During Aleksandr Lukashenko's meeting with youth activists on 24 October, the BRSM Youth Union announced plans to allocate its funds to build a national patriotic education center for the youth in the Kobrin fortification of the Brest Fortress, BelTA reports.

First Secretary of the BRSM Central Committee Aleksandr Lukyanov said: “The work on your instruction to raise funds to build the national patriotic center in the Brest Fortress is in full swing.”

“Well done, it's great that you have got involved, I'm keeping my finger on the pulse,” noted Aleksandr Lukashenko.

“The general public, public associations, political parties joined the effort. This is primarily the responsibility of young people, although other members of society also need to pitch in. Maybe we don't need such lavish facilities like, for example, those in Moscow Oblast,” the BRSM leader continued.

Aleksandr Lukyanov remarked: “The location was chosen for its historical significance: about 80 years ago, our grandparents and great-grandparents defended our country from the Nazis there.”

“To date, young people have raised more than 160,000; about a million has been raised by the public. It is about eight million in total. We keep in touch with the Defense Ministry that put forward this idea, as well as with the Brest Oblast Executive Committee; the approval of design estimates is already on the home stretch. “We expect to get down to work in November,” said Aleksandr Lukyanov.

He went on saying: “This year our student brigades, volunteers, activists worked very hard and managed to raise an impressive amount - about Br0.5 million. In line with your instructions, your decree, these funds are usually used to support the student brigade movement, to hold forums, festivals. But now we need to focus on landmark projects. I have a mission to ask for your permission to spend the Br0.5 million on the construction of a national patriotic education center for the youth on the northern island of the Kobrin fortification of the Brest Fortress. And this will be our significant contribution to the project as we need to ensure that the first stage of construction is completed by the Great Victory anniversary in 2025.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko responded: “It is your money. We will appreciate if you use it this way. This means that we will need to allocate less from the budget.”