Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet Pavel Latushka met with PACE rapporteur and Polish Sejm member Agnieszka Pomaska and head of the secretariat of the PACE Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media Tatiana Termacic. The meeting focused on preparations for the PACE report “Culture as the Basis for the Democratization of Belarus.” It was attended by actors from the Volnyia Kupalautsy theater troupe.
The report is scheduled to be presented at the PACE spring session in 2027. Its aim is to draw the attention of PACE countries to the situation of Belarusian culture and prepare specific recommendations for providing assistance to children and Belarusian cultural institutions in exile.
“Lukashenka has been fighting Belarusian culture for decades, but this has now reached unprecedented proportions. Culture is currently one of the main targets of political repression in Belarus. It is also the main arena of Russia’s hybrid war against Belarus, aimed at reshaping Belarusian identity,” Pavel Latushka said, the United Transitional Cabinet reported.
The meeting also highlighted that the persecution of Belarusian cultural figures continues abroad. The Museum of Free Belarus and Volnyia Kupalautsy have been designated extremist organizations, along with a number of other cultural organizations.
The troupe’s actors spoke about the main problems they and other Belarusian theater groups forced to live in exile face: a lack of permanent venues for productions and unstable funding. They also stressed the importance of restoring the practice of providing scholarships to Belarusian actors.
During the meeting, Pavel Latushka proposed creating a European Fund for Belarusian Culture to implement programs providing institutional and financial support to independent Belarusian cultural institutions and initiatives.
The PACE representatives also held meetings with the Culture Council and the management of the Museum of Free Belarus. The meetings will continue in Bialystok.
