Vitebsk law enforcement officers celebrated their professional holiday

Back in 1917, an order was issued by the chancellery of the civil commandant of the city of Minsk, according to which the Bolshevik Mikhail Alexandrovich Mikhailov was appointed temporary head of the police of the All-Russian Zemstvo Union for maintaining order in the city. Mikhailov was joined in service at the Western Front committee of the All-Russian Zemstvo Union by Mikhail Vasilyevich Frunze (incidentally, today the building of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee is located on the street named after the famous revolutionary). On the night of March 4-5, 1917, the detachments of workers' combat groups led by him, together with soldiers of the Minsk garrison units, disarmed the city police, seized its administration, as well as the archive and detective departments, and took under guard the most important state institutions. And on the day of March 5, Nevel reported to Minsk on the formation of the police, on March 7 – Velizhsky Uyezd, on the 9th – Yezersishchensky, on the 10th – Surazhsky. A little later, similar telegrams arrived from Dvinsk, Vitebsk, Lepel… Thus, the police were established on the territory of Belarus.

Years went by. However dramatic and epoch-making they were in the fate of the great country, people in police uniforms were always at the forefront of the fight against criminals, bearing the brunt of the criminal element.

The names of employees of the internal affairs bodies, servicemen of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, who died in the line of duty, are forever etched in the memory of the Belarusian people. This fact is confirmed by the tradition established in the Department of Internal Affairs of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee: the head of the Department of Internal Affairs meets every year on March 4 (or the day before) with the relatives of those law enforcement officers who, unfortunately, will never be able to celebrate their professional holiday. This was the case this time as well. After a tea party filled with memories and kind words, those directly involved in the solemn event gathered at the memorial sign to the employees of the Internal Affairs bodies and servicemen of the Internal Troops who died in the line of duty and military service: currently serving law enforcement officers, veterans, wives…

– Today, the Vitebsk police, like all police of the Republic of Belarus, are celebrating the 96th anniversary of their formation, – noted the Head of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Igor Evseev. – It is gratifying that currently our Directorate is the best staffed in the country: the vacancy rate is only 8.8 percent. We have planned a number of measures to attract employees. Recently, the head of the higher college of the Ministry of Internal Affairs gave a speech to cadets in Luzhesno, after which some of the guys expressed their desire to serve in the internal affairs bodies. Work is also being carried out with schoolchildren and servicemen being discharged into the reserve. On this holiday alone, about 10 people who graduated from civilian universities received their first officer ranks. On this day, I would like to wish police officers and their loved ones good health, professional growth, and family happiness.

After laying wreaths at the memorial sign, words of encouragement from representatives of the veterans' organization, clergy, and the leadership of the Internal Affairs Directorate, law enforcement officers proceeded to the Vitebsk Regional Philharmonic, where the festive events continued. Here, the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies Alexander Atyasov expressed words of sincere gratitude for valiant service to the Fatherland from the authorities.

Anastasia BUT, "Vitebsky Rabochy". Photos by the author.