Posted: 24.09.2021 12:37:00

Partisans of Belarus never forgotten

An interactive exhibition based on materials of the Partisans of Belarus Internet project is on show at Mogilev’s Palace of Culture and will soon move to A. Kuleshov State University

Creation of the Partisans of Belarus electronic virtual encyclopaedia of the partisan movement on the territory of Belarus in 1941-1944 followed an agreement between the National Archives of Belarus and the Belarus Segodnya Publishing House signed in September 2018.

Viktor Kurash, the Director of the Department for Archives and Records Management at Belarus’ Justice Ministry, comments, “The National Archives of Belarus keep a unique collection of more than 450,000 cards of the headquarters of Belarus’ partisan movement, in addition to award lists of partisans and underground workers. We were addressed by the Belarus Segodnya Publishing House with a proposal to make it an accessible information resource so that people could learn more of our forefathers’ feat.”

That was how a painstaking work began. It was necessary to verify every letter and family name. On the first stage, the names of Soviet Union heroes, brigade commanders, those awarded with orders and medals were added and then other partisans and underground fighters followed.

To date, about 180,000 cards have already been registered with the Partisans of Belarus. The work continues and, once it is completed, a virtual encyclopaedia of the partisan movement will become available.

Since 2020, the mobile interactive exhibition – Feats and Destinies of Partisans in Documents – has been touring the Belarusian regions. Among the exhibits are historical photos of the Great Patriotic War, copies of award lists and combat characteristics of partisans and underground workers. Visitors can learn about the exploits and merits of certain partisans, combat clashes, and partisan formations. An interactive stand makes it possible for anyone to find their heroic forefathers from among the partisans and underground workers, if any.

“The Great Patriotic War left a deep mark on the Belarusian history. About 2.5m people died, thousands of villages were burned, and the country was then enveloped in a network of concentration camps and ghettos. Residents of the occupied territories experienced all the horrors of the policy of genocide. It is known that Belarus was liberated by four fronts, while there was also the fifth front: the partisan movement. We hope the presented exhibition will give a broader idea of its nature and scale,” Mr. Kurash added.