Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya continues her visit to Ukraine. This morning, she laid flowers:
- to Belarusian heroes and participants of the Revolution of Dignity: “Maidan is a place where Belarusians and Ukrainians fought together for the right to determine their own future. Both Belarusian white-red-white flags were flying here, and many Belarusians stood alongside Ukrainians in the most dramatic moments of the Revolution of Dignity. We appreciate that in the very heart of Kyiv, there is this place of remembrance for Belarusian volunteers who fought not for a foreign country but for our shared freedom and European future”.
- to Mikhail Zhyzneuski, Hero of the Heavenly Hundred: “For many Belarusians, the story of Mikhail Zhyzneuski became a symbol that our peoples are truly close — not only geographically, but also in values. The regime later took revenge even on his family. But the memory of Mikhail cannot be erased. Today, many young Belarusians see in him an example that freedom always requires personal responsibility and courage”.
- to Pavel Sheremet, journalist and defender of free speech: “A person who fought for truth all his life. For Belarusians, Sheremet became one of the symbols of independent journalism and resistance to dictatorship. He spent the last years of his life here in Kyiv, and it was here that he lost his life. By honoring Sheremet, we honor all journalists who sacrificed their lives, health, or freedom for the sake of their profession”.
- to Uladzimir Karatkevich, a classic of Belarusian literature: “Uladzimir Karatkevich essentially opened Belarus to Belarusians themselves. He returned to us our history, dignity, language, and the understanding that Belarus is a European nation with a rich cultural heritage and its own unique history”.
While laying flowers at the monument to Uladzimir Karatkevich, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya shared her impressions of the Belarusian embassy in Kyiv, located near the monument.
“Looking today at the building of the Belarusian Embassy in Kyiv, it is hard not to notice how strongly it symbolizes the current state of relations between our countries. An empty, neglected embassy overgrown with weeds is a symbol of how the Lukashenka regime betrayed the true interests of the Belarusian people and destroyed the natural friendship between Belarusians and Ukrainians.
But this is not forever. We will undoubtedly reclaim Belarus — European, free, and independent. And this embassy will once again become a place of cooperation, respect, and good neighborly relations between our peoples”.
