Sinai plane crash tragedy painful not only to Russia

Expressing our grief

Sinai plane crash tragedy painful not only to Russia


Belarusians have laid wreaths of flowers in honour of those who died recently, as a result of the plane crash in Egypt.


Many came to express their sympathy and sorrow, near the Russian Embassy to Minsk. Speaking for himself and for the Belarusian nation, President Alexander Lukashenko has given his condolences to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to the relatives of the passengers, and to the Russian nation. Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov has also written words of sympathy in the Condolence Book.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Belarus, Alexander Surikov, has been moved by our sympathy, saying, “Since receiving the first news of the terrible tragedy in the sky over Egypt, we’ve seen many flowers brought by ordinary people and by representatives of organisations. In this terrible situation, the Belarusian nation is suffering alongside us.”

First flight becomes last

Among those on board the plane was Roman Seredinsky, 28, who was born in Klichev, in Belarus’ Mogilev Region.

He graduated from a local school and his mother, and older sister and brother still live in Klichev. Ten years ago, he went to Russia for employment but moved to St. Petersburg two years ago, to work for Alians, in its warehouses. He leaves behind his wife, Marina, and his small son. They had, as we all do, made plans for the future, hoping that their happy life would last forever.

Marina informed Roman’s Belarusian relatives of the tragedy, calling his brother’s wife, Yulia. “A plane crashed in Egypt. Roman and his friend are thought to have been on board,” she said. The pair had been given holiday tickets by their company. Although Roman would have liked to have taken his whole family, he was obliged to take the opportunity alone. Yulia tells us that it was Roman’s first such plane trip, and that he had always wanted to take a seaside holiday.

Storks in the air

Another two Belarusians are also being mourned: Alexander Radlevich, and his wife Alla, who were living in St. Petersburg.

They were registered on the plane as Russian citizens but Alexander was born in the Belarusian village of Gulevichi (Kalinkovichi District) and Alla was also born in Belarus, under the maiden name Lazareva.

Aged 59 and 56, they had been to Egypt on holiday. Alla had visited her odnoklassniki.ru social network page the day before their flight home, writing, ‘My dreams are coming true! My wishes are realised! All goals are achieved! Life around me is wonderful!’ Her photos are now accompanied by sad commentary: ‘there are no words….tears are overwhelming’.

Alla’s friends and relatives wish to remain strong. One of Alla’s photos features her granddaughter Ksenia, whom Alla called her ‘reason for living’. Her page also contains many photos of Belarus’ beautiful landscapes: forests and fields at sunset and storks flying high in the sky. Evidently, she never forgot her homeland…
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