Authorities demolish art studio of Yury Miahki for his protest against cut-down of park trees

Dwellers of the village of Slaveni are collecting signatures under a collective letter which will be sent to the district newspaper Nasha Talachynshchyna. They demand to review the decision of the district culture department on demolition of the building where artist Yury Myahki has a studio and teach village children painting and carving.

The head of the culture department of the Talachyn district executive committee Aliaksandr Razhanski said the building must be demolished after artist Myahki had expressed his protest against cutting a park in Slaveni. He drew posters against the cutting and set them in the windows. He also filed a claim to the prosecutor’s office demanding to punish those who destroy rare trees without permission.

On 27 November the police came to the artist’s studio and said he had a week to take away his belongings and works. Yury Miahki didn’t agree. He said that by ruining the building the local authorities deprive him of the studio and deprive the village children of the opportunity to study art.

Though the studio belongs to the local school, lessons there are free. About thirty villagers gave their signatures for preserving the building. Yury Miahki states the week given him for voluntary eviction expires tomorrow, but he is not going to leave the studio voluntary, only if the police use force to get him and his works out.