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A prison robe as a gift


The Free Belarus Museum in Warsaw celebrated its first anniversary


Source: belsat.eu


On Saturday 22 July, the Free Belarus Museum celebrated its first birthday. The centre of Belarusian culture on Foksal, 11 in Warsaw was opened on 17 July 2022. On the anniversary, the museum organised a real Belarusian holiday – with a fairy tale, music, a dream of return and a white cloud over the heads of the event participants.

Many members of the Association of Former Political Prisoners wore white T-shirts with the inscription "Da voli!" (after the name of the association). Later, during the official part of the event, one of its leaders, former political prisoner Aleh Kulesha, will donate a black prison uniform with a yellow patch from Navapolatsk colony #1 to the museum's collection.


Photo: Tatsiana Verameeva, Belsat
Photo: Tatsiana Verameeva, Belsat

A representative of the initiative "Da Voli", which unites former political prisoners, donates a prison robe from Navapolatsk colony to the Free Belarus Museum. Warsaw, Poland. 23 July 2023.

On this day the museum also received as an exhibit the personal belongings of the Belarusian volunteer of the military unit "Litvin" Dzmitry Volk, who died in June 2022 in a car crash in Romania.

Belarusian artist Volha Yakubouskaya presented her work dedicated to Belarus and Poland to the museum.

The music of the Warsaw Freedom Orchestra added emotionality and depth to the holiday.


Photo: Tatsiana Verameeva, Belsat
Photo: Tatsiana Verameeva, Belsat

A string quartet of the Warsaw Freedom Orchestra performs during the event marking the anniversary of the opening of the Free Belarus Museum. Warsaw, Poland. 23 July 2023.

Their performance of "We will go out in tight rows" held the white Warsaw cloud over the courtyard – it was as if time had stopped.

Even the children who had come to listen to the tales of Aliaksandr Zhdanovich – Malyavanych – stopped being naughty. They listened and looked at the cloud, although a few dozen minutes ago they were bursting out laughing at the appearance of death with a scythe, who came to Herod (Malyavanych had arranged a nativity scene for the children).

Photo: Tatsiana Verameeva, Belsat
Photo: Tatsiana Verameeva, Belsat

Performance of Belarusian batleika by Aliaksandr Zhdanovich (Malyavanich) during the "Evening-meeting of Friends of the Free Belarus Museum" dedicated to the anniversary of the museum's opening. Warsaw, Poland. 23 July 2023.

One of the initiators of the creation of the museum in Warsaw, deputy head of the United Transitional Cabinet and head of the National Anti-Crisis Management Pavel Latushka noted in his speech that the dream of preserving and transferring to Belarus everything that Belarusians do for the freedom of the motherland started to be realised. But "it has outgrown the museum work".

After the break, which was announced by the presenters – actors Krystsina Drobysh and Siarhei Chub – the musical part began.


Photo: Tatsiana Verameeva, Belsat
Photo: Tatsiana Verameeva, Belsat

Siarhei Dougushau performs on the stage of the Free Belarus Museum during the event marking the anniversary of the museum's opening. Warsaw, Poland. 23 July 2023.

Siarhei Dougushau, Uladzimir Pugach, Margaryta Liauchuk with Kanstantsin Garachy set the tone at the celebration of the Free Belarus Museum.

Photo: Tatsiana Verameeva, Belsat
Photo: Tatsiana Verameeva, Belsat

Uladzimir Pugach performs on the stage of the Free Belarus Museum during the event marking the anniversary of the museum's opening. Warsaw, Poland. 23 July 2023.

Photo: Tatsiana Verameeva, Belsat
Photo: Tatsiana Verameeva, Belsat

Margaryta Liauchuk and Kanstantsin Garachy perform on the stage of the Free Belarus Museum during the event marking the anniversary of the museum's opening. Warsaw, Poland. 23 July 2023.

The birthday of the Belarusan museum in Warsaw was attended by several hundred Belarusians. Representatives of the embassies of Austria, Belgium and Estonia were also present at the festive evening.

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