MINSK, 22 June (BelTA) – On 22 June Belarus marks the National Remembrance Day of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and the Genocide of the Belarusian People. On this day, the country remembers those who sacrificed their lives to defend the Motherland, those who were murdered, tortured in fascist captivity, who died in the rear from hunger and disease.
Belarus has done a lot to perpetuate the memory of the fallen. This work continues. A decree “On perpetuating the memory of those who died defending the Fatherland and preserving the memory of the victims of wars” was signed in 2016. In February 2021, a government resolution adopted the state program “Perpetuating the memory of those who died defending the Fatherland” for 2021-2025.
The main forms of immortalization of those, who died during wars, are state record-keeping, beautification, and maintenance of military graves, graves of war victims, the submission of data to the automated databank Book of Memory of the Republic of Belarus, the creation of museums and memorial complexes, the establishment of monuments and commemorative signs dedicated to the most important events of the Great Patriotic War, the naming of geographical objects and organizations after those who died in defense of the Fatherland.
The National Remembrance Day of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and the Genocide of the Belarusian People is observed all over the country.
Minsk
A flower-laying ceremony at the Victory Monument is taking place in the Belarusian capital. A new cultural and patriotic campaign Memory Calendar started in Minsk.
Brest Oblast
Brest has prepared a diverse program to mark the National Remembrance Day of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and the Genocide of the Belarusian People. The Brest Fortress hosted a requiem concert of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Belarus under the baton of Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Aleksandr Anisimov, and a ceremony to lay flowers at the Eternal Flame and the slabs of the necropolis.
About 300 members of historical reenactment societies from Belarus and abroad reenacted the most tragic episodes of the Brest Fortress defense.
A presentation of the book “Partisan movement during the years of the Great Patriotic War” and the roundtable session “Great Patriotic War: Preservation of historical memory” will take place in the memorial complex Brest Hero Fortress. The exhibition Memory of Generations will be presented at the 10th Belarusian-Russian Youth Forum. It is dedicated to memory about events of World War One and World War Two. The exhibition gathered results of the work of search clubs, in particular, various artifacts: awards, weapons, and photos.
Mogilev Oblast
The traditional event Bell of Mourning was held at the memorial complex Buinichi Field in Mogilev. It brought together representatives of government agencies, labor collectives, activists of the BRSM Youth Union, school and university students, local residents.
Gomel Oblast
A regional youth patriotic campaign No One is Forgotten, Nothing is Forgotten! gathered dozens of Gomel residents of different generations at the memorial to the heroes of the war. The participants of the campaign lit lamps, laid flowers and wreaths at the monument to pay tribute to the liberators in combat uniform and ordinary citizens. Snow-white doves as a symbol of peace were released into the sky at dawn.
Photos by Oleg Foinitsky, Vadim Yakubyonok, Sergei Sheleg, Leonid Shcheglov
