'No Matter What You Say, Money Doesn't Smell'

• 1.05.2023, 13:05

Who needs trees from Belarusian cemeteries?

A reader of Charter97.org noticed that trees were cut down in Belarusian cemeteries:

- We traditionally visit the cemetery on Radunitsa. As I am a retired woman, I have quite a lot of relatives who have already passed away. So I have to travel to different parts of Belarus. I was surprised when, going to the cemetery in Salihorsk district, we passed it, as we did not recognize it.

Earlier, one could notice it from afar, as the cemetery had many trees and it looked like an island of woods among the fields. But now, there is not a single tree! And instead of trees, bushes began to overgrow there.

The same situation is in the cemetery near Slutsk, Niasvizh. In Kletsk, they went even further. Old monuments were pulled down together with the trees. In the old days, when relatives wanted to cut down a tree in the cemetery, they had to contact the appropriate service and pay much money for it. Nowadays, the communal services started to cut down trees at the cemeteries.

Who is in the way of trees? I met my biologist friend and told about it. She explained me, why the trees were cut down. It turns out, trees in the cemetery have the highest quality and strong timber. And some pocket businessman makes big money out of it. They take care neither of the dead, nor of the living, but of their own pockets. No matter what you say, money doesn't smell.