Peres Center Unveils Monument In Belarus To Mark Late President’s 100th Birthday

Peres in front of his great-grandfather's grave in an abandoned Jewish cemetery in the city of Volozhin, Belarus, on his first visit to the country since childhood. The monument, which stands in the courtyard of the house where Shimon Peres was born, features inscriptions in three languages, symbolizing the universal impact of his life's work. STÉPHANE BENTURA / AFPSHIMON. 

VISHNEVO, Belarus — The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation marked the 100th birthday of the late Israeli president Shimon Peres on Wednesday, with representatives of the organization taking part in the unveiling of a monument in Vishneva, Belarus, where the Nobel laureate was born.The ceremony was the first of a number of events planned in conjunction with the Peres Center over the next year.

The monument, which stands in the courtyard of the house where Shimon Peres was born, features inscriptions in three languages, symbolizing the universal impact of his life’s work. Peres, who passed away in 2016, was born Szymon Perski, on Aug. 2, 1923, to Yitzhak and Sara Perski. Throughout his life, he held prominent positions in Israeli politics, serving twice as the nation’s prime minister and subsequently as president from 2007 to 2014.