Belarusians should be used as an example of how one can appreciate the past and preserve peace. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement as he met with students of Vitebsk Oblast higher education institutions during a Q&A session titled as “Open microphone with the president” on 2 September, BelTA has learned.
While talking to the head of state, the students also raised the matter of importance of preserving the historical memory. It was stressed that it is necessary to fight against the revival of the destructive fascist ideology. “What can we do in our country, what projects can we realize or what events can we host in order to prevent the repeat of such tragic events and in order to contribute to the unification of the nations, who suffered during the years of the war, for the sake of one common goal: the preservation of peace?” the president was asked.
“Without false immodesty I can say that no nation can compete with what Belarus and Belarusians do. I think that we’ve already done so much that it seems we don’t have to do anything anymore. Our example should be used to learn how to follow these principles, how to appreciate all of that,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
The head of state reminded that monuments were supposed to be demolished and streets were supposed to be renamed in Belarus in the mid-1990s, however, he managed to stop these tendencies.
“We should be the ones one can learn how to appreciate one’s past from. We should follow down this path. It has always been like that for us: everything is good, everything is fine, there is no need to do anything, things will happen on their own. This is why we shouldn’t forget it. When I visit [the WW2 memorial] Khatyn, when I visit Pobedy Square, I always tell people: ‘Come to the monuments and bring your kids here’. Once we forget the road to the monuments, all of it will be repeated,” the president pointed out.
