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Rockers Lyapis Trubetskoi to begin farewell tour with show in Vilnius

Popular Belarusian rock band Lyapis Trubetskoi will begin their four-date farewell tour with a show in Vilnius on August 23.

The rockers, who are banned from performing in Belarus, describe the Vilnius concert as their final show for their Belarusian fans. Thousands of Belarusians are expected to travel to the Lithuanian capital for the show. Ticket holders will be eligible for a free three-day Lithuanian visa.

Lyapis Trubetskoi will also play shows in Moscow, St.Petersburg and Kyiv as part of the tour.

In a video posted on the band's website this past March, frontman Syarhey Mikhalok said that he would disband Lyapis Trubetskoi on September 1, 2014.

Mr. Mikhalok, who founded Lyapis Trubetskoi in the late 1980s, explained that bands should not exist for as long as 25 years.

The musician promised that the band would play all of the shows scheduled for this spring and summer.

Lyapis Trubetskoi are rumored to be on authorities` blacklist of Belarusian and foreign musicians and cultural figures known for having spoken out for democratic change in Belarus and for the release of political prisoners. In 2011, at least three Lyapis Trubetskoi concerts were cancelled in various Belarusian cities for what appeared to be political reasons. Fans travel to neighboring countries to listen to the rockers, who normally play to sold-out crowds. //BelaPAN