Russian flag hoisted in Mahilyou on Belarus Independence Day

Russian flags were hoisted together with the official Belarusian red-green flag in two Belarusian cities on Independence Day.

The flag was hoisted at Mahilyou enterprise Vyasnyanka by mistake. They simply confused two holidays.

"We would not have noticed it if you hadn’t told us,” the enterprise administration promised to find out whether it was a mistake and who had made it.

"An employee confused the second flag. We hoist two Belarusian flags on Independence Day and the Belarusian and Russian flags on the Unity of Peoples of Russia and Belarus Dya. It was a day off and the only employee who was at work made a mistake. We have never had such issues before,” Vyasnyanka representatives said after a check-up.

 Another Russian flag appeared on the building of the District Executive Committee in Salihorsk. However, it was not a mistake: a Russian delegation was about to arrive there.

"We had two Russian delegations. We always invite guests from sister cities to visit us on Independence Day. Delegations from Voskresenski and Kaliningrad Districts of Russia came to us,” the committee representatives explained.

People are making remarks about Russian flags all the time, they complained.

"They are often phoning us and complain about Russian flags attached to cars. Then we find out that the car belongs to some Russian. If I came to Russia, I would attach a Belarusian flag to my car too,” a local ideologist is surprised by people’s attentiveness.

However, in many cases Russian flags are simply being given out in the streets and highways as well as in the centre of Minsk, Vitsebsk and Mahilyou. The deaf-mute usually sell them.

Photo: savaboda.org and Ivan Shyla