Obj. ID: 57588
  Memorials  Memorial Complex "Blagovshchina" near Minsk, Belarus, 2018

Memorial name: 

Memorial complex "Blagovshchina"

Who/What is Commemorated?

Population of Belarus, members of the anti-fascist underground struggle and partisan movement, the Red Army prisoners of war, prisoners of the Minsk ghetto, and the Jewish population deported from Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland and other European countries. 

Description

The memorial complex "Blagovshchina" is situated on the territory that, in the past, constituted one of the three areas across which the Maly Trostianets camp was spread. Its project is called ‘The Last Way’. The conception includes several stages, "depicting the walk taken by prisoners toward their unsuspected deaths. Thus, in visual terms, the visitor is not overawed by the scale of the design but invited to live through and understand the experience of the prisoners" [David R. Marples and Veranika Laputska, 45]: 

‘Square of Life'

The walk "begins at Partyzanski Praspiekt, after which the visitor steps onto a concrete strip of three metres and enters the ‘Square of Life’ [David R. Marples and Veranika Laputska, 45]. It marks the arrival point of trains carrying European Jews to the Blagovshchina Forest [blisch.by]. "At this point, the victims evidently believed that ‘a new stage of life awaited them’ and on the square is the sculpture called ‘Suitcases’, where they checked their bags, expecting to receive them back eventually" [David R. Marples and Veranika Laputska, 45].

‘Wagon’

"The next stage, the most ambitious part of the complex, is called ‘Wagon’, a stylised portrayal of the real cars, suggested by the walls through which the visitor walks [David R. Marples and Veranika Laputska, 45]. "One can see lit oil lamps and flowers in the windows of these wagons. The phonogram is composed of sounds of an oncoming train, voices of people speaking different languages, and children's cries" [belta.by].

'Square of Paradox'

The visitor proceeds to the 'Square of Paradox' symbolizing the paradoxical nature of war: a person kills a person [blisch.by]. The square has an irregular form and is paved with red stone. According to the author's idea, there should be several inverted sculptures on the square: the tree, the house, and the menorah [blisch.by]. The installations in the form of an inclined cross, an icon and a cersent with bullet holes were also planned [marshryt.by]. However, at the time of the memorial complex's opening in 2018, the figures were not installed.

'Square of Death'

After the 'Square of Paradox', there is the 'Square of Death' commemorating the victims of Nazism, killed in the Blagovshchina Forest. It is shaped like an empty round square, paved with a black stone.

Memorial cemetery

The next stage is the memorial cemetery, consisting of 34 mass graves that were made at the site of 34 trenches, where the victims’ bodies were dumped. Each grave is enclosed by a very low border and is marked by two granite slabs and chipped stone. Narrow paths run out between the graves. There is a memorial plaque bearing presumably three identical inscriptions in Belarusian, Russian, and English. Along the perimeter, the cemetery's borders are marked by massive pillars.  The idea belongs to the architect Anna Aksionava [David R. Marples and Veranika Laputska, 46].

Main monument 

The memorial cemetery is followed by the main monument of the "Blagovshchina" complex. It is shaped like an elongated granite triangle, on which there are almost identical inscriptions in Belarusian, Russian, and English. Before the monument, there is a paved area equipped with a backlight. 

'Apple Forest'

'Apple Forest' is a landscape composition that consists of several apple trees planted along the alley of the memorial complex. It commemorates the children who were among 150,000 people killed in the Blagovshchina Forest [izvezda.by]. 

'Wasted Time' 

'Wasted Time' is a landscape composition that includes 12 radial-planted weeping trees symbolising the period that was spent in vain on war [izvezda.by].

Inscription

On the main monument, in Belarusian

"Благаўшчына"
Мемарыяльныя могілкі
У 1941-1943 гадах ва ўрочышчы Благаўшчына
нацысты масава знішчалі жыхароў Беларусі ўдзельнікаў
антыфашысцкай падпольнай барацьбы і партызанскага руху
савецкіх ваеннапалонных, вязняў Мінскага гета і яўрэйскае насельніцтва,
дэпартаванае з Аўстрыі, Германіі, Чэхіі, Польшчы і іншых краін Еўропы.
У 34 магілах-траншэях пахаваны астанкі 150 000 чалавек

Translation: "Blagovshchina" / Memorial cemetery / In 1941-1943 in Blagovshchina tract / the Nazis exterminated massively residents of Belarus, members / of the anti-fascist underground struggle and partisan movement / Soviet prisoners of war, prisoners of the Minsk ghetto, and Jewish population, / deported from Austria, Germany, Czechia, Poland and other countries of Europe. / The remains of 150,000 people rest in 34 grave trenches.

In Russian

Мемориальное кладбище "Благовщина"
В 1941-1943 годах в урочище Благовщина нацисты массово уничтожали
жителей Беларуси, участников антифашистской подпольной борьбы и партизанского
движения, советских военнопленных, узников Минского гетто и еврейское население,
депортированное из Австрии, Германии, Чехии, Польши и других стран Европы.
В 34 могилах-траншеях покоятся останки 150 000 человек

Translation: "Blagovshchina" memorial cemetery /  In 1941-1943 in Blagovshchina tract / the Nazis exterminated massively / residents of Belarus, members of the anti-fascist underground struggle and partisan / movement, Soviet prisoners of war, prisoners of the Minsk ghetto, and Jewish population, / deported from Austria, Germany, Czechia, Poland and other countries of Europe. / The remains of 150,000 people rest in 34 grave trenches.

In English 

Blahaŭščyna memorial cemetery
In 1941-1943, the Nazis exterminated massively population of Belarus, 
members of the anti-fascist underground struggle and partisan movement, the Red Army
prisoners of war, prisoners of the Minsk ghetto, and Jewish population, deported from
Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland and other European countries in the Blahaŭščyna Forest.
The remains of 150,000 people rest in 34 grave trenches

Commissioned by

The Belarusian government, in cooperation with Germany and Austria.