Commemoration of victims of Stalinist repression: Statkevich holds on to protest strategy

On October 29^th, 2915, a street action with about 120 participants was held near the KGB building in the centre of Minsk to commemorate the victims of Stalinist repression. Mikola Statkevich, who continued his attempts to expand the ‘freedom space’, initiated the action.

The participants lined up with candles in their hands in front of the building, and then left the candles on the steps at the KGB’s main entrance. This was the fourth protest action held by Mikola Statkevich. It should be noted that despite the fact that no arrests have been reported the number of participants has not grown compared with the earlier actions.

On the night of October 29^th -30^th, 1937, more than 100 representatives of the Belarusian national elite – writers, poets, scientists and public figures were executed in the NKVD building in Minsk (now the KGB headquarters).