The President of Erzia International Art Foundation Mikhail Zhuravlev visited Zubovo-Polyansky region of Mordovia. There was Dubravny forced labor camp (DUBRAVLAG) at the territory of this region during the Second World War. The purpose of the trip was to get acquainted with the territory of mass graves of War prisoners from Italy, Hungary, Germany, Japan and other European countries.
The Erzia Foundation is engaged in humanitarian research and is working to identify the identities of unnamed soldiers who died in military labor camps and is looking for their relatives abroad. Now there are still not found burial places at the former territory of Dubravlag. Crosses were installed on the discovered mass graves. Also there is a memorial to Italians who died in Russia.
The main message of the foundation’s activities is the denial and senselessness of violence in the world, society and art.
The President of Erzia International Art Foundation Mikhail Zhuravlev:
“The Second World War is the hardest page in the history of many countries. Millions of soldiers died fighting for the influence of world powers. As a result many participants ended their lives far from their homeland never returning home. We believe that every person who unwittingly fell victim of violence is worthy of eternal memory. Our mission is to return the names and fates to the soldiers, find their families and preserve the trace of their tragic path in history. That’s why we came to Zubovo-Polyansky district. A forest has grown at the place of the mass graves. This is a symbol of the tears of relatives and friends, because it is a bitter loss for every family. “
We are publishing a report of the trip that took place on March 31, 2021: