It is the duty of current generations to preserve the sacred memory of the battle-front veterans, partisans, and underground fighters who defended our freedom and right to life during the war. This was stated by Vladimir Karanik, Chairman of the Presidium of the NAS, in his greeting to the participants and guests of the International Scientific and Practical Conference "1941 in the History of Belarus: Tragedy, Heroism, Memory (on the 85th Anniversary of the Beginning of the Great Patriotic War)," which is being held in Brest on July 4-5.
The welcoming address of the head of the Academy of Sciences was read by Vadim Lakiza, Director of the Institute of History of the NAS of Belarus.
"It is symbolic that our representative forum is being held on the sacred soil of Brest, where 85 years ago, early on the morning of June 22, 1941, Soviet soldiers engaged in an unequal battle with the superior forces of the Wehrmacht," said Vladimir Karanik. "The dedication, unwavering will, and fortitude of the defenders of the Motherland in the first hours of fighting on the border are a vivid testimony to their devotion to military duty and faith in Victory. The Brest Fortress became a symbol of the courage and heroism of the Soviet people in the history of the Great Patriotic War. Its defenders—soldiers of over 30 ethnicities—fought to the death, pinning down the superior forces of the German Army Group Center on the main axis of the offensive. The names of Pyotr Gavrilov, Ivan Zubachev, Yefim Fomin, Andrei Kizhevatov, and all the heroic defenders of the stronghold on the Bug River will forever remain in the people's immortal memory.”
The children and wives of male military personnel fought alongside their male counterparts, noted the Chairman of the Presidium of the NAS.
"Together with women from the medical and support staff, they repelled enemy attacks, collected ammunition, and bandaged and evacuated the wounded. In the Year of Belarusian Woman, we bow our heads to the heroic daughters of the Soviet people who fought and brought Victory closer," the greeting reads.
More than one hundred leading scientists and experts on the history of the Great Patriotic War from Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Slovenia are participating in the International Scientific and Practical Conference.
The conference program includes thematic exhibitions prepared by the State Archives of Brest Region, Brest Regional Museum of Local History, and the Institute of History of the NAS of Belarus.
During the conference, the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Brest Hero Fortress Memorial Complex will sign a cooperation agreement.
