MINSK DISTRICT, 22 April (BelTA) - Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko took part in landscaping and tree planting works on the territory of the historical and cultural complex Stalin Line on 20 April, BelTA has learned.
Ahead of the landscaping works Aleksandr Lukashenko was informed about the development of the complex and the organization of new expositions. It was mentioned that the Stalin Line was built on the basis of the Minsk fortified locality during the Great Patriotic War. Workers of the complex remarked that about 7,000 fortifications were built to protect the perimeter of 1,600 kilometers in the pre-war years. However, part of the territory remained unprotected.
“If more attention had been paid to that fortified area and those protective measures, it would have been much more difficult for Nazi invaders to breach the defensive line,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
After a tour of the complex and its expositions the president took part in tree planting works. Seventy-five oaks and thirty pines were planted at the historical and cultural complex to mark the 75th anniversary of Belarus' liberation from the Nazi invasion and the 30th anniversary of withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.
Aleksandr Lukashenko also watched a training session of the Belarusian tank biathlon team and talked to the soldiers. He wished them new victories and good performances in the future. It was mentioned that the Belarusian soldiers are among the best tank biathletes in the world.
The historical and cultural complex Stalin Line was founded upon the initiative of the charity foundation Memory of Afghanistan to mark the 60th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War. The remains of 75 soldiers were found during the construction works and reinterred in mass graves on the territory of Belarus.
The Stalin Line was opened for visitors on 30 June 2005. It is an open-air military history museum today.
The project to organize the exposition Our Armored Train was launched at the Stalin Line last year. It will commemorate the feat of railway workers during the Great Patriotic War. Plans have been made to open the exposition at the end of June.
