Raman Yakauleuski: Repressions of the end of 80ies are “childish mischief” as compared to todays’

Raman Yakaulesuski, an international journalist who took part in the rally “Dzyady” in 1998 recall about the cooperation of Belarusians with the independence movements of the Baltic states, about the relations with Communist party nomenklatura.

“Before the end of the 1980ies a network of the informational exchange with Lithuanian Sąjūdis and People’s Fronts of Latvia and Estonia existed. We went to the Baltic states for different events, where we told about the situation in our country. We brought printed materials here, and it found quick distribution in Belarus. Me personally brought a newspaper “Atmoda”, with which I cooperated then. We published articles about events here in this newspaper. For instance, we published “A walk with a prosecutor in a park” by Vasil Khomchanka, as we haven’t been allowed to publish it in the “Literature and Art”, the journalist recalls in an interview to “Nasha Niva”.

“Belarusians were not just going on visits, but we brought our supporters here. It was not difficult to come, as there were no borders. Meetings with Baltic activists were held in different audiences, even in labour collectives and students’ auditoriums, as the control of the party was weaker with each day. Relations with party nomenklatura were uneven. We managed to establish rather peaceful contacts with some of them, for instance, with representatives of the Central Committee of the Leninist Young Communist League of Byelorussia, secretary Mikhail Padhajny and some his workers. We even managed to take part in a number of TV programs of the Belarusian TV made by a well-known journalist Syarhei Vinahradau,” Yakauleuski said.

The journalist recall that there were ruthless wars of words with party functionaries from Minsk city committee and the central Committee of the Communist party.

“They set against the so-called “neformals” (members of unofficial organizations) war and labour veterans who considered us to be anti-Communists, betrayers of the cause of their parents and grandparents. Indeed, we supported cancelling the 6th article of the Constitution about the leading role of the party. And some of us supported “Soviets without Communists”.

But that pressing and repressions of the establishment in many ways seem to be a “childish mischief” when compared to the present regime.

There were 2 representatives of the People’s front of Estonia were with me during the first celebration of Dzyady on October 30, 1988. We three were detained after the meeting in Kurapaty. We were taken to the police department of Minsk region. After a few hours of interrogation we were released. When leaving, we present policemen a copy of the “Literature and Art” with the article about Kurapaty.

And then a public commission headed by Vasil Bykau was created. Its aim was to clear up the circumstances of non-lethal weapons use against peaceful civilians near Uskhodniya cemetery. I bore witness in front of the members of the commission that gas had been used against us. And then I repeated the same in the republican prosecutor’s office,” Yakauleuski told.