Iconic Belarusian brands shut down amid crackdown on national culture, Nobel laureate says

Over the past week, three well-known Belarusian clothing and ethno-goods brands — Honar, LSTR and Ragna — announced their closure. The teams behind these projects did not officially comment on the reasons for the closure.

As the human rights center "Viasna" found out, security forces detained the owner of one of the shops. He was questioned about his social media accounts and contacts. He was ordered to shut down his business, after which he was released.

The chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski described these actions as yet another step in the Russification of Belarus:

"These are sad and alarming reports that show the assault on Belarusian culture continues in all its manifestations. This time, the turn has come for national clothing and symbols. At the same time, Belarusian bookshops and publishing houses continue to be destroyed, Belarusian books are constantly added to extremist lists — they are effectively banned on the territory of Belarus. Now it has come to clothing and applied arts."

Bialiatski believes that under such circumstances, it is necessary to resist and defend one's own by all possible means.