“It’s a long process from a dictatorship to freedom”

“Like a shield that saved my life”

“I was two and a half years completely isolated in my cell. “I had no contact with my family and wasn’t even allowed to receive letters,” said Kalesnikava, who was in the federal capital at the invitation of the “Forum Journalism and Media” and the Erste Foundation. She was allowed to read books, which she did extensively: from Shakespeare to Goethe to Hannah Arendt and George RR Martin (Game of Thrones). Unfortunately, she was forbidden to make music. “Five years without an instrument is very difficult for me,” said the artist, “but the music was in my head, it was like a shield that saved my life.”

This took a dramatic turn in 2020. The woman in her late thirties was training together at the time Swetlana Zichanouskaja and Veronika Zepkala a trio of women who stood up to Lukashenko as the head of the democracy movement. He left them Crushing protests and pursue the leaders. Kalesnikava was to be deported to neighboring Ukraine. To prevent this, she tore up her passport. After one Show trial The flautist, who trained in Stuttgart among other places, was sentenced to eleven years in prison in 2021.

But she wasn’t bitter, she said in Vienna. And when asked why she took the dangerous step from a musician to a politician, the woman, who usually has a smile on her face, said: “Freedom is written into the DNA of us artists” and if freedom is threatened, “we can don’t stay silent“. In general, Kalesnikava said that at this year’s Salzburg Festival will give the opening speech: “We have European values ​​and the European culture“ – it applies to both protect.

Of the EU The passionate fighter for freedom, democracy and human rights expects a readjustment of policy towards Lukashenko. “It’s not about “normalization”, but Brussels is currently “no strategy” opposite Belarus. This needs to be developed urgently. Currently there is “only the language of sanctions; we should use more of them again Use diplomacy“, demands the award-winning activist, who received the Sakharov and Charlemagne Prizes, among others.

In this context she referred to her own fate. “Six months ago, no one thought that I could be released. But it happened – as a result of difficult negotiations (between Minsk and Washington; note).” That’s why she remains optimistic. “It’s a long process from a dictatorship to freedom. This doesn’t happen overnight. But the day will come.”