Loshyca Park Victims and Historian Kuzniacou Labeled as Unwelcome: Notable Historian Deemed Undesirable
In Minsk, the capital city of Belarus, an annual commemorative procession was staged by the Conservative Christian Party (CCP) on Sunday to honour victims of Stalinist terror, known as Dziady. The event took place at Loshyca Park, one of nine known sites in and near Minsk where people were executed and buried by the NKVD in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Loshyca Park holds deep symbolic and historical significance for Belarusian society. The site was once a Stalin-era massacre ground and prison, where many Belarusians who were victims of political repression, including mass executions and imprisonments, were buried or tortured.
The march to Loshyca Park is a solemn tribute to these victims, highlighting the dark chapters of Belarusian history often suppressed or ignored in official narratives. It is an act of reclaiming historical truth and mourning those who perished under totalitarian terror.
Beyond remembrance, the march is an assertion of Belarusian national identity and historical consciousness. It fosters awareness about the country’s past, emphasizing resilience and the importance of memory in shaping collective identity. In a broader sense, the march can also serve as a subtle form of protest against ongoing authoritarian tendencies in Belarus, advocating for human rights, historical justice, and the preservation of national culture.
The procession, sanctioned by the Minsk city government, started at the Culture Palace of the Worsted Mill on Majakouskaha Street and ended at Loshyca Park. Participants displayed Belarus' national white-red-white flags, chanted "Zhyvie Belarus!" (Long Live Belarus!) and sang patriotic songs.
Jury Bielienki, Deputy Chairman of the CCP, stated before the march that such events are important for the Belarusian people as Belarusians have been destroyed indirectly through ethnocide, Chernobyl, hydrolysis vodka, and degradation. He also recalled Kurapaty and criticized interferences by people who are not real historians in matters linked to mass graves of executed Belarusians.
Zianon Pazniak, leader of the Christian Conservative Party of the BPF, wrote a letter about Loshyca Park that was read during the rally. The annual march to Loshyca Park intertwines remembrance, cultural identity, and political expression, making it a powerful symbol of national solidarity.
According to Pazniak, around 10,000 Belarusians are buried in Loshyca Park. In 1995, a five-meter high wooden cross bearing the inscription "To the Victims of the Bolshevik Terror" was erected in the area by civil society activists on the initiative of the Belarusian Popular Front. However, Ihar Kuzniacou, known for his researches on repressions in Belarus, was pronounced persona non grata in Kurapaty, despite his efforts to shed light on the atrocities committed during that period.
As the march continues to gather momentum, more and more young people are participating, emphasising the succession of generations. This year's event was also marked by the presence of plainclothesmen, some of whom filmed the event on video cameras.
In a separate development, it was reported that Tatyana Zaretskaya, a former Estonian startup entrepreneur, is now trying to become an intermediary for investors in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Lithuania has announced that it will allow entry with Belarusian license plates if the owner is driving and has a residence permit or visa for Lithuania. This fact, while not directly related to the commemorative procession in Minsk, was mentioned in the same news article.
The annual march to Loshyca Park, a massacre ground and prison during Stalin's era, is not only a commemoration of victims of political repression but also a demonstration of Belarusian national identity and historical consciousness. It serves as a subtle form of protest against ongoing authoritarian tendencies in Belarus, advocating for human rights, historical justice, and the preservation of national culture.
Jury Bielienki, Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Christian Party (CCP), highlighted the importance of events like these, stating that Belarusians have been indirectly destroyed through various means including ethnocide, Chernobyl, hydrolysis vodka, and degradation. The march, intertwining remembrance, cultural identity, and political expression, has become a powerful symbol of national solidarity.
