65th anniversary of liberation of Minsk from Nazi invaders

The Charter’97 website congratulates the dwellers and guests of Minsk on the day of liberation of Minsk.

On July 3, 1944, Minsk was liberated from the Nazi troops. Belarus suffered colossal losses in manpower and materiel as a result of the Great Patriotic War. Every third Belarusian died in the war. More than 200 out of 270 towns in Belarus and about 90 per cent of all Minsk buildings were ruined. More than 9000 villages were devastated. The sum of the losses in pre-war equivalent amounted to nearly a half of the national reserve of the country.

The day of liberation of Minsk from the Nazi invaders has always been an official holiday in Belarus, but dictator Lukashenka proclaimed it the Independence Day some years ago. The official propaganda states the whole territory of Belarus was liberated on July 3, though battles continued after the libation of the capital. The Patriotic forces of Belarus consider July 27 to be the Day of Independence of Belarus, when teh Declaration on State Sovereignty of Belarus was signed.