GLORY FOR VISKULY, OBLIVION FOR PUSHCHA…

Article by Valentina Kozlovich, Published in «Brestski Kuryer» (The Brest Courier) Newspaper, #48,
November 2001,

Film crews from Russian TV-channels attacked the National Park «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» during their last visits. They made films dedicated to the 10 year anniversary of the dismemberment of USSR. The famous governmental residence from Viskuly village is in the frame. But another tragedy is already taking place in the unique natural area which today is out of the frame.

Heorhi Kazulka, deputy director on science, was fired from the State National Park «Belovezhskaya Pushcha». He is a Philosophy Doctor in Biology and held this deputy post for the last three years. The scientific department and its international links became considerably stronger over this period. Nature conservation projects which benefited from foreign sources of financing have been developed. However, after the appointment of Nickolai Bambiza as the new director of the National park, everything turned upside down. Heorhi Kazulka did not agree with Mr. Bambiza's policy and wrote a request to receive transfer from the post of deputy director to another post of research worker in the scientific department. As a result, he was dismissed when the work contract ended. No other job was offered. to him. By the way, we have to say that Heorhi Kazulka is not the only the employee who left the National park against his own will. For the last half a year tens of experts have become unemployed!

In a previous article we wrote that after Mr. Bambiza was appointed director of the park, cuttings of the forest started in seven quarters, covering an area of 50 hectares. Cuttings were stopped after employees of the scientific department of the National Park «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» started to protest. We strongly believe that exactly the open opposition to the director's actions was the reason behind Mr. Kazulka's dismissal. Evgeny Smoktunovich, the general forestry manager also received two disciplinary penalties. He too has been openly against the cuttings because he considered them groundless. It is not impossible that he will be the next one dismissed.

According to our information, the financial situation of the National park is characterized by a crisis. People are expecting new dismissals and they are ready to raise actions of protest. But for now they are sending complaints to the higher authorities.