Volha Nikalaichyk To Authorities: The Time Will Come When The Hague Welcomes You

The Belarusian director has told why people support blogger Eduard Palchys even under the closed court doors.

“I know how hard it is out there. They can roll you up in asphalt in a day and no one will be punished for that,” – movie director and civil activist Volha Nikalaichyk explains why every one of us needs solidarity.

“Minsk city court, the time will come when the Hague welcomes you!”

“I am carrying footwear with me, can’t make to get it repaired. If I am detained, the police might find it interesting to search me,” – Volha Nikalaichyk jokes. She is invited to an event where it is necessary to look elegant, and her heeltaps got withered. She is wearing platform boots, “my battle boots”, the activist smiles.

You can always meet Volha Nikalaichyk at court trials against activists who are persecuted under political reasons, at pickets in support of political prisoners, and at pickets aimed at disagreement with the current state system, BelSAT reports.

She has been coming to the Minsk city court since Monday: while they are considering the case of blogger Eduard Palchys behind closed doors, she is holding a poster with his picture and chanting slogans.

"Minsk City Court, the time will come when the Hague welcomes you!” – she is an author of this "chant". She was the one who organized “sales of odds and ends” at the entrepreneurs’ demonstrations: they symbolically passed clothes to Miasnikovich to point out that individual entrepreneurs are deprived of an opportunity to work. On the evening of solidarity with Ukraine, when the war broke out there, she was cooking Ukrainian borsch. She also brought the “Night Wolves” beauty bag to the Russian Embassy.

“I get letters from prisons, and my hands burn from inner tears of a person out there”

“Ideas just flow! My creativity helps me to achieve goals,” – Volha Nikalaichyk says.

Her profession is documentary directing. Her favourite theme is social issues. However, she admits she has some fiction ideas.

“I have many observations which I dream to realize in literature and cinema “Antisprut” – the project aimed against corruption in the government, the project “Communism Under Tribunal”. I want to make a movie of my story, but it is necessary to do it in Ukraine as the story is about a war. I postponed the idea of love so far, as there is no room for love creativity when people are in danger,” Volha says.

So, why does this creative and active woman dedicate her hours and days to collecting signatures, street actions and court trials?

“It’s not because I have nothing else to do, or want publicity, or crazy about giving interviews. I will turn 48 in winter. I have a name, and even if I hadn’t, I am satisfied with my life,” – Volha Nikalaichyk explains. – “I know how hard it is out there. They can roll you up in asphalt in a day and no one will be punished for that. Do you remember how it happened with Ihar Ptsichkin at “Valadarka”?”

She started coming out to political demonstrations some 20 years ago. Sometimes she got under administrative detentions.

“I receive letters from prisons, and my hands are burning of the inner tears of a person out there. Men would never admit how hard it is for them, plus there is censorship. When they right “It’s freedom, they give us only potatoes, and beetroot once a week”, while a person is seriously ill! They turned a life into a hell! How can anyone help? We actually have little to offer. I cannot even send a parcel as I am no relative. Only the information,” – the activist says.

Most often, she and her allies get fined for their activity.

“I barely manage to pay those fines. Still, officers of court keep coming even after the fines had been paid. I never tell anyone when I fall ill after standing there in cold weather. I know no one will protect me apart from the God and myself, – Volha says. – As for what the Belarusian television tells about it, I don’t care. The people who stuck in the Stalin times past are of no interest to me. They are pulling Belarus to the abyss – I am fighting against them, as there is no other option.”

The activist’s mother shares her views, although she worries about her daughter a lot. Volha also has nephews, who are “like her own children” to her.

Creativity is what helps Volha switch from the information of detentions, arrests and courts: even if a poem or a story is about war. In her young days, Volha Nikalaichyk graduated the musical school in violin and piano. Now she likes to listen to the concerts "of the great Roman operas" on the internet. A forest and a sea also help her rejuvenate.

“It’s all what a city freak needs! The grey gangster soviet reality sucks a soul out of a person. Look at the faces of our people: they are like fish which no one wants to cook. I was collecting signatures once, and this old lady walked by, so she said “Oh, you are all alone here, nobody helps you, what a shame. This is because all Belarusians lack iodine. We all are sluggish,” – the director laughs.

The director says she has never seen Jhon Silver, they only exchange letters. She claims the reasonability to support him under the court walls with no doubt or tiredness.

Eduard Palchys hears the pickets and has thanked every activist through his lawyer.

The consideration of his criminal case will be resumed on October 24 at 10 a.m.