Nikonov: Respect for the generation of winners is bedrock of national identity of Belarusians, Russians

“The memory of the Great Victory in Russia and Belarus will always live on, because we are the heirs of the winners. It is important to remember this. We have won the Great Victory at the cost of the greatest losses in the history of mankind. Each of us owes their life to that generation. Therefore, respect for the generation of winners is the bedrock of our national identity, national consciousness and us, people," Vyacheslav Nikonov said.

According to him, a lot of work is being done in Belarus to preserve the historical memory. "I often visit Belarus. You have monuments such as The Molotov Line, Stalin's Line, good museums, wonderful literature. This is really important," Vyacheslav Nikonov said.

Vyacheslav Nikonov stressed that the forms of patriotic education of young people can vary. "The most emotional is a tour to a concentration camp. We must know and remember the atrocities that the generation of winners saved us just to value ourselves. All those, who wish us ill, work to deprive us, first of all, of memory, self-confidence and try to create an inferiority complex in us. We, on our part, must know and understand what our ancestors did during the Great Patriotic War," he added.

The House of Representatives played host to the international conference "Historical memory and patriotism - the most important fundamental values of the Belarusian society and the state, the factors of consolidation in the face of modern challenges and threats" on 23 March. The focus is on ways to preserve the historical memory and to promote patriotic upbringing in Belarus. The event brought together MPs, representatives of the executive branch, scholars, students and foreign guests.

The conference was prepared with the participation of the National Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Public Administration under the aegis of the President of Belarus.