Opinions & Interviews

Call to take effective measures to preserve memory of Great Patriotic War in Belarus

MINSK, 9 May (BelTA) – We must keep the memory of the Victory and we must teach our children, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said when asked what needs to be done to preserve the memory of the Great Patriotic War, BelTA has learned.

“To keep the memory alive, we must not forget and we must teach our  children. Where possible, we must show our kids, even the smallest ones, that it is our victory. It is not just the achievement of those who made the victory possible. It is our heritage. We are the heirs of those who did this,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The head of state noted that the theme of preserving the memory of the Great Victory is not a new one, especially for politicians. “Naturally, every year it will be harder to do because time is inexorable. Human memory does not remember everything. We need to think about how to keep the main thing that makes us human, that looks into the future. Victory Day is, of course, one of our symbols,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.

The president underlined the need to take action at the state level, to pass knowledge, experience and memory of the events of the Great Patriotic War from the older generation over to the youth. “The majority of our young people are committed and reliable people,” the head of state said. According to him, during his meetings with young people he often thinks whether they are able to keep the memory of those events. “They are. I am absolutely convinced of this,” president said. Numerous campaigns that take place in Belarus with the participation and at the initiative of young people, in particular Belarus Remembers! which was launched in our country and gained popularity in other states, under different names, add confidence to this. “These campaigns help preserve the memory of those events,” Aleksandr  Lukashenko added.
 
The Belarusian leader stated with regret that war veterans are fewer every year. "Those who restored our country after the war, the children of war were neglected a bit. We should not forget about them. They are still alive. They were the witnesses of that war,” the president said.
 
Aleksandr Lukashenko believes that it is important to involve more actively the young generation in keeping war memorials and military grave sites in order. “Campaigns alone cannot do everything. We ourselves need to do something every day, show it to our children and, what is more important, involve them, too,” the head of state said.
 
“There are, however, some who, at the suggestion of adults, believe that that was not our victory, that we were the aggressors, and so on. This is bad,” the president said. The Belarusian leader stressed that it is necessary to take effective measures to preserve the memory of the Great Patriotic War in the country.

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