Today, March 22, on Remembrance Day for the Victims of the Khatyn Tragedy, representatives of the Belarusian National Technical University, led by Rector Sergei Kharitonchik, took part in a flower-laying ceremony at the Eternal Flame at the Khatyn Memorial Complex. Participants also observed a moment of silence to honor the memory of the residents of the burned village and paid tribute to all Belarusians who perished during the Great Patriotic War.
The Khatyn tragedy occurred on March 22, 1943, and went down in history as a symbol of the atrocities of the Nazi punitive forces. They surrounded the village, herded all the inhabitants into a barn, lined it with straw, and set it ablaze. Those who tried to escape were shot. The fire killed 149 people, including 75 children.
Only a few survived. Three children managed to escape before the fire. Two girls miraculously escaped the burning barn, but they later perished in the destruction of the neighboring village. Two boys survived in the barn itself: one was shielded by his mother, the other by the Nazis. The only adult witness to the tragedy was the village blacksmith, Iosif Kaminsky. Burned and wounded, he regained consciousness that night and found his mortally wounded son, Adam, in the ashes. The boy died in his arms. This image became the prototype for the sculpture “Unconquered Man” in the Khatyn memorial complex.
For BNTU students and staff, March 22 is more than just a date on the calendar; it is a day of profound reflection on historical truth and the continuity of generations. This tragedy will forever remain in the history of our country as a symbol of the pain and unbroken spirit of the Belarusian people, a reminder of the hundreds of Belarusian villages burned and never revived.
On the eve of the commemorative date, university students were given tours dedicated to the tragic events of the war. Future engineers and teachers visited the Khatyn Memorial Complex, where they were able to see firsthand the sites that preserve the memory of their ancestors' heroism.
The university also hosted dialogue platforms. In an open discussion format, students, faculty, and invited experts discussed issues of historical memory, patriotism, and the responsibility for preserving the truth about the war. These meetings provided a space for sincere dialogue, where students could express their views on the past and the present.
A special place in the cycle of commemorative events was occupied by the project “Youth about the Main”. Throughout the week preceding March 22, the youth structures of the BNTU of all faculties spoke with students about the Khatyn tragedy. As part of the project, there were thematic meetings, lectures, and discussions where participants talked about what really matters: about law and justice, about memory and truth, about the past and the future. These conversations went beyond the classroom. Students shared stories from their families, discussed documentary evidence of the tragedy, and reflected on how to preserve peace and prevent the mistakes of the past from happening again.
The Belarusian National Technical University remembers. After all, history is, above all, a message to future generations to preserve peace and never forget the price at which it was won.
