Kochanova: we will always remember, as we are unable to betray or forget

The Chairperson of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly, Natalya Kochanova, has taken part today in a solemn laying of flowers at the Masyukovshchina memorial complex. Members of the Presidium of the Council of the Republic, heads of regional, district and village councils of deputies have participated in the commemorative events dedicated to National Remembrance Day of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and the Genocide of the Belarusian People.

“We remember everyone who died and who did everything to defend peace,” Ms. Kochanova said. “We remember those who restored the ruined country in the post-war years. Therefore, we must never allow history to be rewritten. It is our sacred duty to pass the memory of the war from one generation to another in order to remember the price paid for our independence and freedom. That was scary: grief came to every Belarusian family. We must do everything to prevent such catastrophes and suffering on our land in the future.”

According to Ms. Kochanova, patriotic work in Belarus has always been carried out at the proper level, but time poses new challenges, “Patriotic education of any person begins with the family. I think there can be no other feelings when you were born in such a long-suffering country – where people experienced so much grief and did everything to make their land so beautiful now. Patriotism is primarily love for our homeland, people, country, family, relatives, friends, and parents. This has reached a slightly different level now. There are so many lies and fakes today; they have flooded the whole world. History is being rewritten, while lies are being distributed by various information channels and sources. You know, the ongoing things are beyond comprehension. It is not our tradition to betray and to forget. It is not our mentality. We will always remember. True, each stage of the country's development introduces some changes to its strategy, and this is right. That is how it should be. The world is changing, people are changing, and our traditions are changing. However, our attitude towards the Motherland should always be the same as it was for those who stood up for their country back in 1941, and those who are defending it at present.”