Three Antique Icons Belonging to Former Political Prisoner Priest Akalatovich Sold at Auction in Belarus

Belarusian authorities continue to sell off property belonging to Catholic priest Henrykh Akalatovich from Valozhyn. In July 2026, three antique icons confiscated from the priest were sold at auction, Brest Viasna noted.

The icons were offered in separate auctions, with exactly one bidder admitted to each. Under Belarusian law, if only one bidder is admitted to an auction, the auction is declared unsuccessful, but that bidder is entitled to purchase the property at a price 5% above the starting price. The 18th-century icon “The Resurrection of Christ From the Tomb” was sold for 3,360 Belarusian rubles, while the late 19th- to early 20th-century icons “Great Martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa” and “Our Lady of the Three Joys” were sold for 735 and 525 rubles, respectively. A total of 4,620 rubles will go to the Belarusian state budget.

Meanwhile, Akalatovich’s land plot in the Baranavichy district failed to sell. The auction failed to take place for the fourth time due to a lack of bidders.

Akalatovich was detained in late 2023. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison on charges of treason after being accused of “spying for Poland and the Vatican”. In November 2025, he was “pardoned” by decision of Lukashenka and left for Rome after his release. Belarusian authorities continue to put his property up for auction.