The parade on Unia Lubelska Street in Brest began at 4pm on 22 September 1939 and lasted only about 45 minutes. That was enough time to show the whole world the newly formed alliance of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.

The Soviet Union's invasion of Poland on 17 September 1939 came as a shock to Polish society. For several days the country had been defending itself against the German invasion.

The morning of 1 September greeted us with the roar of the engines of a low-flying plane. It wasn’t even six o’clock as people ran out of their homes. Some swore they saw black crosses on the wings.