Baranovichi. 'Gai Forest' Memorial Complex.
Memorial
Belarus, Brest region, Baranovichi district, Baranovichi
0
132
06.01.2025
Description
On the outskirts of Baranovichi, in the forest 'Gai', there is a memorial complex created in memory of Czechoslovak citizens who became victims of the Nazis in 1942. Mass executions took place in Baranovichi, not only of local residents: the invaders brought prisoners from different countries here. Poles and Austrians are mentioned among them, but most of them were Czechoslovaks.
It is known that in 1942 a special train with prisoners from Terezin arrived in the city. These people, among whom teachers, doctors and engineers predominated, were taken to a tract and shot.
Almost no information about other mass executions has been preserved. However, in 1944, during an investigation in the Gai forest, two pits with a width of 25 and 15 meters were found with the remains of about 3,000 people.
Today, the Baranovichi Museum keeps a list of thousands of names that have been identified. The other victims remained anonymous.
The memorial at the site of the tragedy was opened in 1972.
Categories
Historical
Location
Latitude: 53.156621
Longitude: 26.05330851
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Reviews to the Place
1Ольга Ерёменко
06.01.2025
'Gai Forest' Memorial Complex.
On the outskirts of Baranovichi, in the Gai forest, among a picturesque forest, there is a memorial complex that welcomes everyone who passes by the Minsk-Brest railway. Its central element is a 12-meter arch with a bell, topped with raised arms.
During the war, the German occupiers, solving the "Jewish question," destroyed not only local Jews, but also those who were brought from Minsk, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Poland and Austria. In June 1942, an echelon of Czechoslovak citizens, mostly intellectuals, arrived at the Baranovichi station. Under the pretext of lunch, they were taken to the Gai forest, where they were shot.
In the 1960s, the authorities decided to erect a memorial at the site of the tragedy. The construction lasted two years, and in 1972 the complex was opened.
The memorial begins with a concrete slab symbolizing the boundary between life and death. Opposite the slab are three boulders, representing three thousand dead people of different generations. The central monument is an arch with bells suspended from chains resembling barbed wire. The high reliefs on the arch depict hands expressing protest, pain and supplication. The paths leading deep into the forest alternate with green stripes, reminiscent of the striped clothes of concentration camp prisoners.
Today, this memorial is not only a memorial to the victims, but also a silent call for peace.
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