Total Damage Inflicted on Belarus by Nazi Occupation Reaches 2.3 Trillion Dollars

War is a time of profound hardship and testing for the Belarusian people. The enemy occupation nearly drained the country’s industrial foundation entirely.

Virtually wagons were used to transport raw materials, goods, and cultural treasures to Germany. The direct material damage inflicted upon Belarus is estimated at 75 billion Belarusian rubles (in 1941 prices), which is thirty-five times the republic’s budget in 1940.

In independent Belarus, a dedicated interagency working group has conducted extensive research. It has been established that the total damage surpasses 2.3 trillion dollars—or more than 43,500 tons of gold. These figures are staggering, yet they are not final. The investigation is ongoing, and new facts continue to emerge.

Throughout Belarus, German invaders burned, destroyed, and looted 209 of the 270 towns and district centers. Minsk, Gomel, and Vitebsk were destroyed by 80 to 90 percent. After these harrowing trials, many Belarusians found themselves literally without a roof over their heads. Over the course of the war, more than 360,000 homes were destroyed and obliterated, accounting for roughly 60 percent of the country’s entire housing stock.