Members of the organizing committee of the civil initiative "Chajsy" appealed to the Vitebsk diocesan administration with a proposal to honor the memory of people whose remains were found in the woods near Vitebsk. The proposal was sent another 11 of March, but so far, activists have not received any response from the diocese.

Members of the organizing committee of the civil initiative believe that they had found the remains belong to the victims of Stalinist repressions of the 1930s. In November 2014 they appealed to the Prosecutor's Office and the Investigative Committee to those investigated. Investigative Committee opened a case, found several skulls were sent for examination in Minsk – and this is all to a halt: the expert opinion is not so far.

Last year, activists have established near the wells in which the remains were found, a few crosses. Greek-Catholic priest held a memorial service.

Activists believe that it would be nice at the alleged executions and to hold a prayer service in the Orthodox rite, because surely among the dead there were many Orthodox believers. The request for this and contacted the diocese. They are also asked to establish a memorial cross and approach the authorities with a proposal on the establishment of the memorial sign in honor of Orthodox Citizens, including representatives of the Orthodox clergy, martyrs by the Stalinist regime.

It's been more than a month, as the letter was sent to the diocese, but the answer is no. Maybe, in the diocese believe that the church is so separated from the state, the laws in force in the State – in particular, the law "On citizens and legal entities", which requires to give answers within fifteen days – they do not decree?

However, an appeal was sent to the diocese even before these days there are new findings that suggest that the number of buried near Chajsy significantly greater than it might have seemed before. Activists hope that now, albeit belatedly, Orthodox hierarchs somehow respond to their offer – if not in order to comply with the law, remembering his Christian pastoral duty.

Vitebsk Spring