Siarhei Mikhalok granted residence permit in Ukraine

Siarhei Mikhalok, a former leader of the Belarusian band Lyapis Trubetskoy and now frontman of Brutto, and his producer Anton Azizbekian were granted a Ukrainian residence permit.

Head of the Ukrainian State Migration Service Serhiy Radutnyi gave the musicians residence permits on May 25, UNIAN learnt from the service's press office.

The migration service reports that minister of culture Vyacheslav Kirilenko filed a petition to the Interior Ministry, asking to give a residence permit to the two artists as their immigration meets the interests of Ukraine. The step will promote the image of Ukraine as the state that guarantees opportunities for free expression of views and beliefs, including through creative activities, he wrote. He asked to take into account the band's support of the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity and its contribution to the development of the Ukrainian music.

The migration service notes that the residence permit allows people to live in Ukraine and have the same rights, freedoms and duties as citizens of Ukraine have, apart from the exceptions provided for by the Constitution, laws and international agreements of Ukraine (the right to elect and be elected to government bodies, work in government bodies, etc.).

Musician Mikhalok and producer Azizbekian decided to obtain a Ukrainian residence permit without renouncing their Belarusian citizenship.

Mikhalok explained that the support of the revolution in Ukraine by Lyapis Trubetskoy was negatively taken by the authorities of Belarus and Russia that put obstacles to a normal creative process.

Lyapis Trubetskoy supported the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine from the very beginning. Their song Warriors of Light became one of the unofficial hymns of Maidan.

Lyapis Trubetskoy was put on the blacklist in Belarus, which doesn't allow musicians to play concerts in the country.