Isle of tears

A small bent bridge over the Svisloch curve leads to the Isle of Tears. Unveiling of the memorial to "the Sons of Motherland Perished Abroad" (sculpture Yu. Pavlov, architects M. Korolev, T. Koroleva-Pavlova, V. Laptsevich, G. Pavlova, A. Pavlov, D. Khomiakov) was held there on the 3rd August 1996.

In front of the memorial there is rubble with the bronze icon of the Mother of God and the inscription to explain the concept of the memorial. (1) _____________________________________________________________

The monument simulates the temple. It is based on 16 piles deepened into the swampy soil and fortified with the boulders. (2) ____________________________________________________________ Planned as the memorial to the soldiers perished in Afghanistan, it has essentially become the monument to the sons and daughters of Belarus killed in the battlefields at all times. This symbol becomes still more significant if one remembers that the history of the mankind is the history of wars, however regretful it may be.

About 30 thousand of the Belarusians and the natives of the Republic participated in the war in Afghanistan. 771 of them have never come back.

In the centre of the memorial are the figures of grieving women, personifying all Belarusian mothers mourning over their sons who have not come back from the war. (3) ________________________________________________________ The mothers in front are holding the lamps like warmth and light of their home fireplace. They still hope their sons will come back. The figures behind have petrified of grief...

The shape of the memorial resembles that of Ephrossinia of Polotsk Church in Polotsk, in its original patters as it existed in the XI century. Inside the monument there are four alcoves with the names of 771 soldiers lost in Afghanistan engraved. (4) __________________________________________

Each alcove encloses the icons and the bronze candlesticks under the icons. For the icons' painting the encaustic technique (wax painting) was used. Such painting is made in hot, melted paints, with white wax as a binding agent. This technique has been known since the Ancient Egypt epoch. Both the icons and the entire inner part fresco are made using such encaustic technique.

(5)____________________________________________________ Our long-suffering Belarus is presented as a Mother whose sons have come to worship her: the ancient warriors in armours, the soldiers of 1941-1945, the "afghans"...

The icon Ephrossinia of Polotsk – the Protectress of the Belarusian people has something in common with the previous one. Saint Ephrossinia on her knees, her hands like outstretched wings, she tries to cover and protect her people from the enemies: the Teutonic knights and German fascist invaders... in wind blasts. The sound joins the bell it rings, echoing in our hearts like voice of the perished.

Another element of the memorial is a guardian angel. (6) _________________________________________________________ The Angel is weeping, as has failed to perform his sacred mission to guard the soldiers against death.

The rubbles represent one of the essential elements of the memorial, they embody the names of the Afghanistan provinces where the Soviet troops have been located and operated.

The finishing part of the memorial is a symbolic commemoration table for funeral repast to gather relatives, members of families and friends of the perished "Afghans" on memorable dates.

A While visiting the memorial, the relatives of the victims have the possibility to fire the candle near each name.

B The main icon is the Saint Mother of Belarus.

C Each element of the memorial is of deep historical and philosophical sense.

D This is a peculiar monument to those "Afghans" who have died of physical and moral wounds after their return home.

E The rubble was placed there as the starting point of the memorial to be, as early as 1988.

F Some of them have icons in their hands, the others have the portraits of sons.