Kukushkino, 12 April. Executives and staff of the Education Ministry took an active part in the Republican subotnik. Together with our youth, we worked in the memorial complex at the mass grave of prisoners of war and civilians in the village of Kukushkino, Chervensky district.

According to the recollections of local residents, it was at this place in September 1941 that the Nazis shot hundreds of people, mostly men. In peacetime, a sculpture of a mortally wounded soldier was erected here on an oblong beam near the elevated grave. The seven-meter silhouette symbolizes insubordination and confidence in Victory.

Representatives of the education sector are regularly actively involved in landscaping, improvement and bringing objects and territories of populated areas, iconic objects, historical and cultural values into proper condition. Particular attention is paid to memorial complexes and places of military and combat glory, burials of soldiers and partisans of the Great Patriotic War.

Deputy Education Minister of Belarus Alexander Kadlubai told journalists that when you work in such a place, you experience completely different emotions. “Republican subotnik days are not just events to clean and improve the territory. Subotnik cultivates diligence in each person and forms responsibility. It is a symbol of respect for history and the desire to preserve its living memory. Today, we made a conscious choice, choosing an ideologically significant site - a memorial complex at the mass grave of prisoners of war and civilians near the village of Kukushkino in the Chervensky District. Representatives of the Ministry work here together with young people. This is not only an example of education through work, but also a tribute to the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, which we celebrate this year. The memorial site is quite compact in area, but the scope of work for our Ministry is solid - there is a lot to work on. We will make every effort, and will end it with a rally to honor the feat of civilians and heroes of those tragic years. Today, April 12, in addition to the Republican subotnik, we also celebrate Cosmonautics Day. It is especially pleasant that the Cosmonautics Museum is located in the Secondary School No. 2 named after A.K. Flegontov Cherven, which also gives our presence here a special symbolism. It is worth noting that about 7 thousand memorial graves are assigned to educational institutions of the country and not a single one of them is left without attention, especially on the eve of May 9. We understand that many institutions are engaged in cleaning on their own, but today we have focused on larger-scale work: painting, landscaping, greening - something that may be difficult for schoolchildren," he added.

The money earned during subotnik, including at workplaces, will go to the construction of the Belarusian National Museum of History.