Meeting of writers turned into underground gathering (Photo)

• 18.03.2010, 11:03

It became known in the morning March 17 that an event regarding the release of 50 volumes of the publishing series “Belarusian Library” was cancelled by the administration of the Minsk Palace of Art.

As Radio Svaboda reports, people gathered and held the event in the hall and on stairs of the building.

At 6 p.m., some hundreds of people gathered near the Palace of Art, but saw a notice on the door saying the event was called off due to “technical reasons”, so many people left the site. However, about 100 amateurs of “Belarusian Library” series remain and sang the song “Pahonya”.

The poet Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, who was to host the evening, appeared on the stairs.

“It’s funny: as soon as authorities notice anything in Belarusian they don’t like, they regard this as a catastrophe. But we shouldn’t pay attention such things, we should go our way. These 50 volumes mean more than all books written by pro-governmental writers since 1994. I don’t know why, but he authorities still fight against the national intellectuals, this is a fact. The authorities can’t destroy them as it was done in Kurapaty, so, they began to ban, forbid. But Kupala and Kolas, Ryhor Baradulin and Vasil Bykau, Henadz Buraukin and Nil Hilevich as well as those, who have been included and will be included in the “Belarusian Library” series, cannot be banned,” Nyaklyaeu said.

Organizer of the event Kanstantsin Tsvirka promised the people gathered that best works of the Belarusian literature would further be released in spite of everything.

Academician Radzim Haretski emphasized that all Belarusian writers had always suffered from persecution, which often turned into state terrorism.

“We see the same now. How can it be called? This is obviously state terrorism. We are not allowed to talk even about literature,” the academician noted.

Poet Anatol Vyartsinski read a verse dedicated to executed Belarusian writers, and famous Belarusian opera soloist Viktar Skarabahatau performed a joking song by Moniuszko.