MINSK, 27 June (BelTA) – The 1944 Belorussian Strategic Offensive Operation codenamed Operation Bagration delivered a fatal blow on Nazism, Director of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) Vyacheslav Danilovich told reporters. He is taking part in the international academic conference “Operation Bagration” timed to the 75th anniversary of Belarus' liberation from Nazi invaders, BelTA has learned.
“Operation Bagration dealt a severe blow to Germany's Nazism. This is the biggest operation in terms of scale. It involved not only four fronts, but also a great number of partisan formations who were actively involved in the preparation for this operation by derailing enemy trains. After that, partisans helped liberate numerous towns and villages in the territory of Belarus. It was here where 800,000 Wehrmacht soldiers and officers were killed or taken prisoner. This was a huge contribution to the Victory and the further liberation of Poland. It also put Soviet forces within striking distance of Berlin. It was in Belarus where the foundation of the future Victory in the Great Patriotic War was laid,” Vyacheslav Danilovich said.
The two-day international academic conference “Operation Bagration” is taking place in the National Academy of Sciences.
Taking part in are around 500 leading scholars, historians, and archivists from Belarus, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Germany, and Lithuania. The event is also attended by representatives of security agencies, students and cadets of higher civil and military educational institutions, public figures.
Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences Vladimir Gusakov underlined that great efforts are invested in disseminating the truth about the Great Patriotic War. “Thousands of monuments and memorial complexes were unveiled in the former battlefields and mass graves of fallen soldiers and partisans. These monuments are taken good care of. We are working to restore the names of those who were buried in unnamed graves,” Vladimir Gusakov said. Thousands of books are published, numerous events are held to preserve the memory of the Belarusian people of the Great Patriotic War, he added.
In his words, today's forum is one of such events. “In the current geopolitical situation, amidst attempts to falsify and distort the history of the Second World War, it is vitally important for our state to preserve every fact and detail, everything that embodied the spiritual strength of Belarusian people during the war. Celebrating this glorious day and paying tribute to the historical memory of the nation, we will always be grateful to those who defended and rebuilt our Fatherland. Their military and labor deeds inspire us to build a strong and prosperous Belarus, a state for people. Everything we have build, are building and will build serves this purpose,” Vladimir Gusakov said.
Participants of the conference will discuss modern approaches to covering the history of the Great Patriotic War, the Nazi occupation policy, the partisan and underground movements aimed at liberating Belarus, the Soviet military art during the country's liberation (1943-1944), and first steps to restore the economy of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic after the war. The conference features unique archive materials, literature, and military equipment. The archives of the Red Army newspaper of the Yakub Kolas Central Scientific Library of the NASB will be presented by Director of the ENOS Publishing House Claus-Dieter Zentgraf.
The conference has been organized by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the NASB Institute of History, the Belarusian Defense Ministry, the Department of Archives and Office Work of the Belarusian Justice Ministry, and the National Archives of Belarus.
