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Hello, Mum. Hi.

-Hi, sweetie. -Can you talk?

Yes, I can.

How are you?

Not too bad. Same as usual. Nothing special.

-How are things with you? -How are you? How's the little one?

We are good.

We had an ultrasound last week. Another one.

Yes.

He is going to be a big boy. He is already 1.9 kg.

But of course, I don't know...

It's a difficult situation,

not being able to see each other, so many obstacles for that.

I don't know.

Of course I want to see you... And everything else... But what can we do?

I have accepted it, so to say.

-Yeah. -What can we do?

At least we can talk on the phone and video chat.

Yes.

But you do understand, if anything happens, I won't be able to come.

Olya, don't even...

Your job is to make sure everything is okay with the baby.

And with you.

Olechka, please don't cry.

I so much want to see you both. I want to see the little one. So much.

Mum, do you think anything is likely to change any time soon?

I don't know, sweetie. Don't say anything, don't ask anything.

Just don't.

I always think about you and wish you only the best.

I pray for you.

Don't worry.

Thank you, Mum.

-That's it. Good luck now. -Big hug. I love you.

-Bye. I love you too. -Okay, bye.

When I was a child, my mother taught me not to say too much,

to be obedient and not to stand out.

She taught me how to survive in a way that was well known to her:

to be afraid.

But inside me there was a growing desire to be different.

My mum was worried about me.

She often said that no one would marry me with my character.

She was telling me to be more feminine, more obedient.

And that politics is not for girls.

The struggle of Lukashenko's opponents during 2020 pre-election period

was filled with ups and downs.

Even watching everything from a distance, I felt a strong sense of hope for change.

Guys, hello.

I'm at the university. I have just finished...

No, still working on the sound for my graduation film

with my sound designer.

But I'm watching what is happening in Minsk.

I love you! I'm with you!

I'm with you!

And we're going to win.

At the very beginning of the election race

Lukashenko imprisoned his main male opponents.

Just like he did in the past.

But in response, something incredible happened.

This pushed the women to unite.

I'm Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya, and it so happened that I am...

a candidate for President of the Republic of Belarus.

Since in our family it has always been one for all and all for one,

I decided to step into my husband's place and...

continue the work which was so important to him.

The authorities got rid of strong competitors.

But they forgot one thing.

Behind every strong man stands a strong woman.

Sveta!

Well done!

No one will vote for a wife in Belarus.

Our Constitution is not made for women.

Our society is not ready yet to vote for a woman.

Because according to our constitution, the president has strong power.

I feel angry listening to this even today.

His arrogance and confidence have only increased over time.

This is how dictatorship goes hand in hand with patriarchy.

In Tallinn I joined the activities of the Belarusian diaspora.

The excitement of fighting together for freedom from dictatorship

helped us overcome the fear of being under constant surveillance.

Release them!

Release them!

I still continue to believe in the best.

And, of course, on August 9...

I urge everyone to go to the polls and vote.

I actually feel an awesome thrill from the fact that...

I am going to vote for the one...

that I actually choose.

And this is an awesome feeling of your own independence,

that you make your own decisions.

And I want the state to accept these decisions too.

There you are.

Tallinn!

In order to prevent voter fraud

we organized a group of independent observers

and Exit Poll at the Belarusian Embassy.

Long live!

On the evening of August 9, 2020

the democratic forces announced that according to all independent counts

Svetlana won with an overwhelming number of votes.

The Central Election Committee announced their own official results,

in which Lukashenko had won with more than 80%.

Get out of here!

Help me!

He says we voted 80%, and he's fucking beating us up.

How is this possible?

How long can we tolerate this?

He says 80% of us voted for him, and he is killing us.

How can we put up with this? Look what they are doing.

They are shooting and throwing grenades at us.

I swear to you, there was no fraud in this election.

You can't rig election results with 80% of the vote.

We held elections according to the Constitution and the laws of our country.

We don't need any additional acceptance.

We've had the elections, and they are legal.

The violence I saw happening made me choke with fear.

It crushes the strongest... as happened with Svetlana,

when she was kidnapped and forced to record a penitential video.

Belarusians, I urge you

to be prudent and respect the law.

I don't want blood and violence.

I ask you not to confront the police,

not to go out into the squares in order not to put your lives in danger.

Take care of yourselves and your loved ones.

A part of me still feels guilty.

I wish I could have been on those streets,

alongside my fellow Belarusian women.

Even though I know today how the protests ended.

Lukashenko into a prison van!

In three decades of Lukashenko's oppression

I have never seen such massive protests,

such unity.

It was truly the birth of a nation.

It felt as if the fear had been conquered and there was hope for change.

Svetlana found refuge in Lithuania,

and when she announced her first press conference,

I grabbed my camera and went there.

Finally I was able to join the fight in real life.

Good afternoon.

Thank you all

for being here today.

This means you are interested in the situation in Belarus.

In Belarus today people are thrown behind bars

just because they participate in peaceful protests.

In Belarus today my husband is in prison

just because he dared to dream of a country to live in.

Being an opposition leader in Belarus in large parts of this region

is a very dangerous occupation.

Are you afraid, though, for your wellbeing?

I think that every person in our country

feels fear and is scared right now,

but it's our mission to step over all our fears and move further.

These words instantly resonated with me.

If Svetlana was able to overcome her fears, then I could try too.

How can I find you?

-How can I find you? -Via the press centre.

-Can I film you? -Yes.

See you soon. Thank you.

I returned to Tallinn after this meeting and for some reason felt even more acutely

how long it has been since I visited Belarus,

my home, my parents.

Even before the revolution dictatorship separated me from my homeland,

from my mum and dad, both physically and politically.

The hardest thing about exile is the distance,

the growing gap between those who left and those who stayed.

Masha Rukis, activist and wife of political prisoner Levon Rukis,

remained in Belarus out of principle to publicly defend her husband.

Her fearlessness shocked me greatly,

so I asked her to record video diaries for my film.

But even today, five years later,

I still cannot show her face and reveal her real name.

He feels terrible in prison.

He is in a terrible mood.

Mostly negative emotions.

I can see it clearly in his letters to me.

It is impossible to read those letters sometimes.

It's really hard.

His letters are... They are very discouraging.

He openly says: "That's it, nothing will work.

I'll stay in prison for many, many years.

I won't see my daughter go to school,

I won't see anything, I'll miss everything.

I can't live without you."

Hell, I can't live without him either, and it is very hard.

For some reason right now I'm really feeling his absence.

Yes... I don't know.

I need to find someone to take me into their arms, I urgently need it.

Yes.

You know, we've had a chat, I told you some things.

If you want, send more questions, I will give you my answers.

Miss you. Love and big hug. You are a sweetie. Bye-bye.

Dear citizens! You are violating current legislation.

Kindly leave now.

In case of non-compliance with lawful requirements...

Despite the cold, fatigue and danger

people continued to take to the streets.

For the first time in my life I saw how people my parents' age

so massively joined the protest in support of the democratic leader.

Reason was telling me that we wouldn't succeed this time either.

Yet I had goosebumps because of the hope.

What if...

-Armoured vehicles in Minsk? -Yes.

Get ready. Five, four, three, two, one.

And studio.

His demands are simple and unchangeable.

We want to stop the violence,

release political prisoners and hold new elections.

We all understand that this is impossible without a change of power.

You must know that I am with you.

I follow your will and your peaceful protest.

Today, tomorrow and until our victory.

You talk and listen to everyone.

How do you... Have you learnt to protect yourself,

so that it doesn't affect you too much?

Or does it still bother you every time, all this injustice and pain?

I haven't mastered it yet.

And that is why when you are a politician...

I think when you are feeling all this as a human, you can't be a politician.

Being a politician is a job.

While you are living with this...

It's your pain, you can't distance yourself from it,

can't look at it from the outside. You just live in it.

So no, I haven't mastered it yet. I...

I'm on the brink of a nervous breakdown.

I think in our situation it's terrifying to be a politician.

To make political decisions... Yes, we make some decisions right now.

But I make them not as a politician, but as a human being, as a Belarusian.

So far no one has given me a clear definition

of what a politician is and what their duties are.

So maybe I don't fully understand what it means.

Maybe I'm already in politics, who knows?

-Yes. Thank you very much. -Talk later.

-Good luck. All the best. -Yes.

-Thank you. -Thank you very much.

I met Nadia in Tallinn. She recently escaped there from Minsk.

Her husband Sasha was arrested for political reasons.

Nadia is a well-known and important figure in the cultural life of Belarus.

Independent, bold and public.

She's also a mother.

My name is Nadia Zelenkova.

I'm here today to tell the stories of my friends in Belarus.

My best and my closest friend,

my husband Sasha Vasilevich has been in prison

for over five months on criminal charges.

His seven-year old daughter,

his eldest daughter, and I haven't seen him since August.

I came to Tallinn three months ago and gave birth to our second child here.

Sasha saw this child only in photographs.

We all know that Belarusians are incredible.

Every day journalists, bankers, students and medics

continue to express their right.

The right to be free, the right to choose,

the right to say that white is white and red is red.

Together we will win.

Long live Belarus!

-Long live Belarus! -Long live Belarus!

What is the difference between these three hammers?

They are playing...

Neither Sasha nor I have been able to smell anything for five days.

Our tests are positive.

The cell is in quarantine. The illness isn't too bad.

It's just sore throat and a bit of a cough,

but we do not know how it's going to affect us.

We sleep and take hot drinks. In short, everything is fine.

Great.

Well, they'll get ill in prison.

They'll do lots of things in prison.

When Svetlana came to visit us on her first visit

I felt something special.

As if receiving the president herself in Tallinn,

where I found my safe haven, brought us closer to each other.

As you know, we have Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya here today.

She is our leader, elected by our people.

Thank you so much for inviting me.

For me in every country I visit...

One of the most important... how do I put it...

One of the most important parts of the program is meeting diaspora.

We are always very happy to see fellow Belarusians.

It is most important to maintain unity.

When we all came together in the summer,

it led to a revolution of consciousness - together we have the power.

I don't want to praise myself.

But as they say, my job to bring us together...

I'm joking now... Like a mother hen. Bringing the chicks together.

I'm trying to bring everyone together.

So far I am succeeding.

-Svetlana, hello! -Hello.

I'm Artemy Troitsky. This is my wife.

I am from Minsk originally.

But I left 27 years ago.

The main thing is you are here and you support us.

Thank you.

Good luck.

I have no doubt that the victory will be yours.

Indeed.

Not sure about us, but you will have your victory.

-Thank you. -I feel the same.

-And soon. -We have the same feeling.

-It won't take a year. -Thank you.

I won't talk about the timeframe, but it will be fine.

-Thank you very much. -Good luck.

You have a baby, you shouldn't have been waiting.

-So sute! -Please meet Urshulya.

Urshulya!

When a little happiness like this is born

it somehow distracts you and gives you support.

-Can I take a picture of you? -Yes, okay.

You'll have a moment for a chat later.

-Thank you. -Thank you.

-I'll see you again tomorrow. -With Nadia, yes.

-Thank you. -Good luck.

Hello.

Today, as part of the "Leaves of Freedom" project

I will read a letter which he wrote for his daughter Adel Vasilevich.

"Daddy and a Penguin or How to Stay in a Good Mood in Prison."

Daddy was sitting in his cell drinking coffee with chocolate cake.

The cake came from his friends, and it was very tasty.

And coffee was Daddy's favourite.

The door opened

and a Penguin walked in with a mattress in one hand and a bag in the other.

The door shut with a bang.

The Penguin looked dishevelled and tired.

"Hello."

"Hello," replied Daddy and showed the Penguin

where to put his mattress and bag.

Having drunk his tea the Penguin sat on his bed and looked at Daddy.

"Why are you so calm and not sad at all?

After all, you and I are very unlucky.

Things were so good for us, and now they are so bad."

Daddy smiled at the Penguin.

"I'm here, in prison, and I can't change that or influence it in any way.

But I can choose to be sad or happy.

It's one thing I can choose.

What would you choose? To be sad or happy?"

The Penguin replied quickly: "Of course, I'd choose to be happy.

Or at least calm. But how?"

"You used to be happy, you joked and played,

read books and chatted with friends."

"Yes," said the Penguin.

"Then stay happy, don't let anything change you.

Be the person you like."

"But I'm in prison now."

"So what? We are having a nice conversation now, aren't we?"

"Maybe so, but what about later?"

"There is no later. Only now."

The End.

How is Sergei?

I suppose he is okay.

He gets a visitor three times a week. Just for a chat,

because he has been in solitary confinement for about four months now.

Out of eight.

In some way he is calmer,

but he really misses human company, so they visit him.

He tries to give me instructions and advice.

That's his style. I try to listen, but...

He said to someone: "I can wait here for ten years for you all to get ready."

Eight months of emptiness.

Tsikhanousky is not here, he is there, and I understand that...

During my first months I had a feeling

that they were about to come out. Any time now. Very soon.

People around me were very active, they kept saying,

oh, it's his first term, he'll do a month and they'll let him out.

Then another month, and another, but we still thought he'd be out soon.

Now I know it's not going to happen.

Yes.

Do you think people will go out?

I don't know.

They should, but I don't know.

We are women. What else can we do?

We have to fight.

I realise that my personal chances aren't great either.

People are only interested in me because I have a small child.

While I was pregnant, people showed an interest.

Now the child is two months old, it is no longer big news.

People lose interest.

While you can run the headline

"Father has not seen his child but you have"

it's going to work.

I am being cynical and...

But it's true. As long as there are headlines and images,

and media content, people have interest.

That's why we have to generate news, even artificially,

and grab any opportunity to shout about our situation, talk about it.

Because people forget. And we need to keep that in mind.

-You are a young mother... -A young mother who needs a young dad.

And preferably sooner.

Can I give you a hug?

See you in Minsk.

Hello, beautiful!

I'm sending you my impressions of today.

Actually, I am shocked. Have a look.

So, flowers number one.

More flowers, so many of them.

And this one as well, with a balloon.

I'm properly shocked.

I didn't expect so many flowers.

I've still got adrenaline running through me I think,

because this is insanely sweet.

When he does things like this... it's probably giving me strength

and making me realise even more

that I'll burn everything to the ground to get him out of there.

Love you, hug you, my beautiful. Sending you a little video on Telegram.

Talking to you is like talking to a therapist.

Yes. Bye for now. Kisses and hugs.

Love you to the moon and back. Bye.

What do you miss the most?

I miss him as a person and everything to do with him.

Home... I don't give a damn about home.

Your friends, your apartment,

social connections... All this can be started afresh...

And the rest as well...

But the person you lived with and want to be with is missing.

You don't know how long it will last. You know he's not on a business trip,

he's not just taking a year off to have a vacation.

You don't know when this "year" will end.

Will it be five years or six, seven, eight?

No one knows.

It's like you are missing your life.

At least.

A large part of your life.

Like a half.

I hope I didn't upset you too much with my questions?

No, you didn't. I'm okay with the questions.

Everybody's asking the same questions. And I'm not...

I'm not always prepared to answer.

"How did you feel when Sasha went to jail?"

"How did Sasha feel when his child was born?"

I get it, people want

blood and guts.

But we don't want our blood and guts smeared across people's faces.

Do we?

Do we?

The Belarusian protests lasted for ten months

before Lukashenko shut them down.

Out of fear of being inured,

arrested or killed people stopped taking to the streets.

There were fewer and fewer people in Belarus,

who were not afraid to speak out publicly against the regime.

The protest moved underground, to the kitchens of tiny apartments.

Sasha, Sergei and Levon,

like hundreds of other political prisoners,

awaited their trial in inhuman conditions.

Levon even tried to commit suicide,

a way to demand better conditions in prison,

which political prisoners sometimes attempt out of despair.

I was afraid that Masha would not be able to cope with all this.

It's hard to try to live a normal life knowing that he is in jail.

Especially after that meeting,

when he was looking at me, begging for help with his eyes.

I try my best to stay sane,

although lately there have been more times when I lose my temper completely

and start hitting things with my right hand. Yes.

I get angry, especially when I can't change anything.

Rage just takes over.

I try not to think about the verdict,

because I seriously fear my reaction.

I have a very strong fear.

I fear for what will happen to me and to him.

Don't know. I am afraid of myself.

I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back and do something terrible.

Or that he might do something terrible.

I am probably more afraid of what he might do.

So it is very hard. Yes.

Here's a good example of Samantha Power making a speech.

It's all very well, but where were you before?

-Tell me why... -I'll always be by your side now.

She is talking about Syria...

Against Eastern Aleppo and its 275 thousand civilians.

Russia and Assad have reportedly launched more than 100...

Very confident manner, low voice...

In the last 72 hours, killing at least 139 people and injuring hundreds more.

-This is unprecedented... -All done?

Are you sure? Have you checked everything?

-If I stumble or something goes wrong... -I'll be to blame.

It's not funny. This is serious stuff.

Let's read the whole text now.

Dear members of the UN Security Council. I'm glad to thank...

Looking at Svetlana, I tried to understand

how she finds the strength to overcome her fears,

her lack of experience in public speaking,

the language barrier when communicating in English.

May I?

Valery, I am just checking the text for errors.

How I'm reading it now is not how I will be reading it there.

-Can we read it? -Yes.

You can do it.

Dear members of the UN Security Council,

since September the situation in Belarus has not improved.

It has only worsened.

And this made the media a target for Lukashenko's repression machine.

I call on the UN to take a vocal stand,

to stop the violence and lawlessness in Belarus,

including censorship of media

and cancellations of journalists' accreditations.

Svetlana, a woman with no background in politics,

has become part of the predominantly male world of big politics.

As the leader of the opposition, she became a symbol of a free Belarus

and a role model for many women, including me.

As of today we have eight deaths already

and 189 political prisoners in jails

and about 31 thousand people detained or fined.

1130 people are recognized as political prisoners

and thousands more falsely imprisoned.

There are currently 1140 political prisoners in Belarus.

This number is much higher.

Diplomacy is so difficult and slow.

Endless repetition of the same thing every day.

Everyone expected almost miracles from Svetlana.

Constantly being in the spotlight

she couldn't afford to show any confusion.

Democratic countries don't know how to remove dictatorship.

You are democratic countries, you want to communicate,

you want to explain, you want re-educate dictators,

but they cannot be re-educated.

The answer is that dictatorships can only be overthrown by their own people.

The world can't actually go to war

in these countries to change the regime.

We have learned this lesson.

Svetlana tried not to show her natural fragility to anyone.

She was not only on her own,

she was going one-on-one with the dictator.

As if subconsciously seeking support

Svetlana always carries a folder with a portrait of her husband Sergei.

Like a talisman.

In Belarus, we say:

to be behind your husband is like being behind a stone wall.

It means you are protected and safe.

But do we really need this protection?

Getting closer to Svetlana and filming her work life and political meetings,

I wanted to better understand her as a person, as a woman.

How does she cope with all this?

It was as if I was searching for wisdom how to cope myself.

I am not afraid for myself and my children. I shall be where I shall be.

I constantly fear for Belarusian people, especially those in prison.

I wake up and I think: what is Sergei doing right now?

I know his schedule. Wake up is at 6am, then inspection.

You can't sleep there properly. Banging on the door, barking dogs,

constant noise.

I'd be doing something, have an interview, have a discussion,

after that my thoughts wander back to him.

Everything mixed in together.

Does he ever send you his love, tender words?

You can't do this via another person.

They tell me he loves me and misses me. He's not going to pour his heart out.

Especially since we saw in the recent propaganda films

how they record everything there.

You wouldn't be pouring your heart out there

just to give propaganda journalists a chance to ridicule and mock you for it.

It's shocking, yes.

It must be hard for you to be without your loved one for so long.

It is very hard. I got used to being "behind my husband".

In fact, it happened in my life that I had to follow my husband.

And now I'm doing it all by myself.

Turns out I'm capable too.

So far I've been strong enough.

I don't know, I've always underestimated myself.

I thought, I am married, I am a weak and feeble woman.

I have an ordinary life, I have children,

I never needed to be very strong.

Of course, there were difficult moments with kids,

when I had to be strong, but this is different strength.

You just find the strength within.

Maybe life is showing me that I am stronger than I think.

Yes.

In our situation life is teaching this lesson to each Belarusian.

So...

Here is Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya.

I am angry too.

We thought this shouldn't last this long,

shouldn't be this difficult, shouldn't be so many losses.

And I am also angry that in response to this

Belarusians got revenge, violence and crisis.

It makes me angry that we were deprived of feeling safe in our home.

It makes me angry that they tell me it was all for nothing.

I am scared too.

What if the regime takes another life?

What if we are not strong enough?

What if our children have to start all over again?

What if this entire journey, with all the work,

love and faith doesn't lead to victory?

I feel all this too.

And I can see how easy it would be to give in to despair right now.

Sometimes we all feel

that there isn't a single ray of light in the darkness.

Happy New Year.

The old year is over.

Some juice for you? And for the children?

-Can we open the presents? -We can open the presents now.

Nadia's family has become like a new home for me.

Reach your arms up and look to your thumbs.

Breathe. Look to your hands.

Friendship with Nadia and her daughters

helped me fill the void of not seeing my nephews in Belarus,

almost the same age as Nadia's children.

My niece was born in 2020 and I have never met her in real life.

Exhale.

Push.

Good. One,

two,

three, four.

Yeah.

Five. Lower down.

Open the arms. Good.

Well done, mummy!

-Straight arms. -What is she doing here?

Take Ursha, we are going to sing the mantra.

Eighteen years of high security incarceration.

That's how much oppositionist and blogger Sergei Tsikhanousky

received for his anti-government activities.

I was in a meeting, and someone just whispered into my ear... 18.

My heart stopped, but I was in a meeting, so I carried on.

I wasn't paying as much attention, but I carried on.

And after that I had endless interviews.

Everyone asked the same: "How do you feel?"

And you go through this again and again.

Eighteen years, eighteen years.

But I knew from the very beginning

that 18 years is not 18 years of life. It's just a number, it's...

But psychologically, of course, it is hard.

Eighteen years, have they lost their mind completely?

It's more of a question for the regime.

And...

You say to yourself:

right, we need interviews,

Belarus needs this attention. Just do your work.

This is what you can do right now.

Crying and feeling sorry for myself... I can cry into my pillow in the evening.

I didn't say anything to the children.

There is no point.

I don't see this as actual years,

and I'm not going to work out

how old my son will be when his dad is released.

I am not going to do that. This is not how my brain works.

Okay, Olechka, I'll move onto the next call.

-Thank you. -Happy holidays.

Have a wonderful vacation with your children.

Rest and reboot. I wish you strength and energy.

See you soon.

-Thank you. Bye. -Bye.

Just like Sergei, Levon received a long sentence of 15 years.

Masha was very tired from the endless court hearings and struggles.

She really needed a change of scenery.

Fortunately, she was not banned from travelling.

Do I understand correctly that you are going to return to Belarus?

I am going to return to Belarus, of course.

I always say this to everyone:

while he is in a pre-trial detention, I do not plan to leave Belarus.

Even if I face 10, 15, 20 criminal charges against me.

I realise it's the regime's way to scare me, to manipulate me,

but while he is behind bars I shall remain in Belarus.

He can use his cowardly ways,

and I have to say he is a master of that.

And... As you wish.

Aren't you afraid? I'm sure you hear this question a lot,

but I have to ask too.

I am not afraid. I think each time they kill this fear.

All the security forces, this whole environment,

they have killed the fear in me. They've made me what I am now.

How can Estonia help Belarus right here right now?

I think it's very important to keep talking.

What Maria does is very important, and very brave too, on every level.

She talks about the real situation,

the number of people in prison, the conditions they face.

How unfair and absurd the system is.

For example, independent media are recognized as extremist organisations,

Telegram channels are recognized as extremist organisations.

The white-red-white flag is recognized as extremist.

It appears Belarus is going back to the Soviet times in their worst manifestation.

Unfortunately, yes.

They covered us up, but at least in Tallinn it is still there.

I'm shocked.

What a cool graffiti, a symbol of our struggle.

-They haven't arrested you yet? -Honestly, I wonder myself every day.

I thought you were...

very outspoken and bold.

Masha has no limits. She is a firecracker alright.

I go, I come back...

-Publish whatever you want... -As soon as I land in Minsk.

-Do what you want. The main thing... -To cross the border.

Yes.

I don't get it at all,

how could such a sweet, peace-loving, intelligent nation

like Belarusians

produce...

such a type like Lukashenko?

-I don't get it at all. -He hates Belarus.

I get it with Russia.

They've always had their fair share of psychopaths

and idiots brimming with energy.

But Belarusians are different. Belarusians are not Russians.

Here's to...

freedom.

The night before Masha's departure we hardly slept.

We talked non-stop, like old school friends.

We didn't know how long our separation would be or when we would meet again.

The coolest thing here is that everything works without VPN.

-You mean here in Estonia? -Yes.

It's the same in Georgia.

In Belarus websites are blocked, you need to use VPN.

Here everything works normally.

You can read the news.

That's it, we need to go to bed. I'm turning it off. Turn it off.

That's it.

Kiddy time is over.

In February 2022 Lukashenko dragged us into something terrible,

something we never chose, just like we never chose him.

Suddenly we turned from victims of the regime into co-aggressors.

I am a participant in this operation that Russia is conducting in Ukraine.

I genuinely support Russia.

We have an alliance with Russia.

That is why

Russian forces entered Ukraine from Belarusian territory

on their way to Kyiv.

The war only added urgency

and put more responsibility on Svetlana's shoulders.

We made our stance clear.

We are against the war and the dictators supporting it.

And yet at every meeting

I have to explain that Belarus is not Russia and Belarus is not Lukashenko.

Belarus is not Russia,

and there is no tolerance of the war in our society,

despite of massive propaganda.

We must stay united to support Ukraine.

The majority of Belarusians doesn't support the war.

It is important to distinguish Belarus from Russia,

and Belarusians from the occupation regime of Lukashenko.

-Do I have to explain this too? -Everything to everybody.

No one understands it themselves.

The war that Lukashenko dragged Belarus in

cast a shadow on everything Svetlana had managed to do.

I was afraid that Belarus would sink into Russia,

like in the Bermuda Triangle.

What is it?

I don't understand. Some random sentences.

What is this? Why are we so badly prepared?

We won't say it now, we'll say it after.

How am I supposed to memorise this?

-This sentence? -No, the entire text.

-When? -Tonight and tomorrow morning.

Great. Forget about sleep, just study your text, Sveta.

Masha says it would be nice to receive letters of support. Send your letters.

And our call to action - turn on the flashlights?

Call to action and flashlights are separate things,

because flashlights are just action.

Are they after call to action?

Yes. Everyone leaves as you are waving the lights.

I'm talking about scenography.

Let's change the text so that it is based on your message.

Let's write the text now.

We have time now, let's not waste it.

Let's edit the text because we have very little time.

Svetlana, I can help you edit the speech.

I'll send you a copy, send me your comments.

Okay.

I'll send it now and wait for your comments.

When we started, we united in the anti-war movement.

Fearless partisans conducted more than 80 acts

of sabotage on the railroad in Belarus

to prevent Russian troops supplies.

Tens of thousands took to the streets to protest against the war in Ukraine.

We developed into a conscious...

modern nation

with a

with a strong sense

of self-identity.

I don't know if she's gonna say it.

You know, I remember my first rally.

My voice was breaking.

I really was afraid to forget my name.

Since then, I have changed a lot,

but my voice still breaks

when I'm speaking in front of huge crowds, though.

Some things never change.

This is how our rally started, but this rally is still going on.

We rallied for freedom in Ukraine.

Our country was used by the Kremlin to attack our neighbouring Ukraine.

We are united into anti-war movement.

Our fearless partisans sabotaged railways to stop Russian troops.

Our activists fight alongside Ukrainians.

You can make a difference too.

So I invite you to join our rally for free Belarus.

I ask you to turn on your lights and wave with us.

Long live Belarus!

How's... How's Dad?

I see.

What's on the news?

What's the latest news?

I don't want to talk about the news. I don't even want to watch the news.

You don't want to discuss it with me?

Not just with you. I don't want to talk about it.

Why?

Olya, stop it.

I see.

Ok. Same as usual.

Okay.

Okay, Mum.

Thanks for calling.

Take care of yourselves. I'll call you soon when I can.

Okay sweetie, you take care of yourself too.

-Okay. Bye. -Bye.

-Big hug. Bye. -Big hug. Bye.

Today another activist was detained.

Allegedly, for her activities to release her husband from jail.

In Belarus facilitation of extremist activities

is punishable by up to seven years in prison.

Maria Rukis was detained this morning and taken to Brest.

Her four-year-old daughter is now with her grandparents.

That's it, they won't let her out.

I feel awful.

It's fucking terrible.

Even just because I am not there.

Why, you want them to take you as well?

-I don't see the point. -It's an instinct.

I don't see the point...

Masha knew that sooner or later it could happen.

Given the fact that she is made of steel and...

she didn't sit quietly at home...

Sooner or later it was likely to happen.

We are in a situation where they take anyone for any reason,

so what are we hoping for?

That they won't take Masha because she has a small child?

They don't give a damn.

They are putting couples on trial.

They like to have a nice story to tell.

Both husband and wife are evil,

let their children be on their own, let them go to an orphanage.

It's a good thing for them.

They'll be raised properly there. They'll become obedient sheep.

Why does the regime need this arrest?

What do they want to show?

I understand there is no logic here, but what are your first thoughts anyway?

It's done to intimidate. What other reasons can the regime have for arrest?

To intimidate. She is very active and bold.

So they found an excuse.

I hope she prepared the paperwork for her parents, just in case,

so they can take her daughter out of the country,

because it's all very....

I think she'll be more at peace knowing her child is safe, because I think

it's what concerns her the most right now.

It's...

When a child is looking at a prospect of an orphanage it is so stressful.

I think she's worried about her loved ones

a lot more than she's worried about herself. No doubt about that.

Welll... Yes.

Nothing more to say, is there?

Just a sense of powerlessness and deep darkness.

Sveta, how do we find the strength to carry on?

Do we have a choice?

Well...

My mother's words

about not standing out and keeping quiet

kept playing in my head like a broken record.

Especially now that Masha was in prison.

It made me think what real courage and real freedom really are.

Let's write.

Dear Masha... by the way, what is the temperature in your cell?

Are you warm enough?

She won't be able to say.

How many people are there in your cell?

Should I write that I miss her? Can I write that I am worried?

I don't understand how you wrote your letters to Sasha.

First one is difficult, it's hard to start,

but your 115th will be easy-peasy.

You just scribble some news.

And a built-in censor in your head: you can't say this,

you can't ask this, this isn't allowed.

Hello, my...

I'll say: I miss you and I constantly think about you.

Nadia says hello and my cat Lucy too.

Tell me what else you wrote to Sasha.

-What else? -I was like you.

Like me? Useless like I am now?

I wrote about everyday things.

You weren't useless like me. What did you write in your first letter?

I had a billion questions right away.

What lawyers to get, what to do, etc.

You two, come to the table, okay?

Come on.

Am, mama, am.

Adelka, I'm trying to write a letter, but I can't.

To whom?

It's a letter to my friend who is in prison.

-Oh. -Yes.

-What would you say to her? -I'd tell her to come out.

So write: "Masha, come out."

"Masha, come out" seems to be the most appropriate message.

But she's being held there by force.

She can't just say it and get out.

Write that we want you to come out.

It is very hard. Adel says: "Masha, come out."

Are you finished?

I want to!

Cool. That's it. At least we have the first letter.

I'll save you.

-Long live Belarus! -Long live!

Belarusian democratic forces demanded a plan from Svetlana,

and she convened a big conference to bring everyone together.

Two years ago the majority of Belarusians in the country and abroad

ticked the box next to my name.

I am aware that it was not about me,

back then I was just an opportunity

to say "no" to dictatorship and "yes" to change.

The name Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya ceased to belong only to me.

It has become a political instrument of an entire nation.

That is why our task is to create a well-functioning community.

The last two years have taught me that we can't wait for a miracle.

If something needs to be done, we just have to go ahead and do it.

And if you start to succeed, others will join you.

As my husband Sergei Tsikhanousky would say:

only together we can build a country to live in.

Thank you very much.

One system can only be defeated by another system.

I am convinced that the only way to overcome the existing system

is to unite the democratic and nationally-oriented forces.

And here we come to the question that I address to Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya.

The only person in this room who was legitimately elected.

Are you prepared to be that person?

The one who makes tough decisions

and takes responsibility for the fate of the nation.

It's time to act decisively. It's time to rise up from our knees.

And finally: long live Belarus!

What do you think? Any announcements?

It was a cynical spectacle where we witnessed

how five men tried to shift responsibility

for all the decisions onto one woman.

That's because we had a Women's Revolution.

I hope this is not about shifting responsibility,

but about strengthening me.

I hope this is what our colleagues are trying to achieve.

We shall see.

This conference felt like a rehearsal for our democracy.

Sometime in the future,

we will be able to debate openly like this in free Belarus.

And it doesn't matter how long our fight takes.

We will not give up.

Svetlana, if you need help getting rid of imposter syndrome, as we call it,

we are always ready to help.

You are really cool, you are doing a cool job, as is your team.

When speaking about the qualities of others, of the political prisoners,

do not forget to acknowledge and emphasize your own qualities.

Many people voted for you as a brand.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you to everyone who has been with us these two days.

Thank you to everyone who has been with us for two years.

Thank you to those who have been in the Belarusian movement

for years and decades.

Based on yesterday's discussions and public opinion

I have decided to create a joint transitional cabinet.

I'm excited to announce the first people who are ready to work

and strengthen the Cabinet. I'd like to invite them to the stage.

I agree with today's comments and criticisms made in the past few days.

Both the Cabinet and our movement in general need more female voices.

Dear women of Belarus, I'm counting on your initiative.

Thanks to women change has become possible.

We are with you.

We are with you.

Today Svetlana's choice to become a politician and defeat a dictator

is an exception.

But I hope

that in the future there will be more women politicians in Belarus.

Svetlana, Nadezhda and Masha

taught me to believe that together we have strength.

Sasha, I can't believe you're free.

What's your weather like? Is it very cold?

It's the same weather here, around minus five.

It's so good to talk about nonsense. You can't even imagine.

I've spend all morning talking about terms and grounds for release.

207's and 205's are being released. These are thieves.

Thieves.

It's a new trend. Thieves get two or three months and go home,

meanwhile the intellectuals go to prison for eight or ten years.

Everyone seems to be shocked, but the thieves are happy of course.

Okay, go chill for now.

I hope everything is there.

How are you?

Well...

Let me figure out what is going on here.

Nadia, does this mean he can be here in ten days?

Or does he need to return to jail in ten days, for more time?

Or he has ten days of travel ban, and then he can go anywhere, or what?

Yes.

That's what we think at the moment. But no one knows for sure.

How is it possible that the court passed a verdict and no one knows it yet?

Everyone heard "three years in prison" and there was shock.

Then they heard "released" and stopped listening after that.

So no one heard what exactly was said.

Nadia, I'm so happy for you! You must be so relieved.

Are you relieved?

Not yet.

-Why? -I will be, once he's here.

I can't hear anything.

I'll call you back in two minutes when Adelka comes out, okay?

Okay.

Bye.

Where is my daughter?

Daughter, come out.

Daddy is free.

Adel, hi!

We'll go home, we can hardly hear you. I'll call you from home, okay?

-Tanya, hello! -Hello.

Seryozha is also here with us.

Is he home?

-I mean, at our home? -Sasha is home.

At his home. What do you want?

Daddy, don't leave the house, don't go anywhere.

-I don't see it. -I mustn't leave?

No. Don't go to any Belarusian things.

You can only go to work.

Not even to work.

-Stay at home. -My little girl is very smart.

I'll go to work on Monday.

I'll have something to eat now, then go to the detention centre

to hand out parcels to my cellmates. They will be happy to get my things.

Please call me back, I can't hear anything.

Seryozha, why are you crying?

Such a relief...

Seryozha, why do people sometimes cry from joy?

-How can it be? -How can it be?

You probably can't understand.

Sometimes it feels so good you just want to cry.

In the 2025 elections Lukashenko reported that he won with almost 87%.

This time no one took to the streets to protest,

like in 2020, and my country disappeared from the international press.

After two years in prison Masha was finally released,

but she cut off contact with me and the opposition in general.

I don't blame her.

Perhaps the years in prison broke her will to fight,

but I hope to see her again someday.

Mummy, now I understand where your fears come from,

but the way you taught me to survive and protect myself

doesn't work for me anymore.

We're all made for politics,

and I choose to hope that one day we'll win.

It's the only way I can imagine the future with my son.

Subtitles: Irina Parsons plint.com