In an interview with "Vitebsk Spring" former chairman of the club of antiquity "Uzhorje" former researcher Vitebsk Regional Museum archaeologist Igor Tishkin shared his reflections on the relationship between the state and society to the historical heritage, as well as the changes that have occurred in the past 20 years.

– Mr. Igor, what are its goals are the creators of the club's fans of old "Uzhorje" in those unforgettable times from his job?

– The formation of "Uzhorje" in April 1986, the main goal of its creators chose the popularization of the historical, cultural and architectural heritage of Vitebsk. Recreating memory while recall the emergence of various informal movements, societies, awakening of interest in the historical past and architectural heritage, which in Soviet times actively exterminated. The architectural look of cities then changed beyond recognition, and intelligent people were unhappy with this negative process of cultural neglect. It was, of course, at that time the Society for Protection of Monuments of History and Culture, but as it is now – it was actually a purely nominal structure, which led to accounting monuments, but in no way affect their fate could not.

– Who was in your ranks, and why did you start?

– Members of "Uzhorje" were different people: from experts in the field of history and architecture to ordinary workers who are interested in the past of their region and the city. There was, of course, the backbone formed, so to speak, without prior arrangement, when we started to prepare for the restoration of the ruins of the Church of the Intercession. It has long been abandoned and was used as a garbage container, and before the building of the monastery was a prison. The buildings were empty. Power was confused: I do not know what to do. Obstacles no mending, no repressive laws such as "no more than three to assemble" and "do not clap their hands" did not exist. Here. Therefore no one touched.

We brought a shovel with a stretcher, the church opened the gate and started to make this garbage on the street. Authorities have noticed and gradually began to work: organized garbage collection. The second milestone at the time the object was in the city church of St. Barbara. Restoration workshops already working and we are helping professionals performing, so to speak, unskilled work: out the garbage, building rubble...

– What activities has involved members of the "Uzhorje" and whether you have fulfilled its goals?

– I believe that members of the "Uzhorje" completed its historic task: we stopped the gradual destruction of the historic appearance of Vitebsk. Prior to that, and the church itself, and the monastery prepared for demolition, but because of our public resistance, thanks to the gathering of signatures, writing letters to various authorities with a request to leave for posterity architectural heritage of the past, the government abandoned its intentions. In the end, we managed to attract the attention of the public and residents of the city to the thousand-year history of Vitebsk.

In addition to the above items, we were engaged in advocacy, information. At his own expense, we organized a photo exhibition – are a few pictures on the plates: as it once was, it looks like right now. Tablet is placed in the windows of stores, which is almost impossible to imagine in today's environment. All of what I'm talking about, by today's standards is fantastic. We had its logo, which we designated our creative work. Then it was simple: come and agreed with the head of the store. Bounce was not, "Please place!". No sedition nobody was looking.

Usually our photos exhibited in the shop "One thousand little things", which was located on Victory Square. There were large windows and, most importantly, always enough people. Through these exhibitions, we have changed the psychology and ordinary people, and the city authorities, who after the war they started to destroy everything they saw in front of him, and could not stop. Reject all the old buildings, I'm not talking about religious buildings that were destroyed in the first place. So they thrashed and thrashed until the eighties. In fact, we were able to stop this process. At that time we did not have even the restoration workshops, which were formed only after Belarus became independent. Only then they began to engage in the creation of projects and production work on the restoration of monuments.

– Igor, it would be interesting to know what happened to your peers when Belarus has risen as an independent country.

– We thought that our problem is solved: Belarus – an independent state; created restoration workshops, which are engaged in business professionally, and we do not need to run around with shovels; there is a department for the protection of heritage, which must monitor the fate of each of the historical monument. Most members of the "Uzhorje" went into politics, because actively begun to form political parties, each had the opportunity to choose what he was closer. Someone, however, did not go to any policy, but was an active and ideological any party supports. However, it turned out that was found in this country a man who turned back the clock.

– It took 20 years, but if you look at the new generations, and to the elderly, it appears that someone stole their hunting history. Do not you think?

– Who tipped the hunt? This propaganda machine of the state. That year, she hollows the local population one "Chark, bacon, a foreign car. Chark, bacon, a foreign car. " As a result, all other interests fall off as unnecessary vestiges. "Chark, bacon, a foreign car." And every year is getting worse and worse. In such circumstances, a man not to history – he would survive, especially now. He is concerned about where to find the money, how to prepare a child for school.

Of course there are some small contingent who are interested in history, but it is not comparable to what it was in the 80s of the 20th century. Out of town and no youth organization such as "Uzhorje". Existing legislation has deprived people of the opportunity to breathe and to take the initiative. Already in advance any manifestation of independence forced the government to suspect a person or society. Once it is going to some bunch, so it sedition against the government. So it is necessary to disperse. That there was interest in the historical past, the State must show a certain direction in this initiative, and it is not, there is no state program, because there is no national state.

In the minds of the people, nothing has changed, they have not learned to be independent, they have not learned to love their land, their culture, their language. With the advent of Lukashenko immediately started setback in like Soviet past. In the early 90-ies of Belarus became an independent country with its own national flag, their coat of arms, but in 1994 all returned to normal. Hence the confusion and mess in my head. Who are we? Where are we?

– Why in other countries, the state is engaged in the education of its citizens, and we head intoxicating created during the Soviet era ideological cliches?

– The historical education – is a state concern. The only way to raise a citizen, a patriot of his country. We have also brought up patriots of their cars and their land. Everything! What's more – it's not mine. Everything that is done to honor the power of the past, associated with the Second World War – is the Soviet grandiosity, a new song from the Soviet past. Everything is done on nakatannomu nothing new, this power does not come up, even for its strengthening. They hang banners "DOSAAF – patriots". What "DOSAAF"? We happen to have "DOSAAF" – that was created almost ninety years ago ... In this country, in fact, have no ideology. Ideology is, and no ideology. Where is the government going? In which way? Unknown. Apart from the Second World War was also another story, but why are you almost nothing to say about it, if you patriots? And here is hammering into the heads of the thesis that history began in 1917, and the main event of this period of time – the so-called Great Patriotic War, distorts the past Belarus, a country with thousands of years of history.

– But maybe you are not quite right, because the same kind of appeal to the past has, with regard to Vitebsk: here you and the cult of Princess Olga and Alexander Nevsky are going to realize in bronze.

– It's not our story. And the personality of Alexander Nevsky is quite controversial. The fact that we can now read the researchers showed that the former history of Belarus has been almost completely falsified by Russian imperial historians from the time of Catherine the Great, and then the case was picked up by Soviet scientists. The story is so perverted that get to the truth is difficult. Nevsky, by and large, does not have any relation to Vitebsk, in contrast to, say, the same Algirdas, who built castles and Vitebsk city owned.

As for the Prince Alexander, the establishment of the monument simply lobbying the Russian Orthodox Church. It is their holy, and all of this area along the Dvina they are, so to speak, "zabombit" behind him. By the way, almost, where they seek to establish a monument, it is the foundation of the Peter and Paul church. One gets the impression that in this way they tend to mark territory. Like, this is our place – and that's it. Has the same effect as with the establishment of the monument to Alexy II at Assumption Hill.

These facts – these are examples of religious expansion of the Russian Orthodox Church. I saw through their long. Back in the late eighties in the "LIM" was published my article "Orthodox – Russian means". Russian Church has always been at the forefront of Russification. Not for nothing was said, "What have not completed the Russian bayonet, completed the Russian pop, a teacher and an official." A pop – it is an ideology at the time. So we need to understand from where this monument grow legs and historical truth is not to blame. A Belarusian Exarchate – that is to say, the Belarusian Military District during the council.

– I think the attitude of the city authorities to the historical past apparent in their attitude to the idea of creating an archaeological museum. By the way, do you know how was made preservation remains of wooden buildings and city streets?

– Falls asleep. Cover with plastic film and covered with sand. Remains, of course, should be preserved. Although both? No chemical preservation was not. Perhaps the time will come when society will mature before having to turn again to this topic. The government may want to create an archaeological museum. But, as the poet Nekrasov said: "It is a pity, in this time of great live do not have me or you."

To implement the idea at the time in addition to the financing needed will of the state, but it was not. That's all. We also have the city authorities have no desire to investigate anything. It needs additional money, additional experts and specialists we are sitting in the district executive committees in their documents and it is written: "specialist".