Since the fall of 2020, when hundreds of Belarusians were imprisoned, queues have formed in post offices to send letters to jails and prisons.

People hope that if the letters are registered, there is a greater chance that they will reach the recipient.

Looking for beautiful envelopes, stamps, postcards.

They are very happy when they receive answers from prisons: they post letters on social networks, share them with friends.

But in the last six months, letters from both sides - both from prison and from prison to freedom - have stopped coming.

Olga writes in the Facebook community "Letters of Solidarity":

“It lasted for two months, and I have no strength left.

It just breaks when you open the mailbox and it's empty.

The last letters were from Marfa Rabkova in mid-February and from Siarhei Dziuba on March 8 (there was only congratulations, apparently, so they missed).

I really need a letter in the box (from the Interior Ministry, from the prosecutor or from the court - do not dig, checked).

I will be grateful if someone writes to me)).

I will also write to someone who suffers from an empty mailbox.

We continue to write to prisoners! ”

We talked to Belarusians who write a lot to familiar and unfamiliar political prisoners.

"I was struck by the courage of Masha Kolesnikova"

Elena even brought beautiful postcards from the Scandinavian countries in the "good times", she glued bright, distinctive envelopes from colored paper.

She sent the first postcards to Maria Kolesnikova as soon as she was imprisoned.

“I was impressed by Masha Kolesnikova's courage.

My postcards arrived, I received two short answers, and then a letter about her life in Zhodzina prison.

After a short time the correspondence with Maria stopped, once in a couple of months only short news from her broke through.

Maria herself rarely received mail, she received little from me, although I continued to write regularly.

Excerpt from a letter from Maria Kolesnikova

Correspondence resumed in August 2021, when the trial of Maria and Maxim Znak began, and lasted until the end of January, when she was transferred to the women's colony No. 4 in Gomel.

Since then, letters from Mary have not come at all.

According to my observations, this is a general trend in correspondence with all political prisoners.

It has stopped for me since the end of January. "

Elena and Maria discussed the books in their letters - they also read a novel by Bernhard Schlink, which was translated into Russian under the name "Reader" in the Valadarka pre-trial detention center.

“There is a film based on this book, Maria watched it, but she liked the book more than the movie.

But Schlink's collection of short stories is not so "gone".

I couldn't even read it.

I don't know if Maria read it.

Yet the correspondence even in the best of times was dotted, some letters still missing.

This is noticeable by the numbering of the letters, ”Alena concludes.

Elena's letters to political prisoners

She also wrote to other prisoners: she sent a postcard to Mikola Statkevich when he was serving his term for the events of 2020.

Then embarrassed to indicate the return address.

And this time the address was indicated, and Nikolai answered.

“My letters to Mikola reached me better than his.

The last letter from Nicholas I received in mid-February 2022.

He very touchingly places smileys in his letters.

For some reason I did not expect this from him.

Three of my correspondence friends have been released: Alla Sharko and Yulia Slutskaya from the Press Club and Volha Loika, whose columns I read on the country's main portal.

But Sharko, I always tried to send a beautiful postcard with a painting - I read that Alla loves art.

Alla sent me postcards, which she drew herself, and it was very nice, ”Alena recalls.

She also sent nice little things, such as sets of postcards.

Sometimes it was not possible to write regularly to everyone, and from this Elena strongly imitated:

“Even if you wrote to a person at least once, you already remember and think how your correspondence friend is.

I received three letters from Iryna Leushyna and Maryna Zolatava, and one each from Valeria Kastsyuhova and Ksenia Lutskina, ”Alena says.

“I photograph all my letters and keep the archive.

Whether it comes or not is the responsibility of other people. "

For many people, writing a letter, especially to a stranger or a stranger, is a big problem, because you do not always know the sphere of interests, hobbies.

In addition, there is censorship.

Elena gives the following tips:

“You can write, for example, memoirs.

About a case from the past, from childhood.

About what you find in common with the person you are writing to, about the impressions of the day, about what you want to share.

And to have something to share, you need to have time to live, read books, watch movies, meet friends, go out to play and watch nature.

To make my letter distinctive, I glued the envelopes myself with colored office paper or for children’s creativity, from the paper in which the gifts are wrapped.

Envelopes in which Elena sent letters to political prisoners

But now the mail for political prisoners is so bad that I would advise to save your material resources and not to invest in expensive materials.

The most important thing in correspondence is the letters themselves, their regularity, the words you write.

You can write a small sheet of ordinary ink on a sheet of notebook and put in a simple white envelope.

The main thing is that the letter or postcard was written.

I photograph all my letters and keep the archive.

Whether it comes or not is the responsibility of other people, ”Alena thinks.

Elena's letters to political prisoners

"Alexander Fyaduta asked me to become a" magpie "who brought him news"

Since the summer of 2021, Maria has regularly written letters to fellow journalists Marina Zolotava, Irina Levshina, Ksenia Lutskina and Alexander Fyadut.

In summer and autumn, correspondence was very regular: about 10 days later, for each letter or postcard written by Maria, from behind the bars came a reply from Irina, Marina, Alexander.

But letters from Ksenia Lutskina came intermittently.

The last letter from Marina Zolotava came in December, from Irina Levshina - in January, from Ksenia Lutskina and Alexander Fyaduta - in February.

Since then, Maria has not received any letters from the Empress.

Letters of Mary to political prisoners

“I tried to write neutral letters.

She wrote a lot about our profession, remembered her student years, joint journalistic trips.

Alyaksandr Fyaduta asked me to become a "magpie" who brought him news.

That's why I wrote about all my acquaintances: about Siarhei Vaganau, Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, Sviatlana Kalinkina, about the editorial office of "Narodnaya Volya".

And then we switched to the topic of cinema - Alexander is very experienced and educated in various fields.

They discussed interesting films they had watched before, the heroes of the Game of Thrones.

Colleagues wrote to me about how they spend their time behind bars.

Irina told what face masks they make than nails.

I learned from her that there, it turns out, you can dye your hair.

Ksenia Lutskina writes letters exclusively in Belarusian and ends each letter with the phrase "Everything will be fine" and a heart drawn with a red felt-tip pen.

When the letters arrived, their mood was normal.

Literature was discussed with Irina Levshina, she told what books she reads.

Then Ira Levshina learned that she was "sewn" an article about extremism, and although one of my colleagues said that she was depressed, but I did not feel it: the letters were cheerful, optimistic.

When I stopped receiving letters, I sent postcards to the prisoners with pictures and quotes of Victor Hugo, Leonardo da Vinci - wrote something like school essays.

And not so long ago I started sending telegrams, ”Maria says.

"Correspondence with parents and children was still allowed, but with friends and acquaintances it was simply blocked"

Many note that before the New Year correspondence with political prisoners was more or less normal.

After the New Year, letters from behind bars began to come less and less.

It seemed that correspondence with parents and children was still allowed, but with friends and acquaintances it was simply blocked, says Alexander, who writes regularly to twelve prisoners.

“I think this puts pressure on political prisoners.

My friends who found themselves in Valadarka wrote that the most difficult and long days behind bars are Saturday and Sunday, when no letters are brought at all.

Monday everyone is waiting for two reasons: letters are brought on this day, and there are usually more of them than on other days of the week.

In addition, the girls in Valadarka have a "bath day".

One of my friends, who has been there for almost a year, honestly admitted that she barely had time to take a shower on Monday, because she received several letters and she forgot about everything, hurried to answer each letter.

And she pointed out that she always answers to everyone: if there is no answer, it means that the letter did not reach her.

For four months my mailbox is empty, although I continue to send postcards to each of the 12 every week with hope, and suddenly at least someone will get it, ”Alyaksandr shares.

There were no letters from Dzyanis Ivashin for 239 days

Many political prisoners do not receive letters at all - it is a kind of revenge and torture, said the wife of political prisoner Denis Ivashin Olga.

Journalist Dzyanis Ivashin, who has been charged with treason, has been in jail for 426 days.

There have been no letters from him for 239 days, says Dzyanis's wife Volha.

“His parents and I have not received a single letter from Dzyanis for more than six months.

The last message from behind bars came a month after Denis handed it to the prison staff: it was a New Year's and Christmas card he had sent to my mother.

So far we can not find out exactly whether the so-called investigative body prohibits correspondence, or whether it is a mockery of the Hrodna prison administration - by its own decision or by order from above, because in their answers they contradict each other or simply do not respond.

Not civil servants, but some pets of the kindergarten, ”Volha Ivashina is indignant.

Letter to Denis Ivashin from Maria

Periodically, parcels sent by relatives and friends to the political prisoner are delayed and disappear, Volha continues.

“Recently, the parcel came back with the wording“ refusal ”, in the sense that it was refused.

By logic, it turns out that Denis himself refused, but he did not know about the parcel at all.

He was recently given some letters and postcards, which were sent in late January.

One of my letters and two letters from my parents were handed over.

Nothing is still coming from him, ”Volha Ivashina says.

The hunger strike is the only way to restore correspondence

Four criminal cases have been instituted against Alena Hnauk, a 65-year-old activist from Pruzhany.

In two of them she has already been sentenced to three years of home "chemistry".

Two more - allegedly for "discrediting the authorities" and "slandering Lukashenko."

The woman is being held in the Pruzhany pre-trial detention center.

Alena Hnauk's daughter Tatsiana Mazko said the other day that her mother had been on hunger strike for more than 10 days due to the fact that no one had received her letters.

“Also, the mother writes complaints to various authorities and cannot write anywhere.

She is not in the mood for that.

You know how she loves to write, and a lot of writing, how she loves talking to people.

And now she is in a vacuum.

And, perhaps, the hunger strike is the only way to fight to regain simple human capabilities, "- writes the daughter of Elena Gnavk.