Memorials to the Holocaust Victims in Minsk, Belarus History, Design, Impact

Memorials to the Holocaust Victims in Minsk, Belarus History, Design, Impact

DEGREE PROJECT IN ARCHITECTURE, SECOND CYCLE, 15 CREDITS STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN 2018 Memorials to the Holocaust Victims in Minsk, Belarus History, Design, Impact MARYNA SEMENCHENKO KTH ROYAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Memorials to the Holocaust Victims in Minsk, Belarus History, Design, Impact Maryna Semenchenko Contents Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 4 I. Socio-Historical Background of Belarus within the Studied Subject Belarus and Minsk in the Second World War. Minsk ghetto .................................................... 8 Memory about the Holocaust in Soviet Belarus ............................................................................ 14 Memory about the Holocaust in contemporary Belarus ........................................................... 16 II. Literature Review Holocaust memorials in Belarus .......................................................................................................... 22 Methods for the analysis of memorials ............................................................................................. 26 III. Approach and Methods Studied cases and criteria for their choice ...................................................................................... 34 Research questions and sources of information ........................................................................... 36 Method ............................................................................................................................................................ 38 Approach to the memorials’ analysis ................................................................................................. 40 IV. Findings Case 1. Memorial in the Pit History of the black obelisk .................................................................................................................... 44 History of the walking shadows ........................................................................................................... 48 Informal memorial, formal practices ................................................................................................. 52 Case 2. Memorial in a Former Jewish Cemetery History of the Broken Hearth ................................................................................................................ 62 Memorials to the Holocaust Victims Social practices, not-such-a-social place .......................................................................................... 68 in Minsk, Belarus. History, Design, Impact Maryna Semenchenko V. Discussion Discourse ....................................................................................................................................................... 76 Keywords: memorial, Holocaust, Minsk, memory, public realm Power .............................................................................................................................................................. 77 Design and message ................................................................................................................................. 78 Masters Degree Project in Urbanism Studies, Second Cycle, 15.0 credits, 2018 Implications ................................................................................................................................................. 80 School of Architecture and the Built Environment Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................................... 81 KTH Royal Institute of Technology References ..................................................................................................................................................... 82 Stockholm, Sweden VI. Design Proposal Bridge .............................................................................................................................................................. 92 Poto on a cover: the Pit memorial in Minsk, 1992, by V. Miaževič Appendix A. Interview questions ....................................................................................................... 100 Appendix B. Decisions of Minsk Municipality .............................................................................. 102 During the recent lecture at KTH Open Coming back to a dramatic example of spaces were formed. Both of the Introduction Lab, an Israeli researcher Rachel Kallus Israel, in addition to millions of Jews who studied memorials are located on described her local context as an died in the concentration camps and a territory that used to be a part of intersection of different cultures and shooting operations of the Holocaust, Minsk ghetto during the Second World interests (Kallus, 2018). While working thousands of them perished on their way War. Additionally, World War II and with the community based-projects to a new home being displaced from their the Holocaust in Belarus had specific she interacts with Jewish, Palestinian, countries even after the war (Wyman, features, which required an introduction Ethiopian, and Russian groups that 1989). Though the example of the into Belarusian socio-historical context. are looking for their place both in the Holocaust was unprecedented I consider Due to an attention that this study pays society and in physical urban space. The it as a suitable lens for looking at the to discursive space, this thesis also briefly fact that her work takes place in Israel, current global issues of socio-spatial describes the politics of memory that though, leads to a discussion broader segregation, displacement, and massive were formed in Soviet and contemporary than just a city scale. As a country Israel migration. Such an approach seems to Belarus. Literature and media review as basically appeared for hosting the entire be particularly important at the moment well as a work with archival documents nation which used to seek the place to when communicative and personal allowed to discover how the design of the establish its national state. However memory about this event is disappearing studied memorials was formed and what various groups still struggle for their and transforming a great humanity’s actors were involved in their creation. In place in the cities, this phenomenon has drama into an abstract history lesson. turn, media review in combination with left the city limits and nowadays happens Therefore, the inclusion of a certain direct observations and interviews shed globally. Thousands of people are looking group to physical or social space is a light on social practices that have taken for a new place to live due to wars, linked to its status in a society. The place around the chosen memorials. discrimination, persecution, and climate status, in turn, represents the access to Therefore, this research comprehensively change escaping from the places of their the resources. Additionally to physical analyzed physical, social and discursive origin. and social space, Henri Lefebvre spaces and their relations that together Although international organizations distinguished another dimension, formed two memorial sites in Minsk. declare everyone’s right to have a which could be called discursive space. place to live and a freedom to choose it According to Lefebvre, these three (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, spheres produce the space by mutually 1948) the numerous groups, obviously, affecting and supplementing each other do not have these opportunities, hence, (Lefebvre, 1991). This allows concluding the basic rights turn into rare privileges. that socially and spatially excluded Someone’s location in physical space groups, most probably, are pushed out still affects his or her access to goods, from discursive space as well. Thus, a mobility, education or even safety (Young, lack of representation of a certain group 1999) in a city, national or international in media, art or politicians’ speeches scale. Therefore, limitations linked to a potentially leads to its stigmatization place of origin are related not only to a and further discrimination. In my thesis, quality of life but sometimes to a chance I took into account all of these three to stay alive by finding a shelter. So, an spheres while studying commemorative origin begins determining a life’s value. spaces such as two memorials to the This statement transforms a theme of Holocaust victims in Minsk, Belarus. exclusion and displacement from an Using the abovementioned research exclusively socio-spatial problem into an lens, this study examined the chosen ethical issue. memorials and identified how these 4 5 I Socio-Historical Background of Belarus within the Studied Subject Map I. Minsk 2 km 1 : 100 000 I. Socio-Historical Background of Belarus within the Studied Subject Belarus and Minsk Ascertaining an actual proportion of the occupation, that happened several days Jewish population in pre-war Belarus is after, Minsk did not have a formal rule in the also quite problematic though, obviously, or any plans of evacuation or resistance Jews composed a significant part of the (Epstein, 2008). Second World War. citizens. For an approximate calculation In a month after the occupation, on scholars categorize Belarusian Jews August 1, 1942 Nazis established a ghetto Minsk ghetto into three major groups. The first one in Belarusian capital. It was located includes those

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