Save Our Forest! :: Charter'97 :: News

We, the hereditary residents of the Belovezhskaya Puscha forest reserve, write this letter to you in hope for the understanding and help of the state leader, our countrymen and world community. Our land, which is the natural heritage of mankind, is running a great danger. They continue to cut down timbre here against law, transporting the wood outside of the park’s terrain. Belovazhskaya Puscha is speedily losing its original look. We see only one reason for that – personal greediness and thirst for riches.

With aching hearts we are watching them stealing away the national treasures through constant machinations and illicit deals, thus turning our land into an uninhabited space and us – into helpless aboriginals.

We are aged 60, 70 and 80. What we see sinks us deep into bewilderment and confusion but nobody really cares for us, yet alone our opinion. We, the original inhabitants of the Belovezhskaya Puscha are exposed to the purposeful terror.

Everyone, who was born here, has family and continues to work in the forest, faces the danger to lose his job and income. Hundreds of us have been already fired, including specialists, scientific personnel and ordinary workers. We’ve no idea what will happen to us next.

By this appeal we hope to attract the attention of the Belarusian president, our countrymen, all structures and institutes, which consider it their duty to intervene into this arbitrary course of affairs. At the same time we plead with the head of state and the governments of the world to help us out, even through attending the forest reserve personally.

We want to spare Belovezhskaya Puscha demolition and protect ourselves.