Belarusian Literary Fund Can Lose Its Office

According to RFE/RL

Belarusian literary fund was created together with the Union of Belarusian Writers. All members of the union automatically became members of the literary fund that is financed by members’ fees and profits from publishing. The literary fund helped to old and ill writers, partially paid for their rest at literary houses and spent means on funerals.

In 1997 the House of Literary Workers was forcibly passed to the Presidential Administration. Belarusian literary fund was left in two small rooms with a huge rent to pay for them. The debt to for the rent resulted in the conflict between the fund and the administration of the building. This morning the fund rooms were sealed. Several hours later the seals were removed on the condition of payment of the rent within two-day term. The sum to pay is 17 million rubles. Otherwise the administration will break the rent agreement and the literary fund will lose its office.