Warsaw exhibition pays tribute to late Belarusian dissident artist
August 7, Pozirk. Aleś Puškin fought against the regime through his art, which he believed could change the world, opposition politician Pavieł Łatuška said at the exhibition marking the 59th birthday of the late Belarusian artist that opened yesterday in Warsaw.
Ales Pushkin. AFTERLIFE is open at the Museum of Free Belarus until late August and is based on Puškin’s art performances.
His artistic vision represented real resistance, Łatuška said. “Each of his arrests, and there were many of them, each sentence, manifested the regime’s cruelty, but above all, stood for the artist’s strength of spirit and resilience that could not be broken by prisons or the dictator,” the politician stressed.
The European Union’s recent sanctions target Pavieł Kazakoŭ and Vasil Kalada, Hrodna prison officials responsible for Puškin’s death behind bars, Łatuška said.
“These are only first steps towards real justice,” he added, pledging to seek fair punishment for all perpetrators of human rights abuse in Belarus.
Marta Cienkowska, the Polish deputy culture minister, also attended the opening ceremony.
The prominent dissident artist died on July 11, 2023, aged 57 at an intensive care unit in Belarus under unclear circumstances.
He was serving a five-year sentence for insulting state symbols and inciting hatred, after investigators seized his painting of Jaŭhien Žychar, a commander of an anti-Soviet resistance group in the 1940-50s, and nationally-styled items.
Human rights activists said the charges were politically motivated.
Also read: Belarusian PEN: 104 artists behind bars in politically-motivated cases
- Elections, PoliticsGeneral Bobrykaŭ, Čamadanava pull out of presidential raceThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja meets with Spain’s secretary for EU affairsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsKaleśnikava’s picture published after 21 months incommunicadoThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Politics
- PoliticsRussian drone incursions reported third night in a rowThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBrest region’s prosecutors lecturing kindergarten children about genocideThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Elections, Politics
- PoliticsŁukašenka pushes for closer ties with Serbia despite tension over EU sanctionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Economy
- EconomyBelarus’ trade deficit widens to $356 million in January-SeptemberThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsReprisals: mass arrests continue despite pardon for jailed protestersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsPolitically-motivated cases account for third of KGB investigationsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityRussian drone incursions reported this morningThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsŁukašenka offers food security to Botswana, AngolaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsForeign ministry: Belarus formalizes BRICS partner statusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsOpposition leader praises Poland’s "steadfast friendship" on Independence DayThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Society
- Security
- EconomyFinance ministry earmarks $4.5 billion to cover 2025 foreign debt paymentsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyFinance ministry met its obligations to most Eurobond holders – officialThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomySocial programs, roads and industries are priorities for 2025 – finance ministerThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsOpposition politician, Polish senator discuss integration of Belarusians in PolandThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyRussia's Red Wings cuts flights to Minsk over reduced subsidiesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Security
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja calls on democracies to stand up against tyrannyThe material is available only to POZIRK+