English

Opposition activists mark 20th anniversary of state sovereignty declaration by flower-laying ceremonies

Opposition activists and public figures on July 27 marked the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty by laying flowers at the graves of Vasil Bykaw, Henadz Karpenka, Ihar Hermyanchuk, Artur Volski and other people deemed to be prominent contributors to Belarus’ independence, BelaPAN reports.

Flowers were also laid at monuments to Belarusian literary greats Yakub Kolas, Yanka Kupala and Maksim Bahdanovich.

Attending the ceremonies were Alyaksey Yanukevich, chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF); BPF Deputy Chairman Ryhor Kastusyow; former BPF leader Lyavon Barshchewski; Vyachaslaw Siwchyk, leader of a movement called Razam (Together); Aleh Trusaw, chairman of the Francisak Skaryna Belarusian Language Society; poet Henadz Burawkin, a former deputy minister of culture; and others.

The adoption of the Declaration “is not just an event in the history of Belarus; it is a landmark event,” Mr. Burawkin said at a ceremony at the Maskowskiya (Uskhnodniya) cemetery. “It is blasphemous that some people want this date to be forgotten. Each nation, if it considers itself civilized and cultured, seeks to have its national state.”

In photos:
2 – Henadz Burawkin;
3 – Ryhor Kastusyow and Alyaksey Yanukevich (right);
4 – Vyachaslaw Siwchyk;
6 – Lyavon Barshchewski.