Andrey Volunec Hero of the Soviet Union Date of Birth: 01.1904Год Country: Belarus

1. Biography of Andrey Volynets
2. Imprisonment and Liberation
3. Resistance and Partisan Activities
4. Leadership and Recognition

Biography of Andrey Volynets

Andrey Ivanovich Volynets was born in January 1904 in the village of Zhyeltki, Vileysky district of Belarus, in a peasant family. He began working at the age of thirteen. In 1926, he graduated from a regimental artillery school in Novo-Vileyka. From 1934, he was a member of the underground Communist Party of Western Belarus, which was established by activist Nikolay Petrikevich in the village of Tsintsevichi after returning from France.

Imprisonment and Liberation

Upon a denunciation by provocateur Yakub Strelchuk, Volynets, along with other members of the underground district committee, was arrested by the Polish authorities and sent to the Vileyka prison, specifically to cell number 17 for political prisoners, and later to the notorious Lukishki prison in Vilnius. He was released from custody on September 17, 1939, following the entry of the Red Army into Western Belarus. Afterward, he began realizing his long-standing dream of draining the swamp near his native village. The "Zhyeltki" peat plant was established in place of impassable marshes under Volynets' leadership, providing cheap fuel to Vileyka, Molodechno, and surrounding villages. He planned to build a power station based on the plant and ordered a locomobile from the Mioriskiy Sawmill Plant. However, the outbreak of World War II disrupted all plans.

Resistance and Partisan Activities

During the occupation of Vileyka by the fascist army, Volynets formed an anti-fascist patriotic group. The commissar of the group was a wounded political commissar of the Order of the Red Banner 24th Samara-Ulyanovsk Division, whose headquarters were located in Molodechno, and one of the regiments was stationed in Vileyka. From the autumn of 1941, Volynets' group began conducting sabotage activities, including attacks on police stations, destruction of telegraph lines, and derailing enemy trains.

In July 1942, together with the Vileyka-Kurenevtsy underground, Volynets set fire to the wooden bridge over the Viliya River. Then the group relocated to the Pleshchenitsky district and, as a separate platoon, became part of the "People's Avengers" brigade, which was named after its deceased commander V. Voronyansky. The partisans attacked enemy garrisons in Olkovichi and Zembin. In a fierce battle, Volynets was wounded in the leg and spent five months in a partisan hospital.

Leadership and Recognition

In September 1943, after recovering, Andrey Volynets, along with a group of five people, was sent to the Vileyka district. Within a few months, his group grew into a detachment of 300 people. In June 1944, his detachment was reorganized into the partisan brigade "For Soviet Belarus," and he was appointed its commander. At the time of joining the Red Army, the brigade had 410 partisans. The brigade carried out hundreds of military operations.

On August 15, 1944, Andrey Volynets was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union "for exceptional services in the development of the partisan movement in Belarus, exemplary execution of government tasks in the struggle against Hitler's invaders, for courage and bravery" by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He had 74 battles, 59 diversions, 9 derailing of trains, and 18 destroyed enemy vehicles to his credit. He also liberated the villages of Kalovichi, Porsa, and Borovtsy.

On September 16, 1944, he received the golden star of the Hero from Mikhail Kalinin's hands. After the war, he was entrusted with the restoration of the national economy in his native places - first as the chairman of the Vileyka City Executive Committee, and then in responsible positions in the Vileyka and Molodechno district executive committees and the regional executive committee.

In 1944-1945, he was a member of the state commission for the resettlement of Belarusians from Poland to the BSSR.

Andrey Ivanovich Volynets passed away on March 30, 1965. In 2004, on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus, in honor of their fellow countryman, the residents of Vileyka solemnly unveiled a memorial plaque. There is also a monument to the hero in the city of Molodechno.