Veterans will receive financial assistance on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Republic of Belarus from the Nazi invaders and the Great Victory

Their name is winners. These words became the leitmotif of the next meeting of the organizing committee for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the region, the Republic of Belarus from the Nazi invaders and the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.

The organizing committee was established in accordance with the Decree of the President of Belarus of May 20, 2013 No. 230 and the corresponding order of the regional executive committee of June 10, 2013, and is headed by the head of the region, Alexander Kosinets. As noted by the Deputy Chairman of the regional executive committee, Vladimir Terentyev, opening the working meeting, the local authorities and public organizations are carrying out a set of social, military-patriotic, and cultural-educational measures. Celebrations on the occasion of the anniversary of the liberation of these settlements from the Nazi invaders have already taken place in Liozno and Surazh. Many guests came to the events, and not a single participant of those events was forgotten.

The social and living conditions of veterans, family members of military personnel, partisans and underground fighters who died or died during the war, and certain categories of citizens affected by the consequences of the war, as well as the perpetuation of the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland, were and remain in the center of attention, emphasized Vladimir Vladimirovich. Currently, 7 veterans and disabled persons of the Great Patriotic War are registered in the region for housing improvement. Local authorities have been tasked with providing them with social housing by the end of the first quarter of next year, or, at the veteran's request, providing an opportunity to build housing with a preferential loan. For example, Kuzma Kuzmich Mizurov from Liozno will soon move into a well-equipped apartment.

It should be noted that all veterans, and in the region, this is more than 10 thousand people, depending on their status, will receive financial assistance for significant dates. According to preliminary estimates, more than 42 billion rubles will be allocated from the republican budget for these purposes.

The organizing committee members analyzed the work of city and district executive committees on the improvement of military burial sites, memorial complexes, and the perpetuation of the memory of the Fatherland defenders. Today, there are 1239 places of military glory in the region, where 386,025 people who fell on the battlefield for the freedom of our Motherland are buried. Unfortunately, today we do not know all the names of the heroes: 183,405 (47.5%) of them are identified, and 202,620 (52.5%) are unknown. Over the past three years, the total amount of funds allocated for the repair and improvement of military burial sites and memorial complexes has amounted to about 8 billion rubles.

In Gluboksky, Dokshitsky, Lepelsky, Sennensky, and Tolochinsky districts, funds are spent systematically and on time. Words of criticism were expressed towards Braslavsky, Vitebsky, Gorodoksky, Dubrovensky, Lioznensky, Miorsky, and Polotsky districts. Not all funds that need to be utilized this year have been mastered here yet. In all regions, patron organizations are assigned to memorial sites. At the same time, not all of them properly monitor the assigned facilities. Is it difficult to promptly mow the burial sites, trim tree branches that obscure inscriptions on monuments?

The improvement and repair of memorials will continue in 2014, with funding for the work coming from the regional budget. But in order for proper order to be established at all sacred sites by the significant dates, the participation of each of us is necessary. At the meeting of the organizing committee, it was recommended to hold subbotniks (volunteer workdays) locally, directing the earned funds for good causes, it is necessary to initiate citizens and organizations to make voluntary donations, and to involve public associations in the improvement of military burial sites.

Extensive work is being carried out today to perpetuate the memory of the Fatherland's defenders and war victims using computer technologies. An organizing committee has been established at the regional museum named after Hero of the Soviet Union M. Shmyrev. It is headed by the museum director, Irina Shishkova, a passionate individual dedicated to the search effort. From November 2011 to November 2013, 20,383 names were verified, and 5,987 soldiers were identified who were not previously listed among the fallen. Working groups from the Beshenkovichi, Glubokoye, Dokshitsy, Sennо, and Sharkovshchina district executive committees have worked diligently in this direction. They also remember the programs for perpetuating the memory of war heroes: "Obelisks", "Missing in Action", "Where Did My Countrymen Perish?".

The work on reissuing district chronicle books

"Memory" has been ongoing for several years. While it is practically completed in the Beshenkovichi and Rossony districts, and they will soon be submitted to the publisher, much remains to be done in the Mior, Tolochin, and Shumilin districts.

During the organizing committee meeting, the work of the region's veteran organizations in preparation for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders was also analyzed.

Artur Mateyun, "Vitebskiye Vesti"