A requiem rally on the Day of National Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and the Genocide of the Belarusian People gathered hundreds of people in Vitebsk
June 22, 1941, is one of the most tragic dates in the history of our country. On this day, the largest and most brutal battle in human history began. It was on Belarusian soil, in fierce battles near the walls of the Brest Fortress, near Vitebsk, Orsha, and Mogilev, that the enemy first felt the strength of the Red Army at the initial stage of hostilities. Subsequently, our fathers and grandfathers mercilessly crushed the enemy near Moscow and Stalingrad, on the Kursk Bulge, during the liberation of Belarus and Eastern European countries. Soviet soldiers, partisans, underground fighters, and home front workers covered themselves with immortal glory for centuries. Victory was achieved at a great price: every third resident of Belarus perished.
Vitebsk residents joined the All-Belarusian Minute of Silence and took part in a mourning rally with the laying of wreaths at the memorial complex on Uspenskaya Gorka, where 16 Soviet soldiers who died in the Great Patriotic War are buried. The leadership of the region and the city, veterans, youth, representatives of public organizations, labor collectives, and clergy gathered there.
— 82 years separate us from those terrible events. By the beginning of September 1941, the Vitebsk region was completely occupied by the invaders. Despite their inhumane terror and mass killings, the local population did not surrender to the enemy and did not lose faith in Victory, — said the first deputy chairman of the regional executive committee Anatoly Linevich. — Vitebsk region raised 127 Heroes of the Soviet Union. Their feats serve as an example for future generations. For example, Major General Lev Dovator, a native of the Beshenkovichi district, distinguished himself in battles near Moscow: in the autumn of 1941, he skillfully commanded cavalry units during raids in the rear of the aggressor. More than 2.5 thousand servicemen, 9 tanks, 200 vehicles, and several enemy headquarters were destroyed.
The war claimed millions of lives, crippled millions of destinies, and devastated the land.
— Today we remember everyone who sacrificed themselves to fulfill their duty to defend the Fatherland. As well as those who died and were tortured in fascist dungeons, died of hunger and hardship, — emphasized Anatoly Linevich. — In the Year of Peace and Creation, we declare to the whole world our readiness to repel anyone who attempts to encroach on our independence. The memory of the genocide knocks at the heart of every Belarusian. Therefore, we sacredly honor the feats of heroes, the victory of the Soviet people who stopped the spread of the brown plague.