Surazh celebrated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the urban settlement from the Nazi invaders

A patriotic motor rally, a solemn procession, and a rally marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Surazh from the German fascist invaders, reports BELTA correspondent.

For Surazh, which was a district center during the war years, the date of October 28, 1943, is sacred. During the Great Patriotic War, the front line stood here for over two years, and underground and partisan brigades operated, repelling the invaders, until 80 years ago, peace came to the settlement along with the Soviet troops.

The history of occupied Surazh has many tragic and heroic pages. Before the war, a large number of Jews lived here. The Nazis, who captured the settlement in 1941, herded them into a ghetto and, under the pretext of sending them to work, drove them in a crowd towards Vitebsk. A few kilometers later, all the prisoners, 969 people in total, were brutally killed.

Residents of Surazh and Vitebsk District celebrate the date of the liberation of the urban-type settlement as particularly significant. The current generation of grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the war heroes honors the feats of their ancestors who brought peace to this land. In honor of the liberators, a requiem rally was held in the urban-type settlement. Representatives of regional and local authorities, clergy, public organizations, youth, and schoolchildren laid wreaths and flowers at the mass grave.

Guests of the requiem rally congratulated those present on the holiday, which still carries a hint of sorrow. "Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and officers, partisans and underground fighters, and civilians who gave their lives for our freedom lie here and on the territory of our country. It is highly symbolic that our friends from the Smolensk and Pskov regions are with us, as our grandfathers and great-grandfathers fought together for the freedom of these lands. Today, there are almost no war veterans left, but their grateful descendants live on. What is happening in our country once again emphasizes how important and necessary peace is. We have been living under a peaceful sky for 80 years. And for us, this day is not just a day of liberation, but another lesson on how to honor and remember, and with what suffering and pain freedom is obtained," emphasized Vladimir Terentyev, Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies.

Guests from the border regions of Russia also congratulated their Belarusian friends on the holiday, which they themselves celebrated very recently. "We have a lot in common with the Vitebsk region. Just yesterday, the Usvyatsky district celebrated the 80th anniversary of liberation from the Nazi invaders. The war entered every family, every home with pain and loss. Today, we remember those who fought on the battlefields, in partisan detachments, forged victory behind enemy lines. There are fewer and fewer veterans each year; in our district, only one participant of the Great Patriotic War remains alive. Our task is to preserve this memory. We must be proud, and we are proud of our veterans," shared Dmitry Petrov, head of the Usvyatsky district of the Pskov region.

Participants of the event were able to see a retro exhibition dedicated to the military life of the Sebezhsky district and attend a festive concert.

Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by