Picket in Defense of Historic Heritage

A picket in defense of house #27 in Handliovaia Street near the cathedral church is dated 19th century. It is the only remaining building on the downhill from Freedom Square to the river of Svislach. At first it was a dwelling house, the balconies of which were decorated with a unique cast-iron breastwork. Then it became a hostel. The famous writer and dissident Alies Adamovich used to live there while student.

Recently Minsk City Executive Committee has allowed destroying the house and building an Orthodox seminary there. Now the house stands without the balconies, the roof is being dismounted. A bulldozer with the weight that will break the walls is nearby.

Several dozens people, students and intellectuals, gathered near the building and started gathering passers’-by signatures against the destruction. Not a single person refused to put signature for it. In his interview to RFE/RL the art researcher Siarhiei Khareuski said he would come to this place everyday.

-- The aim of the picket is to remind Belarusian officials that the vandalism that is still going on in the capital of Belarus is a crime that is attentively watched by its citizens. None of such acts would remain unnoticed. The experience of the last 10 years shows that ordinary citizens can’t stop it. All legal non-violent means of struggle are exhausted.