A meeting dedicated to the 33rd anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan was held in Vitebsk
The event gathered a large number of guests: youth, regional leadership, representatives of veteran public organizations, and everyone who considers it important to preserve the memory of the fallen and living participants of the tragic events in Afghanistan. The meeting participants had a unique opportunity to recall or learn about the history of the Afghan war through the memories of direct witnesses, to hear about their attitude towards what was happening in a foreign land and their lives afterward.
Thus, writer, soldier-internationalist, Guards Lieutenant Colonel Valery Marchenko told the meeting participants about the introduction of a limited contingent of Soviet troops, the initial stage of their stay in Afghanistan, and the period of active operations. From historian, Guards Senior Warrant Officer Vyacheslav Belous, the attendees learned about the period of the Afghan war from May 1985, specifically about the reduction of active combat operations and the withdrawal of troops.
The narrative was dynamic, and the soldiers-internationalists' memories were interspersed with songs that lifted spirits or prompted reflection while in that foreign land. The compositions were performed by a teacher and students of the Educational Institution "Gymnasium No. 3" and Vyacheslav Belous.
It is worth noting that the theme of the Afghan war is inextricably linked with Vitebsk, as it was here that the 103rd Guards Airborne Division and the 339th Military Transport Aviation Regiment, whose servicemen served in the distant mountainous country, were stationed. Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Novichkov spoke about the combat missions of Soviet pilots and their role in the war, while local historian and teacher of the Vitebsk City Center for Additional Education for Children and Youth, Galina Novak, told the attendees about the extensive research work dedicated to studying these historical events, which she conducts together with her students.
Special attention was also paid to how the Afghan war was covered by the media. This was detailed by Victoria Kharkevich, chief custodian of the funds of the Vitebsk Museum of Internationalist Soldiers, and Valerian Matskevich, chairman of the Vitebsk regional organization of the public association "Belarusian Union of Veterans of the War in Afghanistan," during their speech on "The Afghan War in the History of the Belarusian People."
Valerian Albinovich spoke about how families who lost their children, husbands, wives, brothers, and sisters fought for the truth to be inscribed on the monuments, how Vitebsk internationalist soldiers achieved benefits, how the veteran movement and public organizations emerged, and how the situation changed after the Republic of Belarus became an independent state.
– Despite other important issues that the young state was addressing, the Afghan veterans were not overlooked. A republican rehabilitation center for internationalist soldiers was established in Vitebsk, a city museum of internationalist soldiers was created, and in 1996, the memorial complex "Island of Courage and Sorrow" was opened in Minsk with the participation of the President. A number of resolutions on preferential treatment for internationalist soldiers were adopted, and much more. Based on this, the public association also gained strength, – noted Valeryan Albinovich. – Therefore, it is important to note that our public association fully supports the state's policy and does everything to ensure that our republic develops and prospers. We actively participate in the military-patriotic education of youth and in the socio-political events of our country. For example, in the near future, we, the participants of the Afghan events, will take part in the republican referendum to express our attitude towards state policy.
Another important topic of the event was the patriotic education of youth. As noted by Vladimir Terentyev, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies, there are currently 299 veterans of the Great Patriotic War remaining in the Vitebsk region, of whom only 130 are combatants. And every year, the number of these people, who by their own example show the younger generation what it means to love the Motherland and fulfill their patriotic duty, is decreasing, and internationalist soldiers are taking their place.
– These figures show us how quickly life flies by; the youngest internationalist soldier is already no less than 51 years old, – said Vladimir Terentyev. – Therefore, such meetings are primarily important for the younger generation, so that everyone can personally communicate with participants of military events, experience the pain of war, prevent its recurrence in the future, and learn from internationalist soldiers the concepts of honor, duty, conscience, and loyalty to the Motherland.
Although each year moves the Afghan war further away from us, the memory of it still lives in people's hearts, as well as on the streets and in educational institutions of our city. The names of the internationalist soldiers are immortalized on memorial plaques, monuments, and in the names of educational institutions, and this work will continue. Thus, in the near future, Vitebsk Secondary School No. 3 will be named after its former student, internationalist soldier Leonid Nikolaevich Belitsky, who was awarded the Order of the Red Star and the medal "For Courage" for his bravery and heroism, was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and was also posthumously awarded the Order of Lenin and the medal "To the Internationalist Soldier from a Grateful Afghan People".