The town of Osvya has been awarded the pennant "For Courage and Resilience during the Great Patriotic War"

The corresponding decree No. 44 was signed on February 2 by the head of state Alexander Lukashenko. Among the awardees is the urban-type settlement of Osvyia, Verkhnedvinsk district.

The settlements awarded with the pennant are a worthy example of military and labor valor, and popular resistance shown during the Great Patriotic War. The cities of Baranovichi, Dzerzhinsk, Dyatlovo, Kalinkovichi, Lyuban, Osipovichi, Chausy, and the urban-type settlements of Obol and Osvyia have been awarded.
They are awarded in connection with the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders and the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, as well as to perpetuate the feat of the Red Army soldiers, workers, partisans, and underground fighters, committed by them in the defense and liberation of Belarusian cities and other settlements.
To date, 27 settlements in Belarus have been awarded the pennants "For Courage and Resilience during the Great Patriotic War".
This mark of distinction was established on October 6, 2004, by decree of the President on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the republic from the Nazi invaders.
Each of these 27 places became a true citadel of courage, where incredible bravery was shown not only by soldiers but also by local residents.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Osvyia region became a place of special courage and boundless pain – here, defenders of their native land and enemy invaders clashed in a deadly confrontation. Some of the first underground and partisan detachments in Belarus appeared in Osvyia.
Striving to suppress popular resistance, the Nazis planned to turn the region into a scorched desert. As a result of the inhumane punitive expedition "Winter Magic" in February-March 1943, 158 settlements were burned down in Osvyia, 3,639 civilians died in the fire, and several thousand were driven into forced labor and death camps.
Having survived enormous losses, Osvyia endured, rose from the ashes, and today is famous as one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Belarus.
The pennant "For Courage and Resilience during the Great Patriotic War" is a well-deserved award for an unconquered region.

(Based on materials from the newspaper "Dzvinskaya Pravda")