Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The exhibition "The memory of the people is sacred", dedicated to the contribution of the Uzbek people to the victory over fascism, opened on 17 January at the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, the press service of the CIS executive committee reported.

The exhibition is a joint project of the Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the Republic of Belarus, the Uzarkhiv agency and the SCO Public Diplomacy Center in Uzbekistan.

The exposition presents archival photographs that tell about Uzbek soldiers and home front workers who contributed to the common Victory, provided by Uzarchiv. The Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War supplemented the exhibition with exhibits from its fund. Demonstrated personal belongings of soldiers of the war period: overcoats, boots, sanitary bags. In addition, there are medical instruments, pads, leaflets in the Uzbek language, drawings by the Soviet graphic artist N. T. Gutiev.

Director of the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War Vladimir Voropaev cited several telling facts about the feat of the Uzbek people. “One and a half million went to the front, more than five hundred thousand did not return. And many who returned remained disabled. More than a hundred thousand missing. But more than twenty thousand were awarded medals and orders, more than two hundred people became Heroes of the Soviet Union, - Vladimir Voropaev noted. - And this is only on the fronts, but what about in the rear? These are families who took ten, fourteen, fifteen children, who sent their monetary allowance to armaments, only to bring this victory closer.

Charge d’Affaires of Uzbekistan in Belarus Rakhmatulla Nazarov noted that the exhibition is a contribution to strengthening peace, stability and friendship between the CIS countries.

“Today we have another wonderful occasion - this year marks 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Belarus. The temporary exhibition “The Memory of the People is Sacred” opens a series of events dedicated to the anniversary date, on which we have agreed with our Belarusian partners,” the diplomat added.

In turn, the First Deputy Secretary General of the CIS Leonid Anfimov stressed that it is the sacred duty of the older generation to pass on the memory of the Great Patriotic War to the younger generation. The youth must carry this gift in their hearts and souls throughout their lives and pass it on to their children and grandchildren, so that no one will ever forget at what cost the victory was won.

“The older generation does not need to be convinced that it is necessary to preserve historical memory. We remember that there was once the Battle of Kulikovo, the Battle of the Ice, we remember the Battle of Borodino and, of course, we absorbed the memory of the Great Patriotic War with mother’s milk. This memory is really sacred, because we grew up among those people who defended our Motherland and defended the right to a happy life for future generations,” Leonid Anfimov believes.

Director of the Center for Public Diplomacy of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan Kabuljon Sabirov, in his video message to the participants of the opening ceremony of the exhibition, added that today it is extremely important for all peoples of the world to draw conclusions and learn lessons from the bloody tragedy of World War II. “More than ever, the struggle for peace on the planet, the strengthening of friendly ties and cooperation between states is becoming more relevant,” said Kabuljon Sabirov.

Representatives of the public, scientific and creative intelligentsia, diplomatic departments accredited in Belarus, and the Uzbek diaspora took part in the opening of the exhibition.

The temporary exhibition will run until 5 March 2023.