A lot of surprises waiting for members of the public initiative "Hayes" September 12 while visiting their places of mass executions in the forest near Viciebsk. And most shocking of them: unknown vandals dismantled five wooden cross erected by activists and consecrated a priest in veneration of the memory of people killed there.

This time the scene of the tragedy with the Viciebsk activists visited the archaeologist National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Nikolai Kryvaltsevich and his colleague Valentina Vergey. Once, Mr. Nicholas has been closely involved in the exhumation of the remains found in Kurapaty. Inviting the capital of archaeologists, Viciebsk activists believed that their wealth of experience will determine in due course and features found their graves.

The surprises began with a meeting with a forester of Mazałava forestry that await visitors in the parking lot. He said that the chairman of the Mazałava rural  executive committee received from the Investigative Committee of the information to interested activists and warned of camera traps installed in the forest – they say, do not try to keep unauthorized excavation.

Archaeologists have barely begun to inspect the excavated "black diggers" pits in the woods there were two police officers – a local precinct captain Alexander Nedved and Major, who does not use. They warned that to be in this place is dangerous, because there were allegedly found explosive items. His appearance in the forest, they explained to care about the safety of the people present there. The police said that the answers to all the questions of interest to the public may be obtained from Mazałava executive committee. It was also announced information allegedly found fragments of the German tunic, which suggests that this burial dates back to the Second World War.

By the heard present treated with a certain degree of irony and skepticism: far-fetched fact does not fit into the overall picture of, what they had seen with their own eyes. It has long been excavated grave looters are not venerated for decades, and suddenly this "concern" by the authorities.

Commented seen archaeologist Nikolai Kryvaltsevich:

– It is evident that worked amateurs. Well what a professional so roll the dice? Excavations this year, more like the work of that little know what the exhumation.

If the grave is opened, all this should be reburied. Bones do not have to wallow in the woods. If carried out the exhumation of the graves, the one who held it, should fill the grave. Take any methodological position excavation: the pit should be rehabilitated as they were in their original form. If this is not done, then the graves looted. Graves should be backfilled, and if there are people that should be put on the graves of the crosses. Remains better buried in the tomb from which they were excavated. Any remains should be honored. But almost as soon as possible? Cross. Public organizations may seek from the state, to have it done. Otherwise, it is necessary to say that we will do it ourselves. People will come to announce cleanup and no money will do. And it will be an act of consolidation.

Valentina Vergey also expressed their comments:

– There is a certain technique of excavation, which is absolutely broken. Every step is recorded, the blade is placed on the proper side to have approaches bones laid out in pairs, the upper, lower limbs, skull. Skull – is the most informative part of the body, and here we see that they are all taken. If the skull bullet hole, then killed in the head, as was customary in the NKVD. We saw a lot of women's shoes. This is not a military burial. It can be seen that there is the civilian population.

Jan Dzyarzhautsau:

– We believe that everything that is done, is done by the authorities. Here in this excavation, we counted seven rows of bones. They lay layers, interspersed with sand, but then someone here all break. We do not dig. Before excavation was about half a meter, the second pit was nekopanaya. Well visible end. The bones are removed. We asked to inform us when they arrive bones, so that we can take part in the funeral in accordance with the Christian tradition. We learn that the bones of those profits – we learn by accident.

Then he sent us a message. They write: on the audit can be argued that the bones of more than fifty years, from what people have died – is unknown; we passed the bones in the housing, in special plant to bury. We write in the special plant: reply us, where have you buried? And if not buried, we want to do it together with you. And they answered us: We have received nothing. They wrote us an official paper that because of the investigative committee received nothing. We have asked the village council, and they kicked us.

After finishing inspection area, archaeologists and members of the public attended Mazałava rural executive committee, where they met with business manager for Catherine Korolyova, who reported results of forensic examination, "fragments of the tunic have a common tribal affiliation to the military tunic made in Germany. This conclusion gives grounds to assert that these burials date back to the Second World War." However, read the paper or photograph managing the affairs of the executive committee since none of those present and has not allowed.

Recognize the mass graves graves Mrs. Korolyova disagreed, saying that an object, which is now being investigated. She also said that the local authorities are not related to the destruction of the established activists crosses. Then, referring to the fact that shared all their information, she asked the audience to leave her service office.

Vitebsk Spring