75 years since the Minsk Ghetto was destroyed

The Belarusian capital lit candles in memory of the Holocaust victims from all over the continent...  The Minsk Ghetto was wiped out 75 years ago, on 21 October 1943. It was one of Europe’s largest ghettos in the number of prisoners. It was set up by the Nazis in July 1941. More than 100,000 Jews were held there in inhumane conditions subjected to atrocities that words cannot convey. Only a few survived.

The Days of Remembrance to mark the 75th anniversary of the destruction of the Minsk Ghetto were held in the capital of Belarus from 15 to 23 October. The program included screenings of the Minsk Ghetto Chronicles and other thematic documentaries in the Tsentralny cinema house, Meer Axelrod’s exhibition from the unique series “German Occupation” in the National Art Museum. The museum also hosted meetings of school and university students with former prisoners – witnesses of the tragic events, their families and friends.

The central event of the week was a rally that took place in the memorial complex Pit on 22 October to commemorate the Holocaust victims. The Pit memorial was unveiled in Minsk in 1946 to commemorate the Jews from the Minsk Ghetto who were massacred by the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War. Taking part in the rally were diplomats, foreign delegations from Israel, USA, European countries, representatives of major Jewish international organizations, public associations, and former ghetto prisoners.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko sent an address to Belarusians and foreign delegations who took part in the commemorative events. Henoted that 75 years after people still feel the agonizing pain inflicted by this tragedy. The president thanked residents of Belarus who risking their lives rescued the ghetto prisoners and who were later awarded the title “Righteous Among The Nations”.

Belarus Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei called on descendants not to forget the tragedy of the Minsk Ghetto. During the years of war over 260 death camps and mass extermination sites were created in the Belarusian land, including over 70 Jewish ghettos, he said.