Students protest: stage for Culture University remains unfinished for 6 years already
Since its inception, the Belarusian
State University of Culture and Arts hasn't had its own stage, where
students, including those who are prepared to work in the theaters,
could show their skills or just rehearse. A student of the Faculty of
the Belarusian traditional culture and contemporary art decided to
influence this situation and appealed for public support. And already
had some success.
"It is necessary to bring important
beginnings to an end," commented user Pavel Makeyeu on the
petition created by Nina Yakimovich at change.org.
E-petition is getting a popular way to address the authorities among
Belarusians, is another method to reach out to the leadership of the
university and the city administration. The latter, by the way, is
headed by Barys Sviatlou, who was the BSUC rector several months ago.
"In 2007, the construction of the Sports and Cultural
Center (SCC) of the BSUCA was started," says the petition.
"However, no construction works were carried out during the past
years. What was built in 2007 is now in the open air and turns into
rubble."
According to the petition, which has already
been signed by more than 700 people, "the students suffer being
unable to do physical exercises in their own gym and and hold
cultural events on a large stage. BSUCA doesn't even have a
hall."
However, the petition is only a part of the
efforts of Nina "Let's construct the BSUCA complex honestly and
transparently!". She also appealed to the Ministry of Education,
Ministry of Architecture and Construction, the Minsk Executive
Committee, the Presidential Administration and the State Control
Committee.
Indeed, the construction had to be over 2 years
ago. However, this date is constantly changing, and few believe in
the latest one – 31 December 2013.
"Looking at the
construction site, the students lost hope the construction works
would be finished during the time of their study. They even joke that
the center will be completed when their children will be learning at
the university," says Nina.
As the student stated to
generation.by, her campaign has achieved certain result. After she
spread the information about the situation, the university provost
agreed to meet with her. He called the specific price of the
construction: for six years, the campaign "Midis", which
carried out the construction works, received about 15 billion rubles.
However, during the crisis of 2011 it went bankrupt. In 2012, the
builders of the company "Steka-group" took its place. They
promise to finish the sports and cultural center.
State
control has promised that the construction works would resume later
this month and be completed in summer 2014.
Interestingly, the
former rector of the Minister of Culture and BSUCA Sviatlou did not
respond to Nina's petition.