Minsk graduates lay flowers at Minsk Hero City Stele

This ceremony has become a tradition in the capital city. Each year, following solemn end-of-school ceremonies, the graduates make their way to the stele beside the Great Patriotic War Museum, as well as to the monuments to war heroes in their neighborhoods.

Today, nearly a thousand young people from every corner of Minsk gathered at the stele. Yekaterina Kienya, a graduate of Minsk School No. 48, shared her thoughts: “There are heroes in my own family, whose memory we hold dear. My great-grandfather, together with his son, fought all the way to Berlin. We remember them and take pride in their feat. I am grateful to them and to other heroes for giving me the chance to live in peacetime, to receive an education, and simply to be happy.”
 
Daria Kuzmenkova, a graduate of Gymnasium No. 13, said: “I can’t think of a more meaningful way to spend this day than to come here with gratitude for the peaceful sky above us. Both of my great-grandfathers fought in the war, and I am deeply proud of them. So for me, this ceremony is a chance to honor not just all those who served, but my own family as well,” the graduate said.
 
Mikhail Rudko, head of military patriotic education at Gymnasium No. 13, observed that today’s young people truly know their country’s history. “Almost every student has a great-grandmother or great-grandfather who fought, and the children know their stories. At our gymnasium, we constantly hold events where students speak about their relatives, and from that we see that in many families, their memory remains very much alive.”

Today, the Last Bell is ringing for graduates across the length and breadth of Belarus. After taking part in solemn school ceremonies, the young people made their way to the monuments to pay homage to the war heroes. And this evening, as a traditional gift from the city authorities, the capital’s graduates will be treated to a grand Last Bell celebration at the Minsk-Arena complex.