Molodechno. Memorial complex Stalag-342.

In July 1941, on the territory of the Molodechno Teachers' Seminary, the occupiers organized a camp for Soviet prisoners of war and civilians suspected of having links with the partisans. Until June 1944, more than 80,000 Soviet citizens passed through this camp, of whom 33,150 lost their lives.

Prisoners were placed in cold and unsuitable barracks, where famine and epidemics reigned. The stronger ones were forced to work, and the weak ones were deprived of food or killed. The dead were taken to pits near the camp and buried or burned.

By the end of June 1941, thousands of prisoners of war and civilians were already in the camp. The living conditions were terrible: there was not enough room to sleep, and they had to move around on their bodies. In August, the first cases of starvation began, and with the onset of cold weather, the situation worsened even more. There were epidemics, but no help was provided. People were dying in large numbers. The prisoners lived in appalling conditions and endured incredible atrocities.

This place leaves a very strong impression when you visit it. This is a memorial dedicated to the innocent victims of the war. It's painful and scary. Here you can fully feel the tragedy of the locals. Everything is done symbolically and with deep meaning. The stones, according to the author's idea, symbolize graves, barbed wire is a symbol of a concentration camp, black flowers are the memory of the dead.

There is a military unit near the complex. To visit this place, you do not need a guide - everything is clear... It is also not necessary to get inside the complex behind the fence. A few minutes are enough to feel the whole tragedy of the war and the scale of deaths in this place - 33,150 dead people, as indicated on the plaque at the memorial.