Memorial “Roses”

The “Roses” Memorial in Minsk is dedicated to one of the most tragic events in the modern history of Belarus — the stampede at the Nemiga metro station, which occurred on May 30, 1999. On this day, a beer festival and a concert by a music group, which drew thousands of young people, were taking place in central Minsk, near the Svislach River. Suddenly, the weather worsened dramatically: a heavy rain with hail began. A crowd of over 2,500 people rushed to take shelter in the underground passage, leading to a stampede that claimed the lives of 53 people, mostly young individuals aged 14 to 20. In memory of the victims of the Nemiga tragedy, a memorial called “Roses” was erected three years later. This monument consists of 53 bronze flowers symbolizing the deceased. Forty of them are roses, representing the girls, and 13 are tulips, symbolizing the young men. The flowers are scattered chaotically on stylized steps, and their stems are broken, reflecting the sense of loss and grief felt by the relatives and friends of the victims. The memorial profoundly conveys the pain experienced by the country on that day. The memorial also includes a small chapel with a metal plaque inside listing the names of all the deceased along with a phrase from the Gospel. At the top of the chapel is an Orthodox cross, adding a spiritual aspect to the memory of the tragedy's victims. After the tragedy, the area around the underground passage at Nemiga became a symbol of mourning for the residents of Minsk. Relatives and friends of the victims left photographs, icons, prayer texts, and brought flowers in memory of the deceased on the walls of the passage. However, over time, this place has become less frequently visited, and today, the youth often use the memorial as a popular meeting spot, which has led to the phrase “let’s meet at the roses.” The Nemiga tragedy remains in the memory of the people of Minsk and Belarus, especially on May 30 and June 1, when the victims of that tragic day are remembered annually.