Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Presents Singer Danchyk With Francysk Skaryna Medal

Reform.news Editorial Team · 22 September 2026, 14:07

https://reform.news/en/sviatlana-tsikhanouskaya-presents-singer-danchyk-with-francysk-skaryna-medal/

In New York, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya presented Belarusian singer and journalist Danchyk (Bahdan Andrusishyn) with the Francysk Skaryna Medal for his long-standing contribution to the development of Belarusian culture, language and freedom of speech, Radio Svaboda, citing Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s press service.

The ceremony took place at the EU Delegation in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

“With his music, Danchyk inspired thousands of people to embrace Belarus. For many, it was through his songs that the Belarusian language became closer to them and Belarusian culture became their own,” Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said.

Danchyk (Bahdan Andrusishyn) was born in New York in 1958. His father, Pavlo, was Ukrainian, while his mother, Yulia, was Belarusian. From childhood, Danchyk knew Belarusian and Ukrainian. In 1981, he graduated from New York University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. When he was 16, he attended a concert by Pesnyary, an ensemble touring the United States. A year later, Danchyk recorded his first album, “Bielarusachka” (Belarusian Girl), which became the first Belarusian record released in the US. His later albums included “We Belong Only to You,” “I Am Far From You” and “Christmas Songs.”

In 1989, he visited Belarus, where he performed concerts. He returned to Belarus for concerts in 1996. In 1997, he announced that he was ending his music career and moved into journalism. For many years, he worked for the Belarusian Service of Radio Svaboda, including as deputy director.