28 April 2026, 17:19

Belarus transfers Brest Fortress relic, WWII books to Tatarstan

KAZAN, 28 April (BelTA) – A ceremony was held at Kazan Expo just before the start of the Every Third commemorative concert, during which a brick from the Brest Hero Fortress, a relic from the site of fierce battles in the Eastern Fort, was transferred to the National Museum and the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan, along with publications on the Great Patriotic War, BelTA has learned.

Vladimir Pertsov, First Deputy Head of the Belarus President Administration, noted that until recently, it was believed that every fourth resident of Belarus died in the Great Patriotic War. But the work of the General Prosecutor’s Office over recent years has revealed horrific evidence of executions and mass burials, showing that in fact, every third person perished.

“To preserve this memory, we publish books. The internet is not eternal: some things get cached, some disappear forever. But a book will always remain on a shelf. Children can take our book and read about the historical truth that we are preserving by holding the Every Third commemorative concert across the regions of Belarus and now the Russian Federation,” Vladimir Pertsov said.

He noted that the efforts to preserve historical memory undertaken in Tatarstan resonate with those in Belarus. And this is exactly how children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of the heroes who brought us victory should act, Vladimir Pertsov emphasized.

“It is difficult to reach young people through mentor-like lectures. Even textbooks hardly engage them, as we now live in an age of gadgets, entertainment, and video clips,” Vladimir Pertsov added. “Based on the experience of holding the event in other cities, after the performance, young people indeed come away with a changed perspective. They become deeply moved, internalizing the tragedy and the emotions the authors and actors intended to convey, and they begin to view those events differently. Such young people will never give falsifiers even a chance to plant a different ‘historical truth’ in their hearts, souls, and minds. That is the main purpose of the Every Third commemorative concert.”

Leyla Fazleeva, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan, thanked the leadership of Belarus and the team that worked on this large-scale project. “This was the bloodiest of wars, a conflict that still reverberates with grief and remembrance in every heart. May 9 marks the great Victory Day. The requiem concert is dedicated to those veterans who have left us and to those who are still among us. For it is because of them that our nations’ anthems ring out proudly, and that peace has found its way to our doorsteps,” Leila Fazleeva concluded.