The first part of the year in photos
The guest of the year
Hugo Chavez. It was a rare occasion, when Belarus was visited by a president of another country.
The dead end of the year
Setting up a sculpture of Felix Dzerzhinsky in Minsk. While the soviet monuments are being deconstructed all arounf the world, and the communists regimes are recognized as criminal, a monument to the founder of the “red terror” is being set up in Belarus.
The solidarity of the year
Someone lit a candle, another one too part in picketing. Every 16th day of the month the opposition organizes the actions of solidarity with the political prisoners and their families. The largest solidarity action was the Jeans Fest, when the electricity was cut off in the middle of the concert.
The meeting of the year
In order to prevent Milinkevich from meeting the Minsk electorate, the Freedom Square (Ploshcha Svabody) was surrounded with a metal fence, and the presidential candidate himself а was met by the paramilitary police headed by the colonel Paulichenka.
The teacher of the year
Ales Chyhir, the father of three children, the deputy of the Babrujsk city council. He was fired from his school, where he worked as a teacher of history, for taking part in the presidential elections campaign. Ales Chyhir protested by chaining himself to a pillar near the building of the City executive council.
The victualer of the year
Maxim Mirny, the best Belarusian tennis-player, the native (legal!) millionaire, decided to go into the restaurant busienss – in Minsk!
Julia Darashkevich
P.S. From nearBY:
Julia Darashkevich is a beautiful, talented, and brave woman. The only professional female photo reporter in the country, she makes superb shots, and brings rude policemen into a stupor by her caustic remarks. Julia, thank you for being our “eyes of the year!”
