Today, “Novogrudskie Dary” (a branch of JSC “Lida Dairy Plant”) is one of the largest and most successful dairy enterprises in Grodno region. The plant's history began in 1944. Over the decades of its existence, thousands of people have contributed their labor and soul to the development of its production.
Guests were given a tour of the museum and memorial complex, where, while listening to the guide's story, they shared their own memories of the fates of Belarusian villages that survived the tragedies of the war.
One of the excursion participants found the name of a familiar village on an element of the "Symbolic Trees of Life" memorial:
— "Velikaya Volya. Here it is. The village was burned down in 1942, but was reborn after the war. We lived nearby and knew what happened. And now here, in Khatyn, I see its name," the woman shared.
The history of Velikaya Volya is truly tragic. Before the war, it was a large village—over a hundred households, with approximately 430 residents. On December 16, 1942, punitive forces surrounded the village, burned the houses, and shot 364 men, women, and children. Only nine survived. After the war, Velikaya Volya was rebuilt, and today, on its land, by the Shchara River, stands a monument to the victims of the tragedy—a three-meter-tall sculpture, "Mother and Son."
Such memories and personal stories imbue the excursion with special meaning. For the elderly, it's a reunion with the past; for the younger generation, it's a living lesson in history and memory. Such trips bring people together, strengthen the connection between times, and serve as a reminder: the past must be preserved in order to build a peaceful future.
