«They left so that we could be born»

The fact that the memory of those events is a matter of our survival was once again stated by the President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko at the ceremonial meeting dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, which was held on May 6 in the Palace of the Republic.

 The Head of State noted that our opponents want to take away the memory of the Great Patriotic War from us. «They want to take the heads of our youth first of all,» the Belarusian leader clarified. «They will not take our heads. Our heads are filled with the memory of the Great Victory. They are working with the youth. I will not say that it is not working. Somewhere something is working. But our society, young and old, as they used to say, is more monolithic and united than ever today. Having lived through 2020, we have understood a little of what can be. Seeing what is happening in the south in our brotherly Ukraine, we understand even more what a terrible fate this war will have. And we must not allow this.»

And to those who think that Belarusians have had enough of celebrating Victory Day, organizing events and ceremonial gatherings, the President answered briefly and clearly: «No, my dears, it won’t be enough! It won’t be enough because we are doing this so that this doesn’t happen again. I already said in Khatyn: let’s forget the road to the monuments, let’s forget the road to Khatyn — it will come to us. We don’t want this. I said this on the holy land of Stalingrad. We don’t want this! That’s why we did all this, are doing this and will do it.»

Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that Belarus has suffered irreparable losses. «But we remember: our heroes are gone so that we, the next generations, will never know the pain of loss and grief,» he noted. «They are gone so that we can be born. So that we can live. That is why Belarus remembers!»

From the stage of the Palace of the Republic, the President presented pennants «For courage and fortitude in the Great Patriotic War» to six cities of Belarus, which are an example of heroism and nationwide resistance demonstrated during the Great Patriotic War. The Head of State handed over pennants to the heads of local authorities of Kobrin, Rechitsa, Slonim, Senno, Slavgorod and Smolevichi. 

«We call for peace»

The most striking and spectacular event of the Victory Day celebration in Minsk was the military parade dedicated to this great date. Speaking from the rostrum, the Head of State noted that we are holding the parade in honor of those who did not flinch and fought courageously, slowing down the death machine that was razing cities, villages, destinies and lives to the ground. «We honor the memory of the heroes who broke the military might of Hitler’s Germany, which put millions of European Nazis under its banners,» Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. «Our people showed an unprecedented will to win. No one in Europe could resist the Wehrmacht the way our people, our state — the Soviet Union — did.»

According to the Belarusian leader, our heroes stood firm and won. «They taught Europe a lesson that we thought would be learned,» the President noted. «But in reality, Western elites are unteachable. The European Union, created as a political and economic union, has in fact transformed into a totalitarian military-political bloc with openly revanchist sentiments. Brussels is systematically turning the territories of Poland and the Baltic States into launching pads for attacks on the eastern borders of the North Atlantic bloc. In the year of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, the European Union intends to increase the volume of military appropriations to a level of more than three percent of the gross domestic product of the EU states. Warsaw and Vilnius intend to install minefields on the border with Belarus and Russia.»

Therefore, today, in the words of the Head of State, in the face of the monstrous threat of resurgent European fascism, we call for remembering the lessons of the Great Patriotic War. «That is why we need this Victory and honoring those heroes today,» he emphasized. «We call on everyone — politicians, leaders, and the peoples of Western countries — not to misunderstand the peaceful rhetoric of Belarus. Yes, we call for peace. Yes, with all our hearts we want to stop all wars and conflicts on the planet. But we have done and will do everything necessary and even more to strengthen the country’s defense potential, maintain the combat readiness of the Armed Forces at a level that reliably ensures the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Belarusian state.»

The power of the Belarusian army, continuity of generations and unity

More than 180 thousand spectators watched the military parade in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War with their own eyes — right at the epicenter of the event. Judging by the full stands and the large number of people along the avenue, the evening parade and the far from May weather did not prevent Belarusians (young and old), as well as numerous guests of our country, from joining the grand and large-scale event that demonstrated the power of the Belarusian army, the continuity of generations and unity. It was a truly unique procession, which has already entered the history of sovereign Belarus.

More than 4,000 servicemen were involved in the ceremonial march, including about 250 units of wheeled and tracked vehicles in the mechanized column. 39 modern combat aircraft and helicopters of the military aviation of Belarus and Russia flew in the skies above the capital. Traditionally, servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the People’s Liberation Army of China took part in the parade, as well as the banner groups of the armed forces of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — the descendants of the victorious soldiers whose fraternal feat led to the Great Victory. Now, when the world community is going through difficult times, and our Great Victory is being laid claim to in the West and overseas, historical memory and unity are acquiring special value.

The ceremonial march of the troops began with the carrying out of the State Flag of the Republic of Belarus and the Victory Banner by the servicemen of the Honor Guard Company. A march on the theme «Sacred War» by Aleksandr Aleksandrov performed by the combined orchestra of Minsk garrison gave special symbolism to this most important element of the parade. Then the ritual of accepting the parade took place, the Minister of Defense walked around the parade squad, and finally the parade itself. Traditionally, it was attended by renowned units awarded honorary titles and names for courage and heroism during the Great Patriotic War, as well as those awarded military orders. The best and most trained servicemen were among the participants of the parade. For each of them, walking in the parade squad was a special honor, a tribute to those who lived and died fighting for our bright future.

Minister of Defense Viktor Khrenin reported to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, the President of our country, on the readiness of the troops to hold the parade. After Aleksandr Lukashenko speech, the silence was broken by a loud «Hurray!» The National Anthem of the Republic of Belarus was played to the artillery salute.

The parade opened with a flyover of military aircraft. Combat helicopters and aircraft of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus and the Aerospace Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in eight groups decorated the skies above the Belarusian capital. The best military pilots of Belarus and Russia were at the controls of the aircraft, including the flight crew of the Russian Federation aerobatic team «Russian Knights». The air parade demonstrated the high professionalism of the aviators. 

According to tradition, the ceremonial march was opened by young drummers — students of Minsk Suvorov Military School. They, like other young participants in the parade — students of the Specialized Lyceum at the University of Civil Defense, the Specialized Lyceum of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and nine cadet schools — personify the continuity of generations in the defense of the Fatherland. Pupils of Nizhny Novgorod Cadet Corps of the Volga Federal District named after Army General V. Margelov also marched in a parade formation along Minsk avenue.

The exclusive part of the parade was its historical part, which was opened by a cavalryman who reminded the audience of the legendary Victory Parade of 1945 in Moscow. The Victory Banner, battle flags of the formations and military units that participated in the Great Patriotic War and liberated Belarus from the Nazi invaders, and the standards of the fronts that liberated our Motherland were carried in front of the stands.

The historical part of the parade was attended by a military crew in officer uniforms from the Great Patriotic War with Mosin rifles, a combined crew in front-line uniform with Shpagin submachine guns, and a crew of internal troops in the 1941 uniform. The parade procession was continued by the descendants of the legendary partisans who made a significant contribution to the Great Victory. The combined parade formation, which included sappers with dogs, medical instructors, and traffic controllers, made a special impression on the parade spectators. Modern combat sappers continue to remove explosive devices from the long-suffering Belarusian soil. Women, who during the war took on not only the role of medical instructors and traffic controllers, also made an invaluable contribution to the victorious May. For their heroic deeds during the Great Patriotic War, more than 90 Belarusian women were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. The historical part of the parade was completed by a light machine gun cart, which entered the avenue accompanied by cavalrymen — during the Great Patriotic War, machine gun and saber squadrons of the Red Army were part of cavalry units and military units.

Cadets, guards, paratroopers, representatives of the State Border Committee, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Investigative Committee, the Ministry of Emergency Situations — a total of 30 parade units — marched in parade formation in front of the stands, confidently stamping their steps. A separate infantry battalion of territorial troops took part in the parade for the first time. Territorial defense is an important component of ensuring the military security of the state, allowing us to significantly increase the level of defense capability of our country in a short time and embodying the nationwide nature of the defense of the Fatherland. Our women, who have chosen the path of serving the Motherland, also marched. At the present stage, more than 4,000 female servicemen successfully and conscientiously serve in the Armed Forces.

The power of the foot units was supplemented by 25 parade units of the mechanized column. The first to enter the avenue were the legendary T-34 tanks, M-72 motorcycles, GAZ-67 cars, «Katyushas», as well as vehicles with searchlights and anti-aircraft mounts. After the retro column passed, the avenue was filled with the loud roar of combat vehicles — modern equipment and weapons of the Belarusian army passed before the spectators. Armored vehicles, artillery mounts, multiple launch rocket systems, anti-aircraft missile systems — Belarusians, as well as guests of our country and not only, were able to see with their own eyes that our army has everything it needs to protect itself and, if necessary, deliver an unacceptable blow to the enemy. In addition, the parade presented the latest products of the Russian military industry.

Traditionally, the military part of the parade ended with a parade ground concert of the combined Honor Guard Company. The program of the performance of this military unit was filled with completely new elements, reflecting the continuity of generations of defenders of the Fatherland.

Many wonderful musical pieces filled with creative energy and love for the Motherland gave the parade a special atmosphere of celebration and spiritual uplift. For the first time, historical marches by Soviet composers were performed at Minsk Garrison Troops Parade. Moreover, four of them were performed at the legendary Victory Parade on June 24, 1945. These pieces, connecting the past and the present with a musical rhythm, filled the hearts of those present with pride in the accomplishments of the past and the achievements of the present.

«This should remain the most important event in the life of every person»

On the sidelines of the ceremonial events, the participants shared the emotions they experience during the Victory Day celebrations. Almost every family has a story that will not allow them to erase the events of 80 years ago from their memory. 

Ekaterina Dulova, General Director of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus:

— Victory Day is a holiday of remembrance. It should remain the most important event in the life of every person. Our family has always preserved the memory of our ancestors who took part in the Great Patriotic War, and I was brought up on this. Two of my father’s brothers, two of my uncles, took part in the war. One of them died in Lithuania, the other in the Finnish war. All of this is alive. My father told me that he watched how everything developed and how life then resumed. The value of what follows is incomparable to anything else. I tell my children about this. My husband’s father is a disabled veteran of the Great Patriotic War. During the defense of Leningrad, he lost his arm, but this did not prevent him from achieving heights after the war. Andrei Vasilyevich Dulov is the founder of the criminology department of the Belarusian State University. With such a will, such a character, a man saw pain and suffering. We tried to instill in the children a subtle understanding that these are not banal facts of history, but a family memory that arose thanks to such a grandfather, that this is the memory of the country in which you live. 

Liliya Ananich, member of the House of Representatives of the seventh convocation:

— There is a tragic and heroic page in the history of every Belarusian family. A tragedy happened in our family: my grandmother was burned to death by the Germans in the village of Dunai in Logoisk district. The heroic page is connected with my father, who joined the partisans at the age of 17. Victory Day is always a memory of family, of the past, and regret that we did not ask our father about everything. It is a great honor that our country bears this memory so worthily. I am deeply saddened by what is happening in the West, where Banderites take part in marches dedicated to this date. One can only imagine how painful it would be for those who came to Berlin with this Victory. But our ancestors know that we are worthy descendants, they see that the country they have already left has grown stronger over the years of independence under the leadership of Aleksandr Lukashenko. If necessary, we will again raise this Banner of Victory in the lair, this time of neo-Nazism, because truth and Victory are on our side.

Mikhail Myasnikovich, statesman and public figure, Doctor of Economics:

— The Great Patriotic War brought very great losses: human and material. And when we say that this is eternal memory, it is not only a tribute to what was done during the Great Patriotic War and in the post-war period. It is an element of the formation of patriotism in our country. Human memory is structured in such a way that some dates and names are forgotten. Therefore, we must be a living example of how to preserve memory, strengthen the unity of the nation and be proud that we survived difficult times of trials. Now it is necessary to do everything so that new generations do not lose these values, won at the cost of many, many lives. My father went through the Great Patriotic War. Recently, when I was in the Museum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, I found him in the lists, and I was very pleased that the names of the participants in the Great Patriotic War, who went through — some less, some more — these 1,400-odd military days, are immortalized.

Nikolai Borisenko, head of the public association «Mogilev Regional Historical and Patriotic Search Club «Vikkru»:

— My grandfather had seven brothers and sisters. Five of them did not return from the front. The place of death of only one of them was established. My grandfather himself helped the partisans of Grishin detachment, the Germans shot him — he lost a leg. I saw how my grandmother and mother tried to find my ancestors, but without success — no traces. Perhaps this was passed on to me, which is why I took up search activities. Previously, we did not particularly celebrate Victory Day, we kept it at a distance. We knew how many millions of people died, disappeared without a trace. We considered this solemn victory bell not quite appropriate. There was no time for celebration: it was necessary to find more soldiers and open unknown pages of history. Now we have a different attitude to this, looking at a united Europe, what they are doing, at the States. Now for us Victory is, first of all, preventing the distortion of its results, the memory of those events. We are the generations that grew up in this war, and if we give up, we are not worth a penny.

Veronika KANIUTA