In Vitebsk, over 100 people took part in the improvement of the memorial complex '5th Regiment'
On the eve of the International Day of Prisoners of War, concerned citizens gathered at the "5th Regiment" memorial complex in Vitebsk to plant trees and tidy up. The initiators of the event were the city branches of the republican public organizations BRSM, the Belarusian Women's Union, "Belaya Rus", the Peace Fund, and others. Among those who came were members of work collectives of enterprises and organizations of the city, and students of educational institutions. Representatives of the authorities, including the Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies Vladimir Terentyev, also did not stand aside from this noble cause.
— In the coming days, we will unveil a memorial sign here that tells about the suffering and horror experienced by the residents of the Vitebsk region during the Great Patriotic War, — said Vladimir Vladimirovich. - It has become a good tradition to organize large subbotniks (volunteer workdays) in the spring at this and similar places throughout the region. The work on improvement and perpetuation of memory will be continued.
Upon completion of the work, the participants laid flowers at the obelisk in memory of the fallen.
In 1941, on the outskirts of Vitebsk, Nazi German invaders established a camp for the mass extermination of Soviet prisoners of war and civilians.
At one time, about 28-35 thousand prisoners were held behind barbed wire, subjected to torture and starvation. In total, over 80 thousand people were tortured to death during the occupation.
In 1944, the Extraordinary State Commission for the Investigation of Nazi Crimes discovered about 400 graves in "Regiment 5", of which 70 were 8 to 15 meters long, 5-7 meters wide, and up to 5 meters deep. In one of the burial sites, specialists found the bodies of men and women in civilian clothes. The victims were mainly 20-30 years old. Most of them were killed by a shot to the head.