Today, May 9, the Republic of Belarus celebrates Victory Day.
“Dear veterans, staff, and students of the Belarusian National Technical University! Please accept our sincere congratulations on this great holiday – Victory Day!
This sacred day is a symbol of the unbending will, unparalleled courage, and spiritual unity of our people. The memory of our ancestors' great feat inspires us to new achievements in the name of peace, progress, and stability in our society. We remember with deep respect and gratitude the heroism of those who defended the freedom and independence of our Motherland, who gave us the right to life and creativity. The memory of our ancestors' heroism will forever remain in our hearts as a moral compass and a source of inspiration for new generations.
At BNTU, we not only train highly qualified specialists in demand in the country's economy, but also cultivate true patriots – people for whom the concepts of duty, honor, and love for the Fatherland are unshakable values. Your dedication to science, your passion for innovation, your responsibility for the results of your work, and your proactive approach to life are a worthy example of respect for our historical heritage and our commitment to the lofty ideals of peace, justice, and creativity. It is this approach that allows us to confidently look to the future and contribute to the prosperity of a sovereign Belarus.
I wish you good health, inexhaustible vitality, optimism, family well-being, and success in all your endeavors. May peaceful skies always shine over our country, and may harmony and harmony reign in your homes.
Rector
History of the holiday
Victory Day was first celebrated in the Belarusian capital on May 9, 1945, ten months after the liberation of Minsk. Early in the morning, a plane flew over the city, dropping nine thousand leaflets with the cherished phrase "Germany has surrendered!" At half past eight, the joyful news was broadcast over the radio. The streets instantly came alive: almost the entire post-war city's population, some 70,000 people, flocked to the Government House for a massive rally. Makeshift dance floors sprang up everywhere, strangers cried and hugged each other, and late in the evening, the sky lit up with the first Victory Day salute.
After 1945, this holiday disappeared from the official holiday calendar of the Soviet Union for almost two decades. People certainly remembered and honored the date, but no large-scale celebrations were held at the state level. Only in the spring of 1965 was its status as a non-working holiday officially restored, and Victory Day acquired the national significance we know today. It was on the 20th anniversary of Victory Day that Minsk's main holiday traditions were born. In 1965, the first military parade in the history of the BSSR took place on Central Square, opened by young drummers, followed by the military equipment of the time.
Immediately afterward, the first veterans' march took place: the "golden thousand" of distinguished front-line soldiers and partisans marched in a single column to the Eternal Flame on Victory Square, establishing the tradition of large-scale heroic honors.
With each passing year, the celebration took on new forms. For example, the 25th anniversary of Victory Day in 1970 was remembered by Minsk residents for its grand evening torchlight procession. With the last rays of the sun, tens of thousands of young people lit their torches from the Eternal Flame and walked along the capital's main avenue, paying tribute to the heroic deeds of their ancestors and symbolically taking up the baton of memory.
BNTU on this day
Victory Day has always had a special significance for the Belarusian National Technical University. The Polytechnic's history is inextricably linked with our country's heroic past. During years of severe trials, students and faculty of the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute went en masse to the front and to partisan detachments. Many of them never returned to their native classrooms. The memory of their heroism is carefully preserved at our university: every May, flowers are laid at the monument-stele to BNTU students and faculty who died during the Great Patriotic War, and staff and students honor the memory of these heroes with a moment of silence.
The International Student Athletics Race has become a symbol of intergenerational continuity at the university. Delegations from Izhevsk State Technical University and Novosibirsk State Technical University traditionally participate in it, which corresponds to the project's route: Izhevsk - Nizhny Novgorod - Minsk. Traveling miles along the paths of military and labor glory, students from Russian sister universities come to BNTU to experience our shared history firsthand. During these days, the students not only get to know the Belarusian capital but also join the Polytechnic students in participating in commemorative events and activities held at the university in the lead-up to Victory Day, as well as in the celebration itself.
The Polytechnic University's celebration traditions are always large-scale and encompass several areas. A key part of the annual holiday preparations is the beautification of monuments and military burial sites by the university's volunteer teams. On the eve of May 9th, thematic exhibitions, patriotic events, and creative evenings are held at faculties and dormitories. University representatives actively participate in the "Belarus Remembers" march and the ceremonial laying of flowers and wreaths at the Victory Monument. Cadets of the Military-Technical Faculty proudly represent the university in the parade unit of the Minsk Garrison, and interactive BNTU spaces are set up on the streets of the capital.
These traditions are constantly evolving and resonating in the digital environment through media projects and creative initiatives that unite different generations in the desire to preserve a great heritage through words and creativity.
For the thousands of BNTU staff, as for all Belarusians, this holiday will forever remain sacred, demonstrating that the memory of this heroic deed is a living force that helps us build the future and create for peace in our homeland. Happy Victory Day!
