Seized copies of Arche magazine sold out in a day

All copies of Arche and books from the magazine series that were sent to a shop selling seized items in Hrodna have been sold out.

The information was posted on the page of the book series “Hrodna Library” on Facebook. About 200 copies of the magazine were sold at 14,900 rubles. Independent distributors sell Arche at 25,000-54,000 rubles.

The copies of the magazine were seized from Arche editor-in-chief Valer Bulhakau in Hrodna on September 14, 2012. He was detained and later fined for illegal business activity.

A shop assistant told Radio Svaboda some days ago that “people sometimes look through magazines, but don't buy them. For example, only one copy was bought today. No great interest.”

All copies of Arche were bought after the information appeared in independent media on March 26.

It should be reminded that Arche faced problems in September 2012. Then editor-in-chief Valer Bulhakau was detained in Hrodna on September 14 during the presentation of the book “Sovetisation of Western Belarus”. He was accused of conducting illegal business.

On September 21, officers of the State Control Committee's financial investigation department raided a publishing house and seized all documents relating to the last two years of Arche's activity.

More than 5,000 copies of Bulhakau's books were seized on October 2. Arche founder Andrei Dynko was summoned to the financial investigation department two days later. Bulhakau left his post as editor-in-chief to save the magazine from closing. In spite of the step, the financial investigation department blocked the account of the magazine and summoned staff members for questioning.  

Bulhakau was issued a fine of 500,000 rubles for illegal business activity on October 18. He left Belarus in early November in fear of criminal prosecution.