Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Today marks one year since the death of Ales Pushkin – an outstanding Belarusian artist, art restorer, and political prisoner. Ales’s death is a huge loss for Belarusian culture. However, he will always be remembered – not only for his talent and creativity but also for his indomitable spirit.
Through the prism of inner freedom, Ales found ways to reflect the problems Belarusians faced so that they were clear to everyone. He brought to light what many felt but were scared to verbalize.
Yanka Kupala used to say that not even lords can impose rules on art. This accurately conveys the essence of Ales Pushkin’s creativity. Art and freedom cannot be subordinated, but the regime tried to do just that. Ales was thrown into jail, sentenced to 5 years in a high-security prison, and tortured to death in detention. The authorities killed a talented Belarusian because they do not tolerate dissent and do not understand that freedom that is inside cannot be killed.
The memory of Ales Pushkin will live on because his paintings, embodying the Belarusian spirit, are already perceived as a symbol of our people’s struggle for freedom. The best we can do is remember the price of these symbols and continue Ales’ work”.
📍 Today, the Kropka space in Vilnius will host a tribute night and launch an exhibition of Ales Pushkin’s works, which will run until the end of July.
