Alyaksei Shydlouski: «I needed to get through it »

4.12.2007, 8:24

Nearly 10 years have passed since one of the first Belarusian political prisoners Alyaksei Shydlouski was arrested. In early August of 1997 student of journalistic faculty of Belarusian State University Alyaksei Shydlouski was arrested at his parents’ house in Stoubtsy. His friend, who saw him with a violet spray paintcan, gave him in charge. Three days before the Stoubtsy District Executive Committee had been drawn with this paint. “They were especially indignant that we had written ‘executioner‘ on the monument to Felix Dzerzhinsky,” Alyaksei calls back those events.

Alyaksei Shydlouski is a guest of Radio Svaboda’s programme by Aleg Gruzdzilovich from the cycle “A day in a political prisoner’s family”.

“Prison is not for too quiet, intelligent people”

Gruzdzilovich: “How did you take your arrest at first: as a tragedy or some kind of adventure?”

Shydlouski: “At first I was sure I would be released soon. They said it would be in a month or two… Then a trial was held, and I was sentenced to 1.5 years of prison. Romantic was over. I was only 18, it is a tragedy in such an age, of course. I took it hard.”

Gruzdzilovich: “What did concern you most of all?”

Shydlouski: “I worried I could be expelled from the university, as there were some problems with it. I was distressed for my parents, they worried about me. For my younger brother, who had been left alone without my help. Naturally, I worried what attitude it will be in the colony towards me, because nobody knew anything about political prisoners at those times.“

Gruzdzilovich: “Was you afraid of getting a ‘stigma’?”

Shydlouski: “Well, yes. I could have been a reality for half a year. But then my parents brought newspapers, where it was written about me and Vadzim Labkovich. Prisoners read them, and everything became much easier.”

Gruzdzilovich: “How does prison change a human being?”

Shydlouski: “It makes strong man stronger, but breaks weak man, spoils the whole life. I saw many such examples. Prison is not for too quiet, intelligent people.”

Gruzdzilovich: “You were released 8.5 years ago. Do you meet former cell mates?”

Shydlouski: “At first I saw them often. Now I have one friend I keep in touch with. Before prison he had worked in revenue service, but he can’t go back there, he is working as a builder now.“

Gruzdzilovich: “Did you want to revenge upon those, who had put you in prison?”

Shydlouski: “Yes. I imagined how I would do it. But I am more philosophic now: I needed get through it, that’s all.”

Gruzdzilovich: “Did you take a sentence as unfairness?”

Shydlouski: “Of course. We couldn’t have been criminally responsible for our act of hooliganism. The code was changed later. If we lived in a normal country, we would be just fined. They needed to make a show-trial in order other don’t follow the example.’

“Learn to talk to yourself “

Gruzdzilovich: “In your opinion, what is the hardest thing in imprisonment?”

Shydlouski: “Maybe, the feeling of detachment from former life, former interests. It’s more difficult if one had interesting, rich of events life. It’s necessary to learn to live inside yourself, even to talk to yourself.”

Gruzdzilovich: “I can’t imagine how a man with dignity and honour can survive in a prison. Every jail keeper is humiliating you...”

Shydlouski: “No, not every keeper. There were normal people, who knew about me and even helped me.”

“Village guys, who received sticks from the authorities”

Gruzdzilovich: “What is the most unpleasant memory of prison?”

Shydlouski: “Keepers in Zhodzina remand jail were real executors. They were village guys, who had received sticks and unlimited power over prisoners. They could beat us at kidneys in the corridor, could pour a pail of water on personal effects or pour water on the floor in a cell, and prisoners had to bail it out with mugs.

Then I was sent to Minsk remand jail in Valadarski Street, headed by Aleg Alkayeu. As far as I know, it was he, who ordered to transfer me from the cellar to a cell on the third floor, where there was little more air. It’s possible to rot in the cellar. Any wound wasn’t healed there, but got bigger. If there were good vitamins, it would be possible to cure. But they didn’t give vitamins, only bandages. “

Why do prisoner like serials?

Gruzdzilovich: “Do you have pleasant memories?”

Shydlouski: “When I was transferred from the remand jail to the prison, I had a feeling that I was released! It was allowed to walk on the sector, play volleyball, subscribe to any newspapers, even “Svaboda”. There even was a TV set. One for all prisoners, they watched different trash, serials. It was time when a serial about police from Saint Petersburg had just appeared. I can imagine what prisoners watch now: every channel shows serials about police and criminals.”

Gruzdzilovich: “Why do prisoners like these serials?”

Shydlouski: “Probably, they think such films are about them. But in the Minsk colony, where I was sitting, there were no dangerous criminals, only domestic ones.”

Gruzdzilovich: “What relation did you have with the prison administration?”

Shydlouski: “What relation? Administration tired to reform me, probably the KGB had ordered them, but then they gave up.”

Gruzdzilovich: “Can you recollect the most awful day of your prison life?”

Shydlouski: “It’s when I was transferred from Stoubtsy to Zhodzina, we were packed like herrings in a barrel. The route was very odd, through Kletsk, Valozhyn. I was on a hunger strike, I had lost my weight. When we came to place, they began to beat us. I don’t remember how it happened, but I fell down and fainted. Heart stopped. I came back only in hospital with IV access device in my arm. I spent there a month and a half.”

Gruzdzilovich: “Do you have problems with heart now?”

Shydlouski: “No, it’s OK now.”

“So, that is you, Shydlouski”

Gruzdzilovich: “Did you have unexpected meetings in prison?”

Shydlouski: “Yes, not once. I remember, I met guys from my school. I wasn’t surprised much, they were jolly criminals, but they were shocked. Or glad? They said, you were so calm in school, like an A pupil. What happened?”

Gruzdzilovich: “Was it difficult to explain that you are a political prisoner?”

Shydlouski: “They learnt it themselves soon.”

Gruzdzilovich: “By the way, you were one of the first political prisoners. What the reaction did your cell mates have to you?”

Shydlouski: “Different reactions. There were people who said I wasn’t a political, but ordinary prisoner. They didn’t like I had a special status, that keepers have different attitude towards them and me. One prisoner said: “Are you the cleverest here? I’ll beat your face now.” Then, when we were lying, reading, the window in the door opened. Order: “Shydlouski, come here!” I came up. A major looked at me and said: “So, that is you, Shydlouski!” and went away. My cell mates laughed, but I felt they respected me.”

Gruzdzilovich: “Have you learnt something useful in prison?”

Shydlouski: “I’ve learnt to defend myself. I was a shrinking violet before, but I have understood that I can go on fighting. “

Alyaksei Shydlouski was born in Stoubtsy in 1978. Belarusian. In 1996 entered faculty of journalism at Belarusian State University, was expelled after his arrest in 1997. After 7 months he was sentenced to 1.5 years of prison for a political graffiti: activists had written slogans “Long Live Belarus!” and “Paznyak is Our President” on the walls of the District Executive Committee, and replace a red-green flag with a white-red-white one.

He was amnestied two days before his term of imprisonment expired. He was a deputy head of the Young Front, a coordinator of the movement Zubr. He has had four administrative arrests within last years, all in all of 45 days. He worked for newspapers “Naviny”, “Nasha Svaboda”, “Nasha Niva”, and other editions. He is a freelance journalist now, prints his articles on the Internet.

Married, his wife Maryna works as a translator in Minsk. Lives in Minsk