Vandals demolish cross to victims of Stalin’s repressions near Homel

An orthodox cross in memory of victims of Stalin’s repressions set up by civic activists near Homel–Chernihiv highway was demolished by unknown people.

The memorial cross stood only for three days. On November 6, Soul Saturday, an action of commemoration of the victims of Stalins’s purges was held in Homel. Singer and songwriter Andrei Melnikau, coordinators on creating the Belarusian Christian Democracy party Yauhen Yakavenka and Yury Klimovich walked along the central streets of Homel carrying a wooden Orthodox cross, made by local opposition activist Kanstantsin Zhukouski. They set up the cross in the wood near Navabelitsa city district, the mass grave site of victims of Stalin’s repressions.

As BelaPAN learnt from Melnikau, they decided to consecrate the memorial cross on November 10 and invited an Orthodox priest to do that. “But we didn’t see the cross. Later, we found it in a heap of rubbish and leaf litter. I don’t know who made it, but it’s a demonstration of the level of cultural conscience of our people,” the singer said.