A solemn ceremony of placing earth from 15 military burial sites into a personalised capsule for the city took place at the Holy Assumption Cathedral in Vitebsk during the patriotic campaign "In Glory of Our Common Victory!", a BELTA correspondent reports.
The event was attended by representatives of government bodies, public organisations, enterprises, students, military personnel, teachers, and clergy. In a solemn atmosphere, schoolchildren poured earth from personalised pouches into a common capsule, which will be kept in the church.
Nikolai Yanov, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War and the Armed Forces, emphasised the importance of such commemorative events. "It is gratifying that young people honour the memory of the fallen. The war brought much grief to people, but thanks to unity, we won it," the veteran noted.
There are almost 1.5 thousand military burial sites on the territory of the Vitebsk region, where over 400 thousand people rest. Organisations, enterprises, and educational institutions are assigned to care for them. For example, students of Vitebsk State Vocational Lyceum No. 5 of Instrument Engineering look after the grave of an unknown soldier in a horticultural area near Vitebsk. On the eve of the 75th anniversary of Victory, the students took part in the campaign. "We live in a time when attempts are made to rewrite history, and there are fewer and fewer witnesses to those events. Therefore, it is important not only to preserve the memory of our people's feat but also for young people to comprehend it," stressed Inna Kurganova, Deputy Director for Educational Work at the lyceum.
Vladimir Terentyev, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies, added that earth from each district of the region would be brought in the spring of 2020 to the landmark memorial complex "Proryv" (Breakthrough) in the Ushachi district. The solemn event is planned to take place on May 4 or 5, during the days of the partisans' breakthrough of the enemy encirclement.
The patriotic campaign "In Glory of Our Common Victory!" is being held in the districts of the Vitebsk region in two stages. Its main part is scheduled for the current autumn and spring of 2020. Capsules with information about the fallen and earth from the regions will be handed over for placement in the crypt of the Church-Memorial in Honour of All Saints in Minsk.