Academy of Sciences says about “insufficient knowledge” of history of national flag

The Ministry of Culture denied a suggestion on granting the national white-red-white flag the status of a historical and cultural object due to “insufficient arguments and documental validity”.
As BelaPAN has learnt from Anton Astapovich, head of the Belarusian Voluntary Association of History and Culture Monuments Protection, on 18 June the office received an extract from minutes of the session of the Belarusian Republican Scientific Methodical Council on Cultural and Historical Heritage at the Ministry of Culture of 21 May signed by deputy head Uladzimir Hrydzyushka.
The members of the council explained their position by “insufficient arguments and documental validity” of the offer of the association. Besides, the document notes, there is a decision of the Institute of History and Institute of Art History, Ethnography and Folklore at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, “saying the presented materials stay in contradiction with the legal norms and the issue is not studied well.”
A. Astapovich said he expected this decision of the council. He emphasised the application for granting the status of historical and cultural object to the white-red-white flag had been filled in keeping with the law. “As long as the current regime exists, when officials of any sphere, including spheres of science and culture scare to reach any decision independently, no similar initiative of the public will be supported,” Astapovich thinks.
White-red-white flag and Pahonya (Chase) court-of-arms were symbols of the state in 1991-1994. Some years ago Pahonya court-of-arms was included in the State List of Non-material Historical and Cultural Property of the Republic of Belarus.