Nadia: They were real monsters. Outside, the dog was attached to a tree. They left the animal like that. They knew the dog would not be able to drink or to eat if he remained attached. Only the day afterwards, the neighbors came and gave the dog water and food. Vova: Afterwards, we realized that they broke into our phones. They knew everything about us. They had read all our text messages.They knew that all the participants in the protest marches would be there that evening, which is why they decided to arrest us there. This is not a very good way to celebrate your birthday.We do not recommend it. You got two years of prison for attacking the police with bagpipes. When you were convicted, it started an international solidarity movement. This is where I first became aware of your story. Bands as Corvus Corax and Faun were protesting against your arrest. A lot of other bands joined in the protest. There was an action where musicians covered the song ‘Peremen’, that you played at the protests. Were you aware of this protest movement while you were in prison? Nadia: Yes, we got some information, and it cheered us up very much.You know,we didn’t see the sun in the first seven months of prison. It is a place where you do not have sun or fresh air.You just sit there in darkness. It’s very lonely.To get small messages that something is going on... It gives you so much warmth. You are smiling in this dreadful place.We are very grateful for it. It gave us power to survive, especially in these very hard first seven months. You were released in April 2023. Did you immediately decide to continue with Irdorath? Nadia: We did not think about this. After we were released, we were under huge pressure from the police.They came to our house at night. They took our phones to install their spy programs.They called us to their post and so on.Again, they were rude. We were under such a pressure that it was not about what we would do.We were in chock after everything. They forbade us to leave the country until August 2025, which was illegal. That is something they sometimes do to people with depts, but for us, there was no reason why. We understood that this would not lead us to something good. If they can come to your flat whenever they want, you will not feel protected.So we decided that we had to escape. At the beginning of June 2023, we crossed the border with the EU with the help of some very good people who were part of the BYSOL Foundation. They helped us, and we escaped. We are very grateful to them and to Libereco for their help.They work in different countries. Vova: To come back to your question, about how we decided to continue or not … They sent us to a labor camp, a colony. It’s a real prison where you have to work. There, we could communicate by writing letters. They allowed us to - 15 - communicate, because it’s in the law. As husband and wife, we had the right to communicate.We sent each other paper letters.Theywere reviewed by two censors,one frommy side and one from her side.Anyway,we found a way to do this. We knew that if we would survive, and when we would be in a safe place,we would continue to make art.We didn’t know what kind of art it would be.After prison, it’s hard to saywhat you will do. But either way, it would be Irdorath. Nadia: I would say it’s not a correct question about when we decided to continue Irdorath, because we did not stop. Vova: Yes, Nadia wrote lyrics and composed melodies for a new album while we were in the labor camp. I spent some time on making new designs. Nadia: If you see this bird, that we use for the solidarity movement (points at her t-shirt) … It was drawn by Vova on the cover of a letter.Vova creates our visual part,and I create our audio part.We did not stop, but we were just not able to leave this place. […] s there anything else you want to mention? Nadia: What is going on right nowwith political prisoners in Belarus is making us crazy. The Belarusian dictator Lukashenko has announced that he will release at least some deeply ill people, including people with cancer. Yesterday, they released some people.We check it every hour, you know. We know several names. It seems they released some people we know. But it’s nothing. One of them is a really old man. I personally know such heavy stories. People are in such bad conditions,physically.One woman lost the ability to walk.Me and another women brought her to the hospital on a blanket. That was one and a half years ago, and she is still there. Another girl had brain cancer and an operation before going to jail. She certainly needs special treatment now. Everyday, she took painkillers, not with pills but with injections. She is still there. We are doing the best we can to bring people positive energy and to represent this story. But so far, people are still there in prison.And we continue to suffer.The biggest part of our soul will suffer with them.It is a hard time for us,because we really feel like we are still there,with them.We are a part of them. Vova: My message, I would say, is that if this interview reaches someone with economical or political power, or someone with other ideas on how to release Belarusian political prisoners – it’s time to do it. Their life is more valuable than any money and any principles. It’s not about political views anymore. It is about the lives and health of simple, good people. Nadia: These are people who are against evil, and they are suffering.We just would like somebody to help us so much. Xavier KRUTH (Read the complete interview on www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be) www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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