Daughter decries renaming of Pyotr Masherov Avenue :: Charter'97 :: News

The daughter of Pyotr Masherov, Belarus` prominent statesman in the Soviet era, severely criticized Aleksandr Lukashenko for his move to rename Masherov Avenue in Minsk. By his May 7 presidential edict, the Belarusian leader directed that Francisak Skaryna Avenue, Minsk`s main thoroughfare, be renamed Independence Avenue, and that Pyotr Masherov Avenue, another major street in the capital city, should be renamed Victors Avenue (Prospekt Pobeditelei in Russian).

The edict was issued "in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War and in connection with numerous requests from veterans and residents of the capital," the Belarusian leader`s press office said.

Mr. Lukashenko also directed that the name of Pyotr Masherov should be given to the built-up stretch formed by Varvasheni, Iyerusalimskaya, and Drozda Streets, and the name of Francisak Skaryna Avenue to Staroborisovsky Trakt Street.

"My father did not deserve this," said Natalya Masherova in an interview published by Belarus` largest non-state newspaper Narodnaya Volya on May 14. "He did nothing so that his name could be erased from time, history and memory."

Ms. Masherova, who was a member of the Belarusian parliament between 2000 and 2004, noted that she had kept silent for several days because resentment and emotions had made it hard to comment on Mr. Lukashenko`s decision.

She noted that she could not say why that had been done but promised to answer the question "a little later."

She described the renaming as a blow at the heart of the city. "I am absolutely sure that names to streets, avenues and cities are given by time and epochs," she said. "The end of the past century gave prominence to two names: Skaryna and Masherov. Many, including me, had not expected such a tandem. But it occurred and this means that there is some sign in it. For me, Skaryna and Masherov are national shrines…. It seems to me that these two beautiful avenues can be called the heart of Minsk."

"The renaming of the avenues on the even of the victory anniversary, allegedly at the request of veterans, is a continuation of the war," Ms. Masherova noted.

Pyotr Masherov, 1918-80, an anti-Nazi guerrilla veteran, was first secretary of the Communist Party of Belarus (then part of the USSR) from 1965 until his death in a car crash in 1980. Rumor has it that Moscow was behind his apparently accidental death. His rule is remembered in Belarus as a time of relative prosperity.

His daughter Natalya Masherova, born 1945, announced her candidacy in Belarus` 2001 presidential race. Her name ensured her high pre-election ratings, but she eventually dropped out, saying she did not expect the election to be fair.