Participants of the public initiative "Kabylaki. They were shot in Vorša and visited the reception of the chairman of the district executive committee, Alexander Poznyak, to agree on the contents of the memorial plate promised by the authorities on the site of Stalin's executions.

Poznyak confirmed his readiness to establish it, but with certain conditions: in particular, he expressed the wish that the "people's memorial" created by the relatives of the deceased be removed. Among the activists, disputes began: is it worth accepting assistance from the authorities at such a price.

Place of shootings to be arranged

Relatives of the repressed – representatives of the initiative "Kabylaki. They were shot in Vorša "– they were pleased with the conversation with Alexander Pazniak. Dina Katsar, the granddaughter of Aleksei Markevich, who was shot, hopes for a positive solution to the issue of improving the Kabylackaja Mountain.

"I do not know how it will all be, but it seems to me that he is a man of the word," Kacar says. "I'm glad that they have taken up the question of accomplishment, people should be able to get to this place. We want to put our monument there – my grandfather."

Igor Stankevich, the creator of the initiative, which united the relatives of the repressed, wanted to hear more concrete promises.

"We asked to appoint those responsible for the preservation of the memorial," Stankevich said. "In order not to steal a new sign, as it was with the two former ones." They answered that it was impossible, because it was far away. So, the police will come in from time to time, and that's it. They promised that they would arrange the surrounding territory, but partially: they would clean the deadwood, shrub. But the ladder through the railway, so it was more convenient to get, refused to do. "

What will they write on the signboard

The sign promised by the district executive committee should appear on the monument-boulder, set on Kobylyatskaya Hill in 1994. There were already two signs on it, which the vandals had stolen, with the lines of Anna Akhmatova. "I would like to name everyone by name, they have been deprived of the list and have nowhere to find out."

Relatives of those shot after the visit to the district executive committee: Dina Katsar, Stanislav Lozovsky, Igor Stankevich, Valentina Razumnaya, Larisa Areshyna

In social networks and in personal conversations, Igor Stankevich arranged a discussion about what should be written on the new plate. It was decided that the best option is the phrase "Memory of Victims of Political Repression" in four languages: Belarusian, Russian, Polish and Hebrew.

Unequivocal agreement with this chairman of the district executive committee in itself.

"Alexander Poznyak doubts whether it is necessary to write in four languages. Like, it will take a lot of space, "Stankevich told. – he asked, and for what money the sign will be made. Previously, they promised us that they would take all the expenses on themselves with the executive committee. And if not, we will collect the money and do it ourselves. The chairman hesitated and said that it was not necessary what they would do for budgetary funds. "

"The authorities have not done anything here for 20 years, and do not. Only spoil it!"

Viktor Andreev, an Vorša researcher of the history of the democratic movement, suspects that the authorities will not want to write about "the victims of political repression", can do with some sort of neutral inscription.

He is one of those who are engaged in landscaping on the Kabylackaja mountain since 1989. Then in Vorša for the first time laying flowers at the place of executions took place. In 1990, the grand opening of the temporary monument – the nightstand. In 1994, on the offer of the Vorša historian Yuri Koptik, a boulder monument was erected here, the signs from which were stolen. In 1997, activists made a sign, reinforcing it not on a stone, but next to a quote from the Gospel and the words "Here are buried the victims of repression committed by the impious communist regime."

A sign that can disappear as a result of "improvement"

Andreev is worried that this sign will be exterminated when they put a new one:

"I think the authorities did not have to go: people here honored the memory of their relatives and without their permission. The officials have not been here for 20 years, and it's good. Now destroy everything. "

Someone put crosses in the forest

Stankevich believes that the installation by the district executive committee of the sign will make officials responsible for the state of the monument, and to eliminate the people's memorial do not agree:

"One has only to make sure that the text is the one that people want, and not some other. And we must try to do so that the whole memorial is not hurt – to conduct further negotiations on this matter, to bring its position. "

Signs made by Igor Stankevich

Victor Andreev is the author of the book "The Vorša Chronicle 1986-2001", which describes the history of the memorialization of the shooting place on the Kabylackaja Mountain. In his opinion, the people's memorial arose and survived here thanks to the many years of collective efforts of the city's activists.

Since 1989, they have arranged citywide funeral processions to these places, supported the monument and the surrounding area in order, invited the descendants of the repressed people to the events, came here every day to Dzyady and Radunitsa.

Temporary monument on the Kabylackaja mountain, established in 1990

Andreev is afraid that the people's memorial, which was created for years, will be destroyed in the guise of "improvement."

"While everything was as before, everyone could honor the memory of their ancestors by putting a cross or other sign here. Now, under the close scrutiny of the authorities, this will be considered illegal, and the memory of the repressed will turn into a state office and officialdom," Andreev said.

Grandparents on Kabylackaja mountains, archive photo

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