March in Hrodna: Belarus ‘militsiya’ still faithful to Soviet traditions (photos)
Hrodna police celebrated their professional holiday in advance by marching along the main streets of the city.
The police’s march has already become a tradition in the city on the Neman.
Belarus’s police – ‘militsiya’ – hold March 4, 1917 as the date of their establishment. On that day, Bolshevik leader Mikhail Frunze was appointed the interim chief of the police in Minsk. Thus, the contemporary Belarusian police took over the Soviet tradition that has nothing to do with our country’s history.
It is noteworthy that Belarus is not the only ex-Soviet country or region where ‘militsiya’ has not been renamed to the police. ‘Militsiya’ still exists in Abkhazia, Kyrgyzstan, Transnistria, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, South Ossetia.
Photos:
Meanwhile, on February 17 -19, protests were held in five Belarusian cities. The most sizable action took place in Homiel where 3,000 – 4,000 persons gathered. This time, the Belarusian government opted not to break up the protests that spread from Minsk to other towns.
- Discontent with Lukashenka’s govt’: Foreign media about protests against ‘parasites’ law in Belarus
- March against ‘parasite’ decree held in Minsk (photo, video)
- ‘Fight unemployment, not unemployed!’ Mahiliou outraged by controversial law
Decree Nr 3 signed by president Alyaksandr Lukashenka in April, 2015 established the obligation of the citizens of Belarus, foreign citizens permanently residing in Belarus, stateless persons, who did not participate in the financing of public spending or participated in such financing less than 183 days (six months – ed.) in the past year, to pay a fee of 20 basic units (appr. $230).
