Homel authorities disrupt celebration of ‘Dziady’

Activists of Homel branch of Frantsishak Skaryna Belarusian language Society are convinced that local authorities are to blame for thwarting the concert dedicated to Dziady.

Holding a concert, dedicated to the memorial day of Dziady, was planned by Homel branch of Frantsishak Skaryna Belarusian language Society for 2 November, but was banned. As BelaPAN was informed by a member of the council of the BLS branch Yauhen Yakavenka, in the last minute the premises for holding the event were denied.

At first the organizers planned holding the concert at Homel regional creative work house, but on 27 October its administration informed that the premises could not be granted because of equipment’s breakage.

‘We offered to hold the event as an unplugged variant, or to use our equipment, but we were not allowed. Then we found a different location, in Herzen library. First the administration agreed to give us a venue. But two hours before the concert we received a phone call from the library and we were told that such events are forbidden in the library, as the library occupied the new building not long ago, and it is not been fully put in commission,’ Yakavenka noted.

As said by him, concert preparation lasted for a very long time, and bards’ and knights’ clubs were to take part in the concert. Students and professors of universities were to be invited to the concert.

‘I am convinced that we were denied the venue for some reason, it was done under the pressure of the authorities. Maybe they were frightened by the word Dziady. The event was planned as a purely cultural event, and it couldn’t be another way, as the BLS is not a political organization. We wanted to make everything in a civilized way, but the authorities make us go underground,’ Yakavenkla said.