Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at an OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) event dedicated to preserving national and cultural identity under authoritarianism and the role of young people in promoting Belarusian language and culture. The event was organized by around 30 OSCE participating States that are members of the Informal Group of Friends of Democratic Belarus.
Other speakers included:
- Ales Bialiatski, Chair and Founder of the Viasna Human Rights Center and Nobel Peace Prize laureate;
- Aliaksandra Doinich, Chair of the RADA Belarusian National Youth Council,
- Dr. Stsiapan Stureika, Associate Professor at the European Humanities University.
The discussion was moderated by France’s newly appointed Special Envoy for Belarus, Michel Roux.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke about:
- pressure on Belarusian culture and historical memory. The Lukashenka regime systematically restricts national culture and uses education as a tool of ideological control;
- growing Russian influence. Through propaganda, educational programs, schools, and cultural projects, Russia seeks to expand its influence over Belarusian youth;
- failure to implement international recommendations. The recommendations on protecting the Belarusian language and culture set out in the OSCE Moscow Mechanism report of 2023 remain unimplemented;
- support for Belarusian culture and education abroad. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya highlighted the role of independent media, civil society, and cultural initiatives. She thanked partner countries for supporting Belarusians in exile, youth organizations, and efforts to preserve national identity.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Russia is systematically pursuing a policy of Russification, assimilation, and the destruction of everything national, everything Belarusian. With Lukashenka’s help, they are trying to turn Belarusians into obedient, loyal people and, ultimately, into Russians.
But I feel proud when I see young people in Belarus making TikTok videos in Belarusian, creating YouTube videos, and discovering the Belarusian language and culture for themselves. This gives me great hope. I firmly believe that as long as the regime wages war on Belarusian society and culture, the task of the democratic forces is to preserve them”.
