The Krichev Zonal State Archives held events as part of the national «Archives for School» and «Young Archivist» campaigns

On the eve of the 83rd anniversary of the Khatyn tragedy, Victoria Kondratenko, lead archivist at the Krichev Zonal State Archives, held a historical informational hour, «The Bells of Khatyn Ring», on February 20, 2026.

Students from Class 8B of Secondary School No.1 in Krichev gathered to remember the horrific events of March 1943, when the Nazis burned alive all the inhabitants of the Belarusian village of Khatyn. The students learned about the fate of the village of Antonovka in the Krichev District, which shared the tragic fate of Khatyn.

The event featured a slide presentation and videos, «Khatyn Museum», «Khatyn Village», and «Death Conveyor Belt», which vividly illustrated the scale of the tragedy. The children were also treated to a poster exhibition, «Memory and Pain».

At the end of the meeting, participants observed a moment of silence in memory of the innocent victims of Khatyn.

Pictured: A leading archivist at the Krichev Regional State Archives during the historical informational hour, «The Bells of Khatyn Ring».