MINSK, 3 July (BelTA) - The young generation of Belarusians should make sure that everyone, including people abroad, understand the value of the Great Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the role played by the Belarusian people, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a ceremony yo mark Independence Day at the Mound of Glory memorial complex, BelTA has learned.
The head of state stressed that it is impossible to ignore the attempts abroad to rewrite history, take away the Great Victory from the people. “Some take pride in the wealth in the form of natural gas, oil, gold, metals. But there is no more valuable and dear gift than the Great Victory. Why is it so dear? Because Belarus alone paid for it by its every third citizen. As great Lenin once said, we have to ask ourselves the question, what legacy are we giving up?" Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The president branded those who want to forget the Victory as madmen. "They don't think of what we can lose. But the truth is (our generation is to blame for this) that we have not been able to explain the essence of Victory to those strayed souls and others abroad. We did not get them to value the Victory and, through the Victory, to value us. Because we saved them, we gave them life. We must admit that our generation has underperformed here. And you, the younger generation, need to keep this in mind and correct the mistake we made."
This work, according to the president, has already begun with the investigation into the crimes of Nazism on the Belarusian soil. This is akin to the Holocaust of the Belarusian people. Jews were able to make the world remember it, and the whole world bows to them, being afraid of saying one wrong word to them. On our part, we, being tolerant and kind, did not want to hurt anyone and let the things down to the point when they have have started to hurt us. This is the reason we started this work, and you should continue it," the Belarusian leader addressed the youth.
According to him, it is no less important than to achieve results in the economy or finance, because these are hearts and souls of people. "If we lose our hearts and souls, we will re-witness the things that happened here last year, maybe even worse things," Aleksandr Lukashenko warned.
"This is why I call on you to come here today and bring your children, to tell them about the deeds of the people, teach them to love their native land and preserve peace," the Belarusian leader urged. “Then this Mound of Glory, looking to the sky, from where the departed heroes look at us, will forever keep the memory of those heroes, of those who gave Belarusians life and freedom."
The president also said that there is nothing eternal and the way we treat the fallen, the new generation will treat us.
At the end of the ceremony, Aleksandr Lukashenko once again congratulated everyone on the most important, sacred and bright holiday for Belarus - Independence Day. "It should be cherished and defended. We should not allow this holiday to dissolve in all sorts of reasonings and suggestions to celebrate it on another date and so on. This is how any idea starts to be demolished," he said. “This is our holiday recognized by the people in the referendum. This is a sacred, dear holiday for our people - Independence Day. In this sacred place I want to wish the Belarusian people Happy independence Day!”
