PINSK DISTRICT, 1 July (BelTA) – A memorial honoring the residents of the village of Zhabchitsy, which was burned down during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1944), was unveiled in the Pinsk District on 1 July, BelTA has learned.
The installation of the memorial marker was initiated by the State Committee for Forensic Examination of Brest Oblast. Zhabchitsy shared the tragic fate of other burned-down Belarusian villages. On the very first day of the war, German aircraft destroyed forty households there, claiming innocent lives. In July 1944, the bombing was repeated, once again bringing destruction and human casualties. Today’s generation has immortalized the memory of these peaceful civilians.
“The enemies wanted to turn this place into ashes and consign it to oblivion, but they miscalculated. The people’s memory proved stronger than the flames; it grew through the ashes, just as young branches grow through this stone,” Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Forensic Examination Artem Lapko said. “Our daily work is dedicated to establishing truth and justice. Therefore, we could not stand aside when it comes to preserving historical truth. It was our duty to ensure that the names of the peaceful civilians who died here – the elderly, women, and children – do not fade away through the centuries.”
The monument resembles a house wall with a window that embodies the connection between the past and the future. At its base is a young tree with branches reaching upward, symbolizing hope, rebirth, and the continuity of life.
“Decades later, we have no right to ignore a single page of our history. Remembering the destroyed villages and lost lives is our collective duty,” Chairman of the Pinsk District Executive Committee Sergey Sozonchuk emphasized. He added that the memory of the Great Patriotic War has no statute of limitations; it lives on in the hearts of Belarusians, teaching them to cherish freedom and peace.
Representatives of local authorities, the State Committee for Forensic Examination, representatives of public organizations, and local residents laid flowers at the base of the memorial marker and observed a moment of silence to honor the memory of those who died during the war.
Photos courtesy of the State Committee for Forensic Examination of Brest Oblast
The installation of the memorial marker was initiated by the State Committee for Forensic Examination of Brest Oblast. Zhabchitsy shared the tragic fate of other burned-down Belarusian villages. On the very first day of the war, German aircraft destroyed forty households there, claiming innocent lives. In July 1944, the bombing was repeated, once again bringing destruction and human casualties. Today’s generation has immortalized the memory of these peaceful civilians.
“The enemies wanted to turn this place into ashes and consign it to oblivion, but they miscalculated. The people’s memory proved stronger than the flames; it grew through the ashes, just as young branches grow through this stone,” Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Forensic Examination Artem Lapko said. “Our daily work is dedicated to establishing truth and justice. Therefore, we could not stand aside when it comes to preserving historical truth. It was our duty to ensure that the names of the peaceful civilians who died here – the elderly, women, and children – do not fade away through the centuries.”
The monument resembles a house wall with a window that embodies the connection between the past and the future. At its base is a young tree with branches reaching upward, symbolizing hope, rebirth, and the continuity of life.
“Decades later, we have no right to ignore a single page of our history. Remembering the destroyed villages and lost lives is our collective duty,” Chairman of the Pinsk District Executive Committee Sergey Sozonchuk emphasized. He added that the memory of the Great Patriotic War has no statute of limitations; it lives on in the hearts of Belarusians, teaching them to cherish freedom and peace.
Representatives of local authorities, the State Committee for Forensic Examination, representatives of public organizations, and local residents laid flowers at the base of the memorial marker and observed a moment of silence to honor the memory of those who died during the war.
Photos courtesy of the State Committee for Forensic Examination of Brest Oblast
