"Orsha Residents Prove Their Ability to Take the Square"
- 24.05.2017, 9:31
Orsha became the record holder in the number of participants in spring protest actions against percentage of the city's population.
The expression "Orsha region" often sounds in the media. The dictator's homeland has attracted the attention of officials and the head of state himself. On May 12, Lukashenka ordered to establish an "strict order" in Orsha. In April, when addressing the annual message to "the Parliament and the people", he instructed to recover not only Orsha, but also its suburbs - Baran and Balbasava urban village.
And yesterday the retreat session of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers on the development of the region was held. Journalists of tut.by traveled to the region.
All residents of Orsha, Baran and Balbasava journalists talked to agreed:
- What does this "recover" mean? Generally speaking, Orsha is a beautiful city with no ruins. At least, there are as much of then as in every other city. Unemployment is the greatest our problem. Young people are eager to go to bigger cities - Vitsebsk, Minsk, many people o to work in the neighboring Shklou district. A lot of people earn money in Russia.
Artsem is 23 years old, he studies in absentia at the Academy of Arts. He has been unemployed for more than a year, when the store of the "Fifth Element" closed down. He used to be salesman.
- When I heard that since May 1 all the unemployed had jobs, I was laughing a lot. I did my best to find a job anywhere. But all attempts failed. Now I work on the side from time to time. However, the situation is complex, because I should study at the Academy. There was an idea to go to work in Ukraine. But I did not do it, I still have to finish my studies.
- In Orsha many men leave for Russia. This situation is typical there. In 2008 film director Viktar Tretsyakou made a documentary film "Migrant Laborer", it is about the fate of an Orsha builder, who has to seek work outside his hometown. There are hundreds of such men here, the chairman of a local BPF Party and editor of orsha.eu Ihar Kazmerchak said.
On March 12, 2017, Orsha surprised Belarus with the unity of its inhabitants. About 1000 people came to the Central Square. This is the largest number of protesters against Decree No. 3 during regional Marches of Non-Spongers.
- It was one percent of the population of Orsha. There's no precedent for this in the country," Ihar Kazmerchak. - People are really tired of lack of money and unemployment and have shown their ability to come to the square. After that march the authority even entered into dialogue with Orsha democratic activists, we met and discussed problems in the city.