News & Events in Belarus

Call to keep Mound of Glory’s original look intact during reconstruction

MINSK, 6 August (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko urged a careful approach to the reconstruction of the Mound of Glory Memorial in order to keep its original look intact, BelTA has learned.

The head of state first got familiar with the reconstruction of the upper platform of the memorial. Minsk Oblast Governor Aleksandr Turchin reported to the president on the stages of financing of construction and installation works and plans for their completion.

“It is not even about money. We must not spoil the original look,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. “There is absolutely no need for frills here.”

For example, one of the discussed solutions was to install handrails along the stairs that lead to the top of the mound. On the one hand, their presence would make it safer to climb to the top. On the other hand, this may alter the original look of the architecture. The issue will be thoroughly looked into.

Talking to the media, Aleksandr Turchin said that the Mound of Glory is one of the most important symbols of Belarus. The philosophy of the monument delivers the heroic feat of our ancestors, who defeated the enemy and liberated the country.

“This complex should attract more visitors in order for them to remember the past," the Minsk Oblast governor said.

In 2023, the memorial complex was visited by about 105,000 people. In order to increase the tourist flow, the Minsk Oblast authorities made a decision on the reconstruction of the Mound of Glory. Plans are also in place to open a museum of the history of the Armed Forces of Belarus there. The Khatyn memorial complex can be cited as an example here. After its reconstruction and the opening of the museum there, the visitors numbers more than doubled to exceed 500,000 people a year.

“We set a goal to double the visitor numbers to the Mound of Glory at the bare minimum,” Aleksandr Turchin said.

Another proposal is to expand the exposition of military hardware from the Great Patriotic War. “This is one of the “magnets” that will draw tourists to the Mound of Glory,” the governor said.

Since 2023 the memorial complex has been undergoing another stage of reconstruction. Construction and installation works have been carried out on the central staircase and the place for laying flowers, a fountain, water storage tanks, automatic irrigation, engineering networks, parking, administration building and underground toilets, and outdoor lighting networks. Multimedia screens have been installed in the park and the exposition of military hardware has been expanded.

The reconstruction of the staircase to the Mound of Glory is scheduled for the second half of 2024.

The Mound of Glory was laid on 30 September 1966 by representatives of the hero cities of Moscow, Leningrad, Volgograd, Sevastopol, Odessa, Kiev, Brest Hero Fortress, military units, workers and students of Minsk and Minsk Oblast. The monumental sculptural composition was built to commemorate the victorious completion of the operation Bagration, which led to the defeat of the Nazi Army Group Center.

The Mound of Glory is surrounded by a memorial park. The monument is included in the list of material objects that have been given the status and category of historical and cultural values of Belarus.

According to Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FTUB) Yuri Senko, in 2003 the head of state supported the initiative of the FTUB to take patronage over the Mound of Glory. The first large-scale reconstruction of the memorial was carried out that year.

The funds for the first stage of its reconstruction was allocated from the presidential reserve fund, with the Federation of Trade Unions paying part of the costs. The FTUB also did a lot of work to organize fund-raising events.

The reconstruction effort resulted in large-scale repair works and the launch of an open-air museum of military hardware.

The next large-scale reconstruction stage of the Mound of Glory Memorial was carried out by the Federation of Trade Unions in 2015. The effort resulted in the restoration of lost fragments and monumental mosaics, repair of structural elements, including all steps, complete replacement of the grass covering of the hill, and the installation of new decorative lighting. In 2016, a solar photovoltaic station was installed on the site to ensure uninterrupted lighting of the Mound of Glory.

“The Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus organizes regular clean-up days to maintain order. Today the head of state instructed to continue our active participation in this issue with the support of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee. We will continue joint work to maintain this monument in good condition,” Yuri Senko said.

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