Participants of the action “Unity of generations: route of memory” arrived at the final point – Brest Fortress

The Republican Patriotic Action “Unity of Generations: Route of Memory” was held for the first time and united 55 finalists of the contest “I am a patriot of my country”. In five days, the participants covered more than 5000 kilometers by road train, visited all regions of Belarus and visited historical, cultural and educational sites of the country. On November 6, the route ended at the Brest Hero Fortress memorial complex. There was a solemn ceremony for the children, a requiem rally was held and flowers were laid to the Eternal Flame, writes sb.by.

Behind - all areas of the country, excursions, meetings. Ahead is a return home, where you will probably have to answer the question for a long time: “Well, tell me how it went?” Where to start? From the Red Coast, where we could not hold back our tears? With Khatyn, where have you long wanted to go? Or people you didn’t know a few days ago, but have gone through so much together?

The finalists of the republican contest “I am a patriot of my country” who were not included in the main composition of the “Memory Train” went to the train. They organized a separate trip with the opportunity to see Belarus, get acquainted with its history and today.

The route began on November 2 in Minsk, and ended today in the Brest Fortress - at the Eternal Flame.

On June 22, 1941, their families came under fire with the soldiers. Surrounded by a shortage of water, food and ammunition, the defenders continued to fight for about a month. Major Pyotr Gavrilov was captured on July 23, the 32nd day of the war. Behind these dates are the fate of people whose war took away the opportunity to raise children, be close to loved ones, do what they love. The director of the memorial complex Alexander Korkotadze reminded the children about their unfulfilled plans:

Defenders of the Brest Fortress also dreamed of a long happy life, they had their own plans. But when the war came, fascism came to our land, they knew there was something more precious than their lives. This is our country, our people, our security, our future. Therefore, in our hearts there should always be a sense of gratitude for this great generation. A true patriot of his country should know his history, the history of his family.

The Eternal Fire has been here for more than half a century. It was lit by Peter Masherov on September 25, 1971, the day the memorial was opened. Then among the guests of honor were the defenders of the fortress and relatives of the victims - about 600 veterans of the Brest garrison in 1941. Today, flowers are brought by those who know the war from the stories of elders, books, family photos.

Member of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly Tatiana Ignatyuk appealed to schoolchildren with a request to preserve what has appeared between them over the past few days:

- It was a journey not only through time but also through human destinies. Our memory is not a yellowed page of archival documents. This is a living world that allows you to be not just a population of our country, but a people. You are lucky to live under a peaceful sky. But it is not only happiness, it is a great responsibility. Do not lose what you have gained during this time. Do not lose this spirit of unity, this involvement in the history of our people.

For a competitive essay, the Minsk citizen Klimenty Latygolets chose the history of his family. Two of his great-grandfathers participated in the Great Patriotic War, the third survived it as a child. The same boy, who was rescued from the punitive forces, Clementius managed to catch alive. I learned the details of his childhood from his grandfather.

- When the war began, my grandfather was only three years old. His parents were shot, and he was hidden under straw, under the roof. After the war, he had to somehow survive: he went from house to house, worked part-time. Then he was adopted by a village teacher and taken to school. He studied, received an education, worked in the collective farm and created a family. It was to my great-grandfathers, the heroes of my family, that I dedicated the essay. And now, in the Brest Fortress, first of all, I feel pride for our people – for the fact that they survived and were not broken by the occupiers.

Despite all the experience, Clementia’s great-grandfather grew up, created a family and lived to meet his great-grandson. Now Clementius keeps his history and passes it on – so that the feat and fate of his great-grandfather are not forgotten.

Schoolgirl Maria Hralovich from the Soligorsk district brought a story from the trip that she herself had difficulty hearing without tears:

- In the Red Bank, the letter of 15-year-old Katya Susanina was read so piercingly that we all cried. She spoke to her father about the death of her mother, about hunger, fear and how scared she was to be in German captivity. You listen and you understand that behind the dry words “victims of war” are the fates of specific children who have been deprived of their home, family and future. This is the first time I’ve been to the Red Coast and this story will stay with me for life. Most of all, Khatyn and the very opportunity to travel to places of military glory were also remembered. I am very grateful for this trip, for new friends and for a sense of pride for the people who survived the Great Patriotic War.

The trip is over, but the conversation about the past for many kids is just beginning. At home, there is still someone to ask about the war, to examine family photos together, to write down names and memories. The main thing is not to postpone these conversations. Much about the fate of our loved ones we can learn only from those who are still nearby. Participants of the republican patriotic action “Unity of generations: route of memory” visited Khatyn