Vitebsk celebrates the 107th anniversary of Pyotr Masherov
The week of remembrance at VSU today began at the bust of the Hero of the Soviet Union and Hero of Socialist Labor, where a patriotic rally was held.
The First Vice-Rector of the university, Andrey Mekhovich, addressing the students and faculty, emphasized that Pyotr Masherov, as a legendary figure and wise leader, did a lot for the development and prosperity of our Motherland.
– He always recognized only the interests of society. Today, we lay flowers at the monument as a sign of our gratitude and respect, and also in memory of the fact that his principles and ideas continue to live in our hearts, – stated Andrey Mekhovich.
Student of the Faculty of Humanities and Communications Alexandra Kurzova noted the importance of preserving the memory of the famous fellow countryman.
– This is our heritage, and we must remember the past, because it is it that shapes our future. Pyotr Masherov had a direct influence on me, as I studied at a school that bore his name, – said Alexandra. – The "Masherovtsy" leadership school continues to promote the ideas of the great fellow countryman, and even after a hundred years, we remember him and annually hold his week of remembrance at the university.
At the end of the event, participants honored the memory of Pyotr Masherov with a minute of silence, after which they laid flowers at his monument.
In addition, VSU hosted an open dialogue "Historical Chronicle. P.M. Masherov: Epoch and Fate". The event was organized by the scientific and educational center "Spadchyna Vitebskay Ziamli", and its head, Head of the Department of History and Cultural Heritage, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Anatoly Dulov, acted as moderator.
A welcoming speech to the 1st and 2nd year students of the Faculty of Humanities and Communications was delivered by a university graduate, chief specialist of the culture department of the regional executive committee, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Denis Yurchak. He emphasized that Pyotr Masherov will forever remain in the memory of Belarusians as the beloved people's leader of Soviet Belarus, who was always close to the people, lived by their interests, and strived to help solve their problems.
Denis Yurchak also explained why the bust of Pyotr Masherov is located on Zamkovaya Street in Vitebsk. He noted that the building of the Vitebsk State Pedagogical Institute named after S. M. Kirov was located nearby at one time. In addition, he clarified the confusion regarding the birth date of our countryman, emphasizing that the only correct date is February 13 according to the old style (February 26 according to the new style), contrary to the information presented on Wikipedia.