At Least 3 Million Civilians Killed in Belarus during Great Patriotic War

Atrocious crimes have no statute of limitations. Three million people—that's how many Belarusians were exterminated by the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War. This is more than the current population of five regional capitals, excluding Minsk.

This shocking figure was uncovered during the criminal investigation into the genocide. The investigation has been ongoing for five years. And new data has been introduced into scientific circulation. For example, the number of destroyed settlements in Belarus is almost 13,000, with at least 290 suffering the same fate as Khatyn. This number is at least as archival documents are being studied and witness interviews are ongoing. Over the past five years, more than 165 new mass grave sites have been identified.

Valery Tolkachev, head of the investigative team of the Prosecutor General's Office of Belarus investigating the criminal case of the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War:

"Forensic examinations have established in a number of cases that children and women had their heads smashed in with some kind of hard metal object. They were often buried alive, then the graves were compacted, and grenades were thrown in to compact the graves containing the executed and murdered victims."

This season, excavations are planned at 24 sites, including Polotsk, Lepel, and the Minsk region. Items discovered during the excavations (bullet casings, fragments of clothing, and household items) are being donated to museum collections across Belarus.

Each state and regional museum has a separate exhibit dedicated to the genocide of the Belarusian people. Each regional center has its own tragic collection.