We will also plant cornflowers at Vasil Bykau’s summer house — the favorite flowers of the great Belarusian writer

Today, on June 19, 2025, we mark the birthday of Vasil Bykau — a towering figure in Belarusian literature.

He was a man of unwavering truth, the voice of the nation’s conscience. That is precisely why he was unacceptable to an authoritarian regime — a regime that feared those who spoke the truth.

I am proud to have had the opportunity to personally engage with his legacy. I am proud that, during my time as Minister of Culture of Belarus, I initiated the creation of the Vasil Bykau Museum in Zhdanovichi. It was not just a cultural project — it was a moral obligation to a man who devoted his life to serving Belarus.

One of my very first initiatives as Minister of Culture was directly related to Vasil Bykau. I sent an official appeal to Lukashenko’s administration proposing to officially honor the memory of the great writer. The response was categorical — a flat refusal. Because to the regime, Bykau was dangerous: free, honest, principled.

But I did not give up. The museum was eventually established at his summer house in Zhdanovichi. Preserving his legacy became not just a ministerial duty, but a personal responsibility. Bykau is the conscience of our nation, and I knew clearly: we had no right not to do this.

When I served as Minister of Culture, there was always a photograph of Vasil Bykau on my desk — the same one you now see here.

One of my most vivid memories related to Bykau’s legacy occurred when I was already the Director of the Kupala Theatre. Together with actors and cultural figures, we visited his summer house on his birthday. We planted cornflowers — his favorite flowers — drank tea, and simply talked.

These are difficult times now. Many feel demotivated. But I continue to believe and to work so that we may one day gather again at that summer house. We will come together, recall the hard times, and rejoice in our freedom. And we will plant cornflowers again — as a symbol that the memory of the legacy of this great Belarusian, the pride of the nation, Vasil Bykau, lives on and will live forever.

I also invite you to watch my video on YouTube with personal recollections of Vasil Bykau, and to read my post on Facebook: "The most precious gift I have in memory of Bykau — a drawing made by his own hand".

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