Belarusian musicians against death penalty
In early October well-known
Belarusian musicians, including Liavon Volski, Hanna Khitryk, Dzmitry
Vaitsiushkevich and others, will present a new joint project “Aposhni
Zolak” (“Last Dawn”).
This was said to the Internet
portal Tut.by by the project coordinator Siarhei Budkin.
“Aposhni
Zolak" continues the tradition of communal creativity, started
by “Narodnya Albom” (“People's Album”), “Ya Naradziusia
Tut”) (“I Was Born Here”), and “Sviaty Vechar” (“Holy
Night”). However, this one is dedicated to another urgent issue –
the death penalty, explains Mr. Budkin.
Seven Belarusian
musicians will present their songs about the death penalty. Half of
the 14 songs of the project are new songs, the other half are new
versions of well-known songs.
Among the project participants
there are also Ales Dzianisau, Aliaksandr Pamidorau, Viktar Rudenka
and Nasta Shpakouskaya. All of them have publicly advocated the
abolition of the death penalty, but hope that "Aposhni Zolak"
will attract more attention to the problem and contribute to
combating such practices in Belarus.
“The project is an
attempt to address the subject more deeply than just saying some
words which will quickly get lost in the data stream”, says Dzmitry
Vaitsiushkevich. “An artistic statement has a different strength
and endurance, it touches other strings. In addition, art is one of
the highest manifestations of human nature, and the death penalty is
one of the lowest.”
Belarus is the last country in Europe
and the former Soviet Union where the death penalty is still used.
Over the past 17 years more than 400 people were executed and there
was just one case when a death sentence was replaced with a prison
term.
