The events of November 7, 1990, which occurred immediately after the official rally on Lenin square, can be called “the square-90”. The Belarusian popular front organized an alternative parade called “the memory of the victims of Communist dictatorship”. It started in Yakub Kolas square and ended with a massive rally on Lenin square. In it participated not less than 5 thousand people.
Vladimir Boots (1952-2012) is a Belarusian photographer.
In the 80-ies of the member of the youth democratic movement. Was raised in an orphanage in Brest, studied in Moscow. Lived in the hostel of the Minsk tractor plant. After the death of Vladimir Sapogova representatives of the administration of the hostel has dumped the originals. Each photographer Michael Crumb saved the negatives.
In 2015, the Centre for studies of civil society in Belarus organized a photo exhibition of Vladimir Sapogova, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the youth Association “Artel”.
Vladimir Boots
The results of the March proved so resonant and unexpected for the authorities, that to this day it is considered the most successful action of the Belarusian popular front and the strongest blow to the Communist system, “Nasha Niva”writes.
It all started with the fact that on 23 October 1990, the Executive Committee of the Minsk city Council of deputies asked the citizen Sergei Androsov. He asked me to hold on 7 November 1990 alternative March “in memory of the victims of Communist dictatorship”. November 1, permission was granted.
Zenon Pozniak speaks to the participants of the procession. Photo: Vladimir Boots
The idea of the procession were fully integrated into their policies and ideology of the Belarusian popular front: an uncompromising anti-communism, that is, criticism of the Communist party, the rejection of the USSR as a nation-education, the rejection of Marxism-Leninism, finally, tough criticism of the founders of the Soviet system, in particular of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin.
This was the first open clash between the government and the opposition. According to official data, ten policemen had suffered minor injuries.
After the March to Parliament received dozens of complaints in which he expressed “indignation at the actions of members of the Supreme Council, took part in unconstitutional action,” and some even stated that the protesters of the people’s deputies of Zenon Pozniak and Valentin Golubev “have no moral right to work on the draft Basic law — the Constitution of our Republic.”
A few days after the rally, the Prosecutor’s office of Minsk initiated a criminal case under part 3 of article 186 of the Criminal code of the Byelorussian SSR (“Organization of or active participation in group actions violating public order”).
The procession included the Lenin square. Photo: Vladimir Boots
However, in June 1991 it was announced the Prosecutor BSSR Gennady Ternavsky. It said: “…In the process of preliminary investigation tested the role Pozniak in the incident on Lenin square the group riots. Based on the analysis of the text of the speech Pozniak, his behavior during and after the meeting, the testimony of more than 800 witnesses and other evidence, the investigators came to the conclusion about the absence Pozniak intent on the organization of group unrest and the absence of a causal link between the appeal Pozniak “civilized way” to hold a symbolic “gifts” to the monument to V. I. Lenin and the subsequent criminal actions of some participants of the rally. In connection with absence in actions Pozniak of the offense, in a criminal case against him June 17 the office of the attorney denied.” The person requested the Council to give consent to involvement Pozniak to administrative responsibility. But this issue was not even included in the agenda of the meeting of the armed forces. The actions of other deputies — Golubev, the honey, Semenovoy — the Prosecutor’s office also found no crime.
Photographs from the alternative March “in memory of the victims of Communist dictatorship” provided the writer Polina Stepanenko who opened the archives of Vladimir Sapogova. Edition TUT.BY expresses gratitude to the human rights center “Spring” for help in finding images photographer who has worked for several years with the human rights issue “Right to freedom”.
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