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Stanislau Shushkevich: Kebich Had a Sense of Shame Unlike Lukashenka

Stanislau Shushkevich: Kebich Had a Sense of Shame Unlike Lukashenka
Stanislau Shushkevich
PHOTO BY KP.BY

Speaking against democracy, Kebich helped the dictator, not himself.

The first head of independent Belarus Stanislau Shushkevich told in the interview to Radio Svaboda.

- Pyotr Sadouski in his book "My Shibboleth" writes that it seems to him that Zenon Poznyak had some positive impact on our destiny. Can you agree?

- Yes. No doubt that Zenon Pozniyak had a big impact on my fate. Although I used to be a subscriber of the Literature and Art newspaper, but I did not read anything about Kurapaty, when the article was published. I had a very interesting job. I used to leave home at 7 am and was back at least at 11 pm. My physical applied researches were the sense of my life. That was the only thing I was keen on. And I did not mention both Zenon Poznyak and Kurapaty. I constantly refused to be a nominee for deputy, but when I was nominated at the university and did not withdraw from the candidate pool, there was a vote by secret ballot at a meeting of 600 people. And I had 450 votes, the second Prorector, a wonderful person, had 70 votes, and Zenon Poznyak, nobody knew him worked at the university, got 50 votes. I felt ashamed that I did not know him. The next day I found him. I was glad to talk to him and was proud that there were such people in our country.

And then the second story begins. I was glad with what had been done. Later I made friendship with those who worked at the History Institute. There were Skalaban, Charnyauski and others. It is not fair to get credit only to Zenon Stanislavavich for all achievements. I had no political team and I still have my physical and mathematical team. They are my friends who know what I need. In political sense I was not prepared for that kind of work. I am ashamed that I did not protest against the events in Czechoslovakia, I did not protest against the events in the Soviet Union. Thank God that there were those dissidents.

- Are there any cases you were ashamed of while your leadership in Belarus?

- No. I was ashamed of what was being done in the Belarusian Popular Front, there was a holy man, and everyone listened to, thanked and bowed to him. It was not my case, I used to think first, then inform and take a decision.

- I my book I say that we should learn through errors and not let them occur again. Was that possible then to stop Lukashenka? Did you think about this?

- No, I didn't, because it was a pure betrayal. I realized later that Kebich had perceived me as the main competitor. I respected him and thought he was a good specialist, very good man, the most intelligent in the government, who ran a true policy and who could be an excellent director of a plant. And he had many qualities that could be envied. And I did not realize that he had secretly invented those stories about stealing of nails, for example, and Lukashenka made them public. Unlike Lukashenka he had a shame of sense and could not say it. And Lukashenka did it, that was his way. Kebich used to be in charge and that was a veiled treason. Speaking against me, Kebich helped the dictator, not himself.

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