Partisan Belarus

Comment by Natalya Kochanova, Chairperson of the Council of the Republic, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the partisan parade in honour of Minsk’s liberation from Nazi invaders

July 16th marks a special date in the fate of Belarusians and the entire Soviet people. Exactly 80 years ago, a milestone event took place in Minsk — a parade of Byelorussian partisans, a real Byelorussian resistance movement, to celebrate the liberation of our capital from German Nazi invaders. It was already obvious at that time — the Great Victory was near and inevitable.

It was a triumph of the victorious people — 30 partisan brigades and two separate detachments lined up on the former hippodrome and the streets adjacent to it. About 30,000 people’s avengers marched in the solemn formation, and 50,000 Minsk residents who survived the occupation filled a vast territory. With great joy, delight and uncontainable happiness, people greeted the great holiday that symbolised the beginning of peaceful life in long-suffering Belarus. 
The day after the parade, many of its participants, having put on the uniform of regular units, went to the west. The partisans won their war, but the Red Army still had ten months of fierce battles ahead… Some of the former partisans had to deal with the restoration of the national economy or even return to school desks, from where they were so unfairly torn out and thrown into the crucible of harsh ordeals during the troubled war years.
The courageous, proud, unbroken Byelorussian people had a lot of work ahead of them to restore the liberated territories, years of hard work and colossal efforts to overcome the post-war devastation, a long way to build a sovereign, truly people’s state. In their brightest hopes and dreams, people saw our country independent, beautiful, well-groomed, prosperous, comfortable to live in, and most importantly — peaceful. The way we have it now.
On these July days, we traditionally remember the tragic and heroic history of our country, pay tribute to the memory of the fallen heroes, and honour veterans, participants and children of the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War. We are eternally indebted to the older generations who defended the freedom and independence of the Motherland at an incredible cost and gave us the right to the future.
It goes without saying that we express our deep respect and gratitude to the representatives of the Armed Forces, state security agencies, internal affairs agencies, border service agencies and all those who are now safeguarding peace and quiet with weapons in their hands, holding the clear sky of our country on their shoulders, as well as to workers of all industries and professions who give their talent and skills to the glory of our dear and beloved Belarus.
Imperishable lines vividly resonate with every true Belarusian: ‘People! As long as hearts are pounding, remember! At what price happiness was won, please remember! Tell your children about them, so that they will remember! Tell the children’s children about them, so that they will remember that, too!’ After all, it is now our turn to write new pages of Belarusian history, preserve and protect the truth about the events of the past and present, and pass down to the youth our kind attitude towards the country and the people.
In order to ensure the continuity of the historical memory of the heroic feat of the Byelorussian people during the Great Patriotic War and in view of the particular role of the Byelorussian partisan and underground movement in our history as one of the foundations of national and state identity, we deem it advisable to establish a new landmark date in Belarus — Day of Partisans and Underground Fighters. In the nearest time, we are ready to hold an open discussion on the site of the Council of the Republic, during which we will determine the date most appropriate to this event, as well as will develop relevant approaches to perpetuating the memory of the participants in the Byelorussian resistance movement and their contribution to the Great Victory. 
We must do everything possible and even impossible for our country to be strong and become even stronger, successfully develop and prosper, confidently take its rightful place in a new, more just and humane multipolar world. This is our sacred duty to the victorious people, to the older generations, to ourselves. Time has chosen us!
                           Partisan parade in Minsk, July 16th, 1944

Fragment of the monument Partisan Belarus in Minsk