40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHORNOBYL TRAGEDY
On April 26, the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl tragedy, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed Belarusians. She recalled her personal memories and highlighted the risks posed by the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant and the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus. On the same day, Belarusians in different countries commemorated Chornobyl — in Warsaw, Vilnius, Zurich, Białystok, Lviv, and New York.
COMMEMORATION OF THE VICTIMS OF THE CHORNOBYL TRAGEDY IN VILNIUS
Representatives of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, including Director Dzianis Kuchynski, Parliamentary Cooperation Advisor Anatoli Liabedzka, and Non-Staff Environmental Advisor Dzmitry Kuchuk, joined the commemoration in Vilnius of the victims of the Chornobyl tragedy. They took part in the ceremony alongside Ales Bialiatski and representatives of environmental NGOs and activists. Together with diplomats, they laid flowers in memory of one of the largest man-made disasters in history. The event was attended by representatives from Latvia, Hungary, Lithuania, Finland, Italy, France, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Sweden, Estonia, Poland, and the Netherlands.
VIASNA’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY
On April 21, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in a ceremony in Warsaw dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Viasna Human Rights Center. She congratulated Viasna’s members on the anniversary, highlighted their key role in the Belarusian human rights community, and emphasized that Viasna has become a symbol of support for Belarusians facing persecution. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya awarded Ales Bialiatski the Cross of Freedom — an award of the United Transitional Cabinet. She also made a public address: “In today’s Belarus, people pay for human rights work with their freedom. They risk everything to document the truth and defend those who need help. It is impossible to fully measure the contribution Viasna has already made — and continues to make — to the lives of thousands of Belarusians”.
MEETING WITH THE TUTAKA FOUNDATION
On April 22, during her visit to Białystok, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with representatives of the Tutaka Foundation and discussed their current projects. The meeting also addressed this year’s festival preparations: the program, partners, support, and cooperation with local authorities, as well as organizational changes — including the fact that the festival will be ticketed for the first time and how the team plans to implement this. They also discussed other Tutaka initiatives and participation in the 5th Conference of the Belarusian Diaspora.
MEETING WITH BELARUSIAN NGOs IN BIAŁYSTOK
On April 22, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with representatives of Białystok-based Belarusian NGOs and initiatives in an introductory Q&A format. More than 40 members of cultural, media, educational, human rights, and civic initiatives took part in the discussion. The meeting focused on the current realities of Belarusian projects in the region and their most pressing challenges, including the situation around the Novaya Ziamlia Hub (staffing shortages and lack of funding) and issues related to legal stay, additional restrictions from banks, lengthy international protection procedures, and social concerns like pensions.
LAVON VOLSKI’S EXHIBITION IN WARSAW
On April 24, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited the exhibition “The Forest Hears, the Field Sees” by renowned Belarusian musician and artist Lavon Volski, currently on display at the Free Belarus Museum in Warsaw. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya highlighted the importance of such cultural initiatives and shared her impressions: “This exhibition shows how Belarusian culture continues to live and evolve, wherever Belarusians may be. In Lavon’s works, you can feel warmth, a touch of sadness, and a deep respect for our culture. They are very moving and vivid — they resonate within you and stay in your memory”.
IRDORATH CONCERT
On April 24, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya attended a concert by Irdorath, a Belarusian band whose members used to be political prisoners. Before the performance, she spoke with the musicians about their journey, life after imprisonment, and what their work and creative process look like in exile today. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I am always inspired by the stories of Belarusians. And the story of Nadzeya and Uladzimir is an example of strength, resilience, and inner freedom. I am truly proud that despite all the trials, the band continues its creative journey”.
“MES DAROM” ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION
The environmental campaign “Mes Darom” took place in Vilnius. The Belarusian community joined it, as well as Dzianis Kuchynski, Anatoli Liabedzka, and Dzmitry Kuchuk of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office.“Mes Darom” is the Lithuanian branch of the international movement “Let’s Do It World”, which unites millions of people across dozens of countries around the idea of caring for the environment. The Belarusian community joined a clean-up effort in the Šeškinė slopes geomorphological reserve. Participants cleaned up the natural area and then took part in the broader program of the initiative, which included educational activities and informal networking.
POLITICAL MEETINGS IN LITHUANIA
On April 23–24, Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski held a series of political meetings, also attended by Dzianis Kuchynski and Anatoli Liabedzka. The meetings took place with Lithuania’s Minister of the Interior, Vladislav Kondratovič; Speaker of the Seimas, Juozas Olekas; and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Audra Plepytė. The focus was on issues directly affecting tens of thousands of Belarusians in Lithuania. According to statistical data, around 50,000 citizens of Belarus hold residence permits in the country.
MEETING WITH NORDIC COUNCIL PRESIDENT
Dzianis Kuchynski held a meeting in Vilnius with the new President of the Nordic Council, Ville Väyrynen. The Director of the Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania, Ole Andersen Lindeman, also joined the discussions. The meeting took place on the sidelines of a conference marking the 35th anniversary of cooperation between the Nordic Council and Lithuania. Dzianis Kuchynski thanked partners for their attention to the current situation in Belarus, as well as for their aid to Belarusian civil society and independent media.
MEETING WITH LITHUANIA’S VICE FOREIGN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
On April 17, Dzianis Kuchynski held a meeting with Lithuania’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Audra Plepytė. They discussed support for Belarusians and coordination of efforts across key international tracks, as well as support for political prisoners, migration issues, legal stay, integration, and the situation around the European Humanities University. The parties agreed that the priority is the safety of students, faculty, parents, and alumni, as well as the stability of the academic community’s legal status in Lithuania.
GLOBAL PROGRESSIVE MOBILIZATION
At the invitation of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, following his meeting with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a delegation of the democratic forces — Dzianis Kuchynski and Tatsiana Marynich of the Democratic Belarus Mission in Madrid — took part in the Global Progressive Mobilization. Discussions at the event focused on protecting democratic institutions and countering authoritarianism, strengthening social cohesion and reducing inequality, addressing political polarization and populism, and combining democratic development with sustainable socio-economic growth.
MEDIA
Belsat (Belarus), Belsat (Belarus), Zerkalo (Belarus), Liberation (France), Zerkalo (Belarus), Radio Bialystok (Poland), Radyio Ratsyia (Belarus), Le Devoir (Canada).
