The Monument to Veterans-Road Builders in the village of Zhukov Lug

In Belarus, there are not only monument to those people and events whose deeds and work are far behind us, but also boards of honor dedicated to those whose activity began in the past and grows rapidly nowadays. All over the country, there are memorials dedicated to the daily labor of the Belarusian citizens whose work has a great value for the life of the society and the country in general.

Roads forever have connected people, towns and countries. Earlier they were especially reliable. For example, the asphalt coat of the Biblical Babylon has survived up to our days; the stone rode made in the Roman Empire is still used.

Thus, not far from the road M2 in the direction Minsk – National Minsk Airport, near the small village Zhukov Lug, there is a unique monument dedicated to veterans-road builders. The first stone of the future pedestal was laid on 7 May 2010. The highest Belarusian officials took part in that outstanding event: the Minister of Transport and Communications, the Deputy Director of the company “Belavtodor” and the heads of local government.

The importance of the roads development in Belarus cannot be overstated. The road builders’ work was especially important during the Great Patriotic War when the territory of Belarus was unexpectedly hit by the horrible tragedy which claimed the lives of several thousand people. At those terrible years, roads and railways were of great importance in the struggle against the enemy, as there were the violent battles between the Soviet soldiers and the Nazi invaders along the frontline roads.

When our troops executed offensive military operations, the contribution of the Soviet soldiers and road-builders was priceless. The success of many of them depended on the timely construction of ferries across rivers and lakes, and also on the professional and quick roadwork in the territories occupied by the Germans. At those times, the road-builders grasped the nettle, the Belarusians labored on the sites of the roadwork with a deep feeling of patriotism and duty to the country, thus, performing heroic deeds.

Besides, the postwar devastation also required great efforts for the restoration of motor trunk road all over the country. Those and others merits of road-builders of our country became the reason for the construction of the monument in honor of all representatives of that service.

By the way, the Day of Motorists and Road-Builders is celebrated in Belarus every year on the last Sunday of October. And it is well deserved, as the contribution of road-builders in our country cannot be understated. Automobile manufacturing is one of the most important indicators of modern economic development. This industry is highly developed in Belarus. It is worth recalling such industrial giants as MAZ, BELAZ, GOMSELMASH and MOTOVELO. The products of these companies are highly appreciated abroad. So it can be declared that the country pays a lot of attention to road-building and automobile manufacturing.