Mіkola Kryvaltsevіch: Kurapaty is a symbol of struggle for justice
Today is the 20th anniversary of publication of Yauhen Shmyhalyou and Zyanon Paznyak’s article “Kurapaty – a road of death”. The article was published in “Literature and Art” on June 3, 1988. It made the tract notorious because it mentioned mass shootings of repressed people that took place there in Stalin’s time.
A historian Mikola Kryvaltsevich who took part in an archaeological excavation in the tract says that the truth about Kurapaty led to a wave of Belarusian national Renaissance. The article caused the creation of such civil organizations as “Passional of Belarus” and the Belarusian National Front “Renaissance”:
Kryvaltsevіch: Kurapaty became a symbol of consolidation and a sign of new perception of the reality.
M.Kryvaltsevіch thinks that is still a place of consolidation of democratic Belarusians. The fact that the official authorities continue ignoring the tract is also important.
At the same time the scientist thinks that the importance of Kurapaty will not be underestimated in the future even if the issue of democratization and national Renaissance is solved:
Kryvaltsevіch: It will remain a symbol. There is no doubt that it will be considered a place that witnessed a terrible tragedy. Now Kurapaty is a symbol of struggle meant to help people believe in justice.
A historian Mikola Kryvaltsevich who took part in an archaeological excavation in the tract says that the truth about Kurapaty led to a wave of Belarusian national Renaissance. The article caused the creation of such civil organizations as “Passional of Belarus” and the Belarusian National Front “Renaissance”:
Kryvaltsevіch: Kurapaty became a symbol of consolidation and a sign of new perception of the reality.
M.Kryvaltsevіch thinks that is still a place of consolidation of democratic Belarusians. The fact that the official authorities continue ignoring the tract is also important.
At the same time the scientist thinks that the importance of Kurapaty will not be underestimated in the future even if the issue of democratization and national Renaissance is solved:
Kryvaltsevіch: It will remain a symbol. There is no doubt that it will be considered a place that witnessed a terrible tragedy. Now Kurapaty is a symbol of struggle meant to help people believe in justice.
