On the edge of the village of Moshchun in Bucha district, in the Irpin valley, the ruins of pillboxes of the Kyiv Fortified Region have survived — pillbox No. 511 on the outskirts of the village and No. 508 in a nearby forest. They were built in 1931 to defend Kyiv from the west. And ninety years later, in March 2022, right here near Moshchun, one of the decisive battles for the capital took place.
13th Battalion District
Both pillboxes are of the same type: one floor, three machine-gun embrasures, type "M2" — such structures could withstand the impact of a 152 mm howitzer shell. They were erected deep within the defense system to provide fire support for the front-line pillboxes, such as pillbox No. 502. They belonged to the 13th Battalion Defense District of the Kyiv Fortified Region, which covered the Horenka — Moshchun sector. Unlike other sectors where pillboxes stood far apart from each other, here the structures were positioned closely, and their machine guns completely controlled the valley.
1941
In the summer of 1941, the garrisons consisted of fighters from the 161st Separate Machine Gun Battalion. Until August 24–25, the pillboxes were in the rear, and during the assault on the fortified region on September 16–18, there was no combat in this sector. On September 18, the troops of the 37th Army began to withdraw from Kyiv, and the pillbox garrisons retreated among the last. On September 19, the German 71st Infantry Division occupied the sector without a fight. Exactly how the pillboxes were destroyed is unknown: perhaps they were blown up by German combat engineers after September 1941, or perhaps during the battles of 1943. Some pillboxes in Moshchun are damaged by powerful internal explosions. Pillbox No. 508 is completely destroyed today, and No. 511 is heavily damaged.
The Battle for Moshchun in 2022
From February 24 to March 21, 2022, fierce battles were fought near Moshchun: Russian troops tried to cross the Irpin and break through to Kyiv. The battle for Moshchun became one of the defining ones in the defense of the capital and marked a turning point in favor of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The village suffered massive destruction. Now a memorial complex in honor of the defenders is being created in Moshchun.
The village was once called Pylnia — timber was sawed here, and the modern name is associated with the fact that roads through the swamps were paved around it. Moshchun is mentioned as early as in a 1656 universal of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, according to which the village, along with Vyshhorod and Petrivtsi, was granted to the Mezhyhiria Monastery.
How to Get There
Moshchun is 25 km northwest of the center of Kyiv, between Horenka and Huta-Mezhyhirska. It is most convenient to get there by car via Horenka or Hostomel. Pillbox No. 511 is on the edge of the village, and No. 508 is in the nearby forest.
Tip
The forests around Moshchun were an area of heavy fighting. They have been checked by combat engineers, but do not stray from the roads and do not pick up unfamiliar objects. Do not climb on the destroyed pillboxes. Nearby are the site of Maks Levin's death and other structures of the Kyiv Fortified Region, such as pillbox No. 480 in Horenka. Read more about the region in the article about Kyiv Polissia.
