On February 1 in Vilnius, a provocative inscription in Belarusian reading “Vilnia is ours” was spotted on a building at 4 Bokšto Street.

This street hosts a Belarusian parish of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Therefore, the provocation may have been directed against Orthodox Belarusians currently living in Vilnius.

This was reported by the Telegram channel “Christian Vision”.

Such inscriptions have appeared before and appear to be intended to stir Belarusianophobia among Lithuanians.

The Lithuanian Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and its Belarusian parish responded to the incident. They believe the inscription was the work of provocateurs. “The location was not chosen by chance. It was done deliberately to create the impression that this is the position of the community itself, thereby inflaming tensions and discrediting it in the eyes of Lithuanian society. This inscription in no way reflects the views of our community,” they emphasized.

The Exarchate condemned this practice as one that fuels ethnic hostility and hatred.

The inscription has been reported to the police.