Lukashenka Tears Down 50 More Crosses at Kuropaty, Infuriating Belarusians and Religious Leaders

Paul Goble

            Staunton, April 14 – Only nine days after provoking near universal anger among Belarusians and revulsion in Western capitals by having his forces tear down 70 crosses at the site of the Kuropaty mass graves near Minsk, Alyaksandr Lukashenka compounded his offense by having them destroy 50 more yesterday.

            For details on this latest action, see svaboda.org/a/29878781.html, reform.by/blagoustrojstvo-prodolzhaetsja-v-kuropatah-snova-snosjat-kresty/ and belta.by/society/view/bolee-100-dobrovoltsev-prinjali-uchastie-v-subbotnike-po-blagoustrojstvu-kuropat-343874-2019/.

            This time the actions were taken by about 100 participants in a Soviet-style Saturday work session, and leaders announced that they were planting trees in place of the metal crosses. But their actions provoked a counter-demonstration by Belarusians outraged by this attack on religion and national identity and negative commentaries by Catholic and Orthodox leaders.

            Archbishopp Tadeusz Kondrusevich, the head of the Catholic Church of Belarus, was particularly outspoken (catholic.by/3/news/belarus/9673-ne-znostse-kryzho-zvarot-artsybiskupa-tadevusha-kandrusevicha-suvyazi-z-novym-znosam-kryzho-u-kurapatakh, charter97.org/ru/news/2019/4/13/330446/ and belaruspartisan.by/politic/460591/).

            Noting that not ten days had passed since the Belarusian authorities had dishonored the chief symbol of Christianity, the archbishop sharply criticized this repetition, arguing that the destruction and removal of the crosses has inflicted “a deep wound on the heart of the believer.”  He said that they and all the Christians in Belarus were now “a voice crying in the wilderness.”

            The Belarusian Orthodox Church did not issue an official statement, but its press secretary, Sergey Lepin, on his LiveJournal page said that he had thought the problems were in the past after the days since the original destruction of crosses occurred on April 4. But that has turned out to be not the case (serge-le.livejournal.com/475920.html and belsat.eu/ru/news/press-sekretar-bpts-uchastnikam-navedeniya-poryadka-v-kuropatah-nuzhno-pokayatsya/).

            Lepin said he wasn’t authorized to make any general comments but added that if among those who were involved in the destruction of crosses this time around there were any Orthodox, such people should speak with their spiritual advisors and determine whether they need to repent of their actions.