"The warders said:" You will die here "

The story of Sergei Tikhanovsky, who gave five years for a dream of a "country for life"

The Belarusian blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky spent five years in prison as a personal enemy Alexander Lukashenko - and contrary to all expectations was released. The case is unprecedented, including thanks to the rare backstage dialogue of Minsk and Washington. We tell how the fate of a man who believed in himself and the truth in Belarus has developed.

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Shortly before this was the reason for an almost lifelong sentence, Sergei Tikhanovsky mastered the profession of a blogger from Gomel. Although before that he organized concerts, owned night clubs, communication salons, a video studio. Married, two children ... To the forty with a tail of the desire for changes and questions that I wanted to get answers, so much has accumulated that in 2019 I created a “country for life” YouTube channel and went on his minibus by regions: showed rotten pipes, broken roads, found deceived equity holders and recorded a vocabulary of despair of desperation of ordinary people. He discussed their problems and openly criticized the power. He said: "Here, look, Belarus." And showed. At that time, Lukashenko has been permanently ruled the country for a quarter of a century.

In his "folk" plots, Tikhanovsky kept a microphone like a soldering iron. So confident that even grannies in the village to the question “What do you think about Lukashenko?”, Catching as if comrade major was quiet for the nearest birch, they answered what they were thinking. Tikhanovsky managed to become “his own”, and not “from the TV”.

The channel quickly gained more than 100 thousand subscribers and became one of the largest independent platforms in the Belarusian YouTube segment. The regime did not like it very much. This became obvious when the traffic police officers endlessly stop the traffic police, and the blogger himself for any reason to close for a day.

"Stop, cockroach!" - The blogger goes to the presidency

In the spring of 2020, after the next detention, Tikhanovsky said through YouTube: "I'm going to the presidency." At that time, few believed that the elections in this country could change something.

Sergei came up with a new nickname for Lukashenko - a cockroach, based on a children's fairy tale, and brought his supporters with slippers to the pickets. “Slam the cockroach” became a daring slogan of awakening Belarus. Tikhanovsky himself appeared on the pickets of his team in a branded cap and a mask with the inscription "Country for Life".

In that year, at the stage of submitting documents for the registration of initiative groups, the number of applicants for candidates was an unprecedented in the history of independent Belarus - 55 people. Lukashenko “nervous” and began to act as used to it.

On May 6, 2020, literally the next day after the application, riot police pulled Tikhanovsky out of the car right on the road-formally for serving old administrative arrest. For example, for supposedly “unauthorized meetings” with subscribers. And so - several times in a row of 15 days.

This should have prevented him from registering an initiative group in time. But by proxy, the registration documents were submitted by his wife Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. That's just the Central Election Commission did not have the personal signature of Tikhanovsky. And then, an hour before the expiration of the term, Tikhanovskaya submitted documents for registration of her own initiative group. When Sergey was released, he immediately actively joined the election campaign.

A few days later, during a conversation with the employees of the Minsk Tractor Plant, Lukashenko attacked the Tikhanovsky family. Sergei himself publicly called "sheludy." He also did not keep silent about Svetlana: “He understands that no one will vote for her in Belarus ... Our constitution is not for a woman. And our society did not ripen in order to vote for a woman. "

On the evening of May 29, 2020, Sergei Tikhanovsky was on a picket to collect signatures in Grodno. He talked with Belarusians, gave media comments, many were photographed with a famous slipper, which was symbolically crushed by a “cockroach”.

Soon, two women in medical masks began to cling to Tikhanovsky - as it later turned out, recruited provocatives with the task “Create a precedent”. A minute later, policemen appeared in the crowd of Supporters of Tikhanovsky. The crush began, one of the policemen suddenly ended up on the asphalt, and now, after a couple of minutes, Sergey Tikhanovsky and his operator rudely delayed riot police.

The next day, the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that a criminal case was opened against a blogger on the fact of violence against employees of the internal affairs bodies. Both policemen allegedly were injured in various severity.

But that was only the beginning. The regime rushed to smash everything related to the objectionable. After a couple of days, during the search, the security forces “found” the bags with 900 thousand dollars in the Tikhanovsky family dacha.

Personal enemy

A month after the detention, Lukashenko admitted that the reason for the detention of Tikhanovsky was his personal order to eliminate the opponent, and not some attack on the police: “Yes, I gave a signal with Tikhalovsky. Did I do something wrong? I worried about my country, for which I am still responsible. And I will always answer - in any quality. ”

The next five years, Tikhanovsky will not come out to freedom. Criminal cases will pour on him one after another.

That's just his detention did not demoralize his detention, but even more increased the degree of discontent. Supporters Lukashenko did not understand their mistakes then. They did not pay due attention to the “housewife”, who suddenly united all supporters of non -possessed candidates around him and became the leader of the opposition.

After the elections on August 9, 2020, the CEC of Belarus, by tradition, declared Lukashenko winner, for whom 80.1% of voters allegedly voted. Tikhanovskaya poured 10.1% of the vote for the species. The opposition and independent observers announced mass falsifications. Svetlana refused to recognize the results of the elections. An unprecedented protests of hundreds of thousands of citizens requiring honest elections broke out throughout the country.

And then Tikhanovskaya also decided to break. Under pressure, they forced to leave for Lithuania. But here they lost. The protests did not silent. Thousands of Belarusians were detained and beaten, a wave of political repressions against activists, independent media and opposition leaders began.

Century without will

The summer of 2020, Tikhanovsky met in the "American" - the KGB prison. As Belarus woke up, he heard through the walls.

In the midst of protests, in the fall of 2020, Lukashenko even came to a meeting with several prisoners of opposition (including Tikhalovsky) to discuss possible “reforms” - apparently, in order to extinguish the protest movement. After that meeting, two prisoners were suddenly released, but not Sergey.

The investigation in the "case of Tikhanovsky" lasted more than a year. Judged behind closed doors. Witnesses were not allowed, guilty evidence was built on the testimony of provocateurs.

Tikhanovsky was accused of organizing all protest events in 2020: “Organization of mass riots”, “inciting social enmity” (against representatives of power and police), “obstructing the work of the central election commission” and “organizing group actions that were grossly violating public order” ... But in fact, they dared to challenge Lukashenko and inspired tens of thousands of people to demand honest people elections. The Investigative Committee stated that under the guise of the “Country for Life” blog, Tikhanovsky allegedly prepared a “street war”, using the psychological influence and bribery of activists.

Together with Tikhanovsky, five more people were judged: the famous opposition policy Nikolai Statkevich, blogger Igor Losik, Vladimir Tsyganovich, Artem Sakov and the moderator of social networks Dmitry Popov. All of them collaborated with the "country for life." For everyone, the prosecutor's office requested huge terms of imprisonment - from 14 to 16 years to everyone.

The Tikhanovsky was given 18 years in a colony of intensified regime - a term comparable to lifelong. In total, six defendants in the “Tikhanovsky affairs” received 94 years of imprisonment for all - almost a century.

Five years of loners: torture and hope

From the pre -trial detention center of the KGB of Tikhanovsky, he was transported to the investigative prison in Zhodino, then to the colony. The conditions were created everywhere as cruel as possible. But even behind bars, the blogger was a problem for the regime - neither to bite, nor intimidate, nor “re -educate” him. As a result, already in conclusion, Tikhanovsky was repeatedly convicted for another 1.5 years under Art. 411 h. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus - for "malicious disobedience to the requirements of the colony administration." An additional period that they decided to finish.

By a court decision, he was transferred to a prison regime for a period of 3 years, which implies constant content in chamber isolation.

“Letters, calls, lawyers are nothing,” Sergey recalls . For years he was forbidden to buy even soap or toothbrush - hygiene trifles could only be obtained in the form of a handout from guards every few months. Of the clothes - a prison robe with a yellow patch "prone to extremism." The book is a luxury: there was no radio, no television, no allowed newspapers in the Tikhanovsky cell. Not even the priest was allowed.

Due to the constant cold, kidney problems began; The teeth began to collapse. “Cleaning - four times a day: twice an hour, twice half an hour. Do not tear all the time - send to a schizo. Everything shines there, and they come and seek a dust dust. This is a nightmare. Is this not torture? " - Sergey recalls the camp orders. The overseers said :

“You will stay here not only those 20 years that we have already given you. We will condemn you again. You will never get out of here. You will die here. "

Since March 2023, the connection with Tikhanovsky was completely interrupted: relatives did not receive any news from him.

A deal or diplomacy?

In August 2024, against the backdrop of a new geopolitical reality (war in Ukraine, Lukashenko’s isolation due to sanctions) around the name of Tikhanovsky began to walk rumors. The regime suddenly spoke about the possibility of pardon. As Sergei himself said, the assistant prosecutor general came to him and hinted: “If you write a petition for pardon, the issue is solved.” Refused.

By the end of 2024, selective pardons began in Belarus: the regime periodically released small groups of political prisoners, trying to portray a defamed “humanity”. Nevertheless, the most famous opponents, including Tikhanovsky, stubbornly kept locked up, using them as an “exchange fund” for trading with the West. Up to a special occasion when the chance of bargaining with the United States turned up.

At the beginning of 2025, after Donald Trump entered the post of President, the Cupuluant negotiations began between the Minsk and the White House. And in February, Belarus was secretly visited by Christopher Smith, deputy assistant to the US Secretary of State - and this was the first high -ranking American diplomat in Minsk over the past 5 years.

According to The New York Times, Smith's visit took place the day after Trump’s telephone conversation with Putin, which hinted at the new US tactics in the region. During that trip, the American delegation met with Lukashenko and the head of the KGB of Belarus Ivan Teretel. The result was the first small deal: in one of the villages on the border with Lithuania, the KGB handed over three prisoners to the Americans.

The negotiations continued. According to sources,

Washington considered the mitigation of sanctions against Belarus - in particular, unlocking the operations of some Belarusian banks and resolving export of potassium fertilizers in exchange for the release of the remaining political prisoners. Lukashenko was convinced: you can achieve economic concessions in exchange for hostages.

The arrival of the Kita Keellog Special Supervisor on June 21, 2025 became the final stage of the transaction. As soon as Kellogi met with Lukashenko, literally on the same day, 14 political prisoners were released, including Sergei Tikhanovsky. The prisoners were taken out directly from prisons, put on them bags on their heads, delivered to the Lithuanian border under enhanced security and handed over to the US and Lithuania to representatives.

Soon, a touching video appeared in the telegram channel of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya how she hugs her husband.

The news of the liberation of Tikhanovsky made the effect of an exploding bomb in Belarusian society. Many did not believe their ears. People cried, recognizing in the evening of June 21, that Sergey and another 13 political prisoners suddenly were released. Propaganda at that time stated that the decision to liberate the Tikhanovsky “was made exclusively for humane reasons, in order to reunite the family,” and that Lukashenko did it at the personal request of Donald Trump.

For the first time, the regime released such a large figure of the Belarusian opposition. At the same time, some iconic prisoners did not get on the final list - for example, journalist Andrzej Pomiobut and blogger Igor Losik remained in prison. Lukashenko left them as a “reserve” for further pressure: the pipe - to blackmail Poland, the elk - as a lever of influence on the United States (given the connection of the moose with the “Radio Liberty”).

"I am your dad"

June 22, 2025, Vilnius, press center of the Tikhanovskaya office. Before dozens of television cameras, he appears - Sergey Tikhanovsky, alive and free. It seemed impossible yesterday. “I just do not believe it so far,” Sergey says to reporters.

The appearance of Sergei in public after five years of imprisonment shocked many. In 2020, he was remembered by tall, strong, broad-shouldered, very energetic and even daring. Now, in front of the camera sat an exhausted, twice an emaciated man with a skull cut under a typewriter, deepened wrinkles, bald patches.

The photo with the press conference shows how the cheekbones stuck out unnaturally and cheeks fell, exposing the skeleton of the face ... how eyes failed. He speaks quietly, sometimes hoarse - the consequences of prison diseases, malnutrition, constant cold in cold chambers. To restore health at least partially, he will need a serious medical examination and treatment.

Everyone is silent in the hall, listening to every word. Sergei tries to stay cheerful, jokes that “he has already forgotten how to keep a microphone,” and the hall laughs with him. But as soon as he talks about the family, the blogger's voice begins to tremble.

"The wife says [daughter]:" This is your dad. " She rushes at me - and we are both in tears ... "

He says in a trembling voice. He can no longer, covers his face with his hands and cries.

Svetlana is nearby, helps Sergey to finish the thought: “In fact, the daughter did not recognize dad. We see how political prisoners are changing in prisons (Sergey is no exception). He had to say: “I am your dad,” so that she understood that he was actually. ”

Sergey is trying to speak, but in the throat of com. He cannot hold back tears, recalling the experienced. This frame will fly around the whole world: a strong man, who served almost five years in prison, sobs, buried in a scarf. And this is not a weakness, this is a person who was sophisticated tortured Lukashenko's regime.

“Lukashenko is a schmuck,” Sergey throws from the stage, repeating this insult several times. The epithet is rude, unprintable, but applause sounded in the hall - a person whom the regime tried to break in silence is no longer obliged to select expressions.

Live and strong

Two days after the liberation of Sergei Tikhanovsky, the world leaders vying to welcomed his return. The world seemed to exhale with relief.

But Lukashenko, having released one “personal enemy”, is clearly not going to dismantle his dictatorship. Many noted that of all the possible symbols of protest, he chose to release Tikhanovsky, while, for example, Viktor Babariko, also a contender for the presidency - left in prison. Why?

There are several opinions. Some believe that this is what Lukashenko demonstrates: the “exchange fund” is not exhausted - for subsequent political or diplomatic steps. Others - that Lukashenko tried to play on the split of the opposition: having freed the “Tikhanovskaya’s husband”, he probably hoped to cause tension among the democrats in exile, pushing potential leaders. Even before the liberation, the colony administration tried to set up Sergey against his wife: “They convinced that the office [Tikhanovskaya] was stealing, and not only ...” he told reporters.

But reality showed something else. Once in the wild, Tikhanovsky said:

"The leader of the Belarusian opposition is Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, my wife, and I'm not going to claim anything."

Он заверил, что доверяет команде жены и не собирается занимать никакие «должности» или посты в политических структурах. Его роль, скорее, будет самостоятельной: общественный деятель, журналист, символ перемен.

Вопрос, который сейчас задают многие: как долго Сергею Тихановскому понадобится восстанавливать силы после пережитого ада? Медики говорят, что однозначного ответа нет — все зависит от организма и психологического состояния конкретного человека. Кто-то адаптируется за несколько месяцев, кто-то годами приходит в себя. Важна не столько продолжительность заключения, сколько интенсивность травмирующих событий. В случае Тихановского условия были одними из худших, какие только можно вообразить: полная изоляция, давление, безвестность, угроза жизни. Это, несомненно, тяжелый случай, и его реабилитация может занять немало времени.

Но вот что уже точно очевидно: имя Тихановского вписано в новейшую историю Беларуси. Из провинциального блогера он превратился в народного лидера, которого режим так боялся, что спрятал на годы в тюрьме. И вот теперь он снова на свободе — живой и сильный.