September 19 is the day when the Republic of Belarus officially received its name, and the white-red-white flag and Pahonia became state symbols. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addresses Belarusians on the anniversary of this date, emphasizing why it remains important to Belarusians today:
“On September 19, 1991, our country became known as the Republic of Belarus. The white-red-white flag and Pahonia became its state symbols.
Just imagine: the white-red-white flag was flying on government buildings, while Pahonia adorned official documents. With these symbols, Belarus entered a new period of its history.
Later, the regime began removing them from literally everywhere: government buildings, windows, clothing, cars, and social media. Today, people are detained and put on trial for the white-red-white colours.
A few days ago, political prisoner Pavel Belavus said after his release that he had been forced to get rid of his tattoo of the white-red-white flag while in prison. The regime rejects part of our history so strongly that it is trying to erase it even from the human body.
And yet, it has failed to erase it. I see our flag in Warsaw and Vilnius, Kyiv and Washington, at large marches and small gatherings of Belarusians. It travels with us in suitcases, hangs in our rooms, and appears on book covers. People wear hoodies, pins, and jewellery featuring Pahonia.
Over the years, the regime has done everything it can to make Belarusians afraid of their own symbols. But the opposite has happened: for many, these symbols have become even more meaningful and dear.
And above all, I want our young people to know about September 19. I want them to know that Belarus did not always look the way it does today. In our recent history, there was already a moment when the country reclaimed its name, its flag, and its coat of arms. History can be rewritten in textbooks. Flags can be removed from buildings and symbols can be banned. But it is people who give them meaning. And Belarusians have not forgotten their white-red-white flag or their Pahonia”.
