Address to compatriots on occasion of Khatyn tragedy anniversary

Dear compatriots,

Today, 22 March, is the sad date of the terrible tragedy, which has become a symbol of the cruel crimes of Nazism.

Almost 80 years separate us from the spring day, the last one in the life of 149 residents of the Belarusian village of Khatyn. Peaceful and defenseless people who simply wanted to work on their native land, raise children and continue the history of their country were burned alive by the henchmen who came to destroy the Slavic civilization.

The facts that we did not talk much about to protect the hearts and souls of the post-war generations of the kin nations - Belarusian, Ukrainian, Russian - make the memory of the brutal massacre of defenseless elders, women, children and babies even more painful. The German fascists were eagerly assisted by the 118th battalion consisting of Ukrainian collaborators who swore allegiance to the aggressor. Those whose bloody atrocities inspire modern neo-Nazis who exterminate their fellow citizens in the south-east of Ukraine for their ethnicity.

But we know for sure that the mournful sound of the Khatyn bells breaks the hearts of not only Belarusians but also of millions of people around the world who look at that war with open eyes, who understand that Nazism has no nationality, and who believe that evil will be punished.