On October 25, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in Igrzyska Wolności (Games of Freedom) in Łódź. The festival of ideas is organized by the Polish Liberté! Foundation. It brings together politicians, journalists, researchers, and cultural figures to discuss democracy and the future of society.
In a discussion with journalist Agnieszka Lichnerowicz and festival attendees, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya spoke about the release of political prisoners, support for Belarusians, and relations with Poland. She stressed that the release of prisoners must be accompanied by an end to repression: new arrests cannot be used as a way to secure further concessions. The discussion addressed Belarus’s independence and its role in regional security.
The participants also discussed the everyday challenges Belarusians face in Poland, including difficulties with documents and bank accounts, as well as the preservation of Belarusian culture.
The conversation turned personal when Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke about what she had learned during six years in politics and recalled one of her first international meetings:
“Those six years were definitely like a university for me, and I had to learn politics from scratch. Perhaps I was lucky because I had the best teachers in the world. My teachers were presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers, and the best diplomats. And, you know, I realized that all politicians are ordinary people, too.
I remember meeting Prime Minister Tusk for the first time — he wasn’t prime minister at the time. I met him at the European People’s Party office, and he was so kind and approachable! I was so nervous back then; I didn’t know how to behave. Politics was a completely unfamiliar world. I was simply thrown into the ocean and told, ‘Swim’. And I remember Donald Tusk’s kindness, which inspired me to become more confident”.
