MINSK, 30 January (BelTA) - The temporary exhibition “Verdict of History” timed to the 80th anniversary of the Minsk Trial has opened at the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, BelTA has learned.
The exhibition features materials from the holdings of the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War. These materials expose the crimes committed by the Nazis on the territory of Belarus during the occupation, detail the work of members of the Minsk Regional Commission of the USSR Extraordinary State Commission to establish and investigate these crimes, present various details of the judicial process, and provide testimonies from participants in the trial.
Among the documents are official acts, protocols of the Extraordinary State Commission, witness testimonies, and partisan printed and handwritten publications and newspapers that meticulously documented the tribunal's proceedings. Additionally, the exhibition screens the documentary film “The People's Trial” produced by the Sovietskaya Belarus studio (Belarusfilm) which captures the essence and details of the Minsk Trial.
According to the museum's Deputy Director for Research, Rimma Rum, this exhibition is part of a series of events dedicated to war crimes trials. The museum ran the first exhibition in December of last year, focusing on the Nuremberg Trial.
The exhibition features materials from the holdings of the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War. These materials expose the crimes committed by the Nazis on the territory of Belarus during the occupation, detail the work of members of the Minsk Regional Commission of the USSR Extraordinary State Commission to establish and investigate these crimes, present various details of the judicial process, and provide testimonies from participants in the trial.
Among the documents are official acts, protocols of the Extraordinary State Commission, witness testimonies, and partisan printed and handwritten publications and newspapers that meticulously documented the tribunal's proceedings. Additionally, the exhibition screens the documentary film “The People's Trial” produced by the Sovietskaya Belarus studio (Belarusfilm) which captures the essence and details of the Minsk Trial.
According to the museum's Deputy Director for Research, Rimma Rum, this exhibition is part of a series of events dedicated to war crimes trials. The museum ran the first exhibition in December of last year, focusing on the Nuremberg Trial.
“The Minsk Trial serves as a reminder that any crime committed against humanity will not go unpunished. It also reminds us of the atrocities committed by the Nazis on the territory of Belarus, the genocide of the Belarusian people, the crimes against Soviet prisoners of war, and that good triumphs over evil, and justice and truth will always prevail,” Rimma Rum noted.
Director of the Belarusian State Archives of Films, Photographs and Sound Recordings Andrei Gonchar emphasized that the exhibition commemorates the sacrifice made by the Belarusian people during the terrible years of the Great Patriotic War. “I recommend that everyone watch the film that documented the trial. One can talk a lot, read documents, but when you watch the footage where the camera captured the testimonies of witnesses and the impassive faces of the criminals who show no remorse for their crimes… It can be very difficult to watch at times,” he added.
He noted that the Archives hold a vast collection of materials dedicated to the history of Belarus during the Great Patriotic War, including materials related to the trials. Among them are about 150 photographic documents reflecting the trial itself, the faces of the participants, witnesses, judges, and the criminals.
Furthermore, the General Prosecutor's Office of Belarus continues to investigate the criminal case regarding the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War. The documents that bear witness to those horrific atrocities are now held in archives and at the Prosecutor's Office.
According to Maksim Dubrov, a researcher with the Scientific and Exposition Department of the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, the exhibition features a considerable number of rare books, including the transcript of the trial itself.
“Everyone who can visit the exhibition will learn how the trial of the criminals who committed these atrocities on our land proceeded. An interesting detail is the very conduct of the trial. During the trials, Nazi criminals had defense attorneys from among Soviet lawyers. Specifically, members of the Moscow City Bar Association took part: eight lawyers defended 17 accused individuals at the Minsk Trial. Of course, they openly acknowledged that their task was not in any way to justify the Nazi criminals. Instead, they had to fulfill their professional duty as defense attorneys for the accused, so that the court could deliver a full and fair verdict,” Maksim Dubrov explained.
The exhibition will be running until 2 March.
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