"It is a beautiful image, a hymn to freedom, an iconic shot that comes from Belarus, from Minsk. It portrays a giffoner, the 22-year-old Kiril who recently took to the streets  to peacefully protest against the Lukashenko regime, against the umpteenth investiture that took place last August through a disputed vote, on which hovers more than a suspicion of fraud and attracted the harsh reaction of the international community. Kiril perfectly embodies the spirit of our community. He is a defender of democracy, which is the landmark of our organization. He is a rebel, not because he opposes the rules but because he will not accept injustice and abuse. His proud gaze, his attitude devoid of arrogance, the courage of someone who is not afraid to fight for their ideas make him a model for the new generations". Claudio Gubitosi commented on the image that portrays young Kiril, a 22-year-old boy from Minsk, while demonstrating with a Giffoni t-shirt, relating to the 2016 edition, holding the national flag of Belarus in his hands.
Kiril was a juror in Giffoni for four times: in 2011, in 2014 and, again, in 2016 and 2017.
"The theme of the edition to which the t-shirt refers - explains Gubitosi - was Destination. And the destination of Kiril and of all young Belarusians today is freedom, the return to democracy, to the most important values of life and the possibility of self-realization, without constraints and fences, without regimes that trample on people's rights. It is a powerful image, that of the young man from Minsk, who describes Giffoni as an instrument capable of bringing together countries and cultures as a builder of bridges between peoples".