ICOMOS issues a statement of support for the Belarusian National ICOMOS Committee
On November 19, 2021, ICOMOS issued the following statement of support for the National Committee of ICOMOS Belarus in light of the unstable political situation in the country.
Cultural heritage and cultural civil society organizations are also falling victim to the deep political crisis and government repression in Belarus, with activists and professionals forced to leave the country. ICOMOS is very concerned about the safety and well-being of the cultural heritage community and ICOMOS members in particular.
Pressure on the Belarusian heritage sector
1. Between 2020-2021, the heads of several well-known museums and cultural sites around the country were dismissed.
2. The troupe of the Janka Kupala Drama Theater, one of the oldest theaters in Belarus, has been dismissed almost entirely.
3. Crowdfunding platforms, one of the crucial funding sources for culture and heritage activities, have been dismantled and important heritage initiatives frozen.
4. From June to October 2021, the authorities liquidated about 200 non-governmental organizations, among which 15 from the heritage sector. The intention was announced by Uladzimir Makei, Belarusian Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Belarus UNESCO National Commission on the eve of new EU sanctions against Belarus.
5. The ICOMOS Belarus National Committee was liquidated by a Supreme Court decision of 15 September 2021 on unsubstantiated grounds of financial mismanagement.
This is just an overview of the repression that Belarusian culture and heritage are subjected to. It's hard to believe, but all this is happening today in the center of Europe.
Heritage in Action: ICOMOS Belarus continues to develop the heritage community in the face of pressure
In 2021, the ICOMOS Belarus National Committee organised the “Heritage in Action” civil society heritage award for projects implemented in Belarus during 2018-2021. Despite the imposed political restrictions, the activities linked to the awards continued. Within 6 months, some jury members were forced to leave the country and many participating organisations closed. Despite all these odds, on 15 September the winners under the 5 categories the “Heritage in Action” awards were announced in Minsk.
It was meant to be a sort of heritage “Oscar”. The quality of the winning and shortlisted projects show that the Belarus heritage sector has a lot to be proud of and that its approaches are in line with European and international standards. This is thanks to the activities of non-governmental organizations and initiatives. To foster cultural and educational exchanges, as well as the implementation of joint BelarusEuropean projects is now crucial. It provides huge support to the Belarusian heritage sector. Despite the Supreme Court decision, ICOMOS-Belarus remains a civic association whose mission is to promote Belarusian cultural heritage and international exchanges in this field
International support
ICOMOS and Europa Nostra have jointly pledged to support ICOMOS-Belarus and the “Heritage in Action” awards. In August 2021, ICOMOS-Belarus became a member of the Europa Nostra community and a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding was signed between ICOMOS-Belarus, ICOMOS and Europa Nostra.
ICOMOS-Belarus undertakes to promote Belarusian projects in European programs and to disseminate state of the art heritage practice advances to the professional and expert community in Belarus. Now, our common task is to preserve and develop the cultural heritage community in Belarus to ensure sustainable development for the benefit of society despite the current repression and pressure. It is a valuable investment for the future of Belarus.