Polish President Karol Nawrocki has posthumously awarded Aliaksandr Milinkevich the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
The award was granted “for outstanding services to the interests of Poles in Belarus, achievements in promoting democratic values and contributions to the development of civil society”, the Polish president’s press service reported.
On behalf of the Polish president, the award was presented to Milinkevich’s widow, Ina Kuley, by presidential adviser Leszek Skiba. The ceremony took place during the farewell ceremony for Aliaksandr Milinkevich at the Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Warsaw.
Skiba also read a letter from Nawrocki to participants in the funeral ceremonies. In it, the Polish president described Milinkevich as a scholar, educator, public figure and politician who devoted himself to the cause of a free Belarus.
“Belarusian white-red-white, as well as white-and-red, flags bow today in tribute to a man of immense knowledge, integrity and courage. In Aliaksandr Milinkevich, we bid farewell to a scholar, educator, civil servant, public figure and politician who devoted his talents and strength of character — shaped, among other things, by his passion for sport — to the cause of a free Belarus”, the message said.
Nawrocki noted Milinkevich’s participation in the 2001 presidential campaign, when he was one of the heads of Siamion Domash’s campaign team, as well as his participation in the 2006 presidential election as the opposition’s united candidate.
“The election was deemed by the OSCE not to comply with democratic standards. As an organizer and participant in protests against election fraud, Aliaksandr Milinkevich became one of the symbols of the peaceful struggle for freedom, human rights and his country’s European future”, he said.
In his letter, the president noted Milinkevich’s close ties with Poland.
“He belonged to a generation of Belarusian activists and politicians who saw the future of their homeland in democracy, development and good relations with neighboring countries in the region. He had particularly close ties with Poland. This great-grandson of a participant in the January Uprising made a significant contribution to the search for the remains of King Stanisław August, the last ruler of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which was carried out at a church in Vowchyn in the Hrodna region.
He also contributed to the establishment of a Polish school in Hrodna. He sought to establish good relations between Belarus and a free Poland, as well as to ensure the rights of Poles who are citizens of the Republic of Belarus. In recognition of his activities in this area, he was made an honorary member of the Union of Poles in Belarus”, he said.
The Polish president also recalled that Milinkevich was an honorary member of the Union of Poles in Belarus, the initiator and rector of the Free Belarusian University, one of the initiators of the Kastuś Kalinouski Scholarship Program of the Polish government, and that in 2022 he was granted Polish citizenship by a decision of the Polish president.
“‘Whoever strives for freedom, let him leave his homeland and risk his life,’ wrote the great son of Navahrudak, Adam Mickiewicz, in distant and different historical circumstances, although in a situation in many respects similar to the current situation of Belarus and Belarusians. As the repression of the Lukashenka regime became increasingly brutal, Aliaksandr Milinkevich decided to follow the poet’s advice and settle in the free world, in a country as close to Belarus as Poland. Here he continued his public, political and cultural activities”, he said.
“In recognition of Aliaksandr Milinkevich’s stance and achievements, I have decided to posthumously award him the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. I believe that the great cause to which he devoted so much care and effort will ultimately prevail — and that the day will come when a free, democratic Belarus will give Aliaksandr Milinkevich a worthy place in the historical memory of its people. I extend my sincere condolences to the deceased’s family and loved ones”, the message said.
Milinkevich’s death was reported on Aug. 11. In November last year, he underwent a complicated carotid artery operation. He remained in serious condition for a long time afterward and underwent rehabilitation.
