Belarusian artist barricaded himself in his studio

• 27.11.2009, 9:22

The authorities threaten to liquidate the studio and destroy the building, made of an old church logs.

Artist Yury Myahki moved to the village of Slaveni (the Talachyn district, the Vitsebsk area) from Minsk in the late 1980s. The studio, where another local artist Yury Palyakou used to work, was used as an art school for children. Yury Myahki continued this tradition. According to the artist, the local authorities supported this initiative, but said in 2007 the studio would be closed and the village library would be moved to the building, “Nasha Niva” newspaper reports.

“I was made a condition to open an art school department in the building. I agreed and opened an art class, but then I faced new problems – the class wasn’t financed,” Myahki says.

Myahki retired in 2009, but continued to work in the studio and teaching talented children. He returned from Minsk one day and noticed a part of the park with old trees was destroyed. As it turned out, the district executive committee didn’t order to destroy the park, it was an initiative of headmaster of the school of Slaveni.

Myahki draw posters against elimination of the park and set them in the studio windows. According to the artist, a school officer penetrated into the studio and stole the posters. Then he met repressions. Head of the Talachyn district executive Alyaksandr Razhanski said the artist must take away his belongings from the studio, because the building would be ruined.

On November 26, the artist barricaded himself in the studio to defend it. The building hasn’t be attacked yet. According to Yury Myahki, an inspection from the Ministry of Culture came to the Talachyn district on November 26.