Descendant journalist

Ekaterina Andreeva (Bakhvalova) was born on November 2, 1993 in an intelligent family.

Her great-grandfather David Pinhasik was a well-known journalist, and her great-grandmother Maria Vaganova was the first editor-in-chief of Polesie Pravda in Western Belarus in 1939.

Grandmother Alla Vaganova is an associate professor at the Department of Archeology of the Belarusian State University.

Grandfather Sergei Vaganov - a famous journalist, publicist, poet.

The journalist's parents are philologists.

Ekaterina Andreeva

Knows several foreign languages

Ekaterina graduated from the Belarusian-language gymnasium № 23. Back in school she showed the ability to learn foreign languages.

She studied with tutors, mastered English, after high school she entered the Minsk State Linguistic University at the Faculty of Spanish.

In the volunteer program of the European Commission in 2013 she went to Spain, where she taught English.

Received the award for the first article

According to Katsyaryna's grandfather Syarhei Vaganau, the idea to become a journalist came to her when she was returning home from Europe.

Getting hitchhiking, she wrote an article "Polynesia at the station", which was published in "Nasha Niva" and for which she became a laureate of the "People's Reporter" award.

She collaborated with Narodnaya Volya, Nasha Niva, and Radio Svaboda.

Ekaterina Andreeva is detained during the detention from Kurapaty.

June 6, 2018

The first meeting with her future husband took place at the polling station

Ekaterina Andreeva met her future husband, journalist Ihar Ilyash, at work - they both covered the protest action of Mikola Statkevich.

The 2015 election was the first political campaign in Catherine's career.

The first meeting took place at the polling station - in gymnasium 23, where Katya once studied and where they were almost detained.

On December 10, 2016, the young people got married.

Ekaterina Andreeva with her husband Igor Ilyash

Conducted live broadcasts of significant Belarusian events

Since 2017, Ekaterina has been cooperating with Belsat TV channel.

The first restraints led to the "actions of lunatics."

Katya was first detained in April 2017 in Orsha and tried for alleged "disobedience to the police and violation of media law."

She was then fined.

In September 2020, Andreeva was detained by riot police for a live broadcast of a women's march in Minsk, then she was held captive for 3 days.

She wrote a book with her husband

In 2020, together with her husband Igor Ilyash, Ekaterina published a book "Belarusian Donbass" about Belarusians - participants in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The book reflects the results of many years of journalistic investigation.

Journalists found out, among other things, how Belarusian services and state-owned enterprises are participating in the war on the side of the separatists.

In 2021, the book was declared extremist.

Sentenced to 2 years in prison for streaming from "Square of Change"

On November 15, 2020, Katsyaryna and her colleague Darya Chultsova were detained in a high-rise building on Peremen Square, from where they were streaming from a rally in memory of Raman Bandarenka.

At first, the girls received 7 days of administrative arrest.

They were subsequently charged under Art.

342 of the Criminal Code ("Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them").

They were placed in remand prison No. 1 (Valadarka).

Ekaterina Andreeva (right) and Daria Chultsova in court on February 18

On February 18, 2021, the Frunzenski district court of Minsk (judge Natallia Buhuk, state prosecutor Alina Kasyanchyk, investigator Ihar Kurylovich) sentenced Andreeva and Chultsova to 2 years in a maximum security penal colony.

Ekaterina Andreeva did not respond to Yuri Voskresensky's proposal to write a pardon petition in Lukashenka's name.

In the colony received the status of "prone to extremism"

In March 2021, in Zhodzina prison, Ekaterina Andreeva received the status of "prone to extremism and other destructive actions" for refusing to admit her guilt before the prison commission and was taken under special control. call the supervisor of your article and report on preventive accounting.

There is a certain place in the cell where she must stay when the guard comes.

Also, a person with this status is periodically summoned for preventive talks.

From the colony she was put in jail again

She was serving her sentence in a women's colony in Gomel and worked at a garment factory.

She mastered a new profession of a seamstress, sewed knitwear, uniform elements for cadets of the Ministry of Emergencies.

Catherine's letters come only from relatives.

Igor's husband was on a date in the Gomel colony in early February.

She says that she behaves, judging by the letters, equally, with dignity.

“My task is to save my soul from disintegration and not allow the zone to penetrate me.

Not to become part of the ugly [prison world], but to make a little more beautiful space around you, "- said Ekaterina Andreeva during a meeting with her husband in the Gomel colony.

On February 10, 2022, it became known that Katya had been transferred from Homel Correctional Colony No. 4 to Homel Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 3. The reasons were not reported.

On April 7, her husband Ihar Ilyash said that Katsyaryna had been charged with treason (part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code).

The investigation was held in complete secrecy - for 55 days after her transfer to the pre-trial detention center, her relatives did not know Katya's status or articles under which procedural actions are being carried out.

"We still do not know the essence of the accusation and probably will not receive any information - the court will obviously be closed," - wrote Igor Ilyash on Facebook.

Winner of many prestigious awards

Ekaterina at the ceremony of awarding journalists - winners of the contest "Free Speech", 2017

In 2021, Ekaterina Andreeva together with Daria Chultsova won a number of prestigious journalistic and human rights awards:

  • Dariusz Ficus Prize;

  • "Honor of Journalism" named after Ales Lipai;

  • Axel Springer Price (de);

  • "For Courage in Journalism";

  • Gerd Bucerius Prize "Free Press of Eastern Europe";

  • Prix ​​Europa (de).