Sisters of Khatyn: More than 200 Belarusian villages suffered the same fate

The map of Belarus shows thousands of settlements that ceased to exist during the Great Patriotic War. 216 of them shared the fate of Khatyn and were burned together with their inhabitants - a terrible execution at the hands of non-humans.

On March 22, in memory of the innocent victims of fascism, requiem rallies were held at memorials to burnt-out villages across the country.

Lukoml, Krasnoluki, Staitsevka, Vishenki - the bells of Khatyn ring in these villages of the Chashniki district. They are its sisters. Two of them revived, two forever remained in memory. And even though there is not a single inhabitant in Vishenki, it is often crowded. People come to honor the countrymen who were executed alive.

Sisters of Khatyn: More than 200 Belarusian villages shared the same fate

The massacre of the villagers of Vishenki was committed a year after the Khatyn tragedy. The time stopped there on March 9, 1944. The 114 villagers, mostly women, old people and children, were herded into two houses and set on fire. This is how the occupants took revenge for the partisans' activities.

Victor Gribko, local historian:

The partisans were ambushed not far from Vishenka. During the battle some fascists were killed. The fascists were reluctant because they knew that some of the guerrillas were from Vishenka village. In 1989 a memorial complex was built on the site of the tragedy. The earth was brought here from the "fire" villages of the area. The day of the opening of the memorial will forever stay in Valentina Kovalenko's memory.

The Memorial Complex "In Memory of the Burned Villages" in the village of Borki is also full of people today. On June 5, 1942 the Germans carried out here one of the most large-scale punitive operations against the peaceful inhabitants of Belarus. Then almost 2 thousand people perished. These were the inhabitants of the village of Borki and the neighboring villages.

Alexander Kazeko, Chairman of Mogilev regional branch of Belarusian Writers Union:

"Never! We must never forget it. This is the strength of our nation and our politics, if we are one fist, one friendly family. "

The village of Ziniaki is also the sister of Khatyn. 419 villagers were burnt alive in blazing barns. The youngest victim was only one day old. All generations in the family of the local resident Vladimir Kokh know this terrible tragedy.

Vladimir Kokh, resident of the village of Zinyaki:

People were driven to one barn across the river. They locked them up, said little and burned them.