The exhibition "Pro100 We Help" at the Vitebsk Town Hall tells about the activities of the Red Cross from the 19th century to the present day
The exhibits presented capture examples of true humanism, compassion, and selflessness with which the employees of the Belarusian Red Cross Society helped people at various stages of history, from its inception to the present day. The Russo-Japanese War and World War I, the Civil War and the Great Patriotic War, the post-war devastation – the Red Cross was always at the forefront. Thanks to the efforts of nurses, thousands of lives have been saved.
At the exhibition, you can learn about the founders of the international Red Cross movement, Henri Dunant and Gustave Moynier, about the first researcher and founder of nursing, Florence Nightingale, and about the organization's activities in the territory of modern Belarus since 1867.
A special place in the exhibition is given to items that tell about the history of the Vitebsk Community of Sisters of Mercy, established in 1876 and existing for more than two decades. Its graduates served not only in the community's institutions but also traveled to combat epidemics, and were seconded to civilian hospitals and military hospitals. For their selflessness, fearlessness, and courage, the Vitebsk sisters of mercy were often awarded.
One of our compatriots – a participant in the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union Zinaida Tusnolobova-Marrchenko – became the third Soviet nurse and the first in Belarus to be awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal – the highest award for nurses and orderlies worldwide.
In 1964, the medico-social service of the Belarusian Red Cross was formed, whose employees continue to care for lonely elderly and severely ill people to this day.
Another area of work for the Belarusian Red Cross Society at the present stage is charitable and dedicated activities. Assistance to victims of armed conflicts, terrorist acts, natural disasters, accidents and man-made disasters, refugees and the needy – these are also covered by the exhibition's exhibits, as is the work on preventing dangerous diseases, particularly tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
The exhibition features many unique archival items. Photographs, documents, postcards, apothecary glassware, awards, stamps, posters, propaganda and educational literature, and other exhibits are provided not only from the collections of the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore and the archives of the Vitebsk Regional Organization of the Belarusian Red Cross Society, but also by the National Library of Belarus, the Vitebsk Regional Library, the Russian State Library, the State Archives of the Vitebsk Region, the National Historical Archives of Belarus, the Polotsk National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve, and O.L. Pomaleyko. There is plenty to see.
Despite its venerable age, the Red Cross keeps pace with the times, and today its main strength lies in its volunteers. Anyone can join their ranks. Subsequently, volunteers must undergo special training in providing assistance or participate in interactive sessions. By the way, interactive platforms for first aid and a healthy lifestyle were also functioning at the exhibition.
As noted by Vladimir Terentyev, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies, the importance and demand for this humanitarian institution is evidenced by the fact that, despite the changing eras, the Red Cross, founded under the Russian Empress, is still operating today. Indifferent people stood at the origins of this organization. Similar employees and volunteers are helping people in difficult life situations today.
Galina Zhelanova, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Organization of the Belarusian Red Cross Society, reported that after the exhibition in the town hall, the exposition will move to Secondary School No. 45 in Vitebsk, where the Red Cross museum has been operating for 13 years.
