Genocide of the Belarusian People

In 2022, the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, signed Decree No. 117, which amends Decree No. 157 of March 26, 1998, "On State Holidays, Festive Days, and Commemorative Dates in the Republic of Belarus."

The name of the commemorative date was changed from "Day of Nationwide Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War – June 22" to "Day of Nationwide Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and the Genocide of the Belarusian People – June 22."

The decree was prepared based on the Law of January 5, 2022, "On the Genocide of the Belarusian People," which recognizes the actions of Nazi criminals and their accomplices, as well as nationalist formations during the Great Patriotic War and the post-war period, aimed at the systematic physical destruction of the Belarusian people, as genocide of the Belarusian people.

During the Great Patriotic War, the fascists established more than 260 death camps and places of mass extermination in Belarus. This tragic list includes Trostenets, Khatyn, the Ozarichi death zone, and Krasny Bereg. According to incomplete data, approximately 1.5 million people died in the camps located in Belarus. More than 9,000 settlements were destroyed in the country. Overall, Belarus lost every third of its population.

The year 2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the German-fascist invaders. Many events are planned to commemorate this anniversary, aimed at fostering respect for the past and present of our people and preserving the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War.