Міхась Філіповіч. На Купалле, 1921. Фота: wikipedia.
A notice banning Kupalle celebrations has appeared in the village of Lyatokhi near Vitsyebsk. Posted on an official notice board, it is addressed to village residents and summer-house owners from nearby gardening cooperatives, Vitsyebskaya Viasna writes.
The notice is being widely discussed on social media, with opinions divided. Some believe that such bans by the police are absurd but entirely plausible, recalling a recent case in which people in Minsk were detained for having a picnic in a park. Others claim it is a “set-up” and an “opposition fake”, arguing that such a thing simply could not happen in Belarus, where Kupalle has been celebrated for centuries.
According to the outlet, people have owned summer houses in the area for several decades, are friends with one another and hold celebrations together.