Belarus Freedom Day commemorates the proclamation of the Belarusian People’s Republic in 1918—the holiday is celebrated by the democratic opposition and unrecognised by the Minsk regime.

In his speech, Deputy Minister Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski noted that the “No freedom without Solidarity” slogan is still relevant, and that the aspirations of the Belarusian democratic community are widely backed by the Polish public. He emphasised that Belarusians residing in Poland can count on our state’s support in areas such as education, healthcare, science, and culture. The exiled leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya outlined her nation’s dramatic struggle for freedom and human rights, and expressed gratitude for the Polish help.

A concert of traditional Belarusian male singing was part of the celebrations organised in cooperation with the Chopin University of Music and the democratic oppositionists from Belarus. Lyrical, festive, and war songs from various regions of the country were performed. The tradition of male singing is one of the most interesting phenomena in Belarusian culture, currently undergoing its renaissance as it bridges the past and the present. An exhibition “Belarus. Voices of Banned Books,” prepared by the Belarusian PEN Centre, was also presented.

The event was attended by numerous representatives of the Belarusian opposition, independent NGOs, diplomats accredited to Poland, prominent analysts from Polish academia and research centres, as well as Belarusians resident in Poland and Polish supporters of the Belarussian nation.