Marathon In Honour Of Kalinouski’s Insurgents Started In Belarus

Activists from all over the country are taking part in it.

For the first time in 20 years in Svislach and Yakushouka, activists from all over Belarus will honour the memory of Kalinoiuski’s insurgents not on one day, but throughout two months, to avoid harassment and oppression from the authoritiies.

The BPF activists from Minsk and Hrodna opened the memorial events. They were filmed by policemen when putting flowers to the memorial places.

Head of the Hrodna branch of the Belarusian Popular Front Vadzim Saranchukou told Radio Liberty that the marathon for honouring the memory of the 1863 insurgents in Svislach was started by the BPF members, in the new format.

“The party leaders Ryhor Kastusiou and Aliaksei Yakukevich came to Svislach. There were 12 people altogether, we traditionally visited the grave of Viktar Kalinouski, put flowers and lit candles to the monument of Kastus Kalihouski and Ramuald Trauhut, and also visited Yakushouka. The policemen in plain clothes accompanied us all the way, and filmed with video cameras, just like in the previous years.”

The authorities continue their arbitrariness

Aliaksei Yanukevich noted that, regardless of the fact that only several people came to pay tribute to the official memorials in Svislach, the authorities still try to control such things.

“The authorities continue their arbitrariness. Several people came to see the memorials, lit candles, and they go around them, filming everything, sticking their cameras from every direction.

This is a very weird behaviour. If these authorities were confident about the people’s support, they wouldn’t have acted this way. This is very sad because the officials continue to demonstrate their anti-Belarusian nature.”

Activists from Masty, who also visited Svislach and Yakushouka, took up the commemoration of the Kalinouski rebels.

Activist Iosif Palubiatka said that their group consisted of 10 people — Hrodna residents from the Social Democratic Party joined the five Masty dwellers.

"Of course, it was not very pleasant for us that people in plain clothes followed us everywhere we went. Especially it revolted those who came to Svislach for the first time. But personally I called not to pay attention. We told about the graves of the insurgents, showed Svislach gymnasium, in which many Belarusian celebrities studied. We went to Yakushouka, visited the Kalinouskis’ family seat. It's surprising that we were followed by "detectives" everywhere. Imagine how much fuel, which the people paid for, they will have to spend during this time, because, as far as I understand, they are going to control all groups that visit places associated with the insurgents."

Long-term commemoration of Belarusian patriots

This year, the organizational committee for holding the Day of Memory of the Rebels of the Year 1863, which is conducted annually in Svislach and Yakushouka, disseminated a statement, in which they called for the civil society to honour the patriots not on one day, but throughout two months, in order to avoid pressure from the authorities.

The organizers urged the citizens who care to come to Kalinouski’s monument and the cross in Yakushouka, and to visit the graves of the rebels all over Belarus, in October and November, when Belarusians mark the Dziady holiday.

The statement, distributed by the activists of the organizational committee, also informs that there is an intention to return to the usual mass and solemn format of marking the Day of Memory of the Rebels of the Year 1863 in Svislach in 2018, when the 155th anniversary of the rebellion will be celebrated.