On June 26, 2026, the Institute of Economics of the NAS of Belarus held a Unified Information Day on the topic “MEMORIAL FOR THE SAKE OF THE FUTURE (on the 85th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War)”

On June 26, 2026, the Institute of Economics of the NAS of Belarus held a Unified Information Day on the topic “MEMORIAL FOR THE SAKE OF THE FUTURE (on the 85th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War)”.

The event was opened by Vitaly PILUI, Deputy Director for Research and Innovation at the Institute of Economics of the NAS of Belarus, Candidate of Economic Sciences. He emphasized the critical importance of preserving the historical truth about the Great Patriotic War for future generations, noting that the memory of the people’s heroism is the foundation of national identity and sovereignty. He then introduced the speaker.

Elena PRESNYAKOVA, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Center for Innovation and Investment Policy at the Institute of Economics of the NAS of Belarus, presented a report on “Memorial for the Sake of the Future”.

She noted that today, when attempts are being made to rewrite history and impose false interpretations of the Great Patriotic War, it is our duty to convey the truth about those events to the younger generation. The Prosecutor General’s Office has opened a criminal case into the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War, and work is underway to search for previously unknown graves and identify the victims.

The investigation and research, in which the Institute’s staff actively participated, have established the monstrous scale of the tragedy. The total number of affected settlements, according to updated data, is 12,868 (previously 9,200). An additional 102 settlements have been identified that can be classified as “Khatyn sisters” – completely destroyed along with their inhabitants and never revived. Today, there are 290 such settlements (previously 186). The economic damage inflicted on Belarus during the genocide exceeds 43,800 tons of gold, equivalent to over $6 trillion.

Elena PRESNYAKOVA emphasized that preserving historical memory is a matter of national security, and the lessons of war teach us cohesion and unity. The memory of the people’s heroism guarantees that the tragedy of those years will never be repeated and is the key to a peaceful life for future generations.

Of particular interest were the facts presented by the speaker, based on her work as part of a temporary interdepartmental working group investigating the criminal case of genocide against the population of Belarus during the Great Patriotic War and the postwar period.

At the end of the UID, Vitaly PILUI thanked the speaker for the interesting and important presentation on behalf of the staff of the Institute of Economics of the NAS of Belarus.