{"id":8485,"date":"2021-09-07T09:58:44","date_gmt":"2021-09-07T09:58:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/?p=8485"},"modified":"2021-09-07T10:11:04","modified_gmt":"2021-09-07T10:11:04","slug":"galouny-kantralyor-mayo-sumlenne-aglyad-belaruskaj-kultury-padchas-gramadska-palitychnaga-kryzisu-30-zhniunya-5-verasnya-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/2021\/09\/07\/galouny-kantralyor-mayo-sumlenne-aglyad-belaruskaj-kultury-padchas-gramadska-palitychnaga-kryzisu-30-zhniunya-5-verasnya-2021.html","title":{"rendered":"\u201cMy Conscience Is My Main Inspector.\u201d Review of Belarusian Culture In Sociopolitical Crisis: August 30-September 5, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Download the pdf-version of issue\u00a048 of Cultural Resistance Monitoring<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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Persecution, Convictions, Cultural Policy<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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Andrej Alaksandra\u016d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

14 more persons <\/b>have received from 1,5 to 2 years of open air prison and home arrest for the <\/span>\u201ckarahod case\u201d<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Andrej Alaksandra\u016d, <\/b>a journalist, media manager, and poet, has been charged with additional article of the Criminal Code: tax evasion which resulted in large-scale damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alaksandr Bahdana\u016d<\/b> (Papa Bo”), director, art manager and DJ of the cultural center “Korpus”, <\/span>Maksim Kruk<\/b>, set designer, and <\/span>Lizavieta Nie\u016dmiar\u017eyckaja<\/b>, organizer of cultural events, were detained on September 2. Alaksandr Bahdana\u016d\u2019s DJ console was confiscated during the search. All of them are accused of making, preserving and distributing extremist materials.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Viktar Jakuba\u016d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Viktar Jakuba\u016d<\/b>, an associate professor at Polack University, was sentenced to 15 days in jail for allegedly distributing extremist material. Earlier, Viktar had served 15 days of administrative arrest under Article 23.34, twice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alaksandr Ciare\u0161\u010danka<\/b>, a teacher at the Glinka Music College in Minsk, was sentenced to 15 days in jail for “distributing extremist materials”.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vadzim Michaj\u0142a\u016d<\/b> \u2013 deputy head of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union at NAFTAN, was detained for a sticker with \u201cPahonia\u201d on his car. The trial is scheduled for September 6.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The International Festival of Sacred Music “Mighty God”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The <\/span>International Festival of Sacred Music “Mighty God”<\/b>, which was to take place in Mahilo\u016d, was canceled without explanation. The festival has been held since 1993, it was named after the poem “Mighty God” by Natalia Arsenneva, one of the symbols of the 2020-2021 protests.<\/span><\/p>\n

The paper version of <\/span>“Literary Belarus”<\/b>, a supplement to Novy \u010cas, is suspended because the newspaper can\u2019t print its paper version.<\/span><\/p>\n

The only <\/span>Belarusian-language school <\/b>in the Kamianecki district \u2013 in the village of Amelianec \u2013 was closed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The administration of the <\/span>University of Culture<\/b> in Minsk liquidated the Department of Ethnology and Folklore. The employees were confronted with the fact at the beginning of the new academic year, when both professors and students had already planned their year. The reason for the step is “optimization” of the process.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mikita Jemieljana\u016d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mikita Jemieljana\u016d<\/b>, a political prisoner, was transferred to Mahilo\u016d Prison 4 in June. There he wanted to buy books in the retail network, as this right is provided by the Criminal Executive Code. However, the administration let neither him nor his relatives buy books online. Mikita found a store that agreed to send an order to the jail, but communication with it lasted three months. In addition, the political prisoner stopped receiving the newspaper Novy \u010cas and was banned from subscribing to the Catholic Herald, as convicts are \u201cprohibited from receiving, purchasing, storing and distributing publications promoting war, inciting racial, national, religious hatred, and violence, pornographic publications, as well as subscriptions to them”<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eryk Ar\u0142o\u016d-\u0160ymkus, <\/b>a musician and artist, is no longer a suspect in a criminal case (Article 342 \u2013 organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order or active participation in them).<\/span><\/p>\n

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Life of the Imprisoned People<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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Maria Kalesnikava<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ale\u015b Pu\u0161kin<\/b> remains behind bars for another three months.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maria Kalesnikava<\/b> quoted an excerpt from Alhierd Bacharevi\u010d in her final speech in court. She reflected on moral choice, conscience, respect and love for people and noted that the trial over her and Maksim Znak will make history, whatever the verdict.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the Navapolack colony, where <\/span>Viktar Babaryka<\/b> is serving his sentence, he can\u2019t get to the library because their working hours coincide.
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Drawing by Stasia Mironcava<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stasia Mironcava<\/b>, political prisoner, artist,<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cLast week I went to the local “baths” for the first time. Before that I washed in the detachment. And the baths are cool. The “cabins” are fenced on both sides and there are a lot of them! You can wash alone! In the pre-trial prison 2-3 people had to wash under one shower\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Andrej Kabana\u016d<\/b>, a blogger and cultural activist detained on August 16 (Article 328 of the Criminal Code \u2013 distribution of drugs), had a heart attack in the remand prison in \u017dodzina, where he has been held. He was taken to a prison hospital.<\/span><\/p>\n

Zmicier \u0160ymanski<\/b>, a bagpiper and political prisoner, who was detained on August 2 and has been held in Akrescina prison, was transferred to \u017dodzina. His relatives reported that Zmicier fell ill with COVID-19, has been denied hospitalization and can\u2019t receive any medication from his relatives outside the usual schedule when medication is accepted.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Dissent and Cultural Activism <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Some creatives, who found themselves in difficult circumstances due to the events in Belarus, gathered at the<\/span> residence in Bia\u0142ka Tatrzanska<\/b> in southern Poland. Participants went through rehabilitation by means of special training, music, theater and art. Professional musicians and actors, as well as beginners, created an \u201cEmotional Opera Out of Play\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Participants of the residence in Bia\u0142ka Tatrzanska<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"The second <\/span>festival of Belarusian folk songs “Ancient Belarus” opened in Vilnius on August 29. It is organized by the Jakub Ko\u0142as Cultural Center and the Belarusian Culture Society in Lithuania.<\/span>
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An exhibition \u201cThe Panels\u201d<\/b><\/a> by Lizavieta Chich\u0142u\u0161ka about panel buildings so typical of Belarusian urban areas and the experience of living in them opened in the National Centre for Contemporary Arts in Minsk.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Unity and Compassion” \u2013 an <\/span>art project of Belarusian women<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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“We are all united by the pain for those captured, maimed and killed by this fascist regime. But we know that darkness is not eternal, good will win, the fiery red and light white of the Belarusian flag will fly over our liberated country.”<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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New album<\/span><\/a> from the band <\/span>Ra\u017abitaje Serca Pacana \u2013 A\u0161\u010du\u0161\u010denija<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>new episode<\/span><\/a> of the <\/span>Magister’s Tales<\/b> project \u2013 Wise Salimon.<\/span><\/p>\n