70th anniversary of the Great Victory

MINSK, 30 July (BelTA) – Belarus cherishes and maintains peace and accord in the country, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Russia Igor Petrishenko said during the Moscow-Minsk live satellite link-up “Seventy yeas of peace: the lessons of war and the history of the common victory” on 30 July, BelTA has learned.

“We, Belarusians, value peace and accord in our home. We paid a lot for them. We cherish this legacy. Therefore, it is extremely important to fulfill the ideas we are sincerely discussing at various international platforms. It is unavoidable to buy peace with blood. This is how people in Belarus see the task to preserve the historical memory and prevent the attempts to rewrite history,” Igor Petrishenko said.

The Ambassador noted that a lot has been said about the need to preserve the common historical memory, first of all, about the Great Patriotic War and the Great Victory. “This is right and important. Today, like never before, there are many examples when historical events are deliberately distorted for political reasons. It is needed to keep an eye on the issue and not to stop public discussions,” the diplomat said.

Igor Petrishenko reminded about the atrocities which were committed by Nazi invaders in Belarus, and about the efforts of Belarus to protect the memory of the war victims and heroes. For example, a new building of the Great Patriotic War Museum has been built recently, the Trostenets memorial complex has been unveiled, military and patriotic events have been held at the Stalin Line, new films about those events have been produced. “Yes, we do not always have enough funds to erect grand monuments from marble or granite, but we regularly clean up memorable places. This is one of the best examples and lessons of historical memory. We do not rewrite history books. We just add verified facts,” the Ambassador said.

“All that has an everlasting meaning, especially today, when we have to protect the historical truth. We should not forget about it,” Igor Petrishenko said.