Thank you, Daria, for your moving letter. Years ago our family hosted Belarusian children (following the Chornobyl disaster). I have often wondered what became of them, and again so, reading about the 2020 uprising and Lukashenko's actions before and since.
Like I do for Ukrainians, I hope the people of Belarus will some day truly be free from Russian oppression and interference, enjoy full freedoms, and have their democratically elected leader by their side.
Thank you for also kindly translating and sharing Vadanosava's poem with us.
Thank you, Veronique, for your support and for helping Belarusian children! The Chernobyl disaster was horrific, and my family and I still suffer from its effects on our health decades later.
Good news indeed. Very interesting to learn about Belarusian identity and the national awakening of 2020. I can’t wait to see Belarus and all the other people living under Russian oppression finally liberated and free.
Thank you, Caroline! I cried, too ❤️🩹 I’m so happy Siarhei Tsikhanouski is free. He paid an enormous price for giving Belarusians a chance to break the dictatorship. I hope his health will get better. It’s painful to see what they did to him in prison.
Your post, the poem, and the video gave me chills. The will to fight is so strong in all of three them, as it is in more and more people. Freedom is, indeed, everything.
I hope there will be many more days where hope is given to ordinary people in Belarus whose simply want to live their lives in peace and that one day you will be able to go to your home country and enjoy it once more.
Congratulations to you and Belarus on this development. But... why did it happen? Lukashenko suddenly decided to be nice??? Any good news feels hard to believe these days.
Thank you, Anna! I think Lukashenko did it to get a chance to meet with the Americans, which boosted his ego and political position. No matter the reasons, I’m so glad that Siarhei Tsikhanouski is free.
Thank you for showing this good news and Vadanosava’s powerful poem! It is a happy day indeed for all freedom loving Belarusians!
Perhaps I’ve grown too cynical, but I wonder, if it is true that the release was brokered by the US, what was Lukashenko promised in exchange for freeing the prisoners? How stronger has his grip on power grown?
Thank you, Theodora! I share your concerns. I don't think that anyone knows what they discussed behind closed doors. Probably, the release of Tsikhanouski was one of the conditions for Lukashenko to meet with the Americans in the first place. I hope it doesn't mean that he got more political power, but if he did, we will find out about it soon.
In these most depressing of times, thank you Darya for sharing this truly uplifting news of Siarhei Tsikhanouski's release from his brutal captivity and for the beautiful poem of defiance and resolve reminding all of us what courage truly demands. While governments and the media look away, it is up to all of us to press forward Belarus's fight for freedom and dignity. People, never forget that this fight is our fight--we must join it every way we can.
Thank you, Mark! I love this poem. I tried to find more info about this writer but couldn't. Could you share their website/social media page? Thank you!
Maybe there is something in Lukashenko's heart that doesn't really want Belarus to be absorbed by Russia. I remember he was once quoted as saying that Belarus will always be independant.
Armenia is graduallly freeing itself from Russian dominiation; maybe Belarus with follow.
I don’t think it was the reason why Siarhei Tsikhanouski was released. There is nothing in Luskashenko's heart that can care about anyone or anything except himself and his interests.
Thank you, Daria, for your moving letter. Years ago our family hosted Belarusian children (following the Chornobyl disaster). I have often wondered what became of them, and again so, reading about the 2020 uprising and Lukashenko's actions before and since.
Like I do for Ukrainians, I hope the people of Belarus will some day truly be free from Russian oppression and interference, enjoy full freedoms, and have their democratically elected leader by their side.
Thank you for also kindly translating and sharing Vadanosava's poem with us.
Thank you, Veronique, for your support and for helping Belarusian children! The Chernobyl disaster was horrific, and my family and I still suffer from its effects on our health decades later.
Good news indeed. Very interesting to learn about Belarusian identity and the national awakening of 2020. I can’t wait to see Belarus and all the other people living under Russian oppression finally liberated and free.
Thank you, Paul!
Thank you for the video of the poem in Belarusian: beautiful and powerful.
When I heard Siarhei was released, I was not sure if I could believe it. Then I saw the video of Siarhei and Svetlana embracing and I cried.
Thank you, Caroline! I cried, too ❤️🩹 I’m so happy Siarhei Tsikhanouski is free. He paid an enormous price for giving Belarusians a chance to break the dictatorship. I hope his health will get better. It’s painful to see what they did to him in prison.
Your post, the poem, and the video gave me chills. The will to fight is so strong in all of three them, as it is in more and more people. Freedom is, indeed, everything.
Thank you, Sky! ❤️🩹
I hope there will be many more days where hope is given to ordinary people in Belarus whose simply want to live their lives in peace and that one day you will be able to go to your home country and enjoy it once more.
Thank you, Brian!
Congratulations to you and Belarus on this development. But... why did it happen? Lukashenko suddenly decided to be nice??? Any good news feels hard to believe these days.
Thank you, Anna! I think Lukashenko did it to get a chance to meet with the Americans, which boosted his ego and political position. No matter the reasons, I’m so glad that Siarhei Tsikhanouski is free.
Thank you for showing this good news and Vadanosava’s powerful poem! It is a happy day indeed for all freedom loving Belarusians!
Perhaps I’ve grown too cynical, but I wonder, if it is true that the release was brokered by the US, what was Lukashenko promised in exchange for freeing the prisoners? How stronger has his grip on power grown?
Thank you, Theodora! I share your concerns. I don't think that anyone knows what they discussed behind closed doors. Probably, the release of Tsikhanouski was one of the conditions for Lukashenko to meet with the Americans in the first place. I hope it doesn't mean that he got more political power, but if he did, we will find out about it soon.
In these most depressing of times, thank you Darya for sharing this truly uplifting news of Siarhei Tsikhanouski's release from his brutal captivity and for the beautiful poem of defiance and resolve reminding all of us what courage truly demands. While governments and the media look away, it is up to all of us to press forward Belarus's fight for freedom and dignity. People, never forget that this fight is our fight--we must join it every way we can.
Along the lines of the above, I will share a poem: https://poetryforthismoment.tiiny.site/The-Courage-We-Once-Had-E-Aunapuu.png
‘We will fight with sticks and stones
when that’s all we have left’
says the soldier far from home
and far from the Orikhiv field
where his leg and he parted
far from that fight for a future
that has been our past
which we are presently
pissing away.
What are we thinking?
As they give all
To get what we have
You’d think we’d remember
Who we once were
The courage we once had.
–E. Aunapuu
Thank you, Mark! I love this poem. I tried to find more info about this writer but couldn't. Could you share their website/social media page? Thank you!
Hi Darya,
Good to hear! Can't say much but I'm happy to share the link I saw on Bluesky for a collection of poems: https://poetryforthismoment.tiiny.site
Thank you!
This shows that there is always hope.
Maybe there is something in Lukashenko's heart that doesn't really want Belarus to be absorbed by Russia. I remember he was once quoted as saying that Belarus will always be independant.
Armenia is graduallly freeing itself from Russian dominiation; maybe Belarus with follow.
I agree, there is always hope.
I don’t think it was the reason why Siarhei Tsikhanouski was released. There is nothing in Luskashenko's heart that can care about anyone or anything except himself and his interests.
thank you for sharing this. it’s a mirror to what’s happening in the u.s. and even australia and new zealand. ❤️🩹🤍❤️
❤️🩹