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Brest Railway Station
the square in front of the
railway station building
Historic
background
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November 28, 1871 - the traffic started on the
Brest - Moscow railroad line. 2 years prior to this
event, a
railroad line linked Brest with Warsaw. Thus Brest
became an important station at a transcontinental railroad
line linking Moscow with Paris. The railroad and the station
gave an impetus to the city's fast development and
industrial growth.
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the first
railway station was located in Brest at the north ends of
Kuybyshev St. and
Karbyshev St. Today it is the
premises of Gefest
Plant.
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Mr. Ludvig
Strashevich was the first station-master from 1870 till 1885
in Brest.
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On June 21,1884, the final
design of the new station building was officially endorsed.
Neo-Russian
style.
The author:
architect B.Lorberg
In summer 1886, Alexander III,
the Russian emperor, inspected military maneuvers not far from
Brest, he wanted to see the first airships that appeared in
the Russian army in 1885. Being in Brest, he welcomed
the German crown prince, the future German emperor William
II on the platform of the new station and carried out the
opening ceremony of the station.
In the late
19th century
it was the biggest and most beautiful station building in
Russia, a new gateway to Russia. It had richly decorated halls,
restaurants to pamper the passengers from abroad.
The passenger trains had
carriages of 4 classes, that were painted as follows, 1st
class blue, 2nd class auroauric, 3d class green, 4th class
gray.
The Warsaw
express arrived, a picture of the early 1900s.
The southern side of the
station in the early 1900s.
During WW1 the
station was badly damaged.
The roof of the central
waiting hall collapsed, walls were damaged as well.
In 1930 the building was
reconstructed and the central waiting hall became larger,
the central tower became taller, acquiring another floor
atop, now it was projecting in the direction of the square
The station
suffered the worst damages in 1941 during WW2.
It saw fierce fighting,
gunfire and bombardment. The passengers repelled numerous
attacks of Nazi storming groups in the opening hours of the
Great patriotic war, that broke out on June 22, 1941.
On
July 28, 1944 the city was liberated by the Red Army.
On
July 31, 1944 the first trains were driving between
Brest and Baranovichi.
In the late
1940s it was renovated.
In 1953-57 - the building was
reconstructed, to welcome the
numerous guests, coming to the First International Youth
Festival in Moscow, 1956.
The entire complex got a
classic view
The author:
architect U. Pestrakov.
On
December 31,1975 a new waiting hall in a modern style
was built between the main building and the building of
booking-offices.
In 1993 - the Polish
renovation refreshed the building without changing
its architectural style,
the project cost $1,063,000.
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