I'm 34 years old and although my profession is history teacher, I work as a freelance journalist for various independent Belarusian mass media (Belsat, Novy Chas, Greenbelarus.info etc.). I cover different topics including politics, regular life of people here, culture and so on. I'm not only writing texts, I also work for the Belarusian-polish independent Belsat TV channel, since 2014.

 

For my professional work I have had to face various repressions by the political regime of Lukashenka. In 2017 I had to face the court 4 times, I had to pay a total of 1600 USD in fines and had to spend 3 days in prison.

 

After the presidential elections in 2020 I had to face the court 3 times and had to sit in prison for at total of 35 days. The repressions also include being kidnapped two times, being besieged in my own house for 3 days and other forms of pressure at the police station, in prison and by the pro-governmental mass media.

 

The repressions continue in various ways. On the 16th of February the house of my father was searched by the investigative committee. The reason was my activity, although I have not lived in my fathers house since 2010. They took away 2 pc's, 2 mobile phones, one tablet and an electronic book - things belonging to my father, who is a retired, but still working high qualified cardiologist and to my younger brother who has serious problems with his mental health. But in Belarus your whole family has to suffer if the government wants to supress you - nothing has changed here since the Soviet union.

 

But despite all, I'm a young man with a funny red beard and moustache. Some people say I look like a viking and that I look Scandinavian. 

 

I have a good sense of humour, like to sing and play my electric guitar. When it's warm, jogging and riding a bike is something I really like to do. I read a lot of non-fictional books and really like social networks. I even have my own videoblog where I cover different topics of local city development and of problems my hometown has.

 

I'm active in several NGO:s for more then 10 years. We focus on managing projects in culture management, city development and on local communities with their problems.

 

Everything has it's price in life, so all that activity doesn't definitely guarantee you're happy and satisfied with yourself. I'm still a widower. And the radical changes of 2020 in Belarus even lead to a breakup with my girldfriend that I'm still trying to overcome.

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