Natallia Spirydonava: It Feels Like Boiling Point

No one else believes in the tale of the "social state".

Natallia Spirydonava, Vitsebsk resident and activist of the European Belarus civil campaign, detained on January 27, told about the circumstances of her arrest and the problems of the regional center residents, the press service of the civil campaign reports.

- Ales Krutkin and I were just walking along the city, when a police car stopped nearby. The officers came out and said we were suspected of committing an offense. After that we were taken to the police station, where they drew up protocols for posting leaflets, accusing us of petty hooliganism for some reason. Someone from the bosses tried to convince us that the words "basta to the collective farm dictatorship" and the image of the dictator insulted someone. It was not clear with what and who exactly. The question whether people are insulted by low wages and the dictatorship just hung in the air.

Common rank-and-file policemen were taking out leaflets, complimenting their creativity, laughing and joking.

- Tell us about the situation in your city?

- The situation in Vitebsk is terrible, probably, as it is all over the country. Most of the city residents have to survive on wages of 300-400 rubles. In very rare cases, in fact, it is an exception, someone can get 1000 rubles. And it is considered that the person has a good thing going. There are also salaries of 200 rubles. The pensions are also small, people just have to look for ways to survive.

The problems are not solved, but, on the contrary, grow like a snowball. Over the past year, gas and electricity tariffs have increased by almost a third, prices for heating and water heating are constantly rising. New fees are being introduced - for example, many people, especially pensioners, are now outraged by new fees for cash payments at the cash offices of banks and Belposhta, as well as the automatic deduction of fines from the cards.

A lot of people in Vitsebsk simply can't find a job. The Vitsiaz plant, for example, is stnding idle, just like many once successful enterprises. Vistan, Evistor pay $200 in the best. Many people have to borrow from friends, go to look for work abroad. You can see that it's hard for people, they're tired of this life.

It's very hard to live, the health is worsening. But the people have even stopped going to polyclinics, because they do not see the point in it. How can you go to a clinic if you don't have money for even the simplest drugs?

- And what do Vitebsk residents say about it?

- At least, they discuss, scold officials, express their dissatisfaction. They really want this power to be changed at last, because it is impossible to live like this anymore. People don't want Lukashenka to run for the seventh term, a lot of people are ready to protest during the elections this year if they see that it can lead to changes.

In fact, this year is a decisive one, we have an opportunity to change the power, because Belarusians have never lived so badly before. It feels like a boiling point. Nobody believes in the tale of the "social state" anymore.