Stryjewka (

Belarusian Belarusian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Belarus * Belarusians, people from Belarus, or of Belarusian descent * A citizen of Belarus, see Demographics of Belarus * Belarusian language * Belarusian culture * Belarusian cuisine * Byelor ...

: ''Стрыеўка, Stryjeŭka''; Russian: ''Стриевка'';

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

: ''Stryjówka'') is a village in

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

, in the Voranava Raion of

Grodno Region Grodno Region ( pl, Grodzieńszczyzna) or Grodno Oblast or Hrodna Voblasts ( be, Гродзенская вобласць, ''Hrodzienskaja vobłasć'', , ''Haradzienščyna''; russian: Гродненская область, ''Grodnenskaya oblast' ...

History

In the interwar period, the village was situated in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, in the Białystok Voivodeship, in the Grodno County, in the Aziory Commune. After the

Soviet invasion of Poland The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military operation by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east, 16 days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the west. Subse ...

in 1939, the village became part of the BSSR. In the years 1941-1944 it was under German occupation. Then the village was again in the BSSR. From 1991 in the Republic of Belarus.

Fight at Styjewka

On September 20, 1943, German military police smashed the VIII Strike Cadre Battalion of the

Home Army The Home Army ( pl, Armia Krajowa, abbreviated AK; ) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) esta ...

commanded by Lieutenant Zbigniew Czarnocki pseudonym "Czarny" near the village - 32 partisans died, 3 survived. As a result of the denunciation of a village resident, the Polish unit was surrounded when he stopped for the night. Earlier, he fought victorious skirmishes on the crossing over the Niemen, near Wiercielishki and in the Gluche Bagno wilderness. In Stryjewka there was a monument - an obelisk commemorating the soldiers of the "Czarny". Cadet Bohdan Smolarski (born 1924) - son of

Mieczysław Mieczysław () or Mečislovas (Lithuanian) is a Slavic name of Polish origin and consists of two parts: miecz "sword", and sław "glory, famous". Feminine form: Mieczysława. Alternate form: Mieszko. This name may refer to: People Mečislovas *M ...

- a writer (1888-1967), was posthumously awarded the Cross of Valour in 1966 by the then Minister of National Defense, Marshal of Poland

Marian Spychalski Marian "Marek" Spychalski (, 6 December 1906 – 7 June 1980) was a Polish architect in pre-war Poland, and later, military commander and a communist politician. During World War II he belonged to the Polish underground forces operating within ...

. The monument on the grave of the Home Army soldiers was erected in 1992 thanks to the efforts of the

World Association of Home Army Soldiers The World Association of Home Army Soldiers ( pl, Światowy Związek Żołnierzy Armii Krajowej; abbreviated ŚZŻAK) is an international non-governmental organization gathering former soldiers of the Home Army. ŚZŻAK brings together members of ...

with the support of the

Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites The Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites ( pl, Rada Ochrony Pamięci Walk i Męczeństwa) is a Polish government body charged with the preservation of historical sites of wartime persecution of the Polish nation. It was set ...

. He was looked after by members of the Society of Polish Artists from Grodno operating at the

Union of Poles in Belarus The Union of Poles in Belarus ( pl, Związek Polaków na Białorusi, be, Саюз палякаў Беларусі, ''Sajuz paliakaŭ Bielarusi'') is an organisation located in Belarus. The group, which has a membership of 20,000 people, represe ...

. In July 2022, the monument was destroyed by the Belarusian authorities.

References

{{Authority control Villages in Belarus