At Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivered a public lecture titled “From Prison Cells to Battlefields: Belarusians and Ukrainians Against the ‘Russian World’”. The discussion was moderated by renowned Australian journalist and university rector Beverley O’Connor, who emphasized the university’s readiness to welcome Belarusian researchers and students in technological and engineering fields. The event gathered around 280 attendees.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya’s remarks touched on the topic of Belarusian resistance to dictatorship and Russian pressure, among other issues:
“Caught between the West and the East, the EU and Russia, Belarus has always stood on the frontlines – between democracy and tyranny, at the center of wars and constant clashes of civilizations. ‘Bloodlands’ – that’s how Timothy Snyder described Belarus. For Putin, Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova are all ‘bad children’, disobedient nations that must be punished and brought back. And Putin wants to see Ukraine today as he sees Belarus – weak, controlled, obedient. Never before has the question of geopolitical choice been as acute as it is now”.
She also reflected on the life skills that prepare one for politics:
“People often ask me: ‘What prepared you most for politics?’ And I always answer – raising two children. Through raising your children, you learn how to negotiate, manage crises, and even how to survive when you get very little sleep”.
