Memorial complex «Trostenets»

Small Trostenets was the largest camp of death in Belarus during the period of the German-fascist occupation. Soviet prisoners of war, Jews, underground and partisans, residents of Minsk, who were arrested as hostages, perished in the camp.

The camp near the village of Maly Trostinets was established in 1942. It occupied an area of ​​200 hectares. Prisoners of war built a house for the commandant, premises for protection, a garage. From the Mogilev highway to the camp a narrow road was conducted .

The camp was guarded by barbed wire, which was under electricity, a round-the-clock guard was armed with machine guns and automatic weapons. Also there were inscriptions in German and Russian languages: "Entrance to the camp is forbidden, without warning they will shoot!".

In May 1942, the camp had a large farm for food production, a mill, a sawmill, a locksmith, carpentry, a shoemaker, a tailor. Conditions for life and work were difficult. The prisoners were placed in a barn on wet straw or in cellars, they were fed with waste, every day they shot one of the prisoners. The factory of death of Trostenets did not stop working for a minute.

A few days before the liberation of Minsk, at the end of 1944, 6,500 prisoners were shot and then burnt.
In total, more than 206500 people were tortured, shooted and burned by the Nazis in the camp.

Currently, on the site of the camp is a memorial complex. The fact that there was a death camp here reminds a sign with the inscription: "People, bow your head!" This place was the death camp "TROSTENETS", in which the fascists destroyed about 206,000 people! ". A stele of red granite was erected at the place of execution and burning. Also, a monument was erected on the spot where 6,500 people were burned in the shed. And a few monuments remind that this land is impregnated with tears and blood of prisoners.