Memorial plaques with new names of victims of the Great Patriotic War will be unveiled in Novopolotsk
For a long time, it was not possible to establish new names of prisoners of war and civilians who died in the concentration camp. Chance played a role.
In 2019, a military doctor's notebook was discovered, containing information about over four hundred prisoners of Stalag-354. Extensive search and research work was carried out to establish more detailed information about the deceased. Thanks to cooperation with the Directorate for Perpetuating the Memory of the Defenders of the Fatherland and Victims of Wars, and search teams, detailed information about the concentration camp inmates has been partially established.
Embassies of the Russian Federation and Israel in the Republic of Belarus, and administrations of cities in Russia and Ukraine were involved in the search for relatives of the deceased.
The result of the meticulous work is the commemoration of 409 surnames on the memorial plaques, of which 178 will be solemnly unveiled.
During the Great Patriotic War, a large German garrison was located in the Borovukha microdistrict (the current territory of Novopolotsk). The fascists established the Stalag-354 concentration camp here, where prisoners of war and civilians were held. Today, it is known that the concentration camp became the place of death for tens of thousands of Soviet soldiers and local residents. The identities of these war victims were, for the most part, unknown.
The memorial complex dedicated to the victims of fascism was erected in Borovukha in 2006. It covers an area of about 3 hectares and includes a memorial sign, a pillbox, and a chapel. A stylized concrete ribbon with the inscription "Your feat, soldier, is unforgettable" is installed above the entrance to the memorial. Four steles symbolize the four cardinal directions, the four years of the war, and the four fronts that liberated Belarus. In the center is a cracked bowl – a symbol of the land and life, shattered by war.