Dear veterans, dear colleagues!
On behalf of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and on my own behalf, I congratulate you on the upcoming sacred holiday for the entire Belarusian people – Victory Day!

This is the 78th time we are celebrating the peaceful spring and celebrating the heroism of our people, manifested during the years of military hard times, their courage, bravery, unity in the struggle for the freedom of the Motherland. On this day we remember those who died on the battlefields, worked selflessly in the rear, and raised the country in the post-war period.

The entire Soviet people forged one Victory for all: military personnel, partisans, home front workers, scientists. In the shortest possible time, new types of weapons were created, the industry was rebuilt for defense, everything was done to withstand and defeat fascism. In the post-war years, the selfless work of all the people made it possible to restore the republic, create a powerful scientific and educational sphere, competitive industry and agriculture.

Today, the modern world, unfortunately, presents our society with new challenges. Probably, that’s why the Day of the Great Victory acquires a special color and meaning in the Year of Peace and Creation. It is the most striking example of the cohesion of our society against the greatest disaster. It is a symbol of indomitable will, fortitude, readiness for self-sacrifice and faith in a just cause.

The Academy of Sciences sacredly honors the memory of veterans and their feat. It has become a good tradition on the eve of May 9 to visit war veterans and concentration camp prisoners, congratulate them and give them gifts. Places of military glory, graves of fallen soldiers are not left without attention.

The All-Belarusian campaign ‘People's Chronicle of the Great Patriotic War: Let's Remember Everyone!’ initiated by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, has been going on for the third year. The new, already the third book, which will soon be published, contains many stories about the events of 1941–1945, recorded from the words of eyewitnesses, told by veterans and children of the war. This action proved that each of us can be a historian of one’s own family, that archives and specialized Internet sites opened today allow us to study documents that shed light on the fate of literally every soldier and officer. The volumes of this series have repeatedly become prize-winners of the Art of The Book contest.

Good health, long life and emotional warmth to you, dear veterans.
I sincerely wish you happiness, health, new achievements!
May the Great Victory and the memory of it always inspire all of us to new peaceful achievements!
Happy holidays!
Happy Victory Day!

Vladimir GUSAKOV,
Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Academician