Franak Viacorka
Encyclopedia
Frančisak Valancinavič (Franak) Viačorka (Viachorka) (born March 26, 1988) is a Belarusian
politician, youth leader. International Secretary for a Popular-Democratic Party "Belarusian Movement". Coordinator of Promotion for an independent satellite TV-channel BELSAT TV
on March 25, the anniversary of the founding in 1918 of the Belarusian National Republic. Because of the political significance of the date for the pro-democracy movement and its associated demonstrations, his father Vincuk
would usually be in custody the following day. Since his youth, Franak has been involved in the opposition movement to current Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko
. He is a former pupil of the Belarusian Humanities Lyceum
and was formerly chairman of the BPF Youth, the youth wing of the Belarusian Popular Front, succeeded on October 10, 2009 by Andrei Krečka.
2005-2008 Belarusan State University- Journalism - Information and Communication
2008-2009 European Humanitarian University (Lithuania), Journalism - Media and Communication
2010- .. Warsaw University (Poland). Public Relations, Media Marketing
On February 18, 2008, Franak was expelled from his third year of journalism at the Belarusian State University
, in spite of his excellent academic performance, for missing two exams. The fact that he was being detained by the police was not accepted as a legitimate excuse by the university authorities. A subsequent attempt to enroll in the exiled European Humanities University
, a private Belarusian university operating in neighbouring Lithuania due to Lukashenko's restrictions, failed as Mr. Viačorka's name is currently on a list of persons banned from travelling outside Belarus
by the authorities, despite having been found medically unfit. Several other youth activists, such as Ivan Shyla, were also drafted. In the course of his training, it is alleged that he has been subjected to harassment by senior military figures in order to make him speak Russian rather than Belarusian, although both are legal for use in the military. As of July 2009, he was stationed in the air defence unit 48694 in Mozyr
, Homiel Voblast
. April 14, 2010 Viachorka was released from a Army because of state of Health. In the time of Military service Franak was participating in local elections to Mazyr City Council as a candidate in April 2010, but didn't get in.
Since 2011 Franak Viachorka is a member of organisation committee and International Secretary of a new Popular-Democratic Party "Belarusian Movement" which is in opposition to regime of Alaksandr Lukashenka
Since 2008 Franak is working at BELSAT TV as a coordinator of promotion in Belarus
Franak speaks English, French, Polish, Russian and Belarusan.
Franak is a producer of several musical rock-projects
Belarusians
Belarusians ; are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Old Belarusian...
politician, youth leader. International Secretary for a Popular-Democratic Party "Belarusian Movement". Coordinator of Promotion for an independent satellite TV-channel BELSAT TV
Early life
Franak's birthday, March 26, falls the day after Freedom Day (Belarus)Freedom Day (Belarus)
Freedom Day is an unofficial holiday in Belarus, which is celebrated on March 25 to commemorate the creation on that date in 1918 of the Belarusian People's Republic ....
on March 25, the anniversary of the founding in 1918 of the Belarusian National Republic. Because of the political significance of the date for the pro-democracy movement and its associated demonstrations, his father Vincuk
Vincuk Viacorka
Vincuk Viačorka is a Belarusian linguist, politician and the former leader of the Belarusian National Front , a Belarusian opposition party.Vincuk Viačorka was born on July 7, 1961 in Brest in the family of a Soviet bureaucrat....
would usually be in custody the following day. Since his youth, Franak has been involved in the opposition movement to current Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko has been serving as the President of Belarus since 20 July 1994. Before his career as a politician, Lukashenko worked as director of a state-owned agricultural farm. Under Lukashenko's rule, Belarus has come to be viewed as a state whose conduct is out of line...
. He is a former pupil of the Belarusian Humanities Lyceum
Belarusian Humanities Lyceum
Belarusian Humanities Lyceum is a private secondary school, formerly located at 21 Kirau Street in Minsk, Belarus.-History:It was founded on January 15, 1991 as the Yakub Kolas National State Humanities Lyceum, by leading Belarusian intellectuals such as the present Belarusian Language Society...
and was formerly chairman of the BPF Youth, the youth wing of the Belarusian Popular Front, succeeded on October 10, 2009 by Andrei Krečka.
Education
2001–2005 Belarusan Lyceum for Humanities named after Jakub Kolas, formally closed by Government in 2003 for political reasons.2005-2008 Belarusan State University- Journalism - Information and Communication
2008-2009 European Humanitarian University (Lithuania), Journalism - Media and Communication
2010- .. Warsaw University (Poland). Public Relations, Media Marketing
On February 18, 2008, Franak was expelled from his third year of journalism at the Belarusian State University
Belarusian State University
Belarusian State University , Minsk, Belarus, was founded on October 30, 1921. The BSU is a higher education establishment in the Republic of Belarus.-History:...
, in spite of his excellent academic performance, for missing two exams. The fact that he was being detained by the police was not accepted as a legitimate excuse by the university authorities. A subsequent attempt to enroll in the exiled European Humanities University
European Humanities University
EHU, the European Humanities University ) is a Belarusian university in Lithuania.From 1992 to 2004 EHU was a non-state establishment of undergraduate and post-graduate education in Belarus. In 2004, due to government opposition, EHU was forced to terminate its activities in Belarus...
, a private Belarusian university operating in neighbouring Lithuania due to Lukashenko's restrictions, failed as Mr. Viačorka's name is currently on a list of persons banned from travelling outside Belarus
Current status
It has been reported that on 16 January 2009, Franak was forcibly conscripted into the Armed Forces of BelarusArmed Forces of Belarus
The Armed Forces of Belarus consist of the Army and the Air and Air Defense Forces, all under the command of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus...
by the authorities, despite having been found medically unfit. Several other youth activists, such as Ivan Shyla, were also drafted. In the course of his training, it is alleged that he has been subjected to harassment by senior military figures in order to make him speak Russian rather than Belarusian, although both are legal for use in the military. As of July 2009, he was stationed in the air defence unit 48694 in Mozyr
Mazyr
Mazyr, also Mozyr is a city in the Homiel Province of Belarus on the Pripyat River about 210 km east of Pinsk and 100 km northwest of Chernobyl and is located at approximately . The population is 111,770 . The total urban area including Kalinkavičy across the river has a population of...
, Homiel Voblast
Homiel Voblast
Homiel Voblast or Gomel Oblast is a province of Belarus with its administrative center being Homyel.Important cities within the voblasts include: Gomel, Mazyr, Zhlobin, Svetlahorsk, Rechytsia, Kalinkavichy, Rahachow, Dobrush...
. April 14, 2010 Viachorka was released from a Army because of state of Health. In the time of Military service Franak was participating in local elections to Mazyr City Council as a candidate in April 2010, but didn't get in.
Since 2011 Franak Viachorka is a member of organisation committee and International Secretary of a new Popular-Democratic Party "Belarusian Movement" which is in opposition to regime of Alaksandr Lukashenka
Since 2008 Franak is working at BELSAT TV as a coordinator of promotion in Belarus
Franak speaks English, French, Polish, Russian and Belarusan.
Popular culture
In the 2006 documentary film A Lesson of Belarusian, Franak's work with his fellow activists in the lead-up to the 2006 Belarusian presidential election was followed for two weeks. His father Vincuk Viačorka was also featured, as was Uladzimir Kolas, principal of the Belarusian Humanities Lyceum and a prominent academic. Franak also played in Tutejszyja movie.Franak is a producer of several musical rock-projects
Awards and Prizes
- «New Generation» Prize - "For Courage and Bravery in the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in Belarus"
- Prize "For Personal Courage” of Charter’97
- «Prix Europa» for the best documentary of Europe and 18 other prizes for "A Lesson of Belarusian"
- «Best actor» at Lviv Film Festival (Ukraine)
- Medal of Marie Skladowska-Curie (Szczecin, LO#1)