Memorial complex "Khatyn" - an open-air museum dedicated to the memory of all Belarusians killed by punitive forces during the Great Patriotic War. It was created on the site of the village of the same name, which was burned down along with all the inhabitants.
The history of the complex
In 1943, a wave of destruction of small settlements, farms, collective farms passed through the territory of Belarus. The formal reason was the fight against partisans hiding in the local forests. However, modern historians believe that the function of intimidation of the local population was no less important for the punishers. In March 1943, death battalions came to Khatyn, a large village 50 km from Minsk. The entire population was herded into a barn and set on fire. People who burst out of the flames were shot at point-blank range or finished off with bayonets. The fire killed 160 civilians, mostly women, children, adolescents and old people. Only 6 people survived. The same fate befell the neighboring farms. After the war, more than 180 villages were not rebuilt - there were simply no residents left in them.
In the late 60s, it was decided to perpetuate the memory of the innocently tortured people. The choice fell on Khatyn. On the site of the burnt village in 1969, a memorial complex was opened, symbolically rebuilding the destroyed village. On the territory of the complex there are 26 wreaths of a log house, standing on the site of burnt houses. Inside each is an obelisk in the form of a chimney topped with a bell. From time to time, in one place or another, a sad ringing is heard, reminiscent of the inhabitants of this house that have disappeared forever. Each log house has a slab with the names and ages of family members.
In the center of the complex there is a monument to the "Unconquered". It depicts one of the few surviving Khatyns - Yakov Kaminsky, holding the body of a tortured son in his arms. On the site of the barn, which has become a mass grave, there is a metal roof on which a symbolic appeal of the villagers to their descendants is carved. Behind the memorial there is a cemetery of burnt villages - 185 slabs, under which are buried urns with earth taken from the ashes. On the territory of the complex there is a museum with a photographic documentary exposition.
The tour ends at the Memory Square, where birch trees grow, symbolizing life. Nearby, the "Eternal Flame" is burning, to which flowers are laid.
Visiting options, excursions, prices
Memorial complex "Khatyn" is located 54 km from Minsk. The visit is included in many package tours, but the complex can be reached on your own, having reached 54 kilometers on the Minsk-Vitebsk highway. Then follow the sign. The complex has no official address. There is a desk on site where you can book an individual or group excursion. Day off - Monday, office hours from 10:30 to 15:30.
The entrance ticket price is 8 Belarusian rubles, for schoolchildren and students - 5 rubles.
