Creative Intellectuals Urge International Community to Support Initiative Save Hrodna!

According to BelaPAN

On 1 June Belarusian historians, creative intellectuals and students applied to the international community with the open letter in which they urged them to support the initiative Save Hrodna!

In the letter it is said that this regional center was one of the most important ones in the times of the Great Principality of Lithuania. Kalozhskaia Church, erected in the 12th century, was recommended for introduction into the UNESCO lists of the universal heritage. However, during the Soviet times many historical buildings, including temples, were ruined, and a part of the historical center of Hrodna was replaced with Lenin Square.

At present Hrodna authorities on agreement of the official Minsk are trying to destroy everything that remains here, runs the open letter. For instance, the reconstruction of Old town was conducted without archeological excavations. A part of the Radzivils palace and the former Town hall were damaged. They destroyed the market square. Instead of sanation of monuments they reconstruct them  replace them with cheap and bad copies, state the Belarusian historians. They also point that all earlier applications to Hrodna authorities were fruitless.

The authors of the open letter say: The Belarusian government ignores the opinion of the international community concerning political issues, but continues its cooperation with international cultural organizations and tries to preserve its reputation related to preservation of the historical and cultural heritage.

Among the signers of the letter there are already representatives of Croatia, Germany, India, Netherlands, Poland and Portugal.