On November 3, 2021, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in the international conference “Poles in Belarus”. The conference was held annually in Grodno, but due to the state of Belarusian-Polish relations in 2021 it will be held in Vilnius.
Speech of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya:
“Drodzy przyjaciele
I am glad to welcome all who take part in this fifth conference about the Poles in Belarus. Studying history is more than just looking into the past. It gives us a chance to understand where we are today and where we are going. I believe that right now, such an understanding is crucially essential both for Poles and Belarusians.
In the program of the conference, I saw the name Andrzej Poczobut. He had to present a paper about the “new reality of 1939-1941”, but instead, he is in prison. He got arrested because he is a journalist, a citizen, and a patriot. But also because he is a Belarusian pole. The criminal regime is irrationally afraid of everything Polish. They started to believe their own propaganda. First they attacked the Polish community in Belarus and took Andrzej Poczobut and Andżelika Borys hostages. Now they try to attack Poland itself, using the migrants from third countries as hostages. This is our new reality of 2021. And this has to be stopped and will be stopped.
Belarus has always been a country of many cultures and languages. From Adam Mickiewicz to Czeslaw Niemen, there are countless heroes that Polish and Belarusian cultures share. Today those who speak Polish and identify as Poles are an organic part of the Belarusian nation. The emerging New Belarus does not seek external or internal enemies. Instead of isolation, we need translations, student exchange programs, tourism, and cooperation with neighboring countries and the world. Every national minority should be free to create its schools and associations. This sounds like something self-evident, but right now, it is not so. To make this happen, the rule of law must be restored in Belarus.
This has to be done by Belarusians themselves, but every person of goodwill can help. Today intellectuals such as historians and social scientists are needed in Belarus as never before. We need to rethink and overcome the conflicts and traumas of the past. But we also have to move on and build a democratic society today. And for this, we need a culture of discussion and critical thinking. And I am sure that this is what your academic community can be an example of.
I wish you all a fruitful conference!
Dziękuję bardzo!”
