Belarusian Diaspora In United States Celebrates 70th Anniversary Of Belarusian-American Association

Belarusians from entire America got together in New York.

On October 13, 2019 the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Belarusian-American Association, the eldest of the Belarusian diaspora in America, took place. For 70 years, members of the Belarusian-American Association have adequately represented the Belarusian people in America, preserved and enriched their culture, supported the Belarusians in the Homeland, Natallia Fedarenka told the Charter97.org website.

The Belarusian-American Association was formed by the post-war wave of emigration from Belarus on July 31, 1947. The main objectives were the preservation of the national identity, the impact on the American politicians to facilitate obtaining independence by Belarus, and the struggle for democracy and human rights at home.

For seven decades the activists of the Belarusian-American Association held hundreds of cultural events and political actions, published the newspaper called “BELARUS” for several decades.

The anniversary celebration took place in the Belarusian center at the Cathedral of St. Kiryla Turauski in Brooklyn (New York).

Members of the Assosiation from different states of America, where they have branches of the organization, such as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington (DC), and Florida, gathered to celebrate together the anniversary of the organization.

The festive program included congratulatory speeches by the Chairperson of the Main Office of the Association Natallia Fedarenka, and by Chairpersons of the branches, which were able to personally join the celebration: Yury Azarka (New Jersey branch), Siarhei Kudzelich (New York branch), and Andrei Pushkarou (South Florida branch).

Greetings from various friends and friendly organizations were read out.

Chairman of the Parish Council of the St. Kiryla Turauski Cathedral, one of the oldest members of the Association Rastsislau Haroshka presented the report “History of the Belarusian-American Association”.

Hanna Surmach presented her book “Belarusian New York”, which provided many interesting facts of Belarusian presence in New York and the surrounding area, besides a lot of attention in the book is paid to the history of the Belarusian-American Association.

The final part of the festive program was a musical concert. The visitors enjoyed the performances of Valiantsina Parkhomenka (a soloist of the trio family Kazaks), Siarzhuk Sokalau-Voyush, and Aliaksandra Beliakovich.

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MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

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