Belarusian cencorship hasn't allowed "Katyn" film to be shown

Andrzej Wajda's film "Katyń" has been shown on "Rossia" state television in memory of the Polish leadership killed in a plane crash near Smolensk.

The Russian TV which a few weeks ago showed the straight-talk film about Katyn at "Kultura" TV channel (which is far from being popular), decided to show the film again in prime time at the main all-national TV channel.

"We haven't planned to show it, as it is a controversial film," stated a spokesperson of the TV channel. "But we are showing it as a gesture of commiseration to the Poles in connection with the tragedy".

In spring 1940 Soviet special services shot thousands of Polish officers (there were many Belarusians among them) in teh forests of Katyn near Smolensk. Soviet propagandists then concealed the truth about these events, and Katyn became a nonhealing wound in the relations between the two countries. In recent years the Kremlin was not demonstrating any desire to criticise Stalin era openly, and Katyn was something like a forbidden subject.

In Belarus, which had lost many of its citizens in Katyn in 1940, "Katyn" was not showed on April 11. Viewers could hear the TV presenter Evgeniy Revenko to announce the film of Andrzej Wajda "Katyń" after the news broadcast, and then... an entertainment show "Dances with stars' was demonstrated in Belarus. It should be noted that the TV schedula of all Belarusian TV channels was created without taking in consideration the awful tragedy which took place on April 10. Entertaining shows, comedies and concerts were at all channels.

Belarus has also become the only neighbouring country of Poland in which the Day of National mourning was not announced officially. Mourning was announced in Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Georgia and even Brazil, but not in Belarus. However, common citizens of the country, representatives of the democratic opposition continue to come to the building of the Polish Embassy in Minsk with candles and flowers.

On April 10 a Polish Air Force Tupolev Tu-154M aircraft crashed near Smolensk when landing. All 96 passengers and crew were killed, including the President of Poland Lech Kaczyński and his wife.