Belarusian-speaking Magazine for Kids Liquidated

02.04.2004.

From the beginning of April Biarozka, Belarusian-speaking magazine for kids, does not exist as a separate entity. By order of the Information Ministry members of its editorial board have been fired, and the legal right to publish Biarozka has been assigned to the Nastawnitskaya Hazeta (Teachers’ Newspaper).
Under the official version, this is done to reduce the budget costs. However, the magazine staff believes, the so-called reorganization is done for ideological purposes.
Reorganization started by the order to include Biarozka to Litaratura i Mastatstva state holding company. However, literature and cultural workers stood up for the magazine and sent a protest letter to the government and the Information Ministry.
In reply the state officials placed the magazine under the authority of the Nastawnitskaya Hazeta which makes no essential difference: Biarozka is deprived of its legal rights and the editorial staff is fired.
Among others they dismissed Ales Navarych, this year nominee to Alexander Lukashenka’s award. The editorial team does not believe in the story of budget cuts and insist, the real reason for liquidation is the magazine policy to promote Belarusian culture, and not the state ideology.
Biarozka is one of the few Belarusian-speaking magazines for kids. This year it would have celebrated its 80th anniversary. During that time many famous writers and poets worked for and published their works in the magazine: Ryhor Baradulin, Uladzimir Yahowdzik, and Adam Hlobus, for instance.

Biarozka editorial team has addressed the Information Ministry with a letter of protest. The Ministry has allegedly promised to take care of the magazine staff.