A solemn meeting dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Komsomol was held in Vitebsk
Welcoming the participants of the event, Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies Vladimir Terentyev noted that the VLKSM is a unique youth organization, unparalleled, that united the destinies of millions of people.
The names of such prominent figures as Sergey Pritytsky, Kirill Mazurov, and Petr Masherov are associated with the Komsomol of Belarus. Sergey Shababov, Valentin Mikhelson, Vladimir Podrez, Semen Kovalenko, and Konstantin Platonov did a lot for the formation of the regional organization.
Vladimir Terentyev recalled the main milestones of its history. Upon returning from the first All-Union Congress of Workers' and Peasants' Youth Unions in October 1918, delegates from Vitebsk headed the Vitebsk City Organization of the Youth Union, which became the oldest Komsomol association in Belarus. In the 1920s-1930s, Komsomol members actively supported the course of the country's development.
During the first five-year plans, the Komsomol of Belarus supervised the construction of BelGRES (Orsha District), the Orsha Flax Combine, the Vitebsk Knitwear Factory "KIM", the Minsk TPP, Gomselmash, and other facilities. Many Komsomol members worked as chairmen of rural councils, collective farms, foremen, farm managers, and link leaders. They actively helped in the elimination of illiteracy and the construction of schools. Belarus was the first of the USSR republics to eliminate illiteracy among adults and youth. Komsomol committees sent thousands of young people to workers' faculties, technical schools, and universities.
From the very first days of the Great Patriotic War, hundreds of thousands of Komsomol members voluntarily joined the ranks of the Red Army and the militia. Over the years of the war, more than 3.5 million Komsomol members were sent to the front. On the temporarily occupied territory of Belarus, 80,000 Komsomol partisans and 20,000 young underground fighters fought against the enemy. Underground Komsomol organizations and groups operated in Vitebsk, Orsha, Rossony, Obol, and other settlements in the region. The feat of the Komsomol was highly appreciated by the state: 3.5 thousand members were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and 3.5 million were awarded orders and medals.
The youth made a significant contribution to the post-war restoration of the national economy. More than 60,000 young men and women from Belarus went to develop the virgin and fallow lands of Kazakhstan. The Komsomol of Belarus (BSSM) took under its patronage the most important construction projects of the republic and mobilized thousands of young people to build the Lukomlskaya State District Power Station, Novopolotsk enterprises, and a number of other facilities of all-Union importance. The student construction brigade movement became widespread.
Today, activists of the BRSM, the successor to the traditions of the Komsomol, are embodying advanced ideas and socially beneficial deeds with the same dedication as their Komsomol peers once did. The BRSM builds its activities in accordance with the realities of our time, serving as a link between the authorities and young people.
The regional organization of the BRSM is actively contributing to the preparations for the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders. The "Flowers of Great Victory" campaign, the "Letter to the Winners" campaign, and the "Salute to Victory" patriotic song festival have become traditional.
Young men and women from the Vitebsk region are participating in the republican youth projects "Get to Work!", "100 Ideas for Belarus", "Master of the Village", and "Best Youth Rural Courtyard". The "Kind Heart" volunteer detachments have united over 50,000 young people in the region.
As part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Lenin Komsomol, BRSM is holding a youth marathon "Komsomol – 100: Relay of Generations". By the anniversary date, the Youth Square dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the VLKSM will be opened in the Medtsentr microdistrict of Vitebsk, and a memorial sign will be installed.
Vladimir Terentyev congratulated the attendees on the holiday, wished them health, well-being, success in their endeavors, and presented awards to a number of Komsomol veterans for their long-term fruitful work and significant personal contribution to the implementation of state youth policy.
Among those awarded were Tamara Drilenok, Chairperson of the Liozno District Council of Deputies, Svetlana Drozdova, keeper of exhibits at the departmental Palace of Culture of Naftan OJSC, Lyudmila Prokofieva, a pensioner, and others.
In conclusion, the best youth creative groups from Vitebsk, educational and cultural institutions pleased the participants of the solemn meeting with a concert of amateur art.