FEMALE FACE OF VICTORY
On May 8, 2024, on the eve of Victory Day, a documentary exhibition «The Female Face of Victory» dedicated to this memorable date was opened in the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus.
Tens of thousands of Belarusian mothers and wives stood in line with the men and fought the German invaders on an equal basis with them. Heroic underground women, courageous partisans, brave women warriors of the Red Army, valiant home front workers fought and worked for the great Victory. Hero of the Soviet Union underground worker Vera Khoruzhaya, Alexandra Stepanova – the first of the Belarusian partisans to be awarded the medal «Partisan of the Patriotic War», Maria Osipova, Elena Mazanik and thousands of other Belarusian women, together and each individually, brought the Victory closer. Women mastered a variety of military professions: nurses, pilots, sappers, intelligence officers, snipers. Undoubtedly, our soldiers, our valiant men won the Victory, but women’s contribution to this great achievement of the people cannot be denied. On the front line, in the «partisan» and in the rear, radio operators and nurses, mothers and very young girls – each contributed what she could to the Victory.
The uniqueness of this exhibition project is that in addition to archival documents from the funds, documents from the family archives of employees of the National Archives, whose relatives and friends took part in the Great Patriotic War, are presented. Each individually and all together they brought Victory closer and won.
The authentic range of objects presented in the exhibition (awards, photo albums, certificates, personal belongings) made it possible to touch upon the emotional side of the archivist’s profession and to feel the atmosphere of bygone times of the heroic era. Each family honors the memory of its ancestors and carefully preserves the awards of its heroes. Archivists, by their own example, strive to convey to descendants a sense of pride in their ancestors, they strive to ensure that the Memory of the heroic deed of the people does not fade away in the minds and hearts of Belarusians.
Amazing destinies, very different, dissimilar. These women have one thing in common – selfless love for their Motherland and service to it…
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| 1. Head of the department M.A.Starostenko introduces the exhibition to archive workers |
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| 2. Introduction to the exhibition of archival documents of archive workers |
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| 3. Deputy Director E.A.Stukanova introduces documents from the personal family archive |
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| 4. At the opening of the exhibition |
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| 5. Documents from the family archives of archivists |
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| 6. Documents from the family funds of V.Yu. Monzul |
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| 7. Documents of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus |