New Lukashenka’s decree: people may be thrown in prison for concerts?

Concerts and tours in Belarus are now governed by Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s decree. The decree introduces administrative responsibility for unauthorised concerts.

The document also provides forming of creative review committee, who will learn the materials of the concerts and prehear music.

According to the decree of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the commission will “give an opinion on the accordance of the event with main tasks of concert activity regulation in Belarus.” Such commissions haven’t existed before now. But concert managers had cases when they were asked to give records of a music band for hearing. Alyaksandr Bahdanau, manager of Serebryanaya Svadba cabaret and organiser of concerts for other groups, says he was able to come over officials before now.

– If officials from the Minsk city executive committee like Serebryabnaya Svadba, some psychedelic bands, like Sontsetsvety, don’t suit their taste. Sometimes I have to lie and gave them, for example, the first Red Hot Chili Peppers album, to hear. They listen to it and tell: “Oh, rock-n-roll. Let them play,” Bahdanau told to Radio Racyja.

Many people remember the last year’s case when Krama band was forbidden to play a gig. Officers of the Minsk city executive committee said the group had law professional level. Paval Kashyryn, organiser of the concert, reminds:

– I went the department of culture at the Minsk city committee every day, as one goes to work. Everyone knows, we weren’t able to succeed. We decided not to go to law.

The situation with concert organising has essentially changed after some Belarusian musicians visited the head of the ideological Department of the Presidential Administration in autumn. Groups Krama, N.R.M. and Neuro Dubel played successful concerts in clubs of the Belarusian capital and other towns. Krambambula band is now on tour round Belarus. These concerts are organised by Liniya Zvuka agency. Its director Uladzimir Shablinski said even government agencies cooperated with Lyavon Volski’s band.

It is quite possible that Belarusian groups may again face problems with concert organising. Forming of creative review commissions is another attempt to control musicians, musical journalist Zmitser Padbyarezski says.

– One can’t exclude selecting out of uncomfortable musicians irrespective to their creative level. It is another step to returning to the Soviet times, - the journalist thinks.

Another important item in the presidential decree on concert activity regulation is introducing administrative responsibility for organising of unauthorised concerts. Union of Poles in Belarus, unrecognised by the Belarusian authorities, has recently organised a concert of famous Polish group Lombard on the territory of the Polish consular general. It seems that such concerts will not be organised in Belarus any more.