On the Victory Day event held at the State Archives of the Gomel Region as part of the «Archives for School» campaign

On May 6, 2026, a meeting was held in the reading room of the State Archives of the Gomel Region between archivists and third-year students of the History Department of the Francysk Skaryna Gomel State University. The meeting was dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the Soviet people’s Great Victory over the Nazi invaders.

The topic of discussion was the invaluable labor and heroic contribution of women to the Great Victory. Senior researcher Maya Vashchenko presented the students with a document exhibition, «The Female Face of Victory», located in the archive’s reading room. The exhibition is dedicated to the women of Gomel and the Gomel Region, who selflessly fought the enemy and, with their unparalleled courage, have become a hallmark of Belarusian history.

Among them were partisan Rimma Sherstneva, who shielded an enemy pillbox with her body; Galina Dokutovich and Hero of the Soviet Union Polina Gelman, navigators of aviation regiments; tanker Alexandra Samusenko; «Honorary Railwayman» and «Hero of Socialist Labor» Elena Chukhnyuk; and many others. The students eagerly studied documents related to the combat biography of the legendary partisan and Komsomol youth sabotage detachment commander Varvara Vyrvich.

At the end of the event, the students were shown the BGAKFFD documentary «Hero Fortress» about the heroic defense of the Brest Fortress.

Pictured: During the event