‘I Am Coming Out’: Raman Bandarenka Died Two Years Ago

The story of the hero of the Square of Changes, killed by the Lukashists.

Today, November 12, marks two years from the date of death of Raman Bandarenka. The man was detained at the Square of Changes, one of the main places of the Belarusian protest movement after the 2020 presidential election. With the help of archival photos, we collected a large photo story about the famous courtyard at the intersection of the streets of Charviakova, Kakhouskaya and Smarhouski tract, as well as the tragic fate of Raman Bandarenka and other people associated with the events there.

The website zerkalo.io published a photo report about the Square of Changes and its hero.

The Square of Changes is an initiative of residents of the houses located at the intersection of streets Charviakova, Kakhouskaya and Smarhouski tract. In August 2020, they gathered in the evenings at the playground to discuss the election campaign.

The main symbol of the square of changes was a ventilation booth, on the wall of which there was an image of sound engineers Kiryl Halanau and Uladzimir Sakalouski, nicknamed “DJs of changes” among the people. On August 6, at one of the pro-government events in the center of Minsk, they unauthorizedly switched on the song “Changes” by the Kino rock band.

After the publications in mass media about yard activity on the Square of Changes, municipal workers began periodically covering up the image of the DJs. The inhabitants of the yard washed it repeatedly.

At first, the authorities tried to wipe off the image of the “DJs of Change” and flags exclusively by forces of employees of municipal services.

In addition to political activism, in the evenings, the locals held neighborhood tea parties, cultural events for children and adults, as well as concerts in the Square of Changes.

Concert of Uladzimir Puhach, the leader of J:Morse band, in the Square of Changes. Unknown people in balaclavas prevented residents from installing equipment for the concert in the courtyard, and the musician had to perform on the balcony of one of the houses.

Stsiapan Latypau, the inhabitant of one of the houses in the Square of Changes, who protected the image of the DJs, was arrested in his apartment by the officers of the special forces unit after the search on September 15, 2020. On August 16, 2021 he was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a reinforced-security penal colony and a large fine, allegedly after “the organization of the group actions, which flagrantly disrupt social order, and insubordination to the demands of the representatives of authority”, and other articles of the Criminal Code. Human rights defenders believe that Latypau’s persecution is politically motivated.

In September, the destruction of images on the ventilation booth was already carried out by masked unknown persons with the support of the MIA officers.

The primary image of the “DJs of Change” on the ventilation booth was completely destroyed. But this did not stop the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. This photograph was taken on September 30, 2020.

The appearance of new images, projections and active participation in the actions of the inhabitants of surrounding houses continued, in spite of the periodic round-ups by the riot police in the courtyard at nights.

Action of solidarity of the Square of Changes inhabitants with Stsiapan Latypau the month after his arrest.

On November 11, 2020, a resident of one of the houses on the Square of Changes Raman Bandarenka wrote a message in the local chat “I am coming out”, and went to the yard to talk to unknown people who came to cut off the ribbons hung by the locals. After a verbal and physical fight they put Bandarenka in a minibus, and took him away in an unknown direction. At night, Raman Bandarenka arrived in the resuscitation office of the city clinical hospital of emergency medical care with brain swelling, closed brain trauma, multiple abrasions and bruises. The surgery lasted for several hours, but the doctors could not save Raman. A screenshot of the video of the attack on Raman Bandarenka, recorded on November 11, 2020.

Thanks to the investigations of journalists and members of the BYPOL initiative, it is known that security forces were involved in the death, as well as probably people from the immediate circle of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, who at that time regularly carried out “raids” in Minsk courtyards, clearing them of protest symbols and hunting down those who place them. In the group of people who on November 11 were on the Square of Changes, it is possible to identify Dzmitry Baskau (in the photo) and his friend Dzmitry Shakuta. Recordings of conversations between Baskau and Lukashenka’s spokeswoman Natallia Eismant were also published, as they were discussing such raids on other dates (the fact that the voices belong to these people was established by a phonoscopic study ordered by the TUT.BY portal in Russia). The BYPOL members later released mobile phone billing data, which confirmed that Baskau and Shakuta, as well as several security officers, were in the area of the Square of Changes in the evening of November 11. A screenshot of the video of the attack on Raman Bandarenka, recorded on November 11, 2020.

On November 19, 2020, journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich and doctor Artsiom Sarokin were detained in Minsk. They were accused of divulging medical secrets, and this was followed by a criminal case. Barysevich published medical information that refuted the version voiced by Aliaksandr Lukashenka that Raman Bandarenka was allegedly drunk on the day of his death. On March 2, 2021, the journalist was sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of 100 base fees, and the doctor of the emergency hospital, Artsiom Sarokin, was sentenced to two years in prison with a delay of one year and a fine of 50 base fees. This photograph was taken on March 20, 2021.

The spontaneous action in memory of Raman Bandarenka on the Square of Changes on the day of his death. This photograph is taken on November 12, 2020.

Heaps of flowers at a ventilation booth on the Square of Changes on the third day after the death of Raman Bandarenka.

PHOTO: TUT.BY

On November 15, 2020, the March of the Brave was held, dedicated to the memory of Raman Bandarenka. The security forces surrounded the people in the Square of Changes and then dispersed them. By some calculations, then the staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs detained over 1,100 people. After dispersal of the action the authorities destroyed a spontaneous memorial in the yard of the Square of Changes, and the staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs arranged a round-up on the people who were sheltering in the houses near the square. This photograph was taken on November 15, 2020.

PHOTO: TUT.BY

During the dispersal of the action in memory of Raman Bandarenka, journalists of the Belsat TV channel Katsiaryna Andreyeva (Bakhvalava) and Darya Chultsova were detained. After they have served an administrative arrest, they were charged under Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code — “Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them.” On February 18, 2021, the court found them guilty and imposed a sentence of two years of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony for each. On September 3, 2022, Darya Chultsova was released from the Homel colony for women #4. Katsiaryna Andreyeva was charged under Part 1 of Art. 356 of the Criminal Code “Treason to the State”, after which she was sentenced to 8 years and 3 months of imprisonment in a reinforced-security penal colony. The journalist is recognized as a political prisoner. This photograph was taken on February 9, 2021.

In spite of pressure on the inhabitants of the Square of Changes, the image of the “DJs of Changes” from time to time again appears at the ventilation booth.

On September 17, 2021, the Prosecutor General's Office suspended the investigation into the death of Raman Bandarenka. The reason is “failure to identify the person to be charged”. No one was held responsible for the man's death, despite Lukashenka's promises to “honestly and objectively” investigate into his case.