A memorial sign for investigation veterans appeared in Vitebsk
Last year, the leadership of the Investigative Committee Department for the Vitebsk Region decided to create a memorial sign. For this purpose, a regional easel sculpture competition was held in December. During it, more than 20 works by masters of the region were presented. The winner was then student of the Faculty of Art and Graphics of Vitebsk State University named after P.M. Masherov, Marina Belyakova, with her work "Detective's Attributes" (pistol, magnifying glass, etc.). Her work became a model for the memorial sign planned for installation. During the refinement of the project, the well-known Latin expression Dura lex, sed lex ("the law is harsh, but it is the law") was added to the sign.
"I wanted to move away from the banal depiction of a person and show the work of an investigator through their attributes that help in their work. I am interested in the work of a detective, I love detective stories, and for the accuracy of the work, I consulted with investigators," noted Marina Belyakova.
The Head of the Investigative Committee Department for the Vitebsk Region, Vladimir Shalukhin, emphasized that crimes are solved thanks to painstaking, monotonous work and patience, and sometimes investigative acumen and luck come to the rescue. "Despite the need to make harsh, tough decisions, investigators are people capable of doing good, because the result of their work is justice. On this path, there are no obstacles for an investigator, and no concepts of 'I don't want to,' 'I won't,' 'I can't'," he noted.
The Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Vladimir Penin, congratulated the investigators on their professional holiday and presented them with certificates of honor.
Belarus celebrates the Day of the Preliminary Investigation Officer today. The Decree on the Establishment of the country's Investigative Committee was signed on September 12, 2011. Early the following year, the new structure began its work. It is believed that some of the first evidence of pre-trial proceedings in criminal cases on the territory of modern Belarus took place during the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, according to the Statute of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of 1588. The function of inquiry was then carried out by the "vozny" - a judicial official who participated in the activities of all courts as a bailiff and investigator. The investigation itself was carried out by the district elder, and in his absence - by the deputy or sub-elder with the castle judge. Further, the history of Belarusian investigation was largely connected with the established legal system in the Russian Empire, and then in the USSR. During the years of independent Belarus, preliminary investigation was conducted by investigators of the prosecutor's office, internal affairs bodies, state security, and financial investigations, until the relevant department was established.
