On February 27, 2024, the National Library of Belarus hosted the presentation of the book of memoirs "Children of War: their childhood ended in the summer of 1941" by the veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR Ilya Makarovich Korablikov, together with the publishing house "Belarus".
The publication "Children of War: their childhood ended in the summer of 1941" is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders, a joyful and heroic event, thanks to which the facts about the terrible atrocities of the occupiers became known.
The book was published with the support of the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus. It uses photographs provided by the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, the Gomel City Public Association "Children of War", the Museum of the History and Culture of the Jews of Belarus, the authors of memoirs, as well as from open Internet sources.
As part of the presentation of the book of memoirs "Children of War: their childhood ended in the summer of 1941", the National Library of Belarus presented a book exhibition-viewing "Genocide: documents and eyewitnesses testify". The exposition contains more than 50 publications revealing the essence and content of various forms of genocide used by the fascist invaders during the Great Patriotic War on the territory of Belarus. During the war, many innocent people, including children, were killed and maimed on the territory of our country. A number of editions of the exhibition are devoted to the theme of children at war. Children were imprisoned in concentration camps and Gestapo prisons, held in Jewish ghettos, and forced labor. The fate of the children of war is still interesting to us today. Despite the numerous sufferings and lawsuits of this difficult time, many of them courageously fought on the fronts and in partisan detachments, helped in the rear and in evacuation. Their fates teach us fortitude, determination, and perseverance. And the pages of history, which are described in the book being presented, urge us to do everything possible so that people never experience the horrors of Nazism.
The event was attended by Director General of the National Library of Belarus Vadzim Hihin, Director General of RUE "Belarusian Telegraph Agency" Irina Akulovich, director of the publishing house "Belarus" Victoria Filipkova, chairman of the public association "Belarusian Union of Leningrad Blockader" Maria Yagoditsina, Chairman of the Republican Council of the public association "Belarusian Union of Students of Suvorov Military and Cadet Schools" Sergey Zhitikhin, veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR, author and compiler of the book "Children of War: their childhood ended in the summer of 1941" Ilya Korablikov.
The presentation was attended by the authors of memoirs – children of war, whose stories were included in the book. They had the mission to witness the immediate local events of the Great Patriotic War and pass on what they saw, experienced, and suffered to subsequent generations so that this would never happen again.
An introductory tour was organized for war children, during which the possibilities of the library as an information and socio-cultural center, the history of the institution and the unique architecture were demonstrated.
The material was provided by the Public Relations Department.
