Participation of the State Archive of the Grodno Region in events dedicated to the Day of National Remembrance of the victims of the Great Patriotic War and the genocide of the Belarusian people
Today, June 22, on the Day of National Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and the genocide of the Belarusian people, at exactly 12.00, the staff of the archive gathered in the reading room to take part in the All-Belarusian action and honor with a minute of silence all those who, at the cost of their lives, contributed to the Great Victory, suffered from the actions of the Nazi invaders; remember the great feat and trials that Belarusians and other peoples of the Soviet Union had to go through during the war years.
On this one of the most tragic dates in the history of Belarus, the archive staff also laid flowers at the mass grave of the fallen Soviet soldiers and partisans in the park named after Zhiliber. The majestic ten-meter granite obelisk crowned with a gold star forms a single composition with a sculpture of a Soviet soldier with a battle banner in his hands. It is here that the Eternal Flame has been burning since 1984, and the memorial itself was solemnly opened on May 1, 1949. It is here at exactly 4 am on June 22 that requiem rallies and patriotic actions are held annually.
The terrible war lasted for almost 4 years, leaving its imprint in every home and heart. Grodno was one of the first to meet the onslaught of the Nazi invaders and, contrary to their plans, held it back for a long time. On the territory of Belarus during the Great Patriotic War, the Nazis created more than 260 death camps and places of mass extermination of people. During the war, Belarus lost every third inhabitant. But in general, the USSR paid for the Victory over Nazi Germany with the lives of more than 26 million people. Many died on the battlefields, in concentration camps, were wounded, shell-shocked, captured, ended up on the lists of missing persons, were driven away, and returned crippled. But we survived, we were able, we established the World! Their memory will live forever.
On this day, the archive staff, as well as students of the Grodno State University named after Yanka Kupala, were presented with an exhibition of documents «Not to be forgotten». The head of the sector for publication and archaeographic processing of documents, O.I.Shnek, spoke about the documents presented at the exhibition, about the damage caused by the Nazi invaders to the Grodno region, as well as the need to highlight documented facts of the history of the Great Patriotic War.
