In 2017, 80 years the so-called "Great Terror", which is directly linked to the personality of Stalin. Stalin died long ago, but the memory of Stalin's victims is still not revered. Viciebsk civil initiative "Chajsy" is looking for a place repressed graves in the vicinity of the city and returns to society-forgotten testimony of our tragic history. Our correspondent spoke with the head of the initiative "Chajsy" Jan Dzyarzhautsau.
Dear Mr. Jan, March 5 1953 Stalin died, but Stalinism, if unmasked and convicted shortly after his death, has successfully lived up to our days. Today in Russia and in Belarus there is a certain reanimation significance of Stalin's personality, enhanced by nostalgia for those times. As for you, tell me, what events of the period you primarily associate with this historical figure?
Stalin – a criminal character. The name of the "All-Union godfather" primarily due to the mass terror against hundreds of people. Soviet kind of totalitarianism – Stalinism force drove these people in the most terrible in the history of mankind empire – the USSR. I believe Stalin's biggest criminal in the world, who, along with his friend Hitler started World War II in 1939.
Nazism and Stalinism – are two sides of the same coin. Putting ideological values above the values common to all mankind, these two modes have destroyed the foundation, which is based on life itself. Consequences of you know, only officially recognized by the Russian Duma figures Soviet Union lost in the war more than 42 million people, although some researchers have brought the number of victims to 60 million.
But Stalinism has another aspect – it is the repression against its own citizens in peacetime. And it is not only direct murder. For example, as a result of the famine of 1932 provoked collectivization, killed 7 million farmers. All in all, the victims of the Stalinist regime began between 15 and 25 million. We must recognize that millions of victims of Stalin's regime were necessary to create a new Soviet man, who would be completely subordinated to the state and had no meaning to freedom.
This year marks a tragic date – the 80th anniversary of the "Great Terror". As you know, the initiative "Chajsy" is going to appeal to the leadership of the city with a proposal to hold events dedicated to this date. Do you hope for mutual understanding with the authorities?
As we can see, now the authorities say basically Bolshevik holidays. Although the same May 9 to Stalin and the Soviet people for a long time, it was not a holiday, and the tragic date, which is not observed at the state level. These were tears.
The fact that the Bolsheviks had nothing to his name, and if they take this toy – a war, they are naked. Therefore, such an unnatural, unhealthy attention to victory in the war, which they currently assigned, as this victory gives them at least some imaginary significance. But the real attitude of the Soviet government to the victims of the war demonstrates at least that killed more often than not were buried during the fighting. Well, if the corpses are simply dumped into the hopper from a projectile or a bomb. So many millions missing.
I hope that the current government will honor the victims of repression, like the war, there were no casualties. This can only happen after they say that Stalinism – is a crime against humanity; yes, it is our history, but we condemn such a system of public administration and its successors are not. This will only happen after when the streets of our cities will disappear the names and nicknames of Bolshevik bandits like Dzerzhinski, Knorin, Kuibyshev, Kalinin, Mikoyan, Sverdlov, Kirov, and they will be replaced by thousands of Belarusian names of our famous compatriots.
As in the current difficult conditions to find mutual understanding in society between those who appreciate the terror victims, and those who do not recognize these victims? How to bring the truth to the population how to convince the public that no condemnation of Stalinism civilized country does not have a future?
Even in these unfavorable conditions, the initiative "Chajsy" is going to bring the public the truth about the victims of Stalin's terror, killed and buried in the vicinity of Viciebsk in unknown graves. On the 80th anniversary of the "Great Terror" we expect to hold a photo exhibition. Gathering material for the book and the film, in which the living witnesses of those events tell about the places of persecution and repression. However, if the rapport is looking for only one side, and the other ignores it moves, it is difficult to agree.
We certainly will appeal to the leadership of the city, and to the Viciebsk television and radio. But we must understand that Stalinism is not recognized as a crime against humanity – no rapport will be. Nevertheless, we urge the public, and the authorities that in Chajsy to be a memorial, as this is the only place near Viciebsk, where official excavations, which indirectly confirmed that there are victims of repression.
S. Horki
