Search
Hot line

"Everything will be fine, victory will be ours!"

Marked with a red mark hit especially hard

Anatoly Kudlasevich is a true son of the Belarusian land, a man who knows and respects the history and traditions of Belarus. He took part in pre-election pickets to collect voters’ signatures for Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Anatoly personally witnessed the provocation against and detention of Sergei Tikhanovsky and his associates. On the morning of August 2, 2020, Anatoly was detained while walking his dog.

Anatoly Kudlasevich,poet, novelist, song writer and performer
Age: 59 years old
City: Minsk
When: 02.08.2020

Detained on the eve of the election while walking his dog and unlawfully sentenced to 10 days of arrest

Held in custody: One day at the temporary detention center at Okrestina Street, 10 days at Prison No. 1 in Zhodino
Medical diagnosis: Anatoly has a disability (2nd group). He suffers from chronic hypertension, but he did not have access to his medication during his arrest. He did not get any medical assistance for 10 days
Aftermath: After 10 days of arrest, he was fined for allegedly participating in a rally for presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya

Author: Project team August2020

Photo and video: Project team August2020

“I became acquainted with Sergei Tikhanovsky not by chance. I watched his YouTube channel “Country for Life” for a year. I used to work in television and radio; I’m not an outsider, so I have some understanding of how it works. So, I watched his streams and noticed how tactful he was in front of the camera. He did not stick his neck out, but he gave people a chance to express themselves. For three months, I tried to contact him. I felt that the format of his meetings with his supporters needed to be changed. When he arrived in town, people would come to him and simply speak out. But it was better to organize events with poetry readings, songs and exhibitions, so that all these events would have more cultural and national elements in them. And then one morning — boom! I received an answer: “We can pick you up.” 

"And I joined them on their trip. We visited Mogilev, Gomel and Grodno. It was in Grodno that a staged provocation happened right in front of me. It was not the first time that these two particular women had been picking on Sergei. I saw two policemen run up. Apparently, there was a false call from those two scumbags (I can’t describe them any other way). There is a video recording that shows how the policemen went straight over to one of those women. And she pointed her finger at Tikhanovsky. “He didn’t answer my questions,” she said.
  
People surrounded Tikhanovsky and managed to shield him a little bit from the policemen. At that time I was standing nearby with my guitar, and I saw a policeman falling down to the ground. And his chevron was torn off. A man who was also standing nearby said, “I saw how the policeman fell and ripped his chevron off himself.” It was all pre-planned. It was such a shameful and disgraceful provocation.” 

Anatoly returned to Minsk, calmed down after the events in Grodno and continued to participate in pre-election activities collecting signatures for Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. One day he received a call from the police and was told that a protocol had been filed against him for his participation in an unsanctioned rally in Minsk. He managed to appeal that report, and the Frunzensky district court sent his case back for review. 

If everything had stopped for three or four days and no one had gone to work, then this regime would no longer exist

“I assumed that they might be watching me, but I’m of such an age when all I’m afraid of is God and my wife (laughs). I was detained on August 2. At 9 a.m. I went out for a walk with my dog, and they grabbed me right in the street. I had no phone with me. Of course, it is possible to locate somebody by their phone, but I had no phone, no documents with me. They knew where they were going and who they were after. I think it was prepared in advance, a week before the main voting day." 

“I spent about 36 hours at Okrestina. I was the only ‘political prisoner’ in a cell of six inmates. When they throw a political detainee in a cell, they immediately take away all the mattresses. That is a form of pressure. On Monday, August 3, I was transferred to Prison No. 1 in Zhodino. Cell No. 10. The cell was for six inmates. But everything changed after the elections on August 9... First, they threw in the guys from Borisov. There were about 10 of them. Then they brought in people from Minsk. There were some very badly beaten guys. One had a concussion, his head hurt all the time. Bruises, scratches, etc. There were 24-25 of us in a six-bed cell. The prison guards got tougher. We knew that the elections had taken place, and that people took to the streets to protest. Shots were fired. We knew that some factories were on strike. We really hoped that the factories would close. If everything stopped for three or four days and no one went to work, then this regime would no longer exist. I don’t know if that would be good or bad. I guess it would have been too easy for us to achieve victory that way.    

We have been resisting for over six months now. Belarusians are uniting and thereby gaining inner strength. The situation can be compared to a fire on a turf moor. I did not make up this comparison. I myself come from Polesia, from near Turov. Over there, the turf moors slowly smolder, smolder and smoke. And then a whole village can sink underground. It’s the same thing here. Of course, winter is winter, it’s depressing.... I socialize with friends and meet dog owners in the street.  

- That’s it, they will eventually put everybody under their thumb! Everybody is frightened. 
- But why should you be frightened? Did you kill? Did you bully anybody? Did you steal? Did you cheat? Why should I be afraid?! Let them be afraid! Those who break the laws, who beat people up, who kill and steal… Let those who build incredible palaces for themselves be afraid. What should I be afraid of?! I walk with God. And in the sight of God! "

On my way here for the interview, I reflected on the current situation. We ourselves have allowed him to sit on our necks, haven’t we? 

“I stay in touch with Nikolai Statkevich, Pavel Severinets and Sergei Tikhanovsky. I remember, Sergei wrote that after his arrest, not even once did he get enough sleep. I kept urging Sergei to write down his experiences and feelings in prison. Sergei responded, ‘Oh, leave writing to Pavel Severinets. I’d rather tell everything on camera.’ I’m trying to encourage him to do this. Because nothing will be resolved in Belarus until he sorts himself out. Let him understand why everything happened that way. First, if he starts putting his thoughts on paper, time will pass by faster. Second, he will be able to understand himself, and then God will help. Sergei analyzes and reflects on the situation in the country in his letters. He always ends them with the words ‘We believe. We can. We shall win!’ He also writes that Belarusians have not yet matured. And Pavel Severinets writes the same thing. Maybe, in some way, we are not mature enough. There is a saying: ‘The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord.’ And God protects him. I mean, He protects the one who is in charge. But if God is protecting him, it means we are doing something wrong. On my way here for the interview, I reflected on the current situation. We ourselves have allowed him to sit on our necks, haven’t we?"

“In any case, I want to believe that the number of good people is greater. And the main thing is that during this period of time people have learned to unite. It is much easier for ‘bad’ people to carry out their villainy, because they do this at night and because they are deluded. But a decent person has to step over himself every time in order to respond with a mean act, even though it may look fair. They act like this, but I do not want to stoop to that level. I think that the Belarusians will achieve their goal, sooner or later. And if they don't, then... No! This cannot be. Everything will be fine, victory will be ours!" 

P.S. Anatoly filed a complaint to the Frunzensky district police department of Minsk. The prosecutor’s office conducted a two-month probe which confirmed the legal violations against Mr. Anatoly Kudlasevich. None of the offenders were punished. 

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

Anatoly Kudlasevich,poet, novelist, song writer and performer
Age: 59 years old
City: Minsk
When: 02.08.2020

Detained on the eve of the election while walking his dog and unlawfully sentenced to 10 days of arrest

Held in custody: One day at the temporary detention center at Okrestina Street, 10 days at Prison No. 1 in Zhodino
Medical diagnosis: Anatoly has a disability (2nd group). He suffers from chronic hypertension, but he did not have access to his medication during his arrest. He did not get any medical assistance for 10 days
Aftermath: After 10 days of arrest, he was fined for allegedly participating in a rally for presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya