The damage to the city made by the Nazis was considerable. During the war 40,000 Brest residents were killed by the occupants, including 20,000 women and 13,000 children. By the liberation day the city’s population comprised 14,960 residents, while pre-war population was 41,400 people. City’s economy suffered from the war as well. The occupants destroyed 2 power stations, 12 mechanised bakeries, 6 mills, meat producing plant, brewery, rail way constructions, Dniepr-Booh water channel infrastructure, 3,300 houses.
After the German troops had been expelled the reconstruction of the city began. The reconstruction was centrally organised from Moscow that were distributing financial and material funds. Significant role in the post-war reconstruction has played the reparations by Germany and its former satellites. Equipment and materials from these countries helped to organise domestic production during the first post-war years. With big enthusiasm, which had its roots in the liberation from Nazi, people started reconstructing the city’s economy. First, the rail-way communication was restored, and in August 2, 1944 the first echelon from Russia arrived in Brest. Along with the rail-way communications the city’s infrastructure was been restored as well: power and water supply was organised, bakery and meat production plant was launched. In September 1, 1944 schools and kindergartens were opened. In 1945 regional drama theatre staged its first play.
The upraise of the Belarusian national movement during the Nazi occupation made communists Moscow-based government undertake measures for eradication of the nationalistic feelings. For these purposes systematic and consistent russification of Belarus started. The republic was densely covered with network of Communist party schools. The cleansing of the party body in Belarus began. In 1946 about 90% of the national and local party bosses of the Belarusian origin were dismissed. On their places trustworthy Russian communists were sent. By 1949 all Communist of the Belarusian nationality were dismissed from the highest positions and replaced by Russians. Belarus found itself ruled by Communist Moscow-based regime.
Further reconstruction and development of the city was carried out according to the five year plans (FYP). The FYPs were a pivot of the Soviet command economy, and they were broken into annual operational segments. Every single enterprise, ministry and branch of the economy had its own plans. The main economic characteristic of a firm’s performance was the fulfilment of its plan. The fulfilment of plans was tightly controlled by the Communist government.
During the forth Five Year Economic Period (FYEP) (piacihodka) (1946-50) 38 industrial enterprises began to operate including 2 power stations, stockinet and furniture producing factories, car repairing workshops, etc. The city was expanding according to the general plan adopted in 1948. Teachers training college, opened in 1945, was transformed into Pedagogical Institute in 1950. Regional library and museum of the region were opened. By the end of the FYEP 629 houses were reconstructed, 21 schools and 11 kindergartens were opened.
In the USSR Belarus was assigned the role of an “assembling shop.” Raw materials and spare parts extracted and produced in other Soviet republics were brought to Belarus where final goods were assembled. It was not the most efficient system because of high transportation costs though it contributed to the development of diversified industry in Belarus, including Brest.
During the post-war FYEPs active industrial construction was conducted in Brest. In the 5th FYEP (1951-55) sewing factory, reinforced concrete plant were built. During the 6th FYEP (1956-60) mechanical repairing plant, carpet plant, gas apparatus plant started to operate. In 1956 rail-way station was renovated. In 1958 the Booh hotel was opened. Among newly built enterprises in the 7th FYEP are electric bulbs and auto repair plants, cloth and knitted wear factories, new shops of the carpet plant. Maternity house was built. New bridge over the Mukhavets river eased communication for the city residents. The construction of the Civil Engineers Institute started. In 1965 the new general plan of the city development was adopted according to which Brest would develop eastwards. During the 8th FYEP electro and radiotechnic industries were created in the city. Industrial region in the eastern part of the city included electric bulb plant, stocking factory, carpet plant. The enterprises were quite modern and mechanised for that time standards. Since 1967 the construction of the residential region “Uskhod” (East) started. In 1966 the Brest Institute of Civil Engineers was opened. In the 9th FYEP (1971-75) the plant of domestic chemistry was constructed. The Belarus and Inturist hotels were built. In 1971 the memorial “The Brest Fortress-Hero” was opened. The industrial development of the city continued during the 10th (1976-80) and 11th (1981-85) FYEPs. The plant of electronic industry “Tsvetotron” was built. Gross industrial product of the city increased by 68.5% during the 10th FYEP.
Not only the industrial development in the republic but also lives of its citizens were tightly controlled by the communist party. Every year on the 7th of November (anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution) and the 1st of May everybody had to attend demonstrations and demonstrate there his/her devotion to the communist ideas. On enterprises, in schools and institutes sessions of political information were regularly held where everybody had to express his/her support for the communist party policy and condemn western capitalism and imperialism. Communist propaganda was particularly emphasised in Brest since the city is located on the western border, and, as communist policy makers believed, western demoralising influence was particularly strong there.
By the end of 80s the Soviet economic system proved its inefficiency, and it had to be reformed. Perestrojka, initiated by M. Gorbachev, resulted in such changes which nobody could predict in the middle of 80s. One of the world superpowers, the USSR, fell apart. All soviet republics proclaimed their independence, Belarus being one of them. The republic has entered new period of its history, period of independence, which turned out to be quite challenging for the country. Brest has also undergone significant changes during the last decade.
