200 schoolchildren from Belarus, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia became participants in the patriotic cultural and educational project "Train of Memory" from June 21st to July 6th.

The young passengers from four countries embarked on a route that included Brest, Grodno, Polotsk, Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Ufa, Samara, Volgograd, Tula, Mogilev, Zhlobin, Minsk, Mogilev, and Moscow. Among them was Julia Saiko, a student of VSU Lyceum and the winner of the Republican competition "I am a patriot of my country." She shared her impressions of the trip and talked about what she remembered from participating in this large-scale Belarusian-Russian patriotic project.

- The start of the 'Train of Memory' project took place on June 21st in Brest. Here, we visited one of the most memorable places for me throughout the trip - the Brest Fortress Memorial Complex. In Saint Petersburg, what I liked the most were the tour of the Summer Garden and the concert for graduates called 'Scarlet Sails.' After the concert, we walked back, so we had the opportunity to stroll along the night waterfront. The next cities we visited were Nizhny Novgorod, Ufa, Samara, Volgograd, and Tula. Each of these cities left its own impression. For example, Nizhny Novgorod was characterized by lively and positive people, a vibrant flash mob, and beautiful bridges. Ufa was memorable for its wonderful sunsets, interesting traditions, and how I and other Belarusian kids took photos with our national flag. Perhaps it was then, being a thousand kilometers away from my country, that I felt an extraordinary pride for being born and living in Belarus. Samara was etched in my memory with its Soviet-era trams reminiscent of old movies and the wartime structure - Stalin's bunker. Our journey then continued on the territory of Belarus and concluded on July 6th in Moscow.

Since the 'Train of Memory' project was designated as a military-patriotic one, during the trip, the young participants visited various battle sites (Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, Buinichi Field in Mogilev), laid flowers at the 'Unknown Soldier's Grave' memorial in Moscow, the Eternal Flame in Volgograd, the monument to Hero of Russia Minigali Shaymuratov in Ufa. They also explored the exhibits at the 'Road of Memory: 1418 Steps to Victory' museum (Moscow region) and the Museum of the Great Patriotic War (Minsk).

- Each participant had their own War. Many cried when visiting the Red Beach and the Piskaryovskoye Cemetery. For me, the realization of what war truly means came in Volgograd, at Mamayev Kurgan. Beneath the neat and well-tended lawns there lie thousands of killed Soviet soldiers: sons, husbands, fathers. War ceased to be just a page in a history textbook; it touched me personally. We laid flowers at the Eternal Flame in the Hall of Military Glory, and I understood that this is what brings together a Russian and a Belarusian, an Armenian and a Kyrgyz: shared pain, shared memory. However, the story of my journey would be incomplete if I didn't mention the people who surrounded me throughout the entire way.

In one carriage with me were extraordinary and vibrant people with whom we sang songs with a guitar, took photos. Saying goodbye to them, it was impossible to hold back tears. I'm sure that many of us will continue to communicate even further, - noted Julia.

"The Train of Memory" is a project dedicated to the theme of the Great Patriotic War and the Year of Historical Memory in Belarus. It was initiated by the heads of the upper chambers of the parliaments of Belarus and Russia - Natalia Kochanova, the Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, and Valentina Matviyenko, the Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia.