Remember and prevent again: a round table on the topic of genocide of the Belarusian people was held in Grodno

Grodno regional organizational structure of the republican state-public association "Belarusian society "Knowledge" and Grodno State University named after Yanka Kupala held a round table on the topic of genocide.

The joint event is held within the framework of the interdisciplinary project of Yanka Kupala Grodno State University and the Grodno Region Prosecutor’s Office “Genocide of the Belarusian People: Memory and Pain of the Grodno Land”. It was attended by the Director of the Scientific and Practical Center for the Strengthening of Law and Order of the Prosecutor General’s Office Igor Moroz, employees of the regional prosecutor’s office, the faculty of the university and students.

The expert of the seminar Igor Moroz stressed that the topic of genocide of the Belarusian people is of great importance for young people:

Materials obtained during the investigation of the criminal case on the genocide of the Belarusian people teach young people to correctly assess the situation. Today we discussed the consequences of the genocide of the Belarusian people for the population and economy of Belarus. The most important component of the state policy in the field of historical memory is the preservation of the truth about the Great Patriotic War, the tragedy of the civilian population and the crimes of the Nazi occupiers in Belarus. The consequences of the Great Patriotic War have been revised. If earlier we thought that every fourth Belarusian was killed, then recent data show that the genocide claimed the lives of every third inhabitant of our country. Recent data indicate that if genocide had not taken place, our population was about 17 million people. This means that the gross domestic product would be twice as much.

The special significance of the meeting on the preservation of historical heritage was emphasized by Kirill Moskal, a student of the specialty “history” of Yanka Kupala Grodno State University:

- The tragedy of the genocide of the Belarusian people is a page of history that everyone, especially we young people, must know. Our generation was lucky enough to be born under a peaceful sky and not know the horrors of war, but there is a certain trap: sometimes it is difficult for us to realize the full scale of those terrible events. It is important to remember that our right today to learn and plan for the future is paid for by the lives of millions of our ancestors. Preserving this memory, protecting it from distortion, and passing it on to future generations is our sacred duty.

karnilovich@sb.by