The military cemetery on Uspenskaya Hill in Vitebsk has been reconstructed under the auspices of trade unions

The reconstruction of the military cemetery on Uspenskaya Hill in Vitebsk has been completed, initiated and funded by trade unions, as reported by Ivan Vozmitel, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Trade Union Association.

"In the year of the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory, at the initiative of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus, landmark sites were identified in each region, which regional branches took under their patronage. The Presidium of the Vitebsk Regional Association chose the memorial on Sovetskaya Street on Uspenskaya Hill and organized fundraising from industry trade unions and individual members. A total of Br750 million was collected, of which Br250 million was allocated by the federation," noted Ivan Vozmitel.

The balance holder of the facility is the city's public utilities, which also acted as the customer and executor. At the initiative of the trade union association, the enterprise opened a charitable account to which the collected amount was transferred. The work was carried out in two phases. By May 9 of this year, landscaping was completed, gravestones with names were updated, and metal fences were reconstructed. Since the military cemetery is a historical and cultural value, the second phase required obtaining permits, after which two new sculptures of Soviet soldiers were installed at the memorial. These are exact copies of the previous concrete figures, but now made of polymer concrete. The pedestals are faced with red granite, as are the burial fences.

"Thus, we have paid tribute to the heroes who fell for the liberation of our country and passed this memory on to younger generations," emphasized Ivan Vozmitel. This memorial complex is considered one of the most recognizable in Vitebsk and is among the region's historical and cultural heritage sites. Soviet soldiers who died in the Great Patriotic War are buried on Uspenskaya Hill. Among them are Heroes of the Soviet Union Ivan Sivakov, Ivan Yanushkovsky, and the legendary Minay Shmyrev – one of the organizers of the partisan movement, commander of a partisan detachment, and the 1st Belarusian Partisan Brigade. In total, there are 11 individual graves and one mass grave on Uspenskaya Hill.

Having just finished fundraising for the Vitebsk facility, the regional trade union association announced its participation in the reconstruction of the "Breakthrough" memorial complex in the Ushachi district. About Br150 million in voluntary donations from trade union members have already been transferred to the charity account. Financial assistance in the amount of Br10 million was also provided this year for the improvement of the military memorial in the village of Kopti, Vitebsk district.

"We have signed a trilateral agreement with the regional veteran organization and the BRSM on joint support for veterans of the Great Patriotic War. They are assigned to each industry trade union. This year, 1889 veterans of the Great Patriotic War received financial assistance from the trade union budget totaling over Br1 billion. And, of course, we take care of our production veterans: we invite them to festive events, assist in strengthening their health, managing their households, and repairing housing, if necessary," concluded Ivan Vozmitel.

Ekaterina Knyazeva, BELTA.