Village burnt down after residents complained to Lukashenka

All of the village residents received flats and a compensation from the state 20 years ago, Victar Mikalaikin, the head of Vitsebsk City Executive Committee told the official press.

My family did get a flat, Paulavichy resident Alena Karavina told Euroradio. But only 5 or 6 inhabitants of the burnt village received a compensation.

“People received flats. But some people had very good houses and the flats could not compensate for them. Still, only 5 or 6 people received a compensation although there were 34 houses in the village."

Paulavichy was not totally destroyed in 1992. There was not enough money to build a thermal power-station. 10 houses were left and people... bought them out. But they did not manage to buy out the plots. Officials claimed that they had to give their flats back to the state if they wanted their plots back.

Paulavichy before the burning. There were 10 kempt houses in the village.

People had lived in the nonexistent village more or less peacefully for 20 years when they were informed that their village would be burnt down on December 1, 2012. They were given two days to leave. Alena Holubeva, another village inhabitant, says that they did not manage to save all their property.

“We took everything that we needed from the house. But we could not  dismantle the garages. We wanted to take the bricks with us, but they did not allow it."

Interestingly, it is not clear why Vitsebsk authorities have decided to do away with the village that had caused no problems for 20 years. According to the official version, a plant will be built there in spring. But there is a dairy factory and a meat-packing plant near the village. It is hard to believe that a dangerous chemical plant may be allowed there. Some inhabitants think that local or Russian businessmen were probably interested in the land.

The village during the local authorities' punitive raid.

However, people think that another version is even more likely. Alena Holubeva thinks that the fact that the inhabitants had complained to Lukashenka's Administration caused the destruction.

“It is difficult to judge now. But I think that it is connected with our letter sent to the President's Administration. We asked them to solve the problem. Nothing had been built there for 20 years and we asked to allow us to use the plots and make everything legal."

Maybe Vitsebsk City Executive Committee got to know about the letter and decided to eliminate Paulavichy. No village - no problem. Moreover, Lukashenka is going to visit Vitebsk soon. Suppose he asks about the village?