Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya launched the Freedom Day celebrations in Vilnius with a ceremonial raising of the white-red-white flag near the Seimas of Lithuania. This ceremony is part of the 107th anniversary of the declaration of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. Alongside Ms. Tsikhanouskaya, the event was attended by the First Deputy Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania, Juozas Olekas, and other MPs. The ceremony began with a moment of silence to honor the people who gave their lives for a free Belarus.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke on the significance of the white-red-white flag in Belarus’ history:
“I feel immense pride when I see our flag here today. A flag that has become a symbol of hope, protest, and, most importantly, the resilience of Belarusians. The white-red-white flag was born on the same day as our independence. And it is symbolic that its creator, Klaudziy Duzh-Dusheuski, lived here in Lithuania.
Just like Pahonia, this flag has been repeatedly banned. People were thrown into Stalinist prisons, beaten, and humiliated for it. But Belarusians kept bringing it back to the streets – again and again. And I believe that as long as our flag flies, as long as the Belarusian language is spoken, and as long as we have allies like Lithuania and other partner countries, we will regain our independence and achieve our freedom.
And even though today we are raising our flag in Vilnius, I believe that soon, we will raise it again in Minsk. And we will all proudly chant together: ‘Long Live Belarus!’”
