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.