Raman Bandarenka's Sister: Regime Goes Down

• 16.06.2022, 9:25

The example of Ukraine inspired Belarusians.

Volha Kucharenka, the cousin of Raman Bandarenka, who died at the hands of the Lukashists, told Salidarnastc about the investigation, the move, the future of Ukraine and the courage of Belarusians.

— Law enforcement authorities are still silent and pretend that it is impossible to establish any details of the death of Raman, as well as to find the perpetrators. So far, the family does not know anything about the investigation process, whether any of the witnesses were interviewed, or whether the suspects were identified.

There was absolutely no reaction to an independent investigation, where everything is indicated by the minute. They do not know whether any check was carried out on at least one of the persons indicated there.

— You said that Roman's mother, Elena Sergeevna, did receive Roman's belongings even a year later.

— So far, not everything has been returned. As far as I remember, they returned only his passport, his watch, 5 rubles and a phone charger, which turned out to be someone else’s, because he had a new iPhone, and they returned the old one without a block, just a wire.

In general, his belongings were stolen from the hospital, and the sheet with the inventory of these things was torn out from the report. They never gave Raman's clothes or his apartment keys.

— Does someone threaten your family members, mother, or maybe warn them about something?

— No. However, there is no guarantee that this will not happen in the future.

Everyone sees what is happening in the country now. Nevertheless, right after the death of Roman, when they didn’t give us his body for a long time, they came to work to my mother, who is Raman’s aunt, and said: “You must understand that if the funeral takes place on a weekday, this is one thing, but if on weekend is different".

Moreover, these were people from some kind of "city health department", an organization that had nothing to do with us or Raman.

— Did you expect so many people to react to Raman's death that it would literally become a trigger?

— We did not expect such a reaction. On the day of his death, I remember that I was driving late at night through the city and everywhere and along the roads, and at bus stops, and at houses, and in all the windows candles were burning. At first, I didn’t even understand that people were grieving with us like that. Then I read on the Telegram channels about the protests.

I was struck by the events of November 15 in the yard, when people were brutally beaten for carrying flowers. But they kept coming, and then they went to the funeral, although people were very scared. Then there was a lot of pride in Belarusians, that they are so brave.

— How does Elena Sergeevna, Roman's mother, feel?

— A huge number of smart Belarusians help her. Naturally, the family helps too. We do our best to support her. She is great, she is looking for some kind of interest in life in spite of everything, and does not give up.

Aunt Alena often goes to the cemetery and says that a lot of people come to Raman's grave. They carry flowers, and some souvenirs, memorabilia. No matter how hard the authorities try to intimidate everyone, to forbid thinking and understanding what is happening, they cannot.

It is important for our family that his name was not defamed and that he was not called "a drunkard and a brawler". It is important for us to preserve the truth about him as a person. And, of course, we want the guilty to be punished under the law.

— What is the reason for your leaving Belarus?

— I didn't leave because someone threatened me. My husband has been living and working abroad for a year and a half. My daughter and I came to visit him in Poland just on vacation. Then the war began, and we thought about staying for a while.

Finally, I slowly began to think about creativity again here. I am a designer, but after 2020 I had a forced pause: first there were protests, then the death of Raman. All this confused me.

Then we had not yet had time to recover, as this war began. However, I began to study the market, I see that I have prospects here.

— How do you feel about the events in Ukraine?

— We're worried, like all reasonable people. It is terrible both what Russia is doing and the fact that the official authorities of Belarus support this. I don’t know if they really understand that there will be consequences for this, it's for sure. Do those Belarusian officers and soldiers, whose potential participation in the war is constantly being talked about, understand this?

Of course, Ukraine will win, there is no doubt about that. But the shock was extremely strong. I have Ukrainian friends, I have Belarusian friends who fled to Ukraine after our events and then left it because of the war. In the early days, my friend lived with us for some time, he managed to escape from Irpin. All this is really terrible.

I am also very upset by the facts of discrimination against people on basis of nationality, I mean sentiments here in Europe. When in the early days Belarusians had to hide their cars so that they would not be crushed. When Russian-speaking children were offended at school.

Not all Ukrainians know that those Belarusians who are now in Europe are for Ukraine with all their heart. I really want them to understand this.

At the same time, I often meet people here who are aware of what is happening not only in Ukraine but also in Belarus. It happened just yesterday I was amazed when I got into a conversation with a taxi driver, he turned out to be an Uzbek. When he learned that I was Belarusian, he told me about the usurper Lukashenka, about the repressions against our people, and that Belarusians do not want to fight in Ukraine.

— Do you follow the events in Belarus?

— Certainly. I see some low revenge of a small group of individuals to all the people in the current developments. I think they did it out of the hopelessness of the situation made by themselves.

They pass these laws and continue the repressions: all this, of course, oppresses people, but at the same time aggravates the position of the authorities even more. They just bury themselves deeper and deeper.

— How do you assess the events of 2020 today? Some people reproach us for not being able to “press till the end”.

— I believe that everyone has their own way, their own mind. Belarusians respect human life very much. Yes, we continue to suffer from repressions, but at the same time, we did not have so many victims.

It seems to me that if we showed some kind of armed aggression, there would be many more victims, and it is possible that a civil war would begin. However, Belarusians did not have this goal, we just wanted to show that we do not agree with the results of the elections and that we are in the majority.

I think it was right not to take up arms. In general, there is no step-by-step instruction on how you could and should have done it.

— After these almost two years, what do you think, are we moving away from the point of a bright future that everyone dreams of, or getting closer?

— I think we are getting closer. Just a workaround now. Our future is now greatly influenced by external circumstances with the events in Ukraine.

I don't know if the regime in Russia will fall before Belarus, how long it will hold out and help the Belarusian regime stay in power or not. But it is obvious that they are all falling, and we are rising.

It cannot be any other way. I am generally an optimist and did not believe for a single minute that we would not succeed. I really believe in the Belarusian people and their potential.

— Does Belarus depend on the events taking place in Ukraine?

— Obviously, we are the closest neighbours, and we depend on each other. Of course, much, but not all, depends on the victory of Ukraine. I think that the future of Belarus will not be decided by anyone but ourselves. Neither Europe nor the USA, no one else will serve victory on a silver platter for us.

Still, I am convinced that the example of Ukraine inspired us a lot, and I admit that if the circumstances are such that Belarusians have to take up arms, it will be, first of all, to protect themselves and their children.