''A Lesson of Belarusian'' () is a

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

documentary by Polish director Mirosław Dembiński. It follows the activities of several

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

ian pro-democracy youth activists in the four weeks running up to the highly controversial presidential re-election of

Alexander Lukashenko Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (also transliterated as Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Lukashenka; born 30 August 1954) is a Belarusian politician who has been the first and only president of Belarus since the office's establishment in 1994, making hi ...

on March 19, 2006. The film has won multiple festival prizes. In 2008, a CD-disk with a film and some other disks became the first informational products that a court in Belarus recognized as extremist.

Synopsis

In the documentary, 18-year-old Franak Viačorka, a youth activist with the Belarusian Popular Front, and his friends prepare for the run-up to the 2006 presidential election. Their activities range from handing out newspapers, organising rock concerts, distributing flyers, composing protest songs and interviewing

Alaksandar Milinkievič Alaksandar Uładzimieravič Milinkievič (, , born 25 July 1947) is a Belarusian politician. He was nominated by the leading opposition parties in Belarus to run against incumbent Alexander Lukashenko in the 2006 presidential election. Biography ...

, opposition candidate. Aside from the main theme of the elections, it also touches briefly on the incarceration of Franak's father,

Vincuk Viačorka Valancin Ryhoravič Viačorka (, , ; born 7 July 1961) is a Belarusian linguist, politician and former leader (1999–2007) of the Belarusian Popular Front (BNF), a Belarusian opposition party. Early life and education Vincuk Viačorka was ...

, a professor at the banned Belarusian Humanities Lyceum, where Franak and many of his friends were students. Events come to a climax on the night of the election results, March 19. Following the suspicious landslide victory of Lukashenko, opposition activists and supporters take to the streets in protest, many of them setting up a 'tent city' in October Square in

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

. By the night of March 23, riot police are deployed to clear the remaining protesters. Two days later on March 25, Belarusian Independence Day riot police clash violently with anti-Lukashenko demonstrators, detaining several, among them Alaksandar Milinkievič. By the end of the film, Franak's father has been released from detention, the battle has temporarily been lost, but the people's spirit is unquenched. According to Franak, the end is nigh for Lukashenko.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lesson Of Belarusian 2006 films Belarusian-language films 2000s Polish-language films Alexander Lukashenko 2006 in Belarus 2006 multilingual films 2006 documentary films Polish multilingual films