Search expeditions, landscaping of mass graves, creation of models of monuments and tours along the previously unknown routes unite thousands of schoolchildren across Belarus
Patriotic education of pupils is a priority area of educational work in institutions of general secondary education, and – as explained by Yelena Mikhalevich, who heads the Department of Methodological Support of the Educational Process of the Centre for Social, Educational and Ideological Work at Belarus’ Academy of Education – it is reflected in the school curricula.
A large-scale republican campaign, Memory Watch 2026, continues in Belarus, uniting caring schoolchildren and teachers from all around the country. The project started in February, but has already produced impressive results. “At the end of April, our search teams discovered valuable artefacts in the Vitebsk Region: an Order of the Patriotic War of 2nd Degree and a Gvardia [Guard] badge. Their owner has been identified: Captain Vasily Kholostov. An Order of the Red Star – which belongs to Second Lieutenant Nikolai Surtayev – was also found. In total, the remains of sixteen fighters have been unearthed,” Yelena Onufrovich, the Director of the Republican Centre for Ecology and Local History, shared the details.
More than 1,100 military graves are being landscaped in the Brest Region. In three months, over a thousand excursions to memorable places were organised for 18,000+ youngsters in the Gomel Region. In the Grodno Region, schoolchildren have landscaped 220 mass graves, and in the Minsk Region, boys and girls have taken part in about 600 labour events to clean and beautify monuments, obelisks, and military graves. In turn, schoolchildren of the Mogilev Region have created 67 models of monuments to victims of fascism and developed 52 sightseeing routes to places of military history.
In March, the all-Belarusian expedition was launched: Exploring the Motherland, Discovering Ourselves. It unites young researchers from all over Belarus. “The project will last until December 2030, and among its participants are students aged 14+ from institutions of general secondary, vocational, specialised secondary and higher education. An important condition has been set for them: to gather a team of six people, choose a destination, and develop a route,” Ms. Onufrovich said.
The organisers offer two main tracks: Roads of Memory and Along the Paths of Famous Personalities. The former envisages the study of memorials, military graves and places of military glory from different historical periods, and the latter unites routes dedicated to outstanding people whose destinies are connected with Belarus. Participants will be able to present the results of their trips in various formats – either as a field diary, a video, or a ready-made sightseeing route for other travellers.
On May 1st, the republican contest of patriotic songs kicked off at Belarusian educational institutions, and a large-scale gathering of search teams is scheduled for June 22nd-26th. “The important task of implementing all these projects is not just to preserve historical memory, but to make it alive. Patriotism is actually the personal involvement of every child in the history of the native country through specific deeds and feelings,” Ms. Onufrovich emphasised.