Miory Regional Executive Committee

Under the motto "Preserved by Memory", the traditional meeting took place at the Mound of Friendship. Next year, the jubilee 65th meeting will be held, which will be organized by our country.

This marks the 64th gathering of people at this place, symbolizing the combat brotherhood of partisans and underground fighters of various nations, located at the junction of the borders of Russia, Belarus, and Latvia, to pay tribute to the defenders of the Fatherland. In the nearby forests, north of Lake Osveya and beyond the villages of Proshki and Gavrilino, the Proshka International Youth Underground existed and operated from the very first days of the German occupation. In 1959, a memorial uniting three countries was established. At its center stood an artificial hill, crowned with a planted oak tree. From the mound, a birch avenue extends toward Belarus, a linden avenue toward Latvia, and a maple avenue toward Russia.

Today, the linden avenue has been overtaken by weeds, and memory has been neglected. The mound, which lies within the territory of the European Union, is enclosed by barbed wire. The small footbridge, once used by veterans to cross over to their comrades-in-arms, has also been demolished. To preserve these cherished symbols, a monumental granite marker for the mound and an oak sculpture adorned with leaves in the colors of the state flags of both countries were erected on the Russia–Belarus border.

“We share a heroic history, a no less heroic present, and, I believe, the brightest and most promising future. The foundation of such events is our shared victory and the unity of peoples; they bring us together and make us stronger. Meeting in this sacred place gives us the opportunity to visit one another again, embrace, and realize that we are kin and one large family,” emphasized Alexander Subbotin, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.

His Russian counterpart, Governor of the Pskov Region Mikhail Vedernikov, noted that youth are currently taking center stage in the memory relay.

– Unfortunately, the number of veterans continues to decline. Our heroes are passing away, and those among them who remain alive cannot participate in such events due to their age. This is precisely why we began considering a change in the meeting’s concept several years ago. Who else but the younger generation should carry forward the legacy passed down by the veterans, study our shared history, the history of the Great Patriotic War, and our Victory, – stated Mikhail Vedernikov.

The youth Belarusian-Russian educational and patriotic camp “Kurgan-2023” brought together more than 300 participants. Over several days of operation, various patriotic, educational, and sports projects were implemented. The young people organized the intellectual tournament “Flowers of Great Victory,” the military-sports game “Northern Region,” the championship on assembling the spil-map “I Know Belarus,” and took part in events at the Kurgan of Friendship.

The camp has adopted its own anthem. Inspired by the Belarusian initiative, Russian organizers decided to launch a similar patriotic camp for youth, which opened recently near Sebezh and brought together teenagers aged 14 to 18. Both camps converged at the Kurgan of Friendship.

As is traditional, the official segment of the meeting, hosted this year by the Russian delegation, commenced with a procession and the laying of wreaths and flowers at monuments dedicated to Maria Pynto, secretary of the Sebezh District Committee of the Komsomol and a partisan scout, whose memorial is located on Russian territory, as well as to the Komsomol underground activists from Proshki village in the Verkhnedvinsk District. The procession was led by the regional heads and chairmen of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies, Vladimir Terentyev, and the Pskov Regional Assembly of Deputies, Alexander Kotov. Walking shoulder to shoulder were the heads of all districts in the Vitebsk region and adjacent Russian border regions, deputies, representatives of public organizations, and young people.

A prayer service was held in the Chapel of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, erected in memory of those who lost their lives during the Great Patriotic War. Following the service, all attendees gathered near the stage, where artistic ensembles performed.

The musical symbol of the gathering at the Kurgan was the song “Katyusha,” which was sung in unison by all attendees who had come to this sacred site. The event concluded with the lighting of a traditional bonfire, which kept our grandfathers and great-grandfathers warm during the distant war years.

Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by