Nationwide subbotnik in Khatyn Memorial Complex

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko took part in a nationwide subbotnik (voluntary labor day) in the Khatyn Memorial Complex on 16 April.

The head of state gave an instruction to build a new museum in Khatyn and carry out all the necessary restoration work ahead of the 80^th anniversary of the Khatyn tragedy which will be marked on 22 March 2023.

“It will be 80 years old next year. Everything must be licked into shape from Minsk to Khatyn starting with the roads. All the construction projects [in the memorial complex] have to be finished by this time,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Director of the Khatyn Memorial Complex Artur Zelsky told the head of state that plans had been made to arrange a major overhaul of the memorial complex featuring modernization and restoration. The first construction stage is scheduled for 2022. It includes the cleanup of The Unconquered Man sculpture, repairs of the pedestal, of the Roof of the Barn monument, and of the Round of Logs of Memory monument, the restoration of granite slabs of the Last Road monument.

During the second construction stage the memorials Cemetery of Villages and Trees of Life will be repaired as well as concrete fences around burial sites and urns with soil. These works are also scheduled for 2022.

The third stage provides for repairing lighting along the central walkway and sound equipment of the memorial.

A new building of the museum is supposed to be built in Khatyn. It is envisaged as a single-floor building with the total area of 1,000m2 where visitors will move in a circle across six exhibition halls.

Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed: “I want all the works to begin in May. Report the deadlines, plans, who will work, expert evaluations, designs, and cost estimates to me by 9 May. I understand that we will be able to build it. But we are going to carefully flesh it out. We have to do everything by this anniversary. Start building the museum right away. The exhibition it will have is the key. I want people’s hearts broken already before they walk here.”

Visiting the memorial complex, the President laid flowers at the monument The Unconquered Man and took part in a nationwide subbotnik (voluntary labor day). A historical memory park will be set up in the Khatyn Memorial Complex. As many as 149 trees will be planted to match the number of dead residents of the village. Fruit trees and shrubs will be planted near symbolical log buildings.