A Year of Kalinouski Square :: Charter'97 :: News

A year ago, on March 19, 2006 many thousands of people in Minsk protested against rigged election results. Kastrychnitskaya (October) Square, where people gathered right after polling stations closed, was renamed after the Belarusian national hero Kastus Kalinouski.

The results of the presidential elections in Belarus haven’t been recognized by the international community free and fair. Independent experts claim that the single democratic candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich won more than 30% of votes of Belarusians and majority of Minsk dwellers. Considering that about 20% of people supported the two other candidates, and many people voted against all candidates, Milinkevich was to take part in the second round of elections with Lukashenka as a rival. Not long ago Lukashenka admitted himself that the results of the election were falsified.

The whole world was following the developments in Minsk. The Belarusian world “Ploshcha” (square) was heard at all TV channels.

On March 16 the “Week of solidarity with Belarus” has started in the world. It is timed to the one-year anniversary of the presidential elections in Belarus. The action is to last until march 25, when Belarusians will go to Kalinouski Square again, to celebrate the national holiday, Freedom Day.

A well-known Belarusian film director Yury Khaschavatski has created a film “Ploshcha” (“The Square”).