Yuri Felshtinsky: This Is A Book About Modern Belarus

17.09.2025, 10:40
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The American writer told why he decided to show the history of our country through the life of Natalia Radina.

A new book by the famous American historian Yuri Felshtinsky "Natalia Radina's Belarus: journalist versus dictator" has been published. The book was published by ISIA Media Verlag in Leipzig.

"Radio Racyja" talked to the author of the book about why exactly Natalia Radina was chosen as the main character of the book about Belarus:

- Let's start with the fact that I am very interested in Belarus. I am interested in Belarus from a strategic and geopolitical point of view. Because if you look at the map (and you don't need to be an expert or a specialist for that), it becomes clear that Belarus is a springboard for the Russian threat to Europe or for the Russian invasion of Europe. And it is not by chance that the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, one of the main directions of this invasion of Kiev, took place precisely from the territory of Belarus.

In other words, whoever controls Belarus controls the gateway to Europe. And as long as Putin's regime is in Russia, and as long as Russia controls Belarus, it threatens Europe. Accordingly, this raises the question of how to make Russia lose control over Belarus. And it is not by chance that one of the main foreign policy objectives of the Russian leadership (by the way, even before Putin), was to seize Belarus. That is, to gain full control over Belarus. That was done through Lukashenko.

If we ask the question how to make Russia lose control over Belarus and how to make it stop being a springboard for Russia's threat to Europe, we need to do what many former Soviet republics did after the collapse of the USSR, as well as the countries of former Eastern Europe. They joined NATO. And they found tranquility and security. And experience has shown that those countries that did not join NATO were attacked by the Russian Federation. Georgia in 2008, Moldova and now Ukraine. Belarus' economic independence from Russia is ensured by joining the EU, and political and military security - by joining NATO.

But for this, of course, a change of regime in Belarus is necessary. Here we face the question: who of the current Belarusian opposition stands on these positions? Who of today's leaders of the Belarusian opposition realizes that the problems of independence and security of Belarus should be solved in this way? I have known Natalia Radina for several years. I know Andrei Sannikov, Dmitri Bondarenko, and my experience of communication with them has shown me that it is this part of the political opposition of Belarus that correctly and adequately understands the tasks facing Belarus. I met with Tikhanovska, though this meeting was relatively short, and unlike Radina I realized that she stands on other positions. And it seems to me that her position is a bit inconsistent with the political situation that has developed. This is a brief explanation of why I was interested in the idea of describing Belarus through Radina. In fact, as I hope, this is a book about modern Belarus, but what I wrote in the preface is shown through the life, biography of one person.

- What do you think is the uniqueness of Natalya Radina's fate?

- The fate itself may not be unique in that there are a lot of talented and energetic journalists in Belarus who came into conflict with the regime, who were imprisoned at some point. Some were killed, some in prison, some were released. Natalya Radina's fate is probably not unique in this respect. And the uniqueness probably lies in the fact that she is absolutely devoted to her ideals. She is absolutely uncompromising, absolutely uncorrupted, she knows firmly and clearly what she wants, where she should go. And her personal interests in this political struggle, in this professional work, actually come absolutely last. This person is exceptionally committed to the tasks of the struggle that she is leading. And I think that's what makes her unique. And not only her, but also her colleagues, her friends - both Sannikov and Bondarenko. It's not by chance that they don't have any other citizenship or property abroad, because their whole life is to fight against Lukashenko's regime. And the only task is to win this struggle, to return to Belarus and build a new, free, democratic Belarus.

We remind you that the book "Natalia Radina's Belarus: journalist against the dictator" is planned to be published in Belarusian, Ukrainian, English and other languages. You can buy the book "Natalia Radina's Belarus: journalist against the dictator" in Russian at the following sites:

Yuri Felshtinsky: This Is A Book About Modern Belarus

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