Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: Dziady is a day that unites generations of Belarusians — the living and the dead. It is a day when we come together as a family and remember those who are no longer with us.
It is a very important day for me. But, like thousands of Belarusians, I can't spend it with my family. Like thousands of Belarusian women, I can't join my husband to visit his home on this day. Like thousands of Belarusians, both those forced to leave their homeland and those hidden behind bars by the regime, I can't visit the grave of my dear grandparents.
Dziady is a day of remembrance. And today we remember not only our relatives but also our brothers and sisters who died for our homeland, for freedom and happiness in our land. We remember Raman Bandarenka. We remember Vitold Ashurak. We remember Vital Shyshou and all those who were tortured and killed by the regime. We remember Pavel “Velikan”, Ivan Marchuk with the call sign “Brest,” and all those who died defending Ukraine from Russian invaders.
This year's Dziady is not only a remembrance of those who died but also a reminder: the two greatest values in the world — human life and human freedom — cannot exist without each other. We see how easily the regime can steal the only thing we have — the right to life. And on this day we keep hope in our hearts that Belarusian mothers no longer have to cry over the graves of their tortured children. That Belarusian women do not have to lose their men to this criminal war if the regime decides to continue dragging Belarus into it. That the war ends, and the light inescapably prevails.
On this day I especially believe that our fallen heroes find peace. That Belarus is free. That Belarusians stand up for their right to freedom and life. That we do our best to prevent new graves of victims of tyranny and war from appearing in Belarusian cemeteries. That we do everything to let our heroes know that they have sacrificed their lives for a reason. They won for us the future they fought for, and we continue fighting for it together every day.”
