Inauguration ceremony for Mogilev Oblast Glory Museum

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko attended the inauguration ceremony for the Mogilev Oblast Glory Museum.

The head of state studied the museum’s exposition, talked to representatives of labor collectives, the public and the youth of Mogilev and Mogilev District.

“Exactly thirty years have passed since we opened the memorial complex here on the Buinichi Field to commemorate the heroic feat of the Mogilev defenders. It was here that one of the most heroic chapters of the Great Patriotic War was written. Here, on the Dnieper line, the countdown to the collapse of the Third Reich began. These battles largely influenced the outcome of the Battle of Moscow and the wider war, and are comparable to the battles of Kulikovo, Borodino and Prokhorovka,” the head of state said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that the fighting on the Buinichi Field lasted about a month. It played a crucial role in delaying the German advance on Moscow that lay through Mogilev and Smolensk. One of the most striking episodes of the fierce Battle of Mogilev was the defense of this territory by the 388th rifle regiment under the command of Colonel Kutepov. This had a huge impact on the outcome of the battle for the Soviet capital. “Our command and the country’s leadership understood: it is necessary to hold off the enemy here as long as possible at all costs in order to buy time to prepare for the defense [of Moscow]. This is why these battles near Mogilev and Smolensk were so consequential,” the Belarusian leader noted.

The details about these battles are known thanks to the writer and war correspondent Konstantin Simonov. Having seen a cemetery of German tanks and other armored vehicles burned in the first battle on the Buinichi Field, he called it ‘a triumph of soldierly courage’.

“The Red Army soldiers – as Simonov wrote in his diary – became winners defying all the laws of logic. He wrote after the war that it was here, near Mogilev, that he saw ‘people who would stop the enemy’. He saw the dawn of the Great Victory,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said quoting the writer.

The Buinichi Field, the field of valor and fortitude of Soviet soldiers, left a deep mark on the war-time writer. He bequeathed that his ashes be scattered here after his death. The will of Konstantin Simonov was fulfilled.

"And today we are fulfilling the will of our veterans and local residents - we are inaugurating the Mogilev Oblast Glory Museum,” the President said.

The thousand-year history of the region is brought to life in the halls of the museum, while the voices of historical figures resonating within its walls make the past tangible for visitors, the head of state said. “The exposition explores the lives of the Radimichi tribe, from whom the history of the region began, and not only the region. Mogilev has always been a bridge between the West and the East in peacetime and a bulwark in the times of trials. These lands saw numerous battles of the armies of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, the kings of Poland, and the tzars of Russia,” said the President.

According to the head of state, the regional history acts as a microcosm of the larger national history, and the museum’s exposition depicts the thorny and centuries-long path of Belarusians to independence and statehood, and connects the heroic past with the peaceful present.

Aleksandr Lukashenko admitted that when he was told about the possibility of the Union State to contribute financially to the construction of the museum, he hesitated for a long time: “I was reluctant because we have so many monuments in our country! I thought: well, we should maintain them, keep them in proper shape. But when Governor Isachenko told me that people were insisting on building this museum and putting this complex in order, I thought: okay, if people want it, it means they will maintain it in order. I really hope so.”

The museum dedicates significant attention to the events of the Great Patriotic War. “And this is right. Especially now, when the truth about that war is being viciously challenged in ‘enlightened’ Europe: Nazis are marching, memorials and monuments are being demolished, and history is being rewritten hypocritically. That is why we sacredly honor the memory of the war veterans, of the people who rebuilt the towns and villages of Mogilev Oblast after the liberation and came to exemplify excellence and dedication to work,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.

Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced that the Mogilev Oblast Glory Museum will become truly popular, will carefully preserve and pass on from generation to generation the truth about the Great Victory of our people, and foster love and devotion to the homeland.

The President recalled that the Soviet Union lost about 30 million people in the Great Patriotic War. In order to prevent such things from happening again, it is important to remember the lessons of history. This is one of the reasons why such facilities are built. “This is not because we have nothing to do and nothing more to build. We want you to come here. There is still a generation of Soviet people who honor the memory of the Great Patriotic War. And these people can pass on this experience to the youth, so that young people understand why we do this,” the head of state said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that Belarus has largely retained the approaches to this work from Soviet times. “In essence, we are doing everything right. This must be preserved. But when it comes to the form of work, we will think about how to diversify it. But we should not discard it. After abandoning our traditions, principles and morals, we have destroyed a great country. And today, each of them [former Soviet republics] is muddling along on their own. Except for Belarus and Russia that finally took a step toward this unity. But do not think that the former Soviet republics are eager to follow in our footsteps. A huge gap arose between us and them after the collapse of the Soviet Union. But we are fighting. We are showing the way forward by our example. We are trying to become an economic magnet for them, to bring them closer to us. Because these are our peoples, Soviet peoples. They also participated in this war and won together with us,” the head of state noted.