Since early morning, people have been laying flowers at the memorial, which opened in 1969. People from all over the country have come to Khatyn, which has become a symbol of memory and grief, to pay tribute to their ancestors who died but were not conquered.
The first to be laid at the Eternal Flame was a wreath from the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, symbolizing the grief of the entire country. Bouquets of roses and carnations were laid by representatives of the highest government positions, ministries and departments, public organizations, regional delegations and youth.
Natalia Kochanova emphasized that in our country, memory is sacred: "These are the bonds of our patriotism and love for our homeland. Wars came to our land not on our initiative. This is a terrible tragedy. People understand this and value peace. The most important thing for a person is peace, the opportunity to live, create families, have children and not be afraid for their future. Not to be afraid that tomorrow this terrible tragedy will happen, which happened 82 years ago here, in this place, in a place sacred to us. And there are many such places in Belarus. And Alexander Lukashenko, our President, is right when he says that Belarus is a living monument to that war. We must value that we live in a peaceful country."
Prosecutor General Andrei Shved emphasized the scale of the genocide of the Belarusian people: "The genocide of the Belarusian people is one of the most terrible pages not only in our history, but also in the history of all mankind. Based on the results of the investigation of the criminal case on the genocide of the Belarusian people, we conclude, based on evidence, that no country in the world has ever seen such a scale of extermination of people. We have identified more than 400 death camps, to be precise - 587 to date, more than 180 major punitive operations, more than 12.3 thousand settlements were burned completely or partially. And this sad figure, unfortunately, is increasing every day based on the results of the investigation."
Igor Sergienko emphasized the importance of the value of peace and loved ones: "It is difficult to imagine today, when you are here, it is even difficult to imagine what the mother felt, who was locked in this barn, and not alone, who understood that she would not be able to protect her child, and what those people, relatives, who came to these ashes in the first post-war years in the hope of finding some traces of their relatives felt. This must be understood. You must value peace and value your family and loved ones."
Vladimir Karanik noted that the younger generation should understand that the blood of the victors flows in their veins: "These were people who had many plans. They just wanted to live on their land, grow bread, raise their children. And someone decided that these were the wrong people, that he could take someone's life. At these moments, we feel grief, and the main thing is that we realize that we must pass on the memory of this tragedy to the next generations. We must all remember, but not in order to take revenge, but in order to not allow anyone to again begin to divide people into right and wrong."
Minister of Emergency Situations Vadim Sinyavsky noted that rescuers honor important dates in history: "Belarus, at different stages of its history, sometimes almost destruction and rebirth, has gone through events that, from the point of view of a reasonable person, should not be forgotten at all. One of these dates is the tragedy in Khatyn, which is a monument to all the destroyed villages."
Chairman of the State Committee of Forensic Expertise Alexei Volkov spoke about the investigation of the criminal case on the genocide of the Belarusian people: "When it now becomes clear how many blank spots there are in history, what terrible crimes were committed on our land, you understand that this was a real genocide. In the execution pits we find the remains of women, teenagers, small children. They were destroyed on a planned basis, for economic gain."
Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik emphasized the need to pass on the memory of the tragedy to future generations: "Every year, the need to preserve memory and its correct interpretation is becoming more and more important. Especially the transfer of this knowledge - what we still remember from the stories of living witnesses of that time - to our youth, to children."
On this day, thousands of people visited Khatyn, including guests from Russia and other countries. Each of them came to honor the memory of the dead and to reflect on the fragility of peace on earth.
Among the visitors was 83-year-old Minsk resident Nadezhda, who shared her story. She was born in 1941, three days after her father went to the front. He died near Kursk, and her mother never married, devoting her life to her daughter. Nadezhda came to Khatyn to honor the memory of her father and fellow countrymen.
The family from Vileika came to Khatyn on the initiative of eight-year-old Masha Kuryanchik, who heard a story about the village at school. Her parents, Alexander and Tatyana, said they could not refuse their daughter's desire to visit the memorial.
Yadviga Zhelobkovich, the wife of the last Khatyn resident, said that her husband always saw Khatyn alive, as it was in his childhood. She is grateful to everyone who helps take care of her husband's grave.
St. Petersburg resident Tatyana Yegel noted that visiting Khatyn helps to instill the right values in children. She was surprised by the number of flowers and visitors on this day.
On this day, a capsule with soil from the territory of Slovak complex "Kalishte" was transferred to "Khatyn". For Slovaks, Kalishte is the same symbol of the tragedy of World War II as Khatyn is for Belarusians. This symbolic gesture strengthens the connection between the peoples who suffered from the cruelty of war.
RPA “Patriots of Belarus” organized a motor rally to Khatyn to honor the memory of those who will forever remain in our hearts. The motor rally participants joined thousands of people who came from all over the country to pay tribute to those who died in this tragedy. Their presence became an important symbol of unity and memory, reminding us of the need to preserve history and pass it on to future generations.
Belarus remembers and mourns.
Materials from BelTA were used.
