Year of Historical Memory

PM: Topic of genocide of Belarusian people merits more attention in Year of Historical Memory

MINSK, 4 May (BelTA) -  In the Year of Historical Memory, we should shine more light on the topic of the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War, Belarus’ Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said during the memory lesson dedicated to the 77th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, which was held in  Minsk gymnasium No. 43, BelTA has learned.

"The word 'genocide' came into our vocabulary quite recently. We have launched the investigation into the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War. For many decades, we have not spoken about it or not in the the extent that we should have," said Roman Golovchenko. “In the Year of Historical Memory, we have every right to shine more light on the topic of the genocide of our people, especially given the fierce pressure unleashed on us by the states that were engaged in that genocide."

The participants of the memory lesson discussed the events of the war years, which tragically affected the lives of Soviet citizens, talked about the courage and heroism of the Belarusian people, its heroic heritage, the importance of historical memory.

According to the student of the gymnasium Aleksandra Shpakovskaya, the feat of the ancestors is invaluable. "Everyone should remember it. Alas, our generation does not know as much as those who fought on the battlefield. We must tell the next generations how hard it was for our ancestors to fight for a peaceful sky over their heads," she said.

"My great-grandfather Aleksandr Ionov began his combat career as the commander of a tank company near Vitebsk and finished it in the rank of major. I believe that the memory of him and many other people, living and dead, should not be lost,” added Alekdandr Ionov, a student of the gymnasium. “Today the media landscape is such that much is forgotten. There are many lies and unreliable information, facts are substituted with alleged facts. Such lessons refresh the memory of the younger generation of those events, tell about the horrors of the war and help us to carry on the memory of the greatest feat of our great-grandfathers, great-grandmothers and the entire Soviet people.”

Memory lessons are held in Belarusian schools in the run-up to Victory Day. Their mission is to cultivate an objective understanding among students of the contribution of the Belarusian people to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the heroic heritage as the most important part of historical memory, the genocide of the Belarusian people, and to educate a respectful attitude to the historical past.

print version

make home page

add to bookmarks