More from Minsk

My Dear Friends,

I think it’s very important for me to tell you my impression of what's going on today in Belarus. I’m not politician. I’m not even a person who is involved in real political activities. I don’t like political art, so I’ve never written a political play. But I believe in the ideals of freedom and democracy. I have a civil position. And during these last few days I tried to act as a citizen of a free nation. Together with thousands of people I've spent the last days on the streets of Minsk. And today’s evening is first I’m spending at home analyzing what's happening. I really don’t want to write a political speech full of obvious dogmas. I just want to share my impressions.

During the last twenty-four hours, I have had only four hours of sleep. I still don't know where my friends are who tried to bring food to the people on the Square. Some of them were on the Oktyabrskaya Square, standing in a circle, tightly holding each other's hand, around the small tent camp, guarding it with their own bodies. The temperature in Minsk is dropping too -10°C. There wasn't any help; no one was able to get through the police and KGB special forces, who have blocked all the entrances and exits from the Square. No one was able to bring them hot tea or sleeping bags. I know that from my own experience. There were some of my students. Many of them have spent more than fifteen hours on the Square. Some – more than twenty-four. I tried to be with them as long as I could. During the last days they matured by ten years. We all did. These days have contained many things and perhaps they have changed lifes of thousands of young people more than I can imagine now. Belarus is different. And it is our victory!

Even now, the participants of meetings are covered with monstrous lies from Belarusian medias. But I see truth on international TV channels. During last days more then 600 people were arrested. Prisons are overcrowded. Today peaceful demonstration was crashed by special forces of police. I’ve never seen such a cruelty! It was war! Civil war! Police kicked old people, students, women, priests, journalists – everybody! I remember myself running in horror…

On this day my play “SKY” (about life of young people in Lukashenko’s Belarus) was presented in Austria. I was not allowed by the Government to go, in order to stop me from telling truth about life here. I’m now a prisoner in my own country. But it cannot stop me from communicating with the world.

Today the sky was clear blue, but the land was red because of blood. But the sky was blue, as blue as I have ever seen such colour in my life. I will always remember this marvellous blue sky over Minsk. I hope it’s just a beginning. And everything will be great!

Hope to stay in touch, See you soon,

Yours, Andrei