A scientific and practical conference dedicated to the 590th anniversary of the first mention of the town in written sources is being held in Tolochin
Opening the event, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies Vladimir Terentyev noted its importance not only for the participants themselves but also for local historians of the Tolochna district, the Vitebsk region, and the country as a whole. He expressed gratitude to the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for fruitful cooperation and for the fact that such events are regularly held in the region.
– It is important that the districts host scientists who talk specifically about local history, – added Vladimir Terentyev. – And a significant gift to the region will be a book on the historical and cultural heritage of the Tolochna district, which will be prepared by the Institute of History.
Welcoming the conference participants, Chairman of the Tolochna District Executive Committee Oleg Lyndin said that the Tolochna land is famous for its traditions, which are honored and observed.
– It is important that at the conference we discuss a whole layer of issues related to the history of the region – from ancient times, the period of the Great Patriotic War to the present day. I am sure that joint cooperation within the framework of the conference will enrich our knowledge about our district, – he emphasized.
Oleg Lyndin presented a Letter of Gratitude from the District Executive Committee to the Director of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Vadim Lakiza.
In turn, the scientist said that the Institute of History carries out work aimed at preserving historical memory, forming historical self-awareness, and educating patriots who love their wonderful country with its unique history.
– And it begins with the history of the small homeland, with places like the Tolochna region. Such conferences cannot take place without the understanding and support of local authorities in the cause that is now one of the top priorities in Belarus, – Vadim Lakiza expressed his confidence.
He added that the event is being held within the framework of the "History" subprogram of the State Program of Scientific Research "Society and Humanitarian Security of the Belarusian State" for 2021–2025.
The Head of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus presented the city library with unique historical publications. He also acknowledged with Gratitude the contribution to the preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of the region by Oleg Lyndin, Director of the Tolochin Cannery, Honored Worker of Agriculture of the Republic of Belarus, Honorary Citizen of the Tolochin District Anatoly Anyukhovsky, Director of the Historical and Local Lore Museum Irina Pikulik, Deputy Director of Secondary School No. 2 in Tolochin named after N. P. Lugovsky Snezhana Gvozdeva.
The plenary session discussed the historical, cultural, and archaeological heritage of Belarus and its role in preserving historical memory, and the archaeological study of the Tolochin district by Professor Olga Levko. The issue of the genocide of the region's population during the Great Patriotic War was also addressed.
An important moment of the event was the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the State Scientific Institution "Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus" and the Tolochin District Executive Committee. It was signed by Vadim Lakiza and Oleg Lyndin.
Further, the conference work was organized in three sections:
"Tolochin Region from Antiquity to 1917", "Tolochin Region from 1917 to the Present", "Destinies Connected with Tolochin Region". During their meetings, reports were heard on history and culture, archaeological and ethnographic research, socio-economic development, and military events in the region. Issues of memorialization of historical memory, and the region's tourism and local lore potential were also touched upon.
The second day of the conference will be opened by a round table, during which the cultural heritage of Tolochin region will be discussed. The participants of the event will visit the Drutsk settlement with an excursion, where the Principality of Drutsk with its center in the city of Drutsk was located in the XI–XVI centuries, and will get acquainted with the production base of the Tolochin Cannery, which is part of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Scientific and Practical Center for Potato and Vegetable Growing.
"Vitebskiye Vesti"