Opening of the photo documentary exhibition «Spring of Victory» in the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus
On May 8, 2025, the photo documentary exhibition «Spring of Victory» opened in the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus.
For Belarusians, May 9 is a special heroic date. More than 1,300,000 Belarusians fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, 374,000 partisans and over 70,000 underground fighters fought in the territory occupied by the enemy. In the Belarusian forests, 213 partisan brigades operated, which included about 1,000 detachments, and another 258 detachments operated independently. Hidden partisan reserves consisted of about 400,000 local residents. The nationwide Resistance movement that unfolded in Belarus has no analogues in world history in its scale and scope. On the territory of Belarus, partisans and underground fighters destroyed about 500,000 occupiers and their accomplices, derailed 11,128 trains and 34 armored trains, destroyed 948 enemy headquarters and garrisons, and destroyed 1,355 tanks and armored vehicles.
For their heroic deeds in the Great Patriotic War, 449 Belarusians and natives of Belarus were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 73 became full holders of the Order of Glory, and 4 Belarusians became twice Heroes of the Soviet Union (P.Ya.Golovachev, I.I.Gusakovsky, S.F.Shutov, I.I.Yakubovsky).
Belarus preserves the historical memory and truth about the Great Patriotic War. This narrative is also supported by memorial policy – the protection of burial sites, memorial complexes perpetuating the memory of war victims.
A balanced and thoughtful policy of the Republic of Belarus has made it possible to avoid «memory wars» that are typical for some states. Despite the discussions in historical science on various aspects of the history of World War II, in the minds of Belarusians this war remains the Great Patriotic War, and the memory of it is considered the most important means of patriotic and ideological education of the younger generation.
The funds of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus have preserved a huge array of documents related to the participation of Belarusians in the Great Patriotic War: reports on the combat activities of partisan detachments and information about their personnel, the history of partisan detachments and brigades, diaries of partisan brigade commanders, personal files of Heroes of the Soviet Union, lists of underground participants, award sheets. These and many other documents are presented at the exhibition «Spring of Victory».
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| 1. At the opening of the documentary exhibition «Spring of Victory» |
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| 2. Head of Department M.A.Starostenko introduces archival documents presented at the exhibition |
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| 3. Young archivists get acquainted with documents at the exhibition |
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| 4. Young archivists get acquainted with documents at the exhibition |
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| 5. Documents of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus at the exhibition |
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| 6. Documents of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus at the exhibition |
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| 7. Documents of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus at the exhibition |
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| 8. At the opening of the exhibition in the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus |
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| 9. At the opening of the exhibition in the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus |