In Vitebsk, the "Tree of Life" sign was solemnly opened in memory of the genocide of the Belarusian people
The author of the monument is Vitebsk sculptor Ivan Kazak. His work "Tree of Life" was chosen based on the results of a competition initiated by the Prosecutor General's Office.
As emphasized by the Deputy Prosecutor General of Belarus, Sergey Khmaruk, this event is a tribute to all civilians of our republic and prisoners of war who were tortured and killed by the Nazis and their accomplices. Such a monument will appear in every region of the country. "Tree of Life" is already present in Gomel, Brest, and Grodno.
- It is important that representatives of the younger generation, our children, realize and feel that in 1941-1944, when battles for the liberation of the country from the occupiers were fought on Belarusian lands, our ancestors just as much wanted to live and love, build their homes, plow the land, and hoped for a better future, but no less than three million people were brutally exterminated by the enemy, - noted the Deputy Prosecutor General of Belarus. - The results of the investigation of the criminal case on the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War have proven that the Nazi German invaders and their accomplices destroyed (burned down), including together with residents, at least 12,868 Belarusian villages.
Chairman of the regional executive committee Alexander Subbotin drew attention to the fact that 170 villages in the Vitebsk region are on the list of villages that shared the fate of Khatyn.
- This is a huge number, - noted the head of the region. - As is the fact that almost 6,000 settlements were burned down in the Vitebsk region. This must be remembered. The Prosecutor General's Office plays an important role in preserving the memory of the heroism and tragedy of the Belarusian people, as it identifies new burial sites and continues its work to preserve historical truth.
Alexander Subbotin thanked sculptor Ivan Kazak and architect Vadim Rybakov, who immortalized the sorrowful memory of the entire Belarusian people in the "Tree of Life" monument.
- I am sure this place will become a territory of sorrow and memory, - said Alexander Mikhailovich.
- While working on the sketch, I remembered how, as a child, a grandmother told me that she saw people being buried alive during the Great Patriotic War, - Ivan Kazak told "VV". - People clung to the ground with their hands, but they were covered up.
And for several more days, the earth trembled. Therefore, this work grew out of that story heard in childhood. And I am grateful to my friend, architect Vadim Rybakov, who submitted this sign to the republican competition. I am grateful to Valentina Rybakova, a doctor at the regional diagnostic center, who wrote the poems that we see on the pedestal.
...Sad compositions and poems were heard at the event. In conclusion, the attendees laid flowers at the "Tree of Life".
- The 80th anniversary of Victory is a memorable date for every resident of Belarus, we are proud of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers, we must cherish their feat for the sake of our lives under a peaceful sky, - shared her emotions from the event Karina Milyukha, a tenth-grader from Secondary School No. 34. - History comes alive here.