Remember about Dzyady (Video, photo)

Belarusians marked Dzyady, the Day of Commemoration of Ancestors, on November 2 with mass actions attended by thousands of people. Annual Dzyady rally was remarkable this year because 20 years ago it started the open resistance of the Belarusians to the communistic regime.

In 1988, a mass anti-Soviet meeting, organised by the Belarusian Popular Front, was held in Minsk. Having known the awful truth of Kurapaty, people went there to pay tribute to the memory of thousands people, slaughtered on this site in the years of Stalin’s repressions. It was the first time in the history of the Soviet Union and underground struggle for independence, when Belarusians raised a national white-red-white flag.

This year, there were two routes of the rally. A column of the activists of the Conservative Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front (CCP BPF), whose leader is immigrated from Belarus Zyanon Paznyak, began to gather at 10.30 a.m. near Luch watch plant. Activists of the Belarusian Popular Front headed by Lyavon Barshcheuski decided to hold an action according to the people marched 20 years ago. They gathered at 12.00 noon at the entrance to the Uskhodniya Cemetery, where many famous Belarusians and figures of the Belarusian Revival are buried.

Flowers and wreaths with white-red-white ribbons were laid to the graves of writers Uladzimir Karatkevich and Vasil Bykau, poet Pimen Panchanka, one of the founders of the Belarusian Popular Front and the Social Democratic Hramada Party Mikhas Tkachou, journalist and editor of “Svoboda” newspaper Ihar Hermyanchuk, photographer Uladzimir Karmilkin. BPF leaders Lyavon Barshcheuski and Vintsuk Vyachorka held speeches near every grave, emphasising contribution of these people to the development of Belarusian culture and Belarusian national conscience. People sang hymn “Mighty God” near the tomb of Vasil Bykau. People were solemnly singing words which are precious to every Belarusian, holding the national white-red-white flags in their hands.

By the way, the number of national white-red-white flags at Dzyady rally was great. Almost every participant of the march carried a national flag or tied white-red-white ribbon rounds sleeves. There also were many flags of the civil initiative “European Belarus”. Seven people were holding a huge white-red-white flag. An even bigger flag 18 by 9 meters was unfurled near Kurapaty, carried by twenty people.

At the head of the column people carried banners “Dzyady. 1988–2008”, “European Belarus”, “Freedom for Political Prisoners!”, “Freedom for Barazenka!”, “No to Repressions!” “BPF for Dzyady”, “Young Front”, “Young Belarus Remembers”, “Pay Tribute to Kurpaty’s Victims”, “Defend Belarus from Russian Imperialism”, and a bell, ringing mournfully, and wooden crosses, people were going to establish them in Kurapaty. Artist Ales Pushkin was holding a portrait of Orthodox priest Heorhi Bortnik, murdered in 1952. The frame of the portrait symbolised bars.

The rally was mournful, people were walking in silence, but from time to time the youth shouted “long Live Belarus” and sang “mighty God”, “Chase”, and “I was Born Here”.

This year lots of young people have taken part in Dzyady. Activists of civil campaign “European Belarus”, “Young Front”, “Moladz BNF”, “Young Democrats”, “Young Belarus” were marching in the same column with participants of the protest which took place 20 years ago, elderly people.

The leader of Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich, has stated in the interview to the Charter’97 press-centre, that the participation of the young people in Dzyady ceremony is very important and symbolic, as in 1988 it was the rally which started the way of Belarus towards freedom, independence and democracy. And today, when Belarus is dictatorship again, young Belarusians should fight for the future of their country.

An activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Yauhen Afnagel noted: “20 years ago the march on Dzyady started the open resistance to the Communist dictatorship. The new stage of fight for independent started. And gathering for this rally every year, we pay homage to our forefathers, who fought for independence of our country, who underwent repressions, who were shot in Kurapaty and other places, who sacrificed their lives for the independent European Belarus.”

Beside traditional streamers, participants of the rally where carrying streamers “Freedom to political prisoners!”

“We want to say to Belarusians and to the world community that there are political prisoners in Belarus. Alyaksandar Barazenka, “European Belarus” activist, is in prison. “Process of Fourteen” participants are sentenced to restriction of freedom,” Zmitser Dashkevich said to the Charter’97 press-centre.

Two columns, organised by the BPF and CCP BPF chose different routes, but united near Kurapaty. The total number of participants of the rally was some thousands people. They were present at the meeting in Kurapaty. BPF leader Lyavon Barshcheuski, deputy heads of the CCP BPF Syarhei Papkou and Yury Belenki held speeches at the meeting.

Maya Klyashtornaya, daughter of the repressed poet Todar Klyashtorny, went to Kurapaty. Her heath didn’t allow her to walk in the column. Speaking near the tomb of her father, Ms Maya told what Dzyady meant for her: “This day means much. The main thing is awakening of people. People go there, in Kurapaty, to show that they have awakened. I am happy because Belarus won’t sleep any more. What is important for me, is that this society has noting to fear. Here all people are united.”

People held a moment of silence in memory of victims of the Stalin’s repressions, shot in Kurapaty. Then people laid flowers to hundreds of crosses in Kurapaty. These crosses were erected by public activists, not the authorities. The authorities even refused to protect a memorial, so Kurapaty is often attacked by vandals.

“We should fly our flag. In 1988, there were 5 workers of Tractor plant who were activists of the Belarusian Popular Front. But when there was a price hike in 1991, people started a strike, started to form strike committees, and these strike committees invited activists of the BPF, as they brought leaflets to the plant, they came to protest rallies and told about the real events in the country. When the situation became really hard, they immediately took the side of the national flag. That is why we should fly our flag high, and our people will join,” the deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Viktar Ivashkevich said to the Charter’97 press-centre after the rally Dzyady finished.