Aliaksandr Lukashenka adopted Russification policy to receive political and financial support from Russia in 1995.
A “referendum” was held to change national symbols and to introduce Russian as the second official language.
To justify the national symbols change Juryj Azaronak, a film director, shot a film called “The Children of Lies” where white-red-white flag and the National Emblem was presented Pahonia as fascist ones. The conclusion was made on the basis that these symbols were used during the Germany occupation of Belarus. The fact that Pahonia had existed for centuries before the WWII wasn’t voiced in the film.
The referendum was held on May 14, 1995. However, on May 16, before its results became operative, the Head of the Presidential Property Management Department Ivan Ciciankou demonstratively torn the National white-red-white flag and put a current red-green instead.
The fragment from the Juryj Khashchavacki's film “An Ordinary President” below shows Ivan Ciciankou signing the flag which then was torn and given away as “souvenirs.”
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