Article by Ambassador of Belarus to Việt Nam H.E. Mr. Uladzimir Baravikou for the Việt Nam News on the occasion of the 3rd July - Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus, 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders

July 3 is a special date for every Belarusian. On this day in 1944 the capital of our country - the city of Minsk - was liberated. On this day the Belarusian people celebrate the main state holiday - Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus - Republic Day.

This year is a jubilee one. We are celebrating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders. A lot of time has passed since then. But the witnesses and participants of that terrible war, which left unhealing wounds in the heart of each of them, are still alive. It is our sacred duty to honour the memory of all those who gave the most precious thing – their life - for the freedom and independence of the Motherland; so that future generations would live in a peaceful and safe country.

Former Minister of Public Security Tô Lâm (right, front row) hosts State Secretary of Security Council of Belarus Aleksandr Volfovich on December 13, 2023. Photos Courtesy of the embassy

Belarus knows the price of victory like no other. Our republic was one of the first to take the heaviest blow of Hitler's hordes in June 1941. The heroism of the defenders of the Brest Fortress is known not only in our country; but also far beyond its borders, including Việt Nam, thanks in no small measure to the publication of the book of writer Sergei Smirnov 'Brest Fortress' in Vietnamese in 1970. Since May 8, 1965, the Brest Fortress has deservedly held the title Hero Fortress.

The war brought with it huge economic losses. More than 100 thousand industrial production buildings and 10 thousand collective farms were destroyed on the Belarusian territory. More than 10 thousand industrial enterprises, including all large power stations, were destroyed or taken to Germany. The economy of the republic in terms of industrial and power capacities was thrown back to the level of 1913.

During the war years, Belarus lost one-third of its population. German invaders burned, destroyed, and looted 209 out of 270 towns and district centres, 9,300 villages. The name of the village 'Khatyn', which the Nazi punishers burned down together with its inhabitants, has become a symbol of grief and an example of brutality and cruelty of the executioners, who spared no one: neither women, nor children, nor the elderly.

We openly and loudly speak today on all international platforms about the genocide of the Belarusian people in the Great Patriotic War, and publish materials and facts about the crimes against humanity committed by the fascist executioners and their henchmen on the Belarusian territory.

We also know that Vietnam had its own Khatyn - the village of Songmi, which was burned down with its inhabitants by American soldiers. These two symbols of inhumanity, on the one hand and of unparalleled steadfastness, courage, selflessness, and boundless faith in a bright future and in victory over the enemy, on the other, will remain an important reminder of the horrors of war for all future generations, as well as a basis for preserving and strengthening the time-tested friendship, trust and mutual understanding between our countries and peoples.

Meeting of the Minister of Education of Belarus Andrei Ivanets (left, front row) with the Friendship Society Việt Nam-Belarus in Hà Nội on June 15, 2023.

Unfortunately, not everyone today shares and supports our common memory of that war. The decisive contribution of the Soviet Union to the overall victory over fascism is downplayed or silenced; in Western and Eastern European countries we are denied participation in memorial events... Today it is more important than ever to preserve the historical truth about the Great Patriotic War, its victims, and victorious heroes; so that such a tragedy never happens again and war never enters our homes.

I believe that today, in this turbulent and rapidly changing world, together with the majority of countries of the global East and South, we will endure, become stronger, more confident in our strength, and hardened to continue to live on our land according to our traditions and rules, without external dictate, to ensure peace, security, and well-being of our citizens, to strengthen sovereignty and independence on an equal and mutually respectful basis.

On the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus - Republic Day, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from Nazi invaders, let me wish all readers of the Việt Nam News edition strong health, happiness, prosperity, success, and, most importantly, goodness and peaceful sky above your head! VNS