Dziady In Warsaw: Belarusians Will Achieve Independence And Freedom Of Their Country!

• 1.11.2022, 18:34

Belarusians are paying tribute to the memory of their heroes.

On November 1, a rally, a procession, a concert and a prayer service were held in Warsaw on the occasion of the Belarusian Dziady. On this day, Belarusians commemorate their loved ones who passed away. Also on November 1, a procession to the Minsk tract of Kurapaty traditionally took place.

Today, the Belarusian Dziady in Warsaw began with the Holy Mass for the Belarusian volunteers who died for Ukraine, which was celebrated at 11.30 in the St. Alexander’s Church in the Square of Three Crosses.

Then more than a hundred people marched to the monument to Adam Mickiewicz and Castle Square. The participants of the action recalled the Belarusian heroes who gave their lives in the war in Ukraine, opposition politicians and journalists who died in the fight against Lukashenka's regime.

Priest Viachaslau Barok, Belarusian volunteer from the Kalinouski regiment Uladzimir, leader of the Razam solidarity movement Viachaslau Siuchyk, editor-in-chief of the website Charter97.org Natallia Radzina spoke at the event.

Viachaslau Siuchyk in his speech recalled how the tradition of marching on Dziady was born:

“Belarusians, especially in a foreign land, must understand that the Belarusian nation is those who lived before us on our holy Belarusian land, those Belarusians who live today, as well as those who will be born. After all, Belarus will still stand and justice will prevail.

The twentieth century has treated our people absolutely unfairly. Belarus became the main theater of two world wars, and then the repressions of the totalitarian regimes went through our land. There is not a single Belarusian family where there would not be victims of wars and relatives who would not die during repressions, especially communist ones.

And this evil is unpunished. You can see it every day in the news feeds.

One of the main achievements of Belarus is that there were traditional processions to Kurapaty on Dziady. They began in the nineties, near the terrible building of the KGB prison, called “Americana”. Old residents of Minsk said that in winter the very building was steaming, since all the cells were packed with Belarusian people.

From this building people went to Kurapaty. To the national necropolis, which has no analogues in the world. The country is ruled by bandits, but humans are stronger than nonhumans. The only national necropolis that arose in the struggle against foreign power, a sublime place, this is where we went. Then, ten years later, a tradition arose to gather near the Luch plant, and from there we went to Kurapaty.

This year, the traditional procession in Minsk cannot take place, because our country is ruled by bandits. You know how painful it is to read the news feeds, what is being done to our country and our people. But there must be justice. No matter how hard it is for Belarusians, I believe in Belarus, I believe that there will be traditional processions from the “Amerikanka” prison to the national necropolis.”

Natallia Radzina, the editor-in-chief of the Charter97.org website, recalled the Belarusian volunteers who are fighting in Ukraine, and urged to help the Kalinouski regiment, political prisoners and their families in every possible way:

“Today is a day of remembrance when we pay tribute to the memory of our loved ones, relatives and all the heroes who fought for the independence and freedom of Belarus for centuries. Many of my relatives died in exile in Siberia, some went through concentration camps, some died during World War II, many lived under Soviet occupation and died under dictatorship.

Now many of my friends are in prison. There are thousands of political prisoners in Belarus today. Many of my friends are fighting in Ukraine today in the regiment of Kastus Kalinouski. Millions of Belarusians today live under the pressure of the dictatorship, and hundreds of thousands were forced to leave the country.

Sometimes it seems that Belarus is moving in a vicious circle. But I am convinced that now there is a chance to get out of this circle. To do this, we must help political prisoners and their families, support the Kalinouski regiment fighting in Ukraine, help all the people who are suffering from repressions in Belarus today, and help each other.

And the most important thing is to believe that Belarus will be free. To achieve this, we must do everything possible and continue to fight for the freedom and independence of our country by all means. We all have strength and courage. Long Live Belarus!