Three-Year Anniversary of ZUBR :: Charter'97 :: News

Today is the third anniversary of the resistance movement Zubr – the largest youth organization in Belarus. Activists of the movement have celebrated this date with new actions. Before the January 14 several forbidden national flags were hung in different districts of Minsk. White-red-white flag unfurled over the streets and buildings in Serabranka (Rakassowsi avenue) and Malinawka (Slabadzkaya street), and in the center of the city, by the central railway station.

Zubr’s history started on January 14, 2001 when 40 young people gathered in the Belavezhskaya Pushcha (virgin forest) to create a new movement. People who cannot surrender to Lukashenka’s regime. People who want to live in an independent, strong and free Belarus.

Zubr activists were the first who came out to the streets with the portraits of the abducted persons and asked the authorities about their fate. Zubr’s graffiti with the questions about the missing appeared in almost all towns of Belarus. Over period of three years Zubr has carried out thousands of actions – pickets, performances, marches, meetings, concerts. Activists have handed out millions of leaflets, independent newspapers and stickers. Hundreds of Zubr activists were subject to repressions. Criminal actions have been instituted against them for insult of the president; they were arrested and put to prison, fined and intimidated. Because of the KGB intimidation Homiel Zubr activist Andrei Zaitsaw committed suicide. But it could not intimidate Belarusian fighters. Zubr has gained in strength over these years and it set to continue struggle for liberation of Belarus.