The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News on the topic: historical heritage

02.05.2008 Hrodna: pupils prohibited to participate in historical scientific conference

Siarhei Batura and Aliaksandr Liutomski, pupils of Hrodna school #28, and their teacher Aliaksandr Rabkou were prohibited to take part in the historical scientific conference.

09.04.2008 Hrodna: historians refuse to participate in scientific conference

Ten Belarusian historians refused to take part in the international historical conference dedicated to the 880th anniversary of Hrodna after the doctors of historical sciences Ales Krautsevich and Ales Smalianchuk were deprived of the right to take part in it.

19.02.2008 State Organs Decrease the Secured Zones of Kurapaty Mass Grave

Anton Astapovich, chairman of the council of the Belarusian voluntary society for protection of the monuments of history and culture, said to BelaPAN: ‘At the end of November 2007 I applied to the Ministry of Culture for permission to familiarize with the scheme of the secured zones of the Kurapaty forest and receiving a copy of this document, because on 20 May 2003 the Belarusian republican scientific center on the issues of historical and cultural heritage had adopted a scheme of the secured zones of the mass grave, which has not been presented to public.

22.11.2007 Celebration of anniversary of Slutsk Defence Action permitted

The Minsk City Executive Committee permitted holding the events in places, connected with the history of Slutsk Defence Action.

08.11.2007 No Bryl, Sapeha and Vainilovich Streets for Minsk

The September ruling of the deputies of Minsk city soviet of deputies to rename Bersan Street in Minsk into Vainilovich Street and name some new streets after a famous political figure of the Great Principality of Lithuania Leu Sapeha and a well-known Belarusian writer of the Soviet times Yanka Bryl did not pass the legal expertise of the Ministry of Justice.

24.10.2007 Hrodna Student Expelled for Participation in “Rescue Hrodna!” Campaign

One more politically motivated expulsion in Hrodna

12.10.2007 Chair of Belarusian Language Society Proposes to Punish Officials for Destruction of Hrodna’s Old Town

At the end of September the Belarusian Language Society received an answer from the Ministry of Culture, department of protection of historical and cultural heritage. BLS had applied to the prosecutor’s office of Belarus concerning law violations during the ?reconstruction’ of the historical center of Hrodna.

02.10.2007 Hrodna: Katsiaryna Bychak Can Be Expelled from University

Katsiaryna was an activist of the campaign for protection of the historical heritage of Hrodna. For family reasons she had to miss nine days of classes at the juridical faculty of Hrodna State University. Now the university administration tries to use this fact.

24.09.2007 Seminar “Political Repression in Belarus: The Past and the Present” to Be Held

The seminar is organized by the Belarusian Language Society.

10.08.2007 State Sells Old Palace and Park Complex by Auction

This historical monument is situated in the village of Kraski in Vaukavysk district. At present it is in a rather bad state. That’s why the culture department of Vaukavysk district executive committee (DEC) decided to put it to an auction. The deputy chair of the DEC Uladzimir Zakharchuk said that the authorities had no money for restoration of the palace which turns into ruins. The palace was built in the 19th century by the Sehens’ kin and is one of the best examples of neo-gothic style in Belarus. On the other hand, the park is in quite a good state and has many exotic trees in it.

27.07.2007 Leanid Marakou Issues Book about Stalin’s Repressions

A unique book dedicated to the 1930 year’s repressions appeared in Belarus. Researcher Leanid Marakou had been working on his book Victims and Hangmen for 11 years.