Smolensk remembers the victims of Nazi Concentration Camps

Smolensk joined in the events marking the International Day of Liberation of Nazi concentration camp inmates. On this day 68 years ago the prisoners of Buchenwald rose up and got their freedom. Now on this day all the world marks the International Day of Liberation of Nazi concentration camp inmates. In our country this day was officially established by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation on April 2, 1996.

The former juvenile prisoners of fascism, the leaders and representatives of veteran and youth organizations, executive authorities, the Regional Duma, city authorities took part in a meeting in the Park of Heroes at the Fire of Eternal Glory. Deputy Governor Igor Liakhov, heads and representatives of veteran and public organizations, school and university students spoke at the meeting.

All the speakers were unanimous that the courage and strength of spirit of the former juvenile inmates are a wonderful example for the Smolensk people of how to overcome current difficulties which are nothing compared to what the inmates had to endure. From the occupied Smolensk region about 70,000 children, including 11,000 children under 12 were driven to Germany by the Nazi. Most of them perished behind the barbed wire. Only every tenth person came back home - survived and didn’t break down...

The participants of the meeting paid tribute to those killed in the Nazi concentration camps with a moment of silence and laid flowers at the Eternal Flame.

After that the meeting went on in Victory Square, at the Smolensk Fortress wall, where a monument to prisoners of fascism - "Scorched flower" was set up on the initiative of the Smolensk regional organization of former juvenile prisoners of Nazi concentration camps on the 60th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.