A citywide memorial rally dedicated to the Day of National Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and the Genocide of the Belarusian People was held at the Gate of Memory monument in the Trostenets memorial complex, BelTA has learned.
On this day, about 3,000 people gathered at the monument to honor the memory of innocent victims. Among the first to lay flowers were Chairperson of the Council of the Republic Natalya Kochanova, Minsk Mayor Vladimir Kukharev, Chairman of the Minsk City Council of Deputies Artem Tsuran, Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Kubrakov, and Chairman of the Minsk City Veterans’ Organization Yuri Lutsyk.
Attending the rally were representatives of various enterprises, organizations, and public associations of Minsk and also young people. “Our children must know and remember those events. We must not allow such moments to be repeated in our history. This is why this day is especially important for the younger generation, which did not experience the horrors of war and lives in a beautiful and prosperous Belarus,” Yuri Lutsyk said, adding that the veterans’ organization actively engages with young people, passing on knowledge and memory of the wartime events.
Among the young participants was Ilya Zhuromsky, a member of the military-patriotic club Granit. He noted that being part of such a large-scale event was a great source of pride for him. At the same time, being in a place where so many people perished evoked deep sorrow. “But no one is forgotten, and nothing is forgotten. We will preserve this memory for future generations,” Ilya Zhuromsky added.
Marina Ilyina, Chairperson of the Education Committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee, emphasized that Belarus stands against those who seek to destroy our memory. “Today is not called the Day of National Remembrance by chance. Every Belarusian understands that we must remember and pass this on from generation to generation. In educational institutions, even during the holidays, we always commemorate this day remembering those who perished and the price Belarusians paid for a peaceful sky. I am convinced that if we all remember, no hardship will be too great for us. We will truly pass this memory on,” she said.
Marina Ilyina added that today’s children have practically not met witnesses of those events. “It is important that our generation passes on our memories and experiences to the children – the heroes we met in person and stories we heard from veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Those stories were full of emotion and love for the Motherland, for the victory that they won,” she noted.
Natalya Voronova, Chairperson of the Minsk City Organization of the Belaya Rus public association, a member of the Minsk City Council, noted that this day is filled with pain. “85 years ago, an attack on our country, on the Soviet Union, came without warning. The number of those who perished is truly unfathomable. When I reflect on it all, I realize how many unfulfilled lives and unborn children the war claimed. There is never too much remembrance. Our generation must undoubtedly focus on preserving historical truth, on the losses suffered by both our country and the entire Soviet Union, and on the heroic feat accomplished by Belarusians. Engaging with young people, knowing and preserving history, interacting with veterans, of whom so few remain, tending to military graves, and understanding one’s own family history through the lens of the nation’s history - this is how the generation of the descendants of those who brought victory must grow. A victory that we honor and remember, no matter how many years have passed,” she said.
On 22 June, Belarus observes the Day of National Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and the Genocide of the Belarusian People. On this day, the country remembers those who, at the cost of their lives, fulfilled their duty to defend the Motherland, all those who perished at the hands of the Nazis and those who died in the rear from hunger and deprivation.
