2 FOCUS The Times Thursday, July 3, 2014 Starting point for Bagration

By Valentina Lavysheva The 7m tall memorial relief sculp- Memorial sculpture unveiled in Svetlogorsk ture features four figures: of Konstantin Near the village of Rakovichi, on the Rokossovsky, Georgy Zhukov, Pavel Ba- District to honour those who fought in Great 71st kilometre of the Bobruisk-Mozyr tov and Mikhail Panov — the military Patriotic War’s Operation Bagration motorway, a sculpture has been un- leaders who ensured the battle’s success. veiled, marking the spot on which bat- Soviet soldiers, partisans and seamen are tle unfolded seven decades ago. Those sculpted on the left and on the right, while who fought changed the course of the arrows behind indicate the two major at- war, helping bring about the liberation tack points. Names of villages liberated of , as well as parts of the Baltic during the campaign are inscribed at the States and . It was here that the bottom. Great Patriotic War veterans at- famous military campaign of Operation tended the solemn unveiling ceremony, Bagration was launched, led by Marshall which honoured their bravery. Rokossovsky. Divisions passed over the Svetlogorsk historian Izyaslav Kotl- Bridsky Mokh marshes in June 1944, yarov initiated the idea, which has been wearing galoshes, and using drags and brought to life by Gomel sculptor Valery rafts to build log roads, to allow tanks to Kondratenko; his own father was a mili- pass and attack the Fascist occupiers. tary pilot participating in Bagration. The Great Patriotic War veteran Lev Kli- project received support from Alexan- movich, from Minsk, was among those der Lukashenko and funds of $1m from who began his war service on the marsh- the Union State budget. State Secretary es. Attending the monument’s unveiling, Grigory Rapota notes that such memo- he recalled, “I was just 18 at the time, rials keep alive our remembrance of the and it was my first attack. I was seriously sacrifices made for the Great Victory. wounded by a shell just two hours after Operation Bagration is to be marked Bagration began and spent six hours in by more such memorials and acts of re- BELTA BELTA Unveiling of the memorial sign a bog — until nurses brought me out.” membrance in the days to come. Roads of war lead to ‘Victory’ hall New Belarusian State Great Patriotic War History Museum building opens to mark the 70th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from Nazi occupation By Victor Korbut decorated with a stained glass fended our country’s freedom tween Minsk today and in the window featuring storks: a and independence during oc- past. Despite living through The dome of the new Be- symbol of Belarus. They ‘fly’ cupation. A separate hall is de- several wars, our capital goes larusian State Great Patriotic high, with open wings — re- voted to war crimes, including from strength to strength! The War History Museum can be sembling the bronze storks of the atrocities committed by museum façade is decorated seen from afar. Driving from Minsk’s Nezavisimosti Square. those who liaised with them.” with relief sculptures featuring Svobody Square to Pobedeti- The Belarusian countryside One section of the mu- Belarusian cities — including BELTA ley Avenue, you cannot but be can hardly be imagined with- seum explores the partisan Minsk and its main Orthodox In the museum’s new building struck by its incredible design. out them. Meanwhile, the vil- movement, including a recon- church: the Holy Spirit Cathe- The location is poignant and lages and villagers burnt dur- struction of a camp. Visitors dral. In turn, a tower symbol- No one can doubt that the enjoyed great popularity: in symbolic, since Pobedy (Vic- ing those terrible days are one discover ‘secret paths’ and see ises Mogilev. Busts of parti- museum is essential to anyone 2009, over 172,000 people vis- tory) Park is situated nearby of the greatest tragedies of that how such camps were organ- sans are engraved around wishing to learn about Bela- ited, rising to around 235,000 and the Minsk -City Me- war…. ised. these architectural details. rus’ 20th century history. The in 2012. Our funds include 28 morial — erected in 1984 to Brest and its fortress (on Ms. Potupchik takes us The museum halls have war drastically affected our collections, comprising over mark the 40th anniversary of the border with Poland) were to the last hall, which recon- been decorated not only by country and we continue to 107,000 items. Every year, we Belarus’ liberation from the the first to face the Fascists’ at- structs the life of Minskers in Belarusian artists but by hold close our memories. The gain another 800 artefacts. Re- Fascists — stands in front of tack, on June 22nd, 1941. The 1944: the year in which the those from ’s Studio heroes who brought victory to cently, we received certificates its main façade. This year, the German Wehrmacht penetrat- city was liberated from the of Military Artists (named our native land are never for- issued by a doctor at Minsk’s 1st country celebrates the 70th an- ed Belarus (part of the USSR at Nazis. A newspaper stall and after Grekov), who have gotten. The museum neigh- clinical hospital, during the oc- niversary of peace. the time) from the west. Walk- an ordinary city flat trans- created the dioramas of bours Pobedy Park, where vis- cupation. USSR Hero Yevgeny Visitors begin by enter- ing under the recreated gates of ports us back 70 years. Minsk’s Defence and Minsk’s itors can relax, under peaceful Klumov led an underground ing the main ‘Victory’ hall, ‘Brest Fortress’, the Head of the A stand featuring photos Trap. The museum is richly skies. group, saving city residents by crowned by a dome visible Conservation of Research De- of the first museum building equipped with multimedia Nikolay Skobelev, the Di- stating them unfit to perform from all city districts. A red flag partment, Svetlana Potupchik, is nearby; it now houses a devices, allowing visitors to rector of the Belarusian State forced labour. We’ve also pur- flies from the top, emulating tells me, “Our war museum popular café and restaurant. view old chronicles and hear Great Patriotic War History chased a Soviet Po-2 plane for that planted by Soviet troops is not just here to display the Constructed in the 17th monologues from first hand Museum: our new exhibition, restored by over Berlin’s Reichstag, in May tanks and planes discovered at century, to provide monastic witnesses. The museum’s original the Russians. In addition, the 1945, and symbolising victory battle sites. It focuses on those cells for Basilians, it sym- building opened on ‘War Road’ hall is to feature a over Nazism. The glass dome is who fought: the soldiers bolises the connection be- October 22nd, German PzKpfw-III internally and partisans 1944 and tank. who de- BELTA