MINSK, 17 September (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko was presented with a proposal to create a museum and memorial to commemorate victims of ethnocide policies of Poland at a meeting with members of the expert community engaged in ideological work to mark Day of People’s Unity, BelTA has learned.
During the event, one participant addressed the president with two initiatives related to the ethnocide of the Belarusian people. Chairman of the Standing Commission on Education, Culture and Science of the House of Representatives Igor Marzalyuk proposed creating a national museum at the site of the former Bereza Kartuska concentration camp. The museum would focus on the Polish occupation and the national liberation movement. He also suggested building a memorial, similar to the one in Khatyn, at the site of a village in western Belarus that was destroyed under the pretext of reinforcing “Polishness”. According to the parliamentarian, such a memorial would serve as a visible testament to the sacrifices made by Belarusians for national unity. “This evokes empathy in both children and adults. Especially since there are many family stories among western Belarusians who defended the BSSR and their homeland,” he said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that decisions on both proposals must be balanced, well-considered, and timely. According to the head of state, he has been reflecting on the matter recently, watching related segments on television, and acknowledges that a museum could potentially be established at the site of Bereza Kartuska. However, this would only happen if there is absolute certainty and a clear necessity for its creation. “We must not escalate the situation with this. That’s very important,” the president stressed.
In this regard, Chairman of the Board of the Belarusian Society Znanie Vadim Gigin joined the dialogue. He mentioned a deeply moving rally that recently took place at the site of the Bereza Kartuska concentration camp and expressed his belief that there is now a public demand for a museum there.
“Vadim [Gigin], maybe for now we should stop at that [holding commemorative events like rallies],” the president said. “I don’t even want to give any reason [to Belarus’ western neighbors to escalate the situation]. If we start heating things up like they do, we’ll only accelerate the process.”
The head of state believes that both initiatives require further reflection and comprehensive documentary evidence. “We need to think,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. Moreover, the history of the Polish ethnocide issue has not yet been thoroughly studied, and it’s possible that not all facts have been established. For example, in the case of Khatyn, it was later discovered that the number of villages burned down was far greater than those commemorated in the memorial complex itself.
During the event, one participant addressed the president with two initiatives related to the ethnocide of the Belarusian people. Chairman of the Standing Commission on Education, Culture and Science of the House of Representatives Igor Marzalyuk proposed creating a national museum at the site of the former Bereza Kartuska concentration camp. The museum would focus on the Polish occupation and the national liberation movement. He also suggested building a memorial, similar to the one in Khatyn, at the site of a village in western Belarus that was destroyed under the pretext of reinforcing “Polishness”. According to the parliamentarian, such a memorial would serve as a visible testament to the sacrifices made by Belarusians for national unity. “This evokes empathy in both children and adults. Especially since there are many family stories among western Belarusians who defended the BSSR and their homeland,” he said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that decisions on both proposals must be balanced, well-considered, and timely. According to the head of state, he has been reflecting on the matter recently, watching related segments on television, and acknowledges that a museum could potentially be established at the site of Bereza Kartuska. However, this would only happen if there is absolute certainty and a clear necessity for its creation. “We must not escalate the situation with this. That’s very important,” the president stressed.
In this regard, Chairman of the Board of the Belarusian Society Znanie Vadim Gigin joined the dialogue. He mentioned a deeply moving rally that recently took place at the site of the Bereza Kartuska concentration camp and expressed his belief that there is now a public demand for a museum there.
“Vadim [Gigin], maybe for now we should stop at that [holding commemorative events like rallies],” the president said. “I don’t even want to give any reason [to Belarus’ western neighbors to escalate the situation]. If we start heating things up like they do, we’ll only accelerate the process.”
The head of state believes that both initiatives require further reflection and comprehensive documentary evidence. “We need to think,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. Moreover, the history of the Polish ethnocide issue has not yet been thoroughly studied, and it’s possible that not all facts have been established. For example, in the case of Khatyn, it was later discovered that the number of villages burned down was far greater than those commemorated in the memorial complex itself.
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