Posted: 14.05.2022 12:22:00

Khatyn Memorial Complex objects get status of all-Belarusian youth construction site

The status of All-Belarusian youth construction site has been assigned to the objects of major repairs and reconstruction of the Khatyn Memorial Complex in line with Decree No. 176 signed by the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko – as informed by the Belarusian leader’s press service

Young people aged between 14-31 – including as part of student teams – will be able to take part in the All-Belarusian youth construction. The campaign will unite them under a significant civic-patriotic idea, will contribute to increasing their social activity, promotion and development of the student movement.

Representatives of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union addressed the Head of State with an initiative to assign the status of all-Belarusian youth construction site to the Khatyn objects during the President's Address to the Belarusian People and the National Assembly in January 2022. "We have projects related to youth employment. As you noted in your Address, young people need to be educated with the help of work. An initiative of student groups of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union was born to declare the construction of a museum on the territory of the Khatyn Memorial Complex as all-Belarusian youth construction site. Young people should participate in development of such objects,” the First Secretary of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union’s Central Committee, Aleksandr Lukyanov, addressed the President of Belarus.

Aleksandr Lukashenko instructed to complete construction of the museum on the territory of the memorial complex and restoration works in a short time – by the 80th anniversary of the Khatyn tragedy. As Khatyn’s Director Artur Zelsky reported to the Head of State on April 16th, the first stage of construction works is scheduled for 2022 – to include cleaning of The Unconquered Man sculpture, repair of the pedestal, The Roof of the Barn monument and The Crown of Memory memorial, and also restoration of granite slabs of The Last Road. During the second stage, it is planned to repair the Cemetery of Villages and Trees of Life memorials, as well as concrete fences of burials and funeral urns. The third stage will include repair of the illumination of the central alley and the sound design of the memorial. The new museum building will be one-story. It will cover an area of 1,000 square metres and have six exhibition halls.

The tradition of youth construction projects in Belarus was born several decades ago, but it received a new impetus in 2005 thanks to the President's decision to support the revival and development of student groups in the country. Reconstruction of part of the Augustovsky Canal was announced then. Later, student teams participated in construction and reconstruction of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theatre, the Nesvizh and Kossovo castles, the Minsk-Arena Sports Complex, Minsk’s Student Village, the Great Patriotic War History Museum, and the third metro line in the capital. In 2014, the status of all-Belarusian youth construction site was assigned to the objects of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, in 2019, the social infrastructure facilities in Ostrovets joined the list.