Belarusians commemorated 70-th anniversary of mass executions of intellectuals

29 October 1937 mass execution of the Belarusian intellectuals took place in Minsk. About 100 people, among them 22 writers were killed in inner prison of people's commissariat of internal affairs. On 70-th anniversary of the tragedy, public members attended the grave sites of communisns’ terror victims in Minsk. The authorities didn’t permit a meeting-requiem in Kurapaty.

Orthodox clergyman Leanid Akalovich was ministering at the place of burying. The people lighted candels and laid flowers in Kalvaria, Loshytsa, Trastianets, Park Chaluskintsau, Radio Svaboda reported.

Among the attendants of the memorial service were famous politicians and public activists, such as Paval Seviarynets, Viechaslau Siuchyk, Mikola Kupava and others.

“Certainly, every Belarusian should visit the places in Minsk, where the communism’s martyrs are buried. Because we can feel the breath of communism even today. Stalin’s Line, veneration of Lenin by the authorities show that the struggle hasn’t finished”, - Paval Seviarynets said.

The mourning service was organized on the initiative of the organizing committee on memory of Stalin’s repressions victims.

A meeting-requiem was scheduled in Kurapaty, but the authorities banned it. The service conducted by Greek Catholic clergymen took place in the memorial area.

But the mourning events on 70-th anniversary of climax of Bolshevik’s terror are going on.

“We are expected to conduct the mourning services today, and that’ all. But we will continue: court of public opinion against Stalinism, work on commemoration the memory of victims are ahead. So, the work is going on”, - historian Ihar Kuzniatsou said.

Militiamen and unknown persons in civvies accompanied the action participants.

The organizing committee on veneration the Stalin’s repressions victims was created in 2006 in order to organize memorial actions to 70-th anniversary of communists’ terror in 1937.

The members of the committee are representatives of public organizations, politicians, scientists, former political prisoners. It is headed by scientist Ihar Kuzniatsou and writer Vasil Yakavenka.

The committee members offered the authorities to announce the year 2007 to be the year of memory of repressions victims of 1920—1950-th, and 29 October – the Day of Memory in Belarus. But former KGB head Stiapan Sukharenka said that proposal was “unreasonable”.

Recently the traditional mass rally and meeting, dedicated to Dziady (day of commemoration of the dead) took place in Kurapaty. The cross of memory and the so called bench of Clinton - a gift of Americans to Belarusians, have been restored there not long ago – they had been damaged by unknown vandals.