On 12 February the secretary of Homel election commission Yulia Dzenisenka categorically refused to publish candidates' CVs in the Belarusian language. Candidates to Homel City Soviet Ivan Yatskow and Andrei Baranaw wanted their information in Belarusian on the general poster of all candidates published by the election commission. According to Homel Viasna head Anatol Paplawny, commission secretary Yulia Dzenisenka (head of personnel department of Homel city administration) grounded her refusal on the fact that all other candidates had their texts for the poster in Russian, and the commission is not going to make an exception for 2 people: there were no resources for that. Valantsin Stefanovich, lawyer of the Human Rights Center Viasna, says: "This is called language discrimination, i.e. ungrounded limitation in using the language. According to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus , and the Law "On Languages", there are two state languages in Belarus : Belarusian and Russian. Belarusian citizens are guaranteed the right to address the state bodies both in Belarusian or Russian. Article 12 of the Electoral Code says, that all election materials should be published in Belarusian and Russian language. The Law "On Languages" also obliges all officials to have the knowledge of both languages to an extent necessary to handle people's appeals. The situation in Homel is a disgraceful fact of discrimination. Meanwhile, the Code of Administrative Violations has Art. 172/ 2, which provides for the responsibility of officials for breaking the legislation on languages (ungrounded limitation in using the language): a line from 5 to 10 units".
On 1 September a correspondent of Hrodna News found out that Hrodna hasn't had any completely Belarusian-language schools for several years already. Before that, schools #5, 26 and 32 were completely Belarusian-language, but after the referendum of 1995, when the Russian language received the Status of the second state language, these schools introduced forms with the Russian language of teaching. Last year in the Kastrychnitski borough of Hrodna Belarusian forms existed in schools #3, 5, 6, 26 and 34. 481 children were educated there in their mother tongue, most of them belonged to the senior forms. 390 children attended courses of the Belarusian language at kindergartens of the borough.
In the beginning of November it became known that the Presidential administration reacted to the appeal of the delegates of the Vlllth BLS If Assembly, devoted to de-Belarusianization of state-owned TV-channels, promising to return the Belarusian language to Belarusian TV. The appeal was published in independent mass media, sent to Alexander Lukashenka and the acting head of the Government Siarhei Sidorski. It contained at least three demands: to renew TV broadcasts in Belarusian; to adopt a number of legal acts that would provide real equality of two main language societies and regulated the TV broadcasting according to the information of the population census; to make cable TV channels provide the necessary number of Belarusian-language broadcasts. The BLS appeal was read at a sitting and a special sitting with the participation of the country's head was planned where among other questions the work of TV channels and the problem of Belarusian-language broadcasts would be considered. The preliminary date of the sitting is 17 November. Some decisions concerning the return of the Belarusian language to the informational broadcasts of the first national TV II channel may be taken ttiere. According to calculations of BLS members, at present the percentage of Belarusian-language broadcasts at 4 state channels < is less than 7%, while 73,6% of country's citizens called Belarusian their w mother-tongue during the latest population census. During the Vlllth Assembly 5 BLS adopted not only the appeal to the Government, but also an appeal to the Constitutional Court, in which they asked to give legal evaluation of the jf| actions of the National State TV and Radio Campaign and its head Yahor 2 Rybakow. A similar appeal was sent to the official Union of Writers.
In December the Constitutional Court proposed to the Chamber of Representatives to provide real equality to Belarusian and Russian languages. In the letter, sent to head of the Belarusian Language Society Aleh Trusaw by vice-head of the Constitutional Court Alexander Maryskin it was said that the Court adopted the protocol decision "About the usage of Belarusian and Russian languages in the tertiary industries, turnover of plastic cards and in the system of state social insurance". Aleh Trusaw expressed his gratitude to the Constitutional Court for "attentive treatment of the case" and the hope that in 2004 the appropriate amendments would be introduced to the Law on languages and the country's citizens would have the possibility to make a large step forward in the case of revival of their mother tongue, national history and culture".
CLOSURE OF YAKUB KOLAS NATIONAL STATE
HUMANITARIAN LYCEUM AND STRUGGLE
OF THE STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS
FOR THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION IN MOTHER-TONGUE.On 28 May an overturn took place at the Uladzimir Kolas Lyceum. At an extraordinary teachers' meeting Deputy Director Uladzimir Kolas informed the teachers that he had been dismissed. We know the name of the future lyceum director - Tatsiana Shcherbachevich. Shcherbachevich earlier worked as a school director, then as methodological department head. Even the Education Ministry did not manage to clarify, "Who is Mrs. Shcherbachevich?" The new director was unfamiliar to lyceum curriculum and the lyceum education system. The lyceum teachers and students were perplexed.
Five years ago when they forcefully evicted Lyceum from its historical premises in 21 Kiraw Str, the students and their parents embarked on a strike, collected signatures and addressed all possible international agencies. Then the public resonance was so great that they silenced the case. In 1998 director Uladzimir Kolas made a compromise, and lowered his status to the level of vice-director in order to rescue the lyceum. Over the past five years the post of the director was vacant. The lyceum was managed by three vice-directors: Uladzimir Kolas, Lavon Barshchewski, and Iryna Sidarenka. Although the lyceum never lived in tranquility, nobody expected the events would develop in such a way. Recently the authorities almost managed to affiliate the lyceum with the State Teachers' University. Such affiliation would mean not only the change of the management, but also "staff cleansing" and adjustments of curricula, including introduction of bi-lingualism. Uladzimir Kolas believes in the present situation his colleagues, lyceum teachers, should have the final word. If his colleagues decide he should resign, he will do so. Although he pledged readiness to leave the post in case the authorities appoint the new director in a violent way. Many people think that these events could be revenge to Kolas for his public activity.
On 27 June it became known that National State Humanitarian Lyceum was liquidated by a Governmental ruling issued on 25 June and the order of the Education Ministry of 26 June. That's how the dramatic events in the lyceum's fate that have developed for a months, ended. The building in 21 Kiraw Street will be passed to the municipality and repaired. According to the official plans, from 1 September 2003 work Minsk Humanitarian Lyceum, subordinated to Minsk Executive Committee, was to have been opened there. National State Humanitarian Lyceum had republican status. The ruling of the Ministry of Education didn't contain any information concerning the fate of the lyceum teachers. According to the vice-Minister of Education Kazimir Faryn, "individual talks with them will be take place". The lyceum students held a chain of protest actions.
On 23 July participants of "Our Solidarity" campaign received an answer from the Education Ministry to their protest against liquidation of Yakub Kolas National State Humanitarian Lyceum, signed by U. Shcherba, head of the Main Board of Common Secondary Education. The letter says that the lyceum was liquidated with the aim of "optimizing the system of the Republican educational establishments", as it was the only secondary educational establishment that stood in the structure of the ministry. We received the explanations what it was and why it was forbidden by phoning to the Board: "educational establishments can't be subordinate directly to the ministry, and the lyceum was. At first we tried to join the lyceum to Minsk State Pedagogic University , but at that time the lyceum students won. So, we decided to pass it to the city in such a way. [...] It is nonsense when a secondary educational establishment is directly subordinated to the ministry. It is the only case in the world. Since the lyceum came into being we have faced different problems and constant demands to join the lyceum to some other educational establishment, as, in accordance with the Ruling on lyceums can enter the structure of higher educational establishments, not be directly subordinated to the Ministry of Education." Who demanded the change in the lyceum status? The ministry workers openly say that it was the Presidential administration and the Soviet of Ministers. "Some time ago Ivan Pashkevich stood for the lyceum. The present authorities have set out to solve this problem once and for all." The letter also says that "during renovation of the building in Kiraw Street, 21", students of Minsk State Humanitarian Lyceum will study at other Belarusian-language educational establishments in accordance with the curriculum plans of the lyceum." The authorities have already made the decision, though the lyceum programs are unique and have no equivalents at other educational establishments of Belarus . They said that the plans would be only a bit revised, remaining basically the same. Besides, the ministry hoped that the students would agree to study elsewhere. At present it tries to organize discussions with the parents. Yesterday such a discussion was conducted with the parents, whose children studied in the 8 th grade. Only some of them came and in single cases agreed to educate their children in other establishments. The majority of parents state that they will educate their children at home.
On 29 July an action of protest against the liquidation of Yakub Kolas National State Humanitarian Lyceum took place. At 8.50 a .m. about 60 parents and lyceum students gathered at the entrance of Minsk City Education Board in Kiraw Street , 5. They stood along the doorway so that every official had to go through the corridor, made of their bodies. In their hands they held such posters as "I Love Lyceum" and "Leave Us Alone". A delegation of parents whose children study at all of the four lyceum grades, directed to Mr. Tsitsiankow, head of Minsk CEB to demand continuation of study at the lyceum for their children. The official refused to accept the delegation. The action ended at 9.30 a .m.
On 8 August the Culture Ministry's Department for History and Culture Heritage protection and restoration ordered the Education Committee of Minsk administration to stop all renovation works of the building of Yakub Kolas National State Humanities Lyceum. Their examination report of the building at Kirava, 21 said unauthorized renovation was carried out without an official permission from Culture Ministry, in violation of Art. 50 of the law "On protection of history and culture heritage". Mikhail Tsitsiankow was prescribed to stop all work in the building, receive a written permission from the ministry, register an obligation to protect the monument of architecture with the appropriate Department, and to sign an agreement with Larysa Panamarova chief restoration architect, on supervision over the building. On this very day Panamarova delivered the prescription to Valery Turko, head of Education Committee at Minsk Executive Committee. He was warned that failure to meet the requirements would lead to responsibility under Article #94 of the law on Protection of history and culture heritage. L. Panamarova also pointed out that "the project of repairs, approved by a number of state bodies, must be preceded by a field study and engineering examination of the building and its emergency situation". Moreover, according to her, an organization needs a special permission to carry out pre-project studies and project works. "Until the project is approved, construction workers have no right to start renovation", — underlined Panamarova. At the same time, experts of Belzhylproject institute said there was no emergency and suggest, only engineering communications systems should be fixed. Besides, any renovation of a build can't be legal before it is transferred from the dwelling to the untenantable fund of Minsk Executive Committee.
On 29 August it became known that Minsk Maskowski Borough Court accepted for consideration the complaint of the parents, whose children study at the National State Humanitarian Lyceum concerning the illegality of the Governmental ruling of 25 June 2003 to liquidate the educational establishment. Rehina Zimnitskaya, vice-head of the lyceum defense committee said that the parents considered the actions of the government illegal, as a violation of their right and the right of their children to education in Belarusian language and demanded to cancel the ruling to liquidate the lyceum. The committee hopes the first court sitting will take place in September. "If we succeed in defending our right, and the illegal, groundless ruling of the Ministers' Soviet gets cancelled, the educational establishment will preserve its status", — said Rehina Zimnitskaya, — "we hope that the court will have enough courage to restore the justice". According to Zimnitskaya, in this case the lyceum would also return to the building in 21 Kirava Street . "In the case if the court doesn't satisfy the suit, the lyceum staff will have to take a license for non-state educational establishment", - she said.
On 29 August Zhodzina branch of Belarusian Language Society (BLS) received a fax from Zhodzina Executive Committee. The letter, signed by V. Kashewski, head, and U. Zaretski, head of city affairs department, said the picket was not permitted. BLS planned to hold a picket, demanding the authorities must follow the state program of "Expanding the sphere of usage of Belarusian language in the education system". The picketers also intended to draw public attention to the situation with the National Lyceum. The authorities motivated the ban by the mass events for the Day of Knowledge, planned at the place of the picket.
At the end of August the lyceum students and their parents stood all the time at the entrance of the inaccessible building of their educational establishment, guarded by the police. Dozens of inscriptions, made with color chalk on the pavements and the iron gate of the lyceum witnessed the intention of its students and their parents to defend their educational establishment. The lyceum founder Uladzimir Kolas didn't exclude the possibility that the activity of the lyceum, could be continued abroad. He pointed out that "the reassurances of the authorities that the renovation will be over by 1 September appeared to be false ones". He called nonsense the renovation of the building that, according to him, "is in the state of occupation". "If the authorities don't change their mind we will educate children in the street and try to create normal conditions with the assistance of the lyceum defense committee and struggle for the returning of the building of the educational establishment and our asset", — said U. Kolas.
On 1 September the new school year for the collective of Yakub Kolas National State Humanitarian Lyceum started on the street. The solemn assembly was held near the gates of the closed lyceum building. The first lessons took place on the street. Well-known public activists, politicians and intellectuals came to express their solidarity. More than 300 people gathered. Lyceum pupils came in white T-shirts with the inscriptions «l love my Lyceum!». In their hands they held flowers and bells. The oath of the lyceum was read. 141 pupils have sworn to fight for their rights, their dignity and the lyceum, selflessly serve and work for the lyceum, Belarus and Belarusian language. After the solemn speech of the lyceum head, Uladzimir Kolas, all of them went to the fence of the «Dinamo» stadium. The pupils' parents made wooden benches and the pupils sat down there, separated in groups. Well-known scientific and cultural activists came up to each group and lectured them. Among the speakers were Ales Marachkin, Valery Mazynski, Radzim Haretski, Piatro Sadowski and Lavon Volski. Leaders of all political parties also came to the lyceum pupils. The elder daughter of Mikola Statkevich, head of Belarusian Social-democratic Party, finished the National lyceum. The son of Vincuk Viacorka, head of Belarusian People's Front, goes to the lyceum...
On 29 September the lyceum students lost the possibility to come to the library of the Belarusian Writers' Union . In the library the lyceum teachers tutored the students on different subjects and kept most of the textbooks. The library lock was changed by administrator of Writers' House Danilchanka, an employee of the President's administration. On Friday representatives of the Committee for Religious Affairs forced the priests of St. Symon and Alena Catholic Church to get the lyceum students out of the church library. Practically, this means the students have no place to gather. The authorities have started a real repression against the kids.
On 10 October it became known that the officials of the workers of the education system whose children learned at the officially liquidated Belarusian National State Humanitarian Lyceum were pressurized by their administration. The officials try to make them take the children out of the lyceum and transfer to ordinary schools. Halina Papova works as a teacher in gymnasium #15. Her daughter Varvara studies at the National lyceum. Halina Papova is a member of the parents' assembly of the lyceum. In summer she actively participated in all measures, organized by the lyceum pupils and parents. This academic year she received only 18 hours a week at her school. Instead of giving her some spare hours, the school administration employed two more teachers. Halina Papova went to the director to find out the reason. The director immediately called the social instructor and they both started to ask where Halina's daughter was learning and why she wasn't going to school. They proposed her to bring the personal file of her daughter to the school where she worked. When she refused they promised he would work with the fewest number of hours possible, which means the lowest wage as well. Alena Dets, mother of another female lyceum pupil, teaches the Belarusian language and literature at secondary school #180. She also felt the pressure of the school administration. On 1 September she came to her office room and found that all her things were brought to another room and were lying there in a mess. When some parents came to help her cleaning the windows and taking the things to their places, they saw large holes in the windowpanes. They said that they wouldn't let their children learn in such a room. Only after this some repair works have started there. The teacher went to the director to settle the question of the repairs, but instead of the answer the director asked her where her daughter was learning. He said that the authorities pressurized him and he could lose his job without any perspective of employment unless she solved the question with her daughter. The parents, who work at higher educational establishments, were summoned to directors as well. The directors threatened to fire them and proposed their support in joining the children to some educational establishments, other than the lyceum. The teachers concluded that the city educational department had ordered something to the administrations of the educational institutions where parents of the lyceum pupils worked.
On 4 December it became known that the authorities got the police involved. The local police inspectors began to visit their flats. The policemen told that they would pass the prepared reports for consideration by administrative commissions of borough executive committees. The local police inspector paid two visits to the student Alena Dzeyshyts and warned that she would have trouble if she didn't go to school. According to the lyceum director, the officials of the Ministry of Education demonstrated their inability to solve this issue. The lyceum teachers said that the lessons weren't disrupted despite these repressions.
December 22 to January 3, 106 students of Yakub Kolas National Humanities Lyceum to study in Vilnius Lyceum. It is a real Christmas present for Belarusian students, who haven't been studying in a normal way for several months, as after the Lyceum's liquidation its building was closed 'for renovation'.
January 2004 -
On January 12 public association Franñišak Skaryna Belarusian Language Society received a notification of community services about cancellation of a contract of renting premises at Rumiantsau Str., 13. Housing and communal service of the Partisan District demands Franñišak Skaryna Society to leave the building in two months, informs human rights center “Viasna”.
Aleh Trusau, a chair of the Belarusian Language Society, connects these events with activities of the organization, and lack of premises is a pretext for pressure. “ There were attempts to close us a year ago, when we received two official warnings from the Justice Ministry. Now the Belarusian Language Society is pressed according to the scheme of the Belarusian Lyceum – first ousting from the building and closure afterward” , says Aleh Trusau.
There were attempts to evict the organization from the building earlier. But the communal services offered the society to move to another building. This time there was no such offer. Now two newspapers and 4 organizations are registered to the address of the Society. If the society moves out, the legal addresses would be liquidated. This would cause a number of problems in the activities of the Belarusian Language Society.