MINSK, 22 March (BelTA) – A commemorative meeting was held at Khatyn Memorial to mark the 74th anniversary of the tragedy, BelTA has learned.
“Today Khatyn is not just a memorial to one of the Belarusian villages out of thousands that were burned by the Nazis during the war. It is a monument to all peaceful citizens of Belarus who perished in those terrible years,” director of Khatyn Memorial Artur Zelsky said.
The event was attended by young people, the local government officials, architects and artists, including Yuri Gradov, one of the authors of the memorial. In memory of the victims they lit candles and laid flowers to the monument Unbowed Man.
Khatyn is one of the most revered places in Belarus, a symbol of memory and grief of the Belarusian people. The village was burned down together with its 149 residents, including 75 children, 74 years ago. The only adult to survive the tragedy was Yuzif Kaminsky. He is depicted in the sculpture Unbowed Man holding his dead son Adam.
Khatyn Memorial keeps soil brought from 186 settlements burned by Nazi soldiers during the Great Patriotic War.
