Monument to Shimon Peres erected in Belarus on his 100th birthday

The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation unveiled a monument marking former Israeli politician Shimon Peres’s 100th birthday in his Belarusian hometown of Vishnyeva.

The monument stands in the courtyard of the house where Shimon Peres was born and was specifically designed with Peres’s lifelong pursuit of peace and innovation in mind. 

"Today, as we unveil this monument marking Shimon Peres's 100th birthday, we honor his exceptional life dedicated to peace and innovation,” Peres Center Director-General Efrat Duvdevani said. 

The establishment of a monument at the site of Peres’s birth was the result of a joint effort between the Jewish communities in Belarus, the Israeli Embassy in Minsk, and the support and participation of the Governor of the Minsk Region. 

The life of Shimon Peres

Peres was born Szymon Perski in the town of Vishnyeva – a small town nestled between the Belarusian capital of Minsk and Lithuania’s capital Vilna. He moved to Tel Aviv in 1934 at just 11 years of age, setting the stage for a life of influential historical contributions that left an indelible mark on Israeli history. Peres passed away in 2016 at the age of 92.

His diverse list of achievements includes being a former prime minister and president of Israel, acting in a leading role in the Oslo peace process with the Palestinians and the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, and becoming the longest-serving member in the Knesset's history with 48 uninterrupted years of service.

The ceremony was the first of a number of events planned in conjunction with the Peres Center over the next year to honor the centenary year of Peres's birth and his impact on the world.

“The centenary year of his birth is an opportunity to recognize his universal impact and to inspire us to continue his legacy of coexistence and progress for generations to come," declared Duvdevani.