We are pleased to invite you to a commemorative evening in partnership with the Embassies of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation in the Kingdom of Belgium. This event is to mark the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from Nazi invaders during the Great Patriotic War and the 80st  anniversary of the Great Victory.

We will be screening the documentary film ‘The Liberation of Belarus’ from the series ‘The Unknown War’ (USA, USSR, 1978).

The Soviet-American documentary series ‘The Unknown War’ (The Unknown War) consists of 20 episodes. The screenplay was written by Burt Lancaster (USA), and the direction was provided by Isaac Kleinerman (USA) and Roman Karmen (USSR).

The films are based on a vast collection of footage, amounting to over one million metres, captured by Soviet film crews from the onset of Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941 to the cessation of hostilities in Manchuria in August 1945. The majority of this footage has never been published before.

The event has been conceived as a means of paying tribute to the heroism displayed by soldiers, partisans and civilians in their defence of their homeland, with these efforts and sacrifices being immense.Belarus suffered enormous losses during the war, with historians estimating that every third resident of the republic lost their life.

A significant turning point was the liberation of Minsk on 3 July 1944 during the major offensive operation ‘Bagration’, which became a symbol of victory and the indomitable will of the people. The commemorative evening has been scheduled to coincide with this historic date.

Following the film, there will be an opportunity to sample a selection of Belarusian and Russian cuisines.

The film is presented in English with Russian and French subtitles.