Dear Minister Byrne,
Dear Irish friends,
Дарагія мае беларусы,
First of all, I want to say: Go raibh maith agaibh, a Éire!
Thank you to the Department of Foreign Affairs, its entire team, and personally to Minister Thomas Byrne. And, of course, thank you to the wonderful Abbey Theatre for bringing us together.
When I arrived in Ireland last night, just before midnight, it was raining and windy.
And I thought: some things never change!
It was exactly the same more than thirty years ago, when I first came here through the Chornobyl Children programme.
And today, I feel as if I have returned home.
Back then, I was just a girl from a small town in southern Belarus. I had never travelled so far from home.
Everything was new to me. The beautiful countryside. The houses. The people.
I was surprised how much people smiled at each other. Coming from a post-Soviet country, I wasn’t used to that!
I stayed with Henry and Marian Deane in Roscrea, County Tipperary.
I remember climbing Knockshegowna Hill, near Roscrea. I remember the ice cream van, family dinners, laughter, and endless cups of tea.
And I remember Marian, who always made sure everyone was fed.
When I returned to their house in 2021, after so many years, almost nothing had changed.
Marian was still telling me what to do. And I still remembered which kitchen drawer had the salt in it.
I felt like a daughter returning home…
Those summers changed my life.
I learned English here, and even some Irish. I discovered another culture. But most importantly, I discovered a different way of living.
I saw that people could speak freely. That they could disagree with the government without being afraid.
At the time, I was too young to understand what democracy really meant.
But I could feel what freedom was.
And I think this is something you never forget.
Ireland helped shape the person I became. It shaped my values and my European identity.
Long before I knew anything about the European Union, I experienced European values through ordinary Irish people.
Through a family that opened its home to a Belarusian girl. Through neighbours who treated me as one of their own.
For me, Europe began in Ireland.
And Ireland taught me another important lesson.
You can love your country, your language and your traditions, and still be open to the world.
You can be proudly Irish and proudly European.
Just as I am proudly Belarusian and European.
These identities do not compete. They make us stronger.
And this is exactly the kind of Europe I want Belarus to be part of.
Perhaps this is also why I feel such a strong connection between our nations.
We are both relatively small nations, with big neighbours. And let’s admit it, having big neighbours is not always easy!
We both know what it means to fight for independence. To defend our language, culture and traditions.
And sometimes, simply to remind the world that we exist.
And we both know that culture can be a powerful form of resistance.
Ireland is a wonderful example.
For generations, your language and culture faced enormous pressure. But they survived. Thanks to ordinary Irish people. Families, teachers, writers and musicians who refused to let them disappear.
Sometimes not thanks to those in power, but despite them.
And today, you have your own state, which protects and promotes your language. Irish is taught in schools, heard on radio and television. It is an official language of the European Union.
And I must admit, I’m a little jealous!
Your example gives us hope. You have achieved something that once seemed impossible.
Belarus has a similar story.
For centuries, the Belarusian language and culture faced Russification, restrictions and attempts at assimilation. First under the Russian Empire, then the Soviet Union.
And for the last 32 years, under Lukashenka, a pro-Russian man, who has tried to erase Belarusian identity and everything that connects us to Europe.
But while in Ireland the government helps the national language and culture grow, in Belarus, the regime tries to push them aside.
There is even a saying in Belarus: our language became the first political prisoner.
Belarusian books are banned. Independent publishers face raids. Writers, musicians and artists are imprisoned or forced into exile.
Yet, despite all this, Belarusians continue to preserve their identity. Often not thanks to those in power, but despite them.
The internet has played an important role in this. Many young people are rediscovering their roots. Learning Belarusian, reading our literature and discovering our history through YouTube.
And in 2020, when our uprising began, it was a moment of national awakening.
It was beautiful. People began singing Belarusian songs. Our white-red-white flag appeared everywhere.
Yes, the uprising was suppressed, but not the desire for freedom.
Today, when people can no longer protest openly, they find other ways to express themselves. Through music, literature, theatre, even children’s books.
Artists continue creating remarkable works. Some in exile. Some even in prison. Others quietly inside Belarus, despite the repression.
And Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine made us realise something very important.
Our national identity is not only about preserving our past. It is also about defending our future.
Because the so-called Russian world is built on the idea that Belarus and Ukraine are simply extensions of Russia.
But Belarus is not Russia. Belarus is Europe. And our culture is the best proof of that.
Russia doesn’t see Belarus or Ukraine as independent nations.
Today, in Belarus, the regime conducts a policy of Russification, same as Russia is doing in the occupied territories of Ukraine — trying to turn us into Russians.
Especially our children. Through schools, textbooks and the rewriting of history.
The logic behind this is very simple:
First, they tell you that your language doesn’t matter. Then, that your history doesn’t matter. And finally, that your country doesn’t matter.
That’s why supporting culture, protecting our languages and strengthening national identity are so important today — both for Ukrainians and Belarusians.
It’s one of the ways we resist the spread of the so-called Russian world further into Europe.
This is how we defend our independence, our identity and our Europeanness.
Dear friends,
Today, you will hear from those who are on the frontlines of this cultural resistance.
Writers, translators, artists and actors who continue their work despite repression, censorship and exile.
I am happy that we are meeting here, at the Abbey Theatre.
Because there is a wonderful story connecting Irish and Belarusian theatre.
In 2009, Brian Friel’s famous play Translations was staged at the Yanka Kupala National Theatre in Minsk.
The play tells the story of Ireland, where English authorities were replacing traditional Irish place names with English ones.
But the Belarusian director, Mikalai Pinigin, had a brilliant idea.
In his production, the Irish characters spoke Belarusian. And the English characters spoke Russian.
Suddenly, a play about Ireland became a play about Belarus.
Today, we have actors from that same theatre here with us. The Kupalaucy.
In 2020, they stood with the Belarusian people against violence and repression.
They lost their jobs. They lost their stage. Many had to leave the country.
But they didn’t stop performing.
Now, they work in exile, bringing Belarusian stories to audiences across Europe.
You will also hear from Andrei Khadanovich, one of our best-known poets and translators.
Through his translations, Belarusian readers have discovered great works of world literature, including Irish poetry.
It’s amazing how a poem written in Ireland can find a new life in Belarusian. And a play about Ireland can help Belarusians understand their own history.
You will also hear from Belarusian linguists, cultural managers and journalists — people who are working every day to revive our language and culture.
And I hope that today’s exchange will help strengthen and enrich both of our nations.
Dear friends,
I am so glad this conference is taking place during Ireland’s Presidency in the European Union.
It sends us a clear message: Belarus is part of Europe.
And the topic we have chosen may not seem the most important in times of war. But it matters a lot.
Because defending our culture and identity also means defending our freedom.
For many years, Ireland has been a strong voice for Belarus.
You have spoken up for us at the United Nations Security Council, the Council of Europe and the European Political Community. You helped our media and political prisoners
I especially want to thank your embassy in Vilnius. Thank you, dear Shednna and your team.
We, Belarusians, will never forget Irish solidarity and support.
Ireland understands our pain, our history and our struggle better than many other nations.
As we celebrate our cultures and identities today, I hope this conference will bring Irish and Belarusian people even closer together.
And that the friendships we build here will last for generations.
I hope that one day, I can invite you all to my beloved Belarus.
Today, it may seem impossible. But as you know from your own history, no empire lasts forever. And no dictatorship lasts forever.
And I promise, we will welcome you with the same warmth that Ireland showed me more than thirty years ago.
Although I cannot promise better weather!
Thank you, Ireland, for opening your hearts to Belarusians.
Éire go Brách!
And Жыве Беларусь!
