A bust monument to Marshal Ivan Bagramyan was unveiled in Gorodok

The monument is located at the intersection of Bagration and Proletarskaya streets. The grand opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the regional and local authorities, Marshal Ivan Sergeevich's grandson, Khristofor Bagramov's great-nephew, as well as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Belarus Oleg Esayan, and the Armenian community from various cities of Belarus and Russia.

The sculpture weighs over 200 kg and is cast in bronze. The project authors are sculptor Spartak Arutyunyan and architect, Dean of the Architectural Faculty of BNTU Armen Sardarov. Financial assistance in the creation of the bust monument was provided by the Armenian diaspora in Belarus with the support of the "ANIV" Foundation for the Development and Support of Armenian Studies and the Gorodok District Executive Committee. The act of acceptance and transfer (donation) of the bust monument to Marshal Ivan Bagramyan was signed in its building.

During the opening, the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies Vladimir Terentyev noted the symbolic significance of the monument's installation on the seventy-fifth anniversary of the liberation of the Gorodok district from the Nazi invaders. "The opening of the bust monument in Gorodok is not accidental. In November 1943, Bagramyan was appointed commander of the 1st Baltic Front. His first task was to eliminate the so-called Gorodok salient. From December 13 to 31, 1943, the Gorodok military operation was carried out. Thanks to it, more than 1.2 thousand settlements were liberated, including those in the Gorodok district. Ivan Khristoforovich proved himself not only as an outstanding military strategist but also as a humane commander and leader who was not indifferent to the aspirations and problems of the local residents of the liberated territories," emphasized the head of the region's deputy corps.

Vladimir Terentyev added that May 19 is celebrated as Pioneer Friendship Day. And in the post-war years, under Bagramyan's patronage, the game "Zarnitsa" was held, in which many boys and girls of the Soviet Union participated in their pioneer years. The head of the deputy corps also recalled that two years ago, on Belarus Independence Day, an event took place

Solemn opening of a memorial plaque to Ivan Bagramyan in Vitebsk. The Ambassador of Armenia to Belarus, Oleg Esayan, thanked everyone involved in the creation and installation of the bust during the opening. He emphasized that the memory of the Great Patriotic War is sacredly preserved on Belarusian soil. The Ambassador also drew attention to the beauty of Gorodok, noting that the monument to Bagramyan will further adorn the district center.

The Marshal's grandson, Ivan Sergeevich, shared his memories of his grandfather in an interview with a BELTA correspondent, noting that his grandfather did not like to talk about the war much, but sometimes shared warm moments. "In 1943, when he commanded the 11th Guards Army, a boy named Afanasy, an orphan, was found in one of the villages in the Bryansk region. My grandfather took a liking to him, and he became a regiment's son. After the war, my grandfather interceded for the boy to be admitted to the Suvorov School. Then he grew up, graduated from the military academy, and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Afanasy often visited us and called my grandfather his second father," the grandson said.

The Bagramyan family honors the memory of their relative and keeps various relics of the Marshal, including front-line letters and those written in peacetime. In December last year, a book "Marshal Bagramyan" was published for the 120th anniversary of his birth, and a photo album about him was released recently. "My grandfather always had great sympathy for Belarus and often visited. Moreover, for his participation in the liberation of the country, he received the first Hero of the Soviet Union star. I remember that in September 1980, the Central Headquarters of the All-Union Komsomol and Youth Campaign along the routes of revolutionary, military, and labor glory of the Soviet people was held in Minsk. I accompanied my grandfather then, and I remember his warm communication with Masherov," the grandson added.

A solemn wreath-laying ceremony was held with the accompaniment of a military orchestra. The Armenian delegation also took part.

participation in the solemn ceremony of admitting schoolchildren of Gorodok district to the Pioneers and laying flowers at the "Immortalitу" memorial, where over 5 thousand Red Army soldiers who died during the liberation of Gorodok district are buried.

BELTA.