Belarus Headlines

The Belarusian Freedom Day was marked by a number of cultural events in Brussels. The holiday, celebrated on the 25th of March, commemorates the Belarusian People’s Republic, proclaimed in 1918. The Freedom Day is traditionally ignored by the Belarusian authorities on one hand, and widely celebrated by the Belarusian opposition on another. Last year’s Freedom Day was a culmination of the street protests in Minsk. Screening of the documentary film “Ploshcha” (‘the Square’) by the famous Belarusian dissident film director Yury Khashchavatski took place on the 24th of March. The screening was followed by the concert of the Slovak singer Petra Jordan. The concert was held as a sign of solidarity with Belarus. The event proved to be a real success: the concert and the film were visited by more than 70 people. The film by Yury Khashchavatski studies the backgrounds of the protests in Minsk in March, 2006. “Ploshcha” evoked a wide range of emotions among the viewers – from laughter till indignation. The screening was concluded by a lively discussion about the future of Belarus and its people.