First All-Belarusian People's Assembly through the Speaker's Eyes: Memoirs of Professor Vladimir Pletyukhov

The first All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, held on October 19-20, 1996, went down in history as a key political forum that determined the further vector of the country’s development. Nearly five thousand delegates gathered under the arches of the Minsk Sports Palace. The scale of the event set a special atmosphere: excitement reigned in the hall, but it was especially felt by those who were to rise to the central podium. Three decades later, one of the speakers, Professor of the Department of Theoretical Physics of the A. S. Pushkin Brest State University Vladimir Pletyukhov, recalls how his speech was born, and is sure that what he said then did not lose meaning today.

In October 1996, Vladimir Anestevich served as Chairman of the Standing Commission of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus on Education, Science and Culture. Although the participation of MPs in the forum was stipulated by the regulations, his desire to rise to the central podium was an exclusively personal initiative, the speaker recalls:

- I'm not the one who sits on the sidelines. For this reason, I went into politics. In the autumn of 1996, there was clearly tension in society. I felt a deep personal desire to express support for the President.

At that time, issues of further development of the country were sharply discussed. It was important for Vladimir Pletyukhov to state that he was not just a delegate, but a representative of the Communist Party with a clear position.

Preparation for the speech took a lot of time. The MP had to maintain a delicate balance: to indicate support for the state course, to raise specific problems and at the same time to keep his own view of events. The text of the speech was not checked or edited in advance. Each word was chosen thoughtfully, striving for maximum accuracy and reasoning.

So that the speech did not look like a set of general slogans, Vladimir Anestevich included real examples from the life of the regions. In particular, he raised the acute problem of the legal status of heads of agricultural enterprises. In addition, he outlined his vision of the economic course, supporting the idea of a multi-form economy with effective government regulation and social protection of people. At the time of his appearance on the stage, Vladimir Pletyukhov knew the text by heart and was ready to talk, looking into the hall. However, a few hours before the forum, he had to urgently add:

- Right at the entrance to the Sports Palace, I was met by Viktor Chikin, one of the initiators of the creation of the new Communist Party of Belarus. He said that the Ministry of Justice received a message about the registration of the party. I added this news to the speech. I read it off the paper to tell you the truth.

The forum itself was organized in a very short time. In the spacious foyer of the Sports Palace there were no festive installations, no bright scenery, or other attributes of the celebration. The strict and concise atmosphere set the right tone: the delegates gathered not for the parade, but for a serious, extremely responsible conversation

- Everyone's condition was disturbing. To say for sure how events will unfold, no one would take. In general, the situation in the country at that time was unpredictable and dangerous. Despite the difficulties, we felt involved in historical processes. We knew that we were at the center of events and were influencing the course of history.

In retrospect, Vladimir Pletyukhov argues that the first forum played a key role in resolving the political crisis:

- With the support of delegates, the government was able to carry out the necessary changes and stabilize the situation. It was this step that allowed us to break the deadlock and ensure the further development of the state in the conditions of acute political struggle. After 30 years of material evidence of those October days of 1996 in the personal archive of the speaker remained little. The main relic was a computer floppy disk, admits Vladimir Anestevich:

- My wife managed to record my performance directly from the TV screen. She didn’t have time to turn on the record from the beginning, the quality turned out to be unimportant, but I value this floppy disk very much.

Addressing those who will speak at the third meeting of the VII All-Belarusian People’s Assembly in December, Vladimir Pletyukhov emphasizes that the tribune of the VNS is not a place for reading prepared reports, but a platform for bold initiatives. In his opinion, the main value of the delegate is his independence, professionalism and ability to see the real picture on the ground:

- You need to come to the podium with specific proposals and not be afraid to take the initiative. If you see that there are unresolved issues in your region, talk about it directly and suggest ways to solve them. The authorities do not expect general phrases from delegates, but an honest conversation and practical ideas. We need to bring to the forum real projects that will help the development of the country. This approach can make the upcoming meeting really useful for every citizen.

FROM THE SPEECH OF VLADIMIR PLETYUKHOV ON THE FIRST

On the heads of agricultural enterprises: “This man devotes himself completely to solving all problems in the village, sparing neither strength nor health, but he is not protected by anyone and nothing. I believe that the legal status of the leader should be established.”.

On the date of the referendum: I will be honest, I, like probably most of you, a stone fell from my heart when I heard that the President decided to agree to the date set by the Supreme Council. The president showed common sense, political flexibility and did not go along with his opponents. The people will appreciate this step.”.

On confidence in the President: I am finally convinced that President Lukashenko can be entrusted with the powers he asks for. He has once again proved that he is not using them to harm, but only for the benefit of the people of Belarus.”.

shestakevich@sb.by

Photo by Belt, brsu. by