Know and Remember History – an International Scientific and Practical Conference dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War was held at BrSU

On June 4, an International Scientific and Practical Conference titled "1941 in the History of Belarus: Tragedy, Heroism, Memory" started at Brest State A.S.Pushkin University, dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War. It brought together scholars, historians, educators, representatives of the museum community, and master's students from Belarus, Russia, Slovenia, and Kazakhstan. The conference was organized by the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Brest State A.S.Pushkin University, the "Brest Hero-Fortress" Memorial Complex, and the Brest Regional Executive Committee.

The Institute of History – the main organizer of the scientific forum. Recognizing that educators and the museum community play a major role in preserving historical memory, it was decided to expand the circle of co-organizers. Thus, the Brest Hero-Fortress and the leading university of the first region joined the conference.

Welcoming addresses were sent to the conference organizing committee. In the greeting from Petr Aleksandrovich Parkhomchik, Chairman of the Brest Regional Executive Committee, it is noted that the 85th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War is not merely a commemorative date, but an occasion to turn once again to the history of our country and to reflect on the events of past years. This is especially important in our time, when attempts are being made to rewrite history. Therefore, today a great responsibility rests on the specialists who counter the falsification of history. Our task is to protect the truth and pass it on to future generations.

In the greeting from Andrei Ivanovich Ivanets, Minister of Education of Belarus, it was noted that the Great Patriotic War became a severe ordeal for our people, which is why great attention is now being paid to preserving historical memory. Marat Sergeyevich Markov, Minister of Culture of Belarus, emphasized that the Great Patriotic War is not a distant past but part of our cultural code, and that the Academy of Sciences and the museum community serve as a bridge between the past and the future. Greetings were also read out from Vladimir Stepanovich Karanik, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, and from Vyacheslav Viktorovich Danilovich, Deputy Head of the Standing Commission on Education, Culture and Science.

At the opening of the conference, the participants were addressed by Maksim Albertovich Bogdasarov, Vice-Rector for Research at BrSU; Vadim Leonidovich Lakiza, Director of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus; Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Korkotadze, Director of the "Brest Hero-Fortress" Memorial Complex; Igor Sergeyevich Korol, Head of the Brest Region Office of the Belarusian Institute of Strategic Research; and Igor Anatolyevich Moroz, Director of the Scientific and Practical Center for Strengthening Law and Order of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Belarus. "Conferences like this are very important, because we are obliged to preserve historical memory and pass it on to our children and grandchildren. We must not forget the feat of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers, thanks to which we live under a peaceful sky," said Maksim Albertovich.

After the opening of the scientific forum, a plenary session was held. It heard reports devoted to contemporary researchers' views on the events of the summer of 1941, the genocide of the Belarusian people, the preservation of historical memory, and other topics. Vladimir Vasilyevich Zdanovich, Professor of the Department of the History of Belarus and Special Historical Disciplines at Brest State A.S.Pushkin University, drew the attendees' attention to the works of domestic researchers concerning the summer events of 1941. The professor noted that the theme of the Great Patriotic War is a priority in historical science, but that there are few studies devoted to 1941. There is a simple explanation for this – the lack of sources of information and the USSR's recognition of Belarus as a partisan country. In his report, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Korkotadze spoke about the role of the Brest Fortress in the patriotic and moral education of young people. In 2025, the memorial complex conducted 14,000 excursions for 723,000 visitors and held 504 events.

As part of the conference, its participants laid flowers at the Eternal Flame in the Brest Fortress and went on a guided tour of the memorial complex. On June 5, section sessions were held at the Republican Educational and Health Center for Patriotic Education of Children and Youth and at the Museum of the Defense of the Brest Fortress. The participants recalled the fates of the defenders of the Brest Fortress and the fates of women in the war, discussed the perpetuation of the memory of the fallen, the defense of Mogilev, the participation of Jews in the emergence of the partisan movement, the civic stance of medical workers during the occupation, the protection of historical truth, digital memorialization, and other topics that remain relevant.

As part of the conference, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Korkotadze proposed that Brest State A.S.Pushkin University publish a book of memoirs of the defenders of the Brest Fortress. Following the results of the scientific forum, the publication of a collection of materials is planned.

As part of the conference, exhibitions were on display at the university – "War. Victory. Memory" from the Brest Regional Museum of Local Lore, "There Was a War... There Was a Victory" from the State Archives of the Brest Region, and "Belarus: Liberation, Memory, Independence" from the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.

Yulia Vovk
Photo by Natalia Petrova