I S S U E # 7

N O V E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 2 0 Cultural Resistance in

B E L A R U S I A N C U L T U R E S O L I D A R I T Y F O U N D A T I O N

B E L A R U S I A N P E N C E N T R E Art Credit: @rumadelima 1 . A R R E S T S 2 . P R E S S U R E A N D D I S M I S S A L , S T R I K E S 3 . O P E N L E T T E R 4 . C U L T U R A L R E S I S T A N C E

5 . V O I C E O F B E L A U R U S I A N C U L T U R E 6 . I N T E R N A T I O N A L S O L I D A R I T Y 7 . M I S C E L L A N I O U S

0 2 1. Arrests

Aleś Harbul, a poet and local history expert, held a single- person picket against the violence in Pastavy on 15 November and was detained. On November 18, the Pastavy court issued a warning to him.

Volha Śemčanka, head of the Literary and Drama Department of the Mahileŭ Theater, and manager of the Belarusian Folk Dance Club, has been detained for participating in a march in memory of Raman Bandarenka on November 15 in Mahilieŭ. Earlier, Volha was prosecuted twice for participating in unauthorized mass events.

Photo Credit: Belsat

Michaś Mišuk, the artist who created some of the first street art in Kastryčnitskaja, one of the most creative streets in , received 13 days of arrest.

0 3 Ilia Jasinski,, an actor of the Republican Theatre of Belarusian Drama,, was beaten severely during his detention on November 15 and hospitalized with a broken spine..

Edward Dmuhoŭski, a well-known local history expert, tour guide and public activist, was sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest for participating in a rally in memory of Raman Bandarenka on November 15.

Taras Kruckich, Alaksandr journalist and film critic, Sakałoŭ, sculptor member of the detained on BelarusDocs festival November 15, detained on November received 15 days of 15, was sentenced to 25 arrest. days of arrest.

Vadźim Dzmitranok, a well- known architect and former member of 's initiative group, was detained and severely beaten on November 15. He is now in hospital with a closed-head injury, numerous hematomas and possibly severe damage to the internal organs. He is being guarded by a convoy, as he is now a suspect under Article 342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus - the organization of group actions, grossly violating public order and involving obvious disobedience to the legitimate demands of the authorities (punished with a fine, or arrest, or restriction of liberty 0 4 for a term of up to 3 years, or imprisonment for the same term). Makśim Karžycki, actor of the Dźianis Varonski and Alaksandr Yakub Kolas National Academic Škiranda, the buskers detained Drama Theater, was detained on near the Yakub Kolas Square November 17 for participating in metro station in Minsk on a solidarity action in memoriam November 20, received 12 and 13 Raman Bandarenka and days of administrative arrest for sentenced to 10 days of arrest on "participating in a cultural and November 20. entertainment event without the permission of the Minsk City Executive Committee."

— Illa Čarapko-Samachwalaŭ, actor, leader D E T A I N E D I N M I N S K D U R I N G of the bands "Petlya Prestrastiya" and T H E M A R C H O F T H E D I S T R I C T S "Cassiopeia"; O N N O V E M B E R 2 2 : — Ćimur Reiźis, keyboardist for Addis Abeba band and Sergey Pukst's projects (received 13 days of arrest) — Jauhen Junaŭ, photographer, member of the renowned art group "Belarusian Climate", a legend of the Belarusian advertising market.

Photo Credit: Facebook. Art Credit: @savichz 0 5 2. Pressure and Dismissal, Strike

P R E S S U R E O N T H E M E N ’ S Three members of the choral group C H O R A L G R O U P U N I Y A H A S have faced imprisonment for now, and the leading soloist Aliaksandr Šyk’s C O N T I N U E D . wife Maryna was also detained and fined. Now the couple is threatened to have their seventeen-year-old adopted son taken away.

Mikałai Stońka, an actor of the Jaŭhien Malikaŭ, a writer and art Republican Theater of Belarusian critic from Mahileŭ, author of the Drama, quit the theatre and book "Traditions of carved decor in recorded a video appeal the folk architecture of south- condemning the pressure on the eastern Belarus (late 19th – first half theater and unprecedented of the 20th century)" was fired from violence in the country. Belarusian State University of Transport, where he worked for 16 years, for his active civil position.

0 6 Three specialists of the Center for Experimental Directing of the Academy of Arts informed the rector about the beginning of the strike on November 20. In response, the dean warned that most likely, their Center for Experimental Directing will be disbanded.

Photo Credit: euroradio.pl

12 employees of the New Theater in Minsk had to quit, some by their own decision, other under pressure of the director, after their strike was found illegal in the court. By the order from the authorities, no other state theatre in Belarus is allowed to hire the actors.

0 7 3. Open Letter from Belarusian Writers

2 0 0 B E L A R U S I A N W R I T E R S , I N C L U D I N G S V E T L A N A

A L E X I E V I C H , V O L H A Š P A R A H A , D Z M I T R Y S T R O C A Ŭ , T A C I A N A N I A D B A J , H A V E S I G N E D A L E T T E R T O T H E A U T H O R I T I E S , H E A D S O F S T A T E S T R U C T U R E S , A N D O F F I C I A L S D E M A N D I N G T O P U T A N E N D T O M A S S R E P R E S S I O N S A N D A T T A C K S O N T H E P E O P L E W H O W A N T C H A N G E , T O A D M I T T H E I R D E F E A T A N D A C C E P T T H E W I L L O F T H E P E O P L E ! F O R T H E O R I G I N A L L E T T E R W I T H S I G N A T O R I E S L I S T S E E T H E L I N K .

0 8 S T U D E N T S O F T H E A C A D E M Y O F A R T S A R R A N G E D A P E R F O R M A N C E I N M E M O R I A M R A M A N B A N D A R E N K A .

Photo Credit: Belsat Hanna Šarkunova, a Belarusian singer, has dedicated a touching song to Raman Bandarenka who fell victim of the regime on November 12.

A charity online concert in solidarity with Men’s Choral Group Uniya took place on 21 November. All the funds raised will be directed to support the choral group. Follow the link to donate.

Despite dispersals and detentions, people continue to organize activities in their neighbourhoods. Armed riot police arrived at the gig in Sucharawa district of Minsk on November 19. The musicians managed to escape, but the security officers confiscated the equipment and donations that residents made to thank the musicians.

1 0 5. voice of belarusian culture

M I K A Ł A J C H A L E Z I N [ N I K O L A I “External pressure is essential. There K H A L E Z I N ] , A C O - A R T I S T I C is internal pressure from the people’s D I R E C T O R O F B E L A R U S F R E E side on the regime, and there is T H E A T R E , P L A Y W R I G H T A N D external pressure. If they are not in J O U R N A L I S T , O N E C O N O M I C sync, there is a disbalance in one S A N C T I O N S A N D V A R I O U S direction or the other. Imagine some F O R M A T S O F P E A C E F U L P R O T E S T . official from sit and watch grenades explode and people shot in Belarus... It would be wrong. Things take time, and that’s also true for See the original interview in Belarusian coordination, restructuring, and and Russian. pressure.”

Musicians from the fantasy folk band Irdorath who play bagpipes at the peaceful rallies and were fired for it. “In general, our work is abstract and has never been social. It was our way to escape from the gray reality into the world of Slavic fantasy, medieval legends, and folk songs. But it feels wrong to be escaping from the reality of Belarus now.”

1 2 A N D R E J N O V I K A N D M I K A Ł A J S T O Ń K A , A C T O R S W H O Q U I T T H E R T B D I N P R O T E S T .

" W H E N Y O U R C O L L E A G U E H A S "The Ministry of Culture has always B E E N B E A T E N S O B A D L Y [ R E F . censored the theater, but after the I L L I A J A S I N S K I ] , I T ' S A S H A M E election the pressure increased. We T O G O O N S T A G E , E V E N I F I T ’ S A fought it as best we could, but the S H O W Y O U P L A Y I N S O L I D A R I T Y situation was getting worse. While W I T H H I M . I T H I N K T H E T H E A T E R we were coming up with ways to S H O U L D H A V E S A I D , ‘ N O ! W E express our civil position, like W O N ’ T W O R K ’ , A L T H O U G H I "artistic" signs of solidarity in K N O W T H A T E V E R Y O N E T H E R E performances or bows, and the audience understood them, they I S D O I N G W H A T T H E Y C A N F O R were banned one after another. I T H E V I C T O R Y . " realized I couldn’t go on stage and do nothing at all. Speaking to the officials from the Ministry of Culture would be a bargain with my conscience, even if I spoke the truth Ilia Jasinski, an actor of the outside the walls of the theater and Republican Theatre of Belarusian everyone anyway knows I’m not a Drama, was beaten severely during his Lukashenka’s follower." detention on November 15 and hospitalized. He’s been diagnosed with broken processes of two vertebrae. Ilia will have to spend the next 5-7 days in the hospital, and the fractures should heal in 1.5-2 months. In solidarity with their colleague, actors of the theatre put an empty chair in place of Ilia’s character in their new show “Dr. Raus (“Raus” stands for ‘district police department’) where he was supposed to play. “You can break the spine, but you won’t break the spirit,” Ilia says.

1 3 Photo Credit: Natallia Fedosenko/TACC

S V E T L A N A A L E X I E V I C H , A " A N Y ‘ T H A W ’ , A N Y L E A P W R I T E R , N O B E L P R I Z E L A U R E A T E , F O R W A R D I S I M P O S S I B L E T O A N D P R E S I D E N T O F P E N B E L A R U S , R O L L B A C K C O M P L E T E L Y , I T ’ S I N H E R I N T E R V I E W T O R A D I O I M P O S S I B L E T O R E T U R N T O T H E F R E E E U R O P E / R A D I O L I B E R T Y P A S T . P E O P L E D O N ’ T W A N T T O S H A R E D H E R T H O U G H T S O N L I V E A S T H E Y L I V E D B E F O R E B E L A R U S I A N P R O T E S T S A N D T H E 1 9 9 0 , A N D T H E Y W O N ’ T . P E O P L E E X I S T E N T I A L P R O B L E M S O F T H E W A N T T O T R A V E L T H E W O R L D , B E L A R U S I A N R E V O L U T I O N . T H E Y W A N T F O R T H E I R C H I L D R E N T O S T U D Y A N Y W H E R E I N T H E W O R L D . Y O U N G P E O P L E , W H E N Y O U T E L L T H E M A B O U T T H A T L I F E W E H A D , S I M P L Y C A N ’ T B E L I E V E I T . B U T T H A T ’ S H O W W E L I V E D , Q U I T E R E C E N T L Y . I T S T I L L L E A V E S A M A R K A N D C A U S E S C O N S E Q U E N C E S . W E R E I T N O T F O R K H R U S H C H E V ' S " T H A W , " T H E R E W O U L D H A V E B E E N N O P E R E S T R O I K A I N T H E 1 9 9 0 S . B U T F O R T H E 9 0 S , G E O R G I A , U K R A I N E , A R M E N I A , A N D N O W O U R C O U N T R Y , W O U L D N ’ T H A V E T O D E A L W I T H W H A T W E ’ R E D E A L I N G . C H A N G E H A P P E N S S L O W L Y A N D S O M E T I M E S , L I K E I N O U R C A S E , P A I N F U L L Y . "

1 3 6. international solidarity

The “embassy” of independent prisoners. They were written, for example, Belarusian culture was launched in The by Senate President Miloš Vystrčil (ODS) Center for Experimental Theater in Brno, and Chief Conductor and Artistic Director , on November 17. of the Czech Philharmonic Semyon The aim of the project is to spread Byčkov. awareness of Belarusian culture and The ambassador of independent protests against the outcome of the rigged Belarusian culture is the translator Siarhej presidential election. One of the first Smatryčenka, who has Belarusian and activities of the “embassy” is letters from Czech citizenship and lives in Brno. Czech personalities to Belarusian political

An exhibition New Belarusian Art has been running at St. Marien Church in the German town Lübeck. B E L A R U S F R E E T H E A T R E R E C E I V E D T H E 2 0 2 0 M A G N I T S K Y H U M A N R I G H T S A W A R D F O R C O U R A G E U N D E R F I R E F O R S T A N D I N G U P T O T H E L U K A S H E N K A R E G I M E I N T H E F A C E O F T O R T U R E A N D M U R D E R , B U T S T I L L C A R R Y O N .

Musicians, alumni of the National Gymnasium-College of the Belarusian State Academy of Music, made a video appeal urging to free Maria Kalesnikava and all political prisoners in Belarus as well as to stop the oppression of the Belarusian people.

The Finnish PEN and cultural community have recorded a video to support Belarusian colleagues.

“ F O R M O R E T H A N 1 0 0 D A Y S , B E L A R U S I A N S H A V E B E E N S E A R C H I N G F O R J U S T I C E . I N T H E S E D I F F I C U L T C I R C U M S T A N C E S , A S V I O L E N C E A N D O P P R E S S I O N C O N T I N U E , W E W A N T T O E X P R E S S O U R S U P P O R T F O R O U R B E L A R U S I A N C O L L E A G U E S A N D T H E P E O P L E O F B E L A R U S I N T H E I R P R O T E S T S F O R F R E E D O M . ”

1 5 7. Miscellanious

Art Credit: Artem Loskutov M A N Y W I T N E S S E S T E L L A B O U T R E G U L A R C A S E S O F T H E S E C U R I T Y F O R C E S T A K I N G A W A Y W H I T E - R E D - W H I T E F L A G S A T T H E P R O T E S T S , S P R E A D I N G T H E M O N T H E F L O O R O F T H E P O L I C E V A N S A N D F O R C I N G T H E D E T A I N E E S T O W A L K O N T H E M , W H I L E P O L I C E M E N T H E M S E L V E S S T E P O N T H E F L A G S O N P U R P O S E A S W E L L A S T H R O W T H E M I N T H E T R A S H . F O R S I M I L A R A C T I O N S T O W A R D S T H E O F F I C I A L B E L A R U S I A N F L A G O N E C A N B E S U E D U N D E R A D M I N I S T R A T I V E A N D C R I M I N A L C O D E S .

On November 19, Lukashenka appointed Anatol Markevič as a new Culture Minister, replacing Jury Bondar, who had headed the Ministry of Culture for three years. P h o t o

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