familiar with the central part of the memorial complex, but the historical territory of Brest Fortress is much larger. Work is currently also underway on the Kobrin and Volyn fortifications.

Павялічыць

The new bridge is planned not just to be built, but to be restored according to historical materials. Drawings of the old crossing have been preserved. In the 19th century, four bridges existed between separate parts of the Brest Fortress. The bridge near the Terespol Gate was a suspension bridge, made of wire, and featured decorative cast-iron elements, including mascarons in the form of lion heads.

Some details of the old structure were found by archaeologists. In 1995, they discovered several decorative elements, which are now stored in the Museum of the Defense of Brest Fortress. During archaeological work near the Terespol Gate in 2011, other metal parts of the bridge were also found.

Павялічыць

The old crossing survived the fighting of 1941, but in the summer of 1944, retreating German troops destroyed it. After that, the bridge between the Terespol Gate and the island was never restored.

Frontier Island has an area of about 46 hectares. It was the former Terespol fortification of Brest Fortress, built in the 1830s-1840s to defend the Citadel from the west. The island is located on the western, left bank of the Bug river, and the state border between Belarus and Poland runs along the canal surrounding it. In fact, it is the only territory of Belarus on this side of the Bug.

For a long time, the island was completely closed to ordinary visitors. Its opening for organized tourists began after the adoption of a relevant decision in 2011. The first excursions started in 2013, when a crossing and part of the territory were equipped for visitors.

Thanks to the prolonged closure, many historical objects have been preserved on the island. Here are powder magazines, casemates inside earthen ramparts, remains of barracks, various fortifications, an old bathhouse, and other buildings from the 19th to the first half of the 20th century. In total, tourists can see more than 30 significant objects.

A special place in the island's history is occupied by the events of June 1941. The Terespol fortification became one of the first sections of Brest Fortress to be hit by the German offensive. Soviet border guards and soldiers defended themselves here, and resistance continued until June 30.

The territory also preserves traces of battles, defensive structures, and objects related to later stages of the fortress's history. On the eve of the German-Soviet war, pillboxes began to be built here, which were part of the so-called Molotov Line.

The island is also interesting for its landscapes. It offers an unusual view of the Terespol Gate from the Bug river. It is from here that the place where the historical bridge once stood is clearly visible.

Павялічыць

Despite the fact that Frontier Island is already open for organized excursions, it is not possible to freely visit it. It still remains in the border zone, so visits must be arranged and organized in groups in advance. During the excursion, visitors undergo border control, so it is mandatory to have the original passport with you.

Павялічыць

The excursion to the island lasts about two hours. It can be ordered through the memorial complex or tourist companies. The application must be submitted in advance, as a visit requires coordination. Participation in such group excursions is not provided for children under nine years old.

Thus, for now, the discussion is not about free access to Frontier Island, but only about improving conditions for organized tourists. The restoration of the historical bridge would allow for the creation of a direct pedestrian route from the Terespol Gate across the Bug to the island and make this part of Brest Fortress more noticeable to visitors.

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