Presentation of the popular science edition «Archives. Nothing but the truth»
On July 6, 2023, the National Library of Belarus hosted a presentation of the popular science publication «Archives. Nothing but the truth».
The book was published by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus jointly with the Belarusian Telegraph Agency.
The concept of the publication was developed by the Department of Archives and Records Management, the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus and the Belarusian Telegraph Agency in the spring of 2022. According to the concept, it was decided to show the essence of the crimes of the Nazis in the occupied territory of Belarus in a popular science form in the form of a series of articles.
Starting from the summer of last year, articles began to be published in the Belarusian Dumka magazine, the 7 Days publication, as well as during the summer of the Belarusian Telegraph Agency in a special section. A total of 16 articles were published.
In the final version in the publication «Archives. Nothing but the Truth» includes newly discovered archival materials testifying to the crimes of the Nazis and their accomplices against the civilian population in the occupied territory of the BSSR during the Great Patriotic War. The published documents are of great value for patriotic education and the formation of civil society.
The words of the President of the Republic of Belarus A.G. Lukashenko served as a kind of epigraph to the publication:
«The memory of the feat of the generation of victors through time acts as a great unifying force, serves as a life guide for us, who did not know the horrors of war and the hardships of post-war reconstruction … We know that the alarm of truth will break through the wall of silence and lies. The crimes of the Nazis on Belarusian soil will be given a proper legal assessment, and the results of the investigation will be presented to the world community. Belarus remembers all the heroes and innocent victims of that war. She also remembers the names of those who collaborated with war criminals and participated in massacres against the population.
The presentation was organized by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus and the Belarusian Telegraph Agency.
The event was attended by heads of government bodies, heads of political parties, public organizations and the media.
The Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus S.N.Khomenko addressed the participants of the presentation. In the speech of the Minister of Justice, the importance of archival documents will be noted, which are the evidentiary foundation of the criminal case on the fact of the genocide of the Belarusian people, initiated by the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Belarus in April 2021. It was also emphasized that in the Republic of Belarus the study of the history of the Great Patriotic War is taking place in a constructive way without «rewriting» the historical truth.
The first copies of the collection «Archives. Nothing but the Truth» were handed over by the Minister of Justice to the National Library of Belarus.
The heads of ministries, political parties and public associations were given certificates to receive the publication.
During the presentation, the participants were shown a documentary film prepared by the Belarusian State Archive of Film and Photo Documents, which provides evidence of Nazi crimes in Belarus during the years of occupation.
General Director of the Belarusian Telegraph Agency I.B.Akulovich, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Education, Science and Culture of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus I.A.Marzalyuk, Director of the Institute of History of the National Academy of the Republic of Belarus V.L.Lakiza addressed the audience.
Head of the Department of Publications of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus S.V.Kulinok told the participants of the event about the history of the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Nazi occupation of Belarus.
