About 3,000 people took part in the celebrations marking the reopening of the "Breakthrough" memorial complex after reconstruction.
About 3,000 people took part in the celebrations dedicated to the opening of the "Proryv" memorial complex after reconstruction in the Ushachi district.
A rally-requiem "Memory is Stronger Than Time" was held at the memorial, dedicated to the 71st anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War and the 72nd anniversary of the breakthrough of the enemy blockade in the territory of the Ushachi district. The Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev, took part in the celebrations and noted the special significance of today's events.
"There are events for which you prepare in a special way, they carry a great positive charge. The opening of the 'Proryv' memorial complex after the restoration work carried out is one of them. The memorial, dedicated to the courage and resilience of Belarusian partisans during the Great Patriotic War, is inextricably linked with the heroic and glorious history of our region. It is one of the most significant works of monumental art in the country and is included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Values of our republic," said the governor. He noted that Belarusians, through the prism of time, have the greatest respect for the courage of the older generations.
"I am sure that the memorial was, is, and will be a landmark of our country, a kind of bell of memory about the heroic feat of the generation of victors, a unique school for the education of young citizens of Belarus," emphasized the head of the region. He assured those present that the authorities would constantly pay attention to perpetuating the memory of the soldiers of the Great Victory, and cited several figures: there are 1,243 military burial sites in the region, where the remains of more than 390,000 people rest, of whom 206,000 are unknown.
Nikolai Sherstnev warmly congratulated the veterans and thanked the soldiers of Victory for their feat. "Thanks to you, generations of free people have grown up who can live, work, and dream. We are all infinitely indebted to you, we are proud of the greatness of your destinies. Thank you for being able to endure the difficult years of trials. We bow low for your many years of work," concluded the head of the region.
Before the rally at "Proryv," guests of the district visited excursions at the Museum of People's Glory named afterHero of the Soviet Union V.E. Lobanka in Ushachi.
The decision to reconstruct and restore the "Breakthrough" memorial was made in 2015. This issue is under the personal control of the regional leadership. The Scientific and Methodological Council of the Ministry of Culture approved one of the authors of the memorial complex, the famous Belarusian architect Yuri Gradov, as the scientific supervisor of the restoration work at the site, who, concurrently with the restoration work, could carry out author's supervision of the memorial and also participated in the celebrations at "Breakthrough" today.
The "Breakthrough" memorial complex, which is a symbol of the courage and resilience of partisans during the Great Patriotic War, is considered one of the most significant creations of monumental art in Belarus. It was opened in June 1974 - at the site of the breakthrough of the enemy blockade on May 5, 1944, by partisans of the Polotsk-Lepel zone, 7 km from Ushachi. Here, 16 partisan brigades led by the future Hero of the Soviet Union Vladimir Lobanok broke out of the encirclement and fought with punitive detachments until the arrival of the Red Army units. Together with the partisans, more than 15,000 civilians were also able to break free.
Alena Tikhonova - BELTA.
A rally-requiem "Memory is Stronger Than Time" was held at the memorial, dedicated to the 71st anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War and the 72nd anniversary of the breakthrough of the enemy blockade in the territory of the Ushachi district. The Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev, took part in the celebrations and noted the special significance of today's events.
"There are events for which you prepare in a special way, they carry a great positive charge. The opening of the 'Proryv' memorial complex after the restoration work carried out is one of them. The memorial, dedicated to the courage and resilience of Belarusian partisans during the Great Patriotic War, is inextricably linked with the heroic and glorious history of our region. It is one of the most significant works of monumental art in the country and is included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Values of our republic," said the governor. He noted that Belarusians, through the prism of time, have the greatest respect for the courage of the older generations.
"I am sure that the memorial was, is, and will be a landmark of our country, a kind of bell of memory about the heroic feat of the generation of victors, a unique school for the education of young citizens of Belarus," emphasized the head of the region. He assured those present that the authorities would constantly pay attention to perpetuating the memory of the soldiers of the Great Victory, and cited several figures: there are 1,243 military burial sites in the region, where the remains of more than 390,000 people rest, of whom 206,000 are unknown.
Nikolai Sherstnev warmly congratulated the veterans and thanked the soldiers of Victory for their feat. "Thanks to you, generations of free people have grown up who can live, work, and dream. We are all infinitely indebted to you, we are proud of the greatness of your destinies. Thank you for being able to endure the difficult years of trials. We bow low for your many years of work," concluded the head of the region.
Before the rally at "Proryv," guests of the district visited excursions at the Museum of People's Glory named afterHero of the Soviet Union V.E. Lobanka in Ushachi.
The decision to reconstruct and restore the "Breakthrough" memorial was made in 2015. This issue is under the personal control of the regional leadership. The Scientific and Methodological Council of the Ministry of Culture approved one of the authors of the memorial complex, the famous Belarusian architect Yuri Gradov, as the scientific supervisor of the restoration work at the site, who, concurrently with the restoration work, could carry out author's supervision of the memorial and also participated in the celebrations at "Breakthrough" today.
The "Breakthrough" memorial complex, which is a symbol of the courage and resilience of partisans during the Great Patriotic War, is considered one of the most significant creations of monumental art in Belarus. It was opened in June 1974 - at the site of the breakthrough of the enemy blockade on May 5, 1944, by partisans of the Polotsk-Lepel zone, 7 km from Ushachi. Here, 16 partisan brigades led by the future Hero of the Soviet Union Vladimir Lobanok broke out of the encirclement and fought with punitive detachments until the arrival of the Red Army units. Together with the partisans, more than 15,000 civilians were also able to break free.
Alena Tikhonova - BELTA.