Activists of the pro-Russian ‘National Liberation Movement’ were holding a big national flag of Russia during Victory Day celebrations in Minsk on May, 9.
Most European countries celebrate the victory on May 8 remembering the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces. Russia, Belarus and many other former Soviet republics commemorate Victory Day on May 9.
“Our friend from Russia’s Tomsk came up with the idea [to take a Russian flag to the event]. And participating in the ‘Immortal regiment’ is a sacred duty of everyone who show honours to their grandfathers,” picketer Syarhei Lanavenka told Belsat.
When asked why they decided to use Russian symbols, Lanavenka said:
“Because Belarus and Russian is a cohesive whole. Look what my friend has put on today!”
In the photo of Lanavenka’s friend we see a patch with a flag of the so-called ‘Novorossiya’.
– But what does Novorossiya have to do with Victory Day?
– Donbas was part of the powerful Soviet Union, as well as Russia and Belarus!
– But you are having the flag of the present-day Russian Federation, not that of the USSR…
– Because we [Belarus] and Russia are a single whole!
The National Liberation Movement is a Russian non-governmental organization that advocates for the ‘restoration of sovereignty of Russia’. According to members of the organization, Russia has lost its sovereignty in 1991 ‘through the artificial division of the country by 15 states’ [the collapse – of the USSR], while the financial system got into the ‘direct dependence on the U.S. dollar’.
In early February, six persons took part in a pro-Russian rally in Independence Square in Minsk. They expressed solidarity with the Russian Federation and the ‘brotherly nation’, called the European Union ‘freaks’ and warned that those who ‘were organizing Maidan’, would be sent into exile to Russia’s Magadan.
A few weeks later. a group of persons, who had Russian passports and press cards of the media outlet Russkaya Planeta and described themselves as representatives of the unregistered party The Other Russia, made an attempt to disrupt the press conference of OSCE’s special representative in the trilateral contact group on Ukraine Ambassador Martin Sajdik in Minsk.
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Belsat.eu, phot. nn.by, vk.com
