Tradition length of 42 years: the capital's schoolchildren stepped on the Honorary Watch of Memory

The opening ceremony of the Honorary Watch of Memory at Post No. 1 of the hero city of Minsk united schoolchildren from all districts of the capital on September 11, the correspondent of the Minsk-Novosti agency reports.

The event was attended by the leadership of the Education Committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee, representatives of the military commissariat of the city of Minsk and consolidated memorial detachments of educational institutions of the districts of the capital, who entered service in the current academic year.

- In the life of every country there are very important values. For Belarus it is unity, independence and memory. As long as the latter is alive, the state exists. Therefore, I wish each of you guys not to forget about the exploits of your grandfathers and great-grandfathers and the fact that our country creates all conditions for your self-development, said Lyudmila Lyakhnovich, First Deputy Chairman of the Education Committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee.

During the ceremony, the best memorial detachments were awarded following the results of the Memory Watch in the 2025/2026 academic year. Among the distinguished were representatives of secondary school No. 83 named after G. K. Zhukov, gymnasium No. 7 named after V. I. Liventsev, secondary school No. 161. The results of the summer city events “On the Right of Living Memory”, “Minsk Memorial 566” and the video contest “We stand at the post of memory” were also summed up.

- The tradition of carrying the Honorary Watch of Memory at the Eternal Flame on Victory Square appeared on July 3, 1984. For Minsk schoolchildren, this is a sacred duty and a tribute of deep respect to those who gave us life and a peaceful sky, said Sergey Bykov, Chief of Staff of Post No. 1 of the Minsk hero city. Each school starts at Post No. 1 about once every five years, and preparation begins in one and a half to two months. On the eve of City Day, we are opening the new school year and honoring the best memorial units of last season. We assess everything: combat alignment, discipline, appearance and, most importantly, knowledge of the history of the Great Patriotic War.

In the year of the 85th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, representatives of the detachments participated in city, republican and international events, and also took the honor guard in Krasnodar at the All-Russian Patriotic Forum of activists of the Post No. 1 movement.

In the summer, on the basis of Post No. 1, a daytime educational and recreational camp of the military-patriotic profile “Defender of the Fatherland” functioned, the participants of which carried the Honorary Watch of Memory from June 22 to July 3, during the action “Calendar and Book of Memory”.

In addition, the children visited memorable places of the Smorgon district of Grodno region under the project “Post No. 1 of the hero city of Minsk”. In the wake of fire and pain, participants of the international cultural and educational project “Memory Train” were met in Minsk.

- Our school has become one of the best at Post No. 1 thanks to constant weekly training, strict discipline and teamwork, Pavel Chuprin, who bred the memorial detachment of secondary school No. 161, shared. Victory Square is always filled with incredible pride and a deep sense of responsibility for the fact that we can personally honor the memory of those who died during the Great Patriotic War. Those who take up the watch this year, I advise you to give everything in training and thoroughly learn the theory.

In conclusion, the consolidated memorial detachments of educational institutions of all districts of Minsk took part in the Honorary Watch of Memory at Post No. 1. Ahead of the children have a busy year - every day, except for holidays, they will stand on the honor guard of the capital from 10:00 to 12:30.

- For me and the whole of our school to join the Honorary Watch of Memory is a great honor and high responsibility to parents and teachers, commented Nikita Malakhov, a student of the military-patriotic class of S.S. Belchenko High School No. 152. We train very hard to show the maximum level. The connection with history is personal to me: my great-grandfather went through the war and died near Berlin. I dedicated my research work to his feat, and today, standing here on Victory Square, I pay tribute to him and all the heroes who gave us a peaceful future.

Photo courtesy of Minsk State Palace of Children and Youth