New recordings with witnesses of history in Belarus

In July, a delegation of the Museum of the Second World War visited Belarus. The aftermath of this trip is 12 priceless recordings with witnesses of history.

The museum is committed to fulfilling its mission to make contact with witnesses of history and places associated with World War II. On 15-21 July 2017, after many efforts, this task was successfully completed in Belarus. Comprehensive assistance was provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Minsk and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Grodno. Help in the project was also provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus.

It was the first visit of this type to Belarus by museum staff, who visited cities associated with Polish history such as Grodno, Skidel, Lida, and Vawkavysk. During the stay that lasted just under a week, the delegates made 12 film recordings witnesses to history. The recordings made with soldiers belonging to the legendary 77th Home Army Infantry Regiment, as well as members of the post-war anti-communist underground.

Accounts connected with the tragic experiences of the civilian population during the German and Soviet occupation of those territories were equally important. Also interesting were the recollections of a tank commander who fought against Japanese troops in Manchuria. During the trip, several valuable film recordings were also made documenting the Polish and Jewish history of the towns visited.
The delegated managed to establish important contacts for further cooperation with historical museums in Grodno, Lida, and Vawkavysk. The next trip to Belarus will take place in September.

W lipcu delegacja Muzeum II Wojny Światowej przebywała na Białorusi. Pokłosiem tego wyjazdu jest 12 bezcennych nagrań ze świadkami historii.