Editing Pyotr Masherov (section)

== Post-war activities ==
[[File:Masherov Central Committee of KPB.jpg|left|thumb|296x296px|Masherov's party membership card as Second Secretary of the Communist Party of Belarus, 1963]]
Following the end of the war, Masherov turned to politics within the Komsomol; from July 1944 he served as First Secretary of both the [[Molodechno Region|Molodechno]] and [[Minsk Region|Minsk]] regions, and in October 1947, Masherov was declared First Secretary of the Komsomol of the Byelorussian SSR. According to the memoirs of Vladimir Velichko, who served as personal assistant to Masherov in the 1970s, Masherov participated in both the reconstruction of Molodechno and [[Anti-communist resistance in Poland (1944–1953)|campaigns]] against the [[cursed soldiers]] of the Polish [[Home Army]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Velichko|first=Vladimir|title=His Heart was Beating for the People|pages=52}}</ref>

It was not long before Masherov turned from the Komsomol to the CPB. The move was allegedly the suggestion of then-First Secretary of the CPB [[Nikolai Patolichev]], who was impressed by Masherov's activities as head of the Komsomol in Belarus. On 1 August 1955, Masherov was elected as First Secretary of the [[Brest Region|Brest Regional Committee]] of the CPB.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Velichko|first=Vladimir|title=His Heart was Beating for the People|pages=53}}</ref>

In Brest, Masherov's activities were similar to what he would later do as First Secretary of the CPB; money was invested into the advancement of mechanical engineering and both a museum and memorial complex were created to memorialise the [[defense of Brest Fortress]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Velichko|first=Vladimir|title=His Heart was Beating for the People|pages=35–36}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Velichko|first=Vladimir|title=His Heart was Beating for the People|pages=53–55}}</ref> Development in Brest rapidly accelerated and additional focus was placed on traditional Belarusian culture, with funds being invested in the purchase of Belarusian musical instruments and literature.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Smirnov|first=A. A.|title=We Met a Long Time Ago|pages=53–55}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Kandybovich|first1=S. L.|title=Pyotr Masherov in the historical memory of the Belarusian diaspora in Russia|last2=Solopova|first2=O. V.|pages=15–16}}</ref> In Brest, Masherov lived in what had formerly been the house of a deputy of the Polish [[Sejm]], and usually walked to his office without security.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Maruk|first=Denis|date=16 June 2019|title=The History of This House Contains the Events of the Street and Our City's People|url=https://www.realbrest.by/novosti/istorija-bresta/istorija-yetogo-doma-hranit-v-sebe-sobytija-ulicy-i-lyudei-nashego-goroda.html|access-date=1 August 2021|website=realbrest.by}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> Belarusian cosmonaut [[Pyotr Klimuk]] recalled that Masherov was held in high regard in the Brest Region while he served as First Secretary of the Regional Committee.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Klimuk|first=Pyotr|title=The Pride of Belarus|pages=105}}</ref>