The Russian Online Retailer Ozon Is Selling Book Covers Featuring The "Pogonya"

• 20.10.2026, 19:33

Belarus' national coat of arms has stirred up the Lukashenko supporters.

At the request of the Baranovichi District Prosecutor’s Office, an online store removed covers featuring the “Pogonya” coat of arms from its catalog. The sale of such merchandise could have a negative impact on “civic and patriotic education,” the prosecutor’s office stated.

The Baranovichi Interdistrict Prosecutor’s Office discovered “a product containing elements recognized by the court as extremist materials” on the Ozon marketplace, reports "Zerkalo".

“Specifically, the seller was offering a set of document covers featuring white-red-white stripes and an image of a white horseman on a red background, riding a horse and holding a sword and shield,” — the prosecutor’s office stated.

They noted that such merchandise “could be sold to an unspecified group of people, including young people.” This would have a negative impact on “civic and patriotic education, as well as the development of spiritual and moral values, civic-mindedness, and patriotism among young people.”

The head of the online store was ordered to immediately remove the product in question from sale.

“The order has been fully complied with—the products are no longer available for purchase in Belarus,” the prosecutor’s office reported.

As a reminder, specifically, the former state symbols (1991–1995)—the white-red-white flag and the “Pogonya” coat of arms—are not directly banned and are not recognized as “extremist” materials in Belarus. However, law enforcement agencies de facto consider them as such—both the coat of arms and the flag, in various versions, appear repeatedly on the relevant list.

It should be noted that the “Pogonya” coat of arms is a historical and cultural treasure and is included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Treasures of Belarus. But this does not prevent law enforcement from treating any use of the coat of arms or the BCHB flag as a protest—which can result in a fine or a day in jail.