Search
Hot line

“I recovered consciousness and realized that the leg was not moving”

Marked with a red mark hit especially hard

In August at a solidarity action Ekaterina was hit hard by a man in civilian clothes. She dimly remembers his face. She says that she remembers the events of that day in fragments. There was a blow, then she fell down, felt nauseous and had a terrible headache. She was afraid to go to hospital and thought that she might be arrested right away. Yet, the following day she needed medical aid – the leg stopped moving. After 4 months of treatment and rehabilitation it is still not clear whether Ekaterina would be able to walk.

Ekaterina,unemployed after the injury
Age: 39 years old
City: Minsk
When: 28.08.2020

She was hit in the head by a man in civilian clothes and fell down awkwardly. The following day she couldn’t walk

Held in custody: She wasn’t detained
Medical diagnosis: Head and leg injuries, the final diagnosis is neuropathy (nerve dysfunction) of the left peroneal nerve and the tibial nerve
Aftermath: Long-term treatment, job loss, potential of being disabled

Author: Project team August2020

Illustrations: Project team August2020

On the 9th of August Ekaterina didn’t manage to get to the election because she finished work late. She decided to go to the polling station in order to find out the results at least. After an hour of waiting near a school riot police came instead of the election committee. 

“People started to run away at once, even though there were women with dogs, mothers with children, grannies. All of them didn’t resemble criminals. They simply wanted to know what would happen next. I didn’t want to run away. I was grabbed hard by the arm and was asked to go away. There were bruises left on my shoulder.”

Ekaterina was very indignant with that situation and the election results.

“I knew for sure that there was something wrong. I had sent my daughter to Poland for studies because I realized that there was no future for her here. Daughter agreed with me, while my son doesn’t want to leave. Despite of the age (he is 12 years old) he is very streamlined. He says, “Mum, my home is here, why should I leave?”
 

There was a feeling of victory and unity. Until now I won’t trade it for anything

Ekaterina expressed her protest in August by standing in solidarity chains holding flowers. She was lucky during the whole month and managed to leave before the riot police came. The fortune turned away on the 28th of August. 


“At first everything went peaceful as in previous days. There were girls, roses and vibe. There was always a feeling of victory and unity. Until now I won’t trade it for anything. It seemed to me that it was impossible in our country. Here you go with a camera along the line of girls and tell them simple things such as “Long live Belarus!” And each of them smiles and responds, and it’s a song.” 
 

At some point buses with riot police came. Ekaterina and her friends decided to leave. 

“We were leaving through the yards. Somebody shouted, “Stop!” I stopped and noticed a guy with a familiar face. It seemed to me that I saw him recently near the solidarity action. I smiled and thought that there was no danger. I shouted, “Long live Belarus!”, turned away and got hit in the head. It was unexpected. Then one more person came and together they tried to drag me somewhere, but it was of no success – I fell down and hit my head again. The crowd came up running and pulled me out of there somehow. Then I saw flashes and yards. I vomited. I had a terrible headache. My eyes were watering – they had probably used pepper gas spray.”

Ekaterina says that this is all she has been able to recollect. She doesn’t remember anything else.
 

“My friends talked me out of calling the ambulance. They are medics. One of them is an X-ray worker, the other one works at the MRI machine. They said that doctors would have to call the police if I went for a visit. I got scared. My friends examined me and took me home. It was clear that I had a head injury.  Otherwise, everything seemed normal.”
 

The friends left and Ekaterina stayed alone at home. Her ex-husband was on a business trip and children were at their granny’s place. The woman went to bed, but woke up on the floor – her ex-husband just came home and tried to revive her. It turned out that Ekaterina got up at night in order to go to the toilet, lost consciousness and lay on the floor until morning.

“My husband wanted to call the ambulance. I asked him not to do that because I was scared by the stories about the police. I simply went to bed again. When I began to regain consciousness, I saw that the leg was very swollen. I couldn’t move it. Then my daughter came and said that she would call the ambulance nonetheless. Sometimes it seems to me that my daughter is smarter than me,” Ekaterina smiles.

The ambulance was called after all. Still, Ekaterina didn’t tell them how she had got injured. She said that she had fallen down awkwardly and that was it.
 

“I was taken to hospital. At first doctors said that I had a blood clot, and then they suggested that it was a fracture. I was transferred to the emergency care hospital. There a concilium of doctors took place. Different doctors came. In the end they found out that my leg problems were caused by neuralgia. Yet, nobody told me clearly what my prospects were and whether I would be able to walk again.”

Ekaterina started to move around in a wheelchair, then she used crutches. After the IMENA center of medical help started to support her, Ekaterina began to walk with an orthosis. 

 I am 39 years old and during my whole life I have never seen so much kindness, empathy and sincere involvement with my life

“Now I am on a rehabilitation course in the sports and rehabilitation center. I met an incredible person there, he is also under wardship of the IMENA center of medical help. A part of his skull was blown away by a grenade. We met each other during the therapy, and now we keep in touch and support each other.”

After several months of rehabilitation Ekaterina’s leg started to move a bit. There is a hope for recovery.

“The most important thing now is to keep the muscles together. Even if the nerves recover during a year, I may remain lame and have an ugly leg. Still, the IMENA center of medical help does everything so that I have a hope for a full value future life. I want to state that I would not change anything that happened. I am 39 years old and during my whole life I have never seen so much kindness, empathy and sincere involvement with my life. My children cried when people were bringing food at the door. They were simply bringing food and didn’t wait for anything in return. When Tatyana, the volunteer, takes me to doctors, people constantly ask her, “Are you a mother?” At some point she began to have a complex about it, “Am I really so old and fat that they call me so?” I told her, “Tatyana, the point is that only a mother can take somebody to doctors that way and hold by the hand!”

P.S. Ekaterina didn’t send an application to the Investigating Committee.

If you have suffered during peaceful demonstrations and are ready to tell your story, write to us at avgust2020belarus@gmail.com with the note “History”. We will contact you. thanks

Ekaterina,unemployed after the injury
Age: 39 years old
City: Minsk
When: 28.08.2020

She was hit in the head by a man in civilian clothes and fell down awkwardly. The following day she couldn’t walk

Held in custody: She wasn’t detained
Medical diagnosis: Head and leg injuries, the final diagnosis is neuropathy (nerve dysfunction) of the left peroneal nerve and the tibial nerve
Aftermath: Long-term treatment, job loss, potential of being disabled