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<\/a>World Affairs Council of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky; Stephen Norris, Director of the Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies; Iryna Semianiuk, Director of the Kossovsky Palace and Park Complex; Laura Stewart, Collections Manager for Miami University Art Museum; Stsiapan Stureika, Chair of the International Committee on Monuments and Sites in Belarus; Laurel Myers, History Major; ; Jack Green, Director of Miami University Art Museum.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Ida Shenderovich, Program Manager with the Mahilyou Jewish Community, knows this fight well. Jewish history has long been under attack in Belarus\u2014 in addition to the atrocities committed against Belarusian Jews during the Holocaust, with well over half of its Jewish population systematically murdered by Einsatzgruppen<\/em> death squads, the Nazi occupation of Belarus also initiated the destruction of a vast number of Jewish cultural artifacts. Further neglect of these objects and sites during the Soviet era, coupled with modern readoption of Russification policies, have resulted in an overwhelming archival silence surrounding the history and collective memory of Belarusian Jews. Shenderovich seeks to redress this historical neglect, working to protect and preserve the remaining Jewish cemeteries and tombstones in Mahilyou. She has participated in efforts to reconstruct and restore many of the cemeteries that have fallen into disrepair, which remain under threat of destruction by local laws targeting gravestones deemed beyond repair. Her work also involves making information on these cultural objects more widely accessible. She and her team have digitized many of the materials, including Jewish burial records, and published them online for public use.<\/p>\n\n\n Other cultural heritage preservation efforts speak to the importance of democracy to the Belarusian people\u2014 something that has been sorely lacking in recent years as their elections have been globally condemned for not being free and fair since Lukashenko entered office in 1994. Iryna Semianiuk, Director of the Kossovsky Palace and Park Complex, spoke of renowned Polish military leader Tadeusz Ko\u015bciuszko, whose estate now operates as a museum within the complex. Heralded as a champion of democracy for his role in both the American Revolution and the anti-Russian Ko\u015bciuszko Uprising, Ko\u015bciuszko is revered as a national hero in Poland, Belarus, and the United States alike. Monuments bearing his likeness are located in the capitals of all three nations, reflecting his status as a democratic figure standing in opposition to tyranny and oppression. <\/p>\n\n\n Natallia Zadziarkouskaya, Manager of Socio-Cultural Projects at the People\u2019s Anti-Crisis Management, is also in the business of challenging tyranny and oppression. Formerly the Head of the Department of Culture and Folk Art in the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus, Zadziarkouskaya now lives as a refugee in Poland, where she and her colleagues stand in direct resistance to Lukashenko\u2019s regime. The \u201cshadow government\u201d organization she works for applies sanctions to allies of the administration, dispels regime propaganda, and supports anti-Lukashenko protests and strikes, all in an effort to see a peaceful transition of power following a democratic election in Belarus. More specifically, Zadziarkouskaya\u2019s role as Manager of Socio-Cultural Projects involves developing projects and programs designed to promote Belarusian culture. She also works to provide resources to cultural figures\u2014 artists, writers, and actors\u2014 and other individuals who have been exiled for using their platform to voice criticism against Lukashenko. <\/p>\n\n\n Her work is dangerous, but Zadziarkouskaya is steadfast in her fight to preserve the cultural heritage of her people and to ensure their voices are heard. All four museum professionals shared this desire to preserve Belarus\u2019s past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laurel Myers is a senior majoring in history with a minor in museum studies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Laurel Myers In the year since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine the eyes of the world have largely remained on this war. A third actor\u2014 the neighboring nation of Belarus\u2014 has played an integral role in the … Continue reading <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>