MINSK, 8 May (BelTA) - A nationwide Victory Day lesson has been held in Belarusian schools, BelTA has learned.
The lesson aims to expand students’ knowledge of the heroic deeds of the Belarusian people and Belarusian women during the Great Patriotic War, to foster civic engagement and patriotism, to instill pride in the heroic past of the Motherland, to cultivate a readiness to serve the nation’s people, to promote students’ understanding of the value of peace on Earth, and to underscore the need to preserve historical memory.
Irina Levkovets, Director of Gymnasium No. 61 in Minsk, noted that the school has its own traditions for observing the lesson. “Last year, we held an initiative where each class prepared stories about their families who suffered during the Great Patriotic War. Everyone participated, including parents, grandparents. They unearthed documents, and afterward, they came back and thanked us because they had learned so much new about their older relatives. One family even found the grave where their grandfather, who fought and defended Belarus, is buried. This year, the Year of the Belarusian Woman, we created a gallery of fame with portraits of women who took part in the war. Students brought photographs of their great-grandmothers and great-great-grandmothers. It turned out to be very inspiring. Then the older students shared their stories with the younger ones. We also made dioramas of important historical events, such as the Battle of Moscow and the Battle of Stalingrad. Last year, there were ten such dioramas; this year, eight. They were made by students from the engineering class,” she said.
According to Irina Levkovets, the study of history, especially military history, must be approached through the family. “Every third Belarusian, every family in our country suffered. If children remember and learn history through their own families, they will truly feel it. Today was not just another lesson on the schedule; it was a heartfelt conversation, a reminder of the price of a peaceful sky overhead. We spoke about heroism, about resilience, about how fragile peace is and how important it is to preserve historical truth. The students read wartime poetry, listened to front-line songs, and watched documentary footage. Tears in our eyes and pride in our hearts -those were the main emotions of the day,” the director said.
Vera Fashchevskaya, a fifth-grade student, said she learned many new things during the lesson. “Today we talked a great deal about how our people brought the great Victory Day closer. It was a revelation to me that not only men fought at the front, but women as well. I learned that during the Great Patriotic War, there was the 46th Aviation Regiment, where the pilots were women. Our own fellow countrywomen were among them,” the girl said.
Teachers in schools across the country explained to children from grades 1 through 11 why the Great Victory is sacred, why the truth about the Great Patriotic War is a shield, and why preserving an objective memory of the Great Victory is both an honor and a responsibility. In the Year of the Belarusian Woman, special emphasis was placed on the contribution of Belarusian women to the Great Victory.
Photos by Gymnasium No.61
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