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"They had beaten me a bit, but I could see fear in their eyes"

Marked with a red mark hit especially hard

Maksim has been living in Minsk for 16 years, although he is a Russian national. Here he raises his 9 year old daughter and for her he takes part in all peaceful protests, so that the girl could have an opportunity to grow up and live in the new Belarus. The man was detained during the day, when he was walking alone on business. The man assumes that the enforcers weren’t happy about the white ribbon on his hand. In the end, he and the other 11 detained had been driven for 3 hours in a van and released in the outskirts near Uruchie district. Maksim’s knee hurts up until now, but it doesn’t prevent him from taking part in the protests.

Maxim Matyrko,owner of a furniture construction company
Age: 43 years old
City: Minsk
When: 13.08.2020

Was beaten in the prison van

Held in custody: For 3 hours he’d been driven in the prison van and released outside of the city
Medical diagnosis: Injured knee, bruises and scratches across the body
Aftermath: --

Author: Project team August2020

Photo: Project team August2020

– Nothing extraordinary happened to me. I was walking on business near the national library. I turned my head and saw a black van with tinted glass windows. I had a gut feeling about all this. I understood that that’s it, they’d be detaining me. And that’s exactly what happened.

Men wearing black masks ran out of the van, like criminals from the 90s, they ran towards me, caught me, a girl and a guy walking by, and put us altogether in the van. I didn’t resist them much. In total there were 12 of us in the van. Plus 6 "men in black" together with the driver. As I understood later we had been detained for the white–red–white symbolics. They tore my white ribbon off right away.

 
I wasn’t silent, I asked whether I had done anything wrong. At the beginning they even responded, said: "We have enough of you, we have enough of everything already". To which I reacted quickly and said "why don’t you go home to your wives and kids, but instead you’re riding here with me". After that I got the first kick in the knee.
 
And then I got carried away. I said everything I thought of them. That everything they did was illegal and that tribunal was waiting for them. And what do you think? They’d beaten me a bit for all of that, so that I would shut up, but I saw fear in their eyes. They were all scared. When beating, they looked at one another and understood that they wouldn’t be able to do it one on one.
 
Out of all 12 people I got the most from them, because I had been constantly speaking. The "men in black" asked me to stay silent, but I replied that I was bored and loved to talk. Please, don’t think I’m fearless. Many of my friends are still in hospitals after all that. I guess, it’s all because of my life experience that had hardened me.
 
As a kid I was left in the asylum by my mother. So I was raised in the street. Then I did my military service in Chechnia, was in the war in 1995, I know what death is. Only 2 out of 16 returned from a battle – me with wounds and one more person on a wheelchair. And I don’t want to have something similar now, in peaceful time. I am a military man, I know the psychology of these officers, they can neither frighten me nor break me down easily.
 
Out of the whole time we had been riding around the city, half an hour was spent on me. All my words were replied with fists. I could see that these people had been prepared, they hit right in the pain points – ribs, knees, arms, muscles. They didn’t touch my face, tried not to leave bruises. Twice they hit my knee so hard that up until now I cripple and do injections of painkillers.
 
When they took me, my first thought was that I’d never get back home. I was ready that we’d be taken to an unknown destination. And nobody would ever know what’s with me, and my body would be found in the woods by some mushroom picker. Also I was afraid that they would unlock my phone and I’d end up at Okrestina. Had fear for friends with whom I had messages and phone calls, that they’d also get arrested. But surprisingly nobody asked for the telephone.

 
I will not hide my position. Since August 9, I’ve been actively participating in all protest demonstrations and will continue to do so. Even though I’m a Russian citizen, since 2004 I’ve been living in Minsk. Yes, I was offered a Belarusian citizenship, but with these authorities in power I’m not interested. I have a daughter, she’s a Belarusian and she’s 9. All I do, I do for her, so that she could live in a peaceful and beautiful country.
 
Now I wake up every morning, I look in the mirror and say: "Who’s a good man? Maksim is a good man. Are we going to Okrestina today? No, we aren’t". But still I have a feeling that I will somehow be involved in these events. It’s impossible to participate in all of that and stay on the sidelines.
 
In the end, after a 3 hours ride in the car, we were released somewhere outside of the city, not far from Uruchie. As a goodbye they hit me in the back with a foot, I fell on my knees. I said goodbye with "Thank you, don’t forget about the boomerang law".
 
When the van drove away, some people who were with me began to criticize me: "why have you been talking all the time, say thank you that we have been released". I even felt offended a bit. We have the same ribbons, we stand for one idea, but when it comes down to action – everyone becomes silent. I have a different character.
 
I haven’t lodged a complaint with the police. Against who? "Men in black"? It’s ridiculous. I can go there, but never come back. I haven’t gone to the hospital either. I’m doing the knee injections myself. It is still hard as a stone. But this doesn’t stop me from going for the Sunday walks. Once I even spoke in the open microphone, I told what had happened to me and thanked Belarusians for being an awesome nation. The whole world is watching Belarusians now and is proud. And there’s no way back.
  
 
P.S. Has neither lodged  a complaint to the investigating committee nor to the police.

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

Maxim Matyrko,owner of a furniture construction company
Age: 43 years old
City: Minsk
When: 13.08.2020

Was beaten in the prison van

Held in custody: For 3 hours he’d been driven in the prison van and released outside of the city
Medical diagnosis: Injured knee, bruises and scratches across the body
Aftermath: --