Live to see The Last Dawn: Audio and video presentation!
Aposhni Zolak (“The Last Dawn”) continues the traditions of such musical projects as “Narodnya Albom” ("The People's album ") “Ya Naradziuskia Tut” ("I Was Born Here") and “Sviaty Vechar” ("Holy Night"). However, the project is devoted to a very sensitive and vital issue – the death penalty. Belarus is the last country in Europe and the former Soviet Union, which still executes people. Over the past 17 years, there were about 400 executions, and only one case is known where a death sentence was commuted to imprisonment. The project participants are in favor of abolishing the death penalty and hope that the project will attract additional attention to the problem, contribute to stop these practices in Belarus.
Contributions to Aposhni Zolak were voluntary and far from the principles of Soviet propaganda. Each of the musicians has his or her own arguments against the modern practice of the death penalty in Belarus, and their individual approaches to the topic. But all agree that the current situation with the death penalty in Belarus is unacceptable.
In particular, Hanna Khitryk and Nasta Shpakouskaya believe that the questions of birth and death are beyond human competence. Liavon Volski is convinced that even the worst criminals should have the right to realize the gravity of the offense and repent: “In this meaning, a life sentence in the case of a particularly serious crime would be more correct punishment,” he said. Viktar Rudenka speaks of another aspect: “If we are trying to promote a society without violence and killing, we must give them up at all levels. The death penalty creates a negative example for society.” Aliaksandr Pamidorau, Zmitser Vaitsiushkevich and Ales Dzianisau stress the fact that there can be erroneous sentences, as it happened in the known cases if Mikhasevich, Chikatilo and others. “The fact is that because of one bad person someone completely innocent can die. Any of us. For me it’s important,” says Aliaksandr Pamidorau.
The project initiated by the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and involved the creative team of Tuzin.fm. “This is a project of artists from different musical styles and different views, who are united by one topic, which confirms its social importance,” notes the coordinator of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty” Andrei Paluda. “We were very worried, because for us it was the first creative project of such scale, but the final product and the media responce confirm its success. I am very grateful to the creative team of the project and to all the participants for their contribution to our common cause.”
For the first time in the history of Belarusian music, the project was presented in a live online broadcast. The concert took place in the Bialystok Philharmonic Hall (Poland) on October 5, 2013 and was broadcast by a number of leading Internet portals of Belarus.
On June 17, 2014, the final version of the project in the CD+DVD format will take place in Minsk. Aposhni Zolak coordinator, the head of the portal Tuzin.fm Siarhei Budkin said that over the last six months all the material was substantially revised.
The project was implemented within the framework of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty".
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