"The policemen said: 'You've had enough'"

- Tell us as much as you can about yourself.

- My name is Eugene.

My call sign is "Salam".

I come from Baranavichy.

In Belarus, I was an activist of the anarchist movement, and I remain in it now.

In October 2020, he left Belarus due to repression, he lived in Poland before the war.

Worked in many places, but nothing interesting there.

Volunteer in several human rights organizations - "Vyasne", Human Constanta.

- What was 2020 like for you?

- At the very beginning of the presidential campaign, it was already clear that it would not be similar to the previous ones.

This was evident at least from the queues that formed to sign up for the candidates.

Naturally, I did not support any of the candidates, but I could not pass by.

I participated in all protest actions even before the elections.

I used to organize concerts in Baranavichy, so my friends and I had musical equipment.

As a result, I myself contacted the Baranovichi joint headquarters, found out that they did not have any equipment, offered mine, but with the only condition - the possibility of a free microphone.

As a result, I would put on the speakers, connect the microphone and sometimes perform myself.

Eugene Zhuravsky

After the arrival of Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya in our city, the next day we held an anarchist unauthorized action.

If I'm not mistaken, it was the 4th of August.

As a result, people in civilian clothes came to my place of residence in Minsk.

It is clear from which bodies.

For several days I hid with friends.

On August 9, my friend and I were unlucky, we took a not very good position for gathering, we were detained.

We were among the very first detainees, so we did not particularly encounter violence, the whole "gesture" started later.

Only when they were getting into the bus, one of the police officers blew a handgun.

To this day, I don't know if it was purposeful or if someone did it out of stupidity.

I bet that the level of their intelligence is not high enough to understand that it is better not to pee in a closed space.

- "Days" were given to you?

- Yes, I had a fun conversation waiting for me at the Baranovitsky Police Department.

Gebeshniks also tried to talk with us, I refused to do so.

As a result, I got 15 days, which is the longest term for detainees in those days.

I left a week later - due to the pressure of the protesters.

It was such a small victory.

We left on Sunday evening, and on Monday we went to our first event.

From August 16 to 23, all days were spent in such a format that in the morning you go to an enterprise that is on strike, then organize an action with a technician under the city executive committee.

At one of the Sunday rallies, uniformed police officers approached me and my friend.

They called our names and said that we have had enough, liberalization is over, go to rest.

From that moment on, I didn't sleep or live at home anymore: a car with people in civilian clothes was waiting for me at the entrance.

They began to detain Baranovit anarchists;

these were still fines.

I have been in Minsk since then: until October 16, when I left the country.

A few days before that, a "Molotov cocktail" was allegedly thrown at the Baranovitsky prosecutor's office.

It is still unclear whether someone actually threw it.

Anarchists were the first to be approached in this matter.

My mother's house was searched, equipment was confiscated.

Acquaintances were summoned for questioning, they were very interested in me.

It was clear that they wanted to blame me for organizing protests and arson.

I had no illusions that I could prove my right and innocence in Belarus, so I decided to leave for a while.

I was thinking of returning when the situation normalizes.

Eugene Zhuravsky

"It is impossible to negotiate with anarchists"

- How long have you been in the anarchist movement?

— I started positioning myself as an anarchist sometime in 2007.

I became a part of a movement in 2009, contacted comrades from other cities.

Anarchism, in my opinion, provides the only adequate answers to the questions of how we should live in a society where no one will oppress others, and everyone will be equal and close to happiness.

I grew up in a family with a communist tradition, but I could not agree with it for a simple reason.

They talk a lot about equality, but forget about freedom.

Your individuality recedes into the background, and the main thing becomes society, class.

And some liberal values ​​forget about collectivity, and the main thing is the individual.

Hence we have people who sacrifice their fortunes and health for their well-being.

Anarchism tries to resolve this contradiction between personal and public, to find a concept of society,

where people will live harmoniously and freely.

Yes, it is difficult to do, but you have to strive for it.

- Are any of your friends from the anarchist movement now in prison?

- Of course.

My good comrades were involved in the "Ramen" case (closed trial of four anarchists in the spring of 2022 in Belarus. - RS).

We worked together with Alexander Bealov.

I am familiar with Dubovsky and Dyadko.

You can even say that we were friends with Mikola Dzyadko.

Dubovsky is one of the first anarchists I met outside of Baranavichy.

Acquaintance with some of the participants in the "Revolutionary Action" case (the case with ten defendants, among whom were also anarchists; the trial took place in Belarus in the summer of 2022. - RS).

Unfortunately, many of my friends are in prisons.

- Why are the authorities so purposefully destroying the anarchist movement?

- It started before 2010.

It was the period of prosperity of Belarusian anarchism.

Anarchists held mass street actions, large festivals, and many educational projects.

Some of the anarchists moved to more radical actions.

The main problem for the state was that it was impossible to come to an agreement with us.

In some parties, you can come to an agreement with the leader, but here it will not work: there is no one to press on.

One cannot hope that the anarchists will stop acting if Alinevich is put on probation.

In order for the anarchists to stop acting, it is necessary to imprison them all.

But this is quite a difficult task.

"This is a historic opportunity to get rid of the Moscow yoke"

- Why did you go to war in Ukraine?

- Back in 2014, I was thinking of going here, but I was young and I was looking for some excuses.

It was clear to me a long time ago that war with Russia was inevitable.

Modern Russia pursues an imperialist policy, and if Belarus tried to get out of this influence, it would have to face the Russian army.

2014 in Ukraine confirmed all this.

I came to Ukraine this year, because Russia's victory in this war forever closes the prospect of returning to Belarus.

For Belarusians, this is a historic opportunity to break free from the Moscow yoke, overthrow the dictatorship and build a free and democratic society.

I also perfectly understand that the "Russian peace" brings violence and pain.

Unfortunately, the majority of anarchists ignored the events of 2014, there were not many anarchists who fought.

Now the anarchists were able to organize only one large detachment,

which fell apart into several groups due to the military bureaucracy and the inadequacy of the new combat team.

The war now is work for future personnel.

Ahead of us, perhaps, is a war on the territory of Russia to suppress this imperial contagion.

And also the war on the territory of Belarus, and it is important what place anarchists will occupy in this future world without the Kremlin and Lukashenka's dictatorship.

- Does it not stop you that many right-wing people are fighting for Ukraine?

In Kalinowski's regiment, there are also more rightists.

- I know that there were anarchists and leftists who refused to take part in the Maidan because there were nationalists there.

As a result, these people became political outsiders.

Nazis breathe air, this is no reason for us not to breathe.

It was not a problem for me, I understood that there are many right-wing people here.

It seems to me that we, anarchists, have two options: to say that there are many people with unacceptable beliefs for us and we will not sit in the same trench with them, and because of this we will lose opportunities for the future of our project in the region for many years.

Or to make some compromises for the sake of future victories.

Today there is a war for survival.

I cannot say that I have revised my beliefs.

I did not share nationalist and far-right views, and I do not share them, and it is unlikely that I will ever be able to accept and understand them.

But I know that among the nationalists there are enough people with whom you can temporarily have common affairs.

Of course, there are completely crazy people with whom I would not want to sit even in the same trench, but now there are no such people around.

- Are there many anarchists in Kalinowski's regiment?

- I can't say that there are many, but they are there.

Both members of the movement and people who were not involved in activism.

I was pleasantly surprised when I met new people who were close in outlook.

"War is hell"

- Where does your call sign "Salam" come from?

- I came up with it myself when I was in Poland.

From the Arabic language "Salam" means "peace".

It may sound a little funny, but I am fighting for peace.

- What is the perception of Belarusians in Ukraine now?

- I can't say that it is changing.

I didn't come across any birativa.

Naturally, when the Belarusian passport fell into the hands of military personnel at black-posts in April or May, their faces changed.

When I answered that I had come to fight, they thanked me for it.

I heard some unpleasant stories (related to Belarusians in Ukraine. - RS), but this did not happen to me directly.

The attitude changes when rockets are launched from Belarus and the Ukrainian media talk about it.

- What is the most unpleasant thing about war?

- Everything is terribly unpleasant here.

We recently had a farewell to a fallen fighter.

This is the second funeral I have seen in the last few months.

War is hell.

Everything related to her is horror.

- What is the most pleasant thing about war?

- I can't name something pleasant.

There are moments when people you have not seen for a long time return alive from combat missions.

But all the same, some horror is happening around.

I understand that a rocket can fly at any moment, even if you are in Kiev.

You are constantly under stress, ready to grab your backpack and run somewhere.

It's hard to find something nice.

- What is your attitude towards death?

- A bullet in the forehead, then a bullet in the forehead.

Of course, it will be terrible to die, but it is not a pity to die for a good cause.

- As a result of this war, is there a chance for the liberation of Belarus?

- I said above that all these events are a great historical chance for Belarusians, Ukrainians, and the peoples of Russia.

I am sure that there is such a chance.

The direct participation of Lukashenka's regime in this war will increase the possibility of a quick liberation of Belarus.

We will win here anyway;

the question is in what condition will Belarus be left to us.

The tribunal will wait for Lukashenka.

Naturally, many of them will die in the war.

And those who survive must appear before the tribunal.

I am not a supporter of the death penalty, but the final death sentences should be given to these people.