Description of the attraction
Kurapaty is a mass burial place for victims of Stalinist repressions. In this tract in 1937-41, NKVD officers shot people who were later rehabilitated, and their innocence was proven. The memorial to the victims of Stalinist repressions began to be created in 1988.
For a long time, the place, which became a mass grave for many innocent people, was strictly classified. The daredevil who published the truth about Kurapaty in the media risked his own life. Zenon Poznyak became such a daredevil. He wrote an article "Kurapaty - the road of death" and published it in the journal "Literature and Art" on June 3, 1988. The outbreak of the scandal raised long-hushed topics. The CPSU, which was still in power at the time, tried to hush up the scandal, but it had already received international political resonance.
Archaeological research was carried out at the site of the Kurapaty tract, which confirmed that about 7 thousand people were shot here. Nowadays, monuments have been erected in Kurapaty, and mass events are being held. People come to honor their innocently murdered fellows.
In 1993, Kurapaty was included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Values of the Republic of Belarus, however, political passions around the tract do not subside to this day.
Kurapaty is surrounded by wooden crosses on all sides. A dirt road passes through the tract, fenced with crosses on both sides. On the territory of the tract, many monuments have been established, both to Orthodox people and to people of other faiths and nationalities. In particular, there are many monuments to the perished Jews on the territory of Kurapaty.
The very name Kurapaty originated from the popular name of white primroses, which bloom in the forest glades of the tract in spring.
