Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivered a speech at the University of Tartu in Estonia:
«If someone had told me a few years ago that I’d be standing at this stage, at one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe, speaking as a representative of democratic Belarus, I would have laughed and said, “You’ve got the wrong person – I’m just a mom trying to survive my kids’ homework!”
But life is full of surprises. And here I am, in Tartu – a city that has inspired so many Belarusians throughout history.
Johann Skytte, who founded this prestigious school, would be amazed to know the role this university has played in shaping the Belarusian freedom movement, our national identity, and establishing Belarus as a nation.
Tartu University educated Belarusian scientists like Vitold Narkevich-Jodka and Uladzislau Dybouski, whose works brought recognition to Belarus across the region.
Tartu University also shaped reformers like Count Karal Chapski, a great reformer who served three terms as Mayor of Minsk. He modernized the city, introducing its first telephone system, paving streets, and building its garbage disposal infrastructure.
Chapski made Minsk a truly European city and built today’s Kupala Theatre, which in 2020 became a key site of peaceful protests for freedom.
Tartu University shaped Anton Luckievich, one of the founding fathers of Belarusian independence and the first Prime Minister of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. He was the author of the Declaration of Belarusian Independence, adopted in 1918, which we still celebrate every year.
Or Usevalad Ihnatouski, the first President of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences, was also shaped by Tartu University. He was a fierce critic of the Treaty of Riga, which tragically divided Belarus for decades.
This university also hosted Belarusian freedom fighters like Ludwik Piankouski and Hieranim Kienevich, who joined the anti-Russian uprisings of the 19th century.
Those uprisings were led by Kastus Kalinouski, the father of the Belarusian national idea. Kalinouski once said, “My people, only then will you live happily when no Muscovite remains over you”. Today, the largest regiment of Belarusians fighting for Ukraine is named in his honor.
Before the 20th century, over 2,000 students from Belarus studied here in Tartu. Here, they developed the vision of a free, democratic, and European Belarus, despite all Russian attempts to crush that dream.
Belarusian General Stanislau Bulak-Balakhovich fought for Estonian independence in 1919. Just a year later, he returned to Belarus to fight the Bolsheviks, continuing his lifelong struggle for freedom.
When Belarusians finally declared independence in 1918, Estonia was among the first countries to recognize it. And Belarus, in turn, recognized Estonia, establishing a diplomatic mission in Tallinn under our white-red-white national flag.
That very flag was designed by Klaudziy Duzh-Dusheuski, who also visited Tartu, seeking support for Belarusian democracy from the Baltic states.
Sadly, Western Europe hesitated to support our fight for independence back then – just as some hesitate to fully support Ukraine now. Why? Again: to avoid provoking Russia.
We see where that hesitation led: decades of occupation of Belarus, Ukraine, and then the Baltic states. Decades of weak Europe, Cold War, oppression and injustice.
We cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes today. Supporting Belarus and Ukraine isn’t just about helping us survive – it’s about helping us win. It’s about freeing our region from Russian domination once and for all. It’s about bringing long-lasting peace to the entire continent.
Maybe, I don’t need to explain it here, in Estonia, but we need to bring this understanding to big capitals, and here I rely on your support.
We see Estonia, Baltic, and Nordic States as an example for Belarus, a source of inspiration and ideas. When you ask Belarusians what country Belarus should be inspired by, they will most likely name Estonia, Finland, or Sweden.
Belarus has always been connected to the Nordic-Baltic community, though we have never been its formal part.
We share a lot of historical and cultural ties and a common fight for freedom. We also share the very same values and vision of a democratic and peaceful Europe.
Our fight, back then and now, is not only about good governance or human rights. It is about returning Belarus to Europe, where we belong.
In 2020, millions of Belarusians rose up for change. You all remember the peaceful protests, women holding flowers, and extraordinary self-organization. It was a profoundly European movement – non-violent, hopeful, and rooted deeply in the values of freedom and democracy.
But it wasn’t just a protest; it was a moment of national awakening. We chose freedom over tyranny and Europe over the Russian world.
A million and a half people took to the streets. We realized we were the majority.
We were so close to victory. And the dictator was on the brink of collapse – until Putin stepped in to save him. The protests were crushed, and the terror hasn’t stopped for a single day since.
Now, Lukashenka is paying Putin back with Belarus’ sovereignty.
For Putin, Belarus is more than a buffer zone – it’s a launchpad. Without controlling Belarus, he might never have dared to attack Ukraine. Our country has been taken hostage and dragged into the criminal war.
Today, Belarus is under creeping occupation, again, like a hundred years ago. But make no mistake: most Belarusians oppose the war. Most want freedom and a European future. We were just taken hostage by the ambitions of an empire. Again.
We resist and don’t give up. When the war started, thousands sabotaged Russian equipment. Thousands went to fight for Ukraine. As we speak, at least 500 are jailed for supporting Ukraine. Quiet acts of defiance happen every single day, despite Stalinist levels of repression.
And yet, I often hear a dangerous misconception that Belarus equals Lukashenka. This is simply wrong. Lukashenka is a dictator, not a president. He’s serving Putin, not the Belarusian people.
Some claim that Lukashenka is resisting Putin. The very fact that Belarus hasn’t fully entered the war is not thanks to Lukashenka but to the Belarusian people. Polls show only 4% of Belarusians support sending troops to Ukraine.
While Belarus’ state sovereignty is under threat, our moral sovereignty remains unbroken. Belarusian people continue to fight for our country, our identity, and our European future.
Yes, this resistance isn’t always visible. Under a regime of such terror, public protests are hardly possible.
Yet, the spirit of change is alive. Those millions who marched for freedom in 2020 – they are still there, preparing for the moment when the regime’s grip weakens.
We are preparing for a window of opportunity, and it will definitely come.
Like Estonia during the occupation, we are building structures in exile, like the United Transitional Cabinet or the Coordination Council.
And here, we take the Baltic states as an example. We are building institutions to represent the interests of Belarusians abroad and those still suffering under occupation.
We are formalizing relations with foreign governments, we have recently signed an agreement with the European Parliament and launched the Strategic Dialogue with the United States.
We are preparing reforms for New Belarus. We have already drafted the new Constitution and economic, political, and justice reforms. We must make sure that dictatorship never repeats in Belarus again.
We are strengthening our media. I know that Belarusians seek honest news. The media not only fights the massive propaganda machine but also ensures stable contact between those who fled and stay in the country.
We are also strengthening our national identity through literature, the popularization of the Belarusian language, and sharing our history – even through platforms like TikTok and cinema. For instance, the “Northern Lights” Belarusian film festival, held in Tallinn, serves as a cultural bridge between Nordic and Belarusian traditions.
This work is crucial as the regime continues to erase our identity within Belarus. Russia is carrying out “russification” in Belarus in much the same way it is doing in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
We, the democratic forces, are offering Belarusians an alternative to the “Russian world”. We show them what Belarus can look like without dictatorship.
We must prepare professionals for the new Belarus – this is what Tartu University has been doing for centuries. I’ve heard ideas about cutting scholarships for Belarusians – that’s exactly what the regime wants.
Last year, for the first time, more Belarusians received scholarships at Russian universities than at European ones. This would be a catastrophe if we had only young people without European education and connections.
I really hope that here in Tartu, and in other universities across Europe, we will see more Belarusian students. They are essential for preparing the skilled professionals we need for our country’s future transformation.
We need to keep Europe open to honest Belarusians. Don’t let the regime create an Iron Curtain. Keep visas accessible.
For many, a visa is not a luxury – it’s a lifeline. It’s a guarantee of safety – so that if the KGB knocks on your door, you can leave the country quickly and safely. I am grateful to the Estonian government for supporting us in this regard.
As we speak, thousands of political prisoners are behind bars. In the last few weeks alone, more than 100 people have been arrested. People receive draconian sentences, 8, 12, and 20 years, for solidarity, comments online, or donations to Belarusian volunteer fighters in Ukraine. 7 people have died behind bars.
While all attention is on the war, this repression often goes unnoticed. But when you’re sitting in a cold KGB cell, your biggest fear is that you’re forgotten. That feeling breaks you – it kills you.
I know what I am talking about. It’s my personal pain too. For almost two years, my husband has been held incommunicado, and he is not the only one. No letters, no lawyers, no contacts allowed. I don’t know if he is alive.
He can’t speak now, so I must be his voice too. It’s because of him I am standing here with you. I came to politics out of love for my husband, I wanted to support him. But, in the end, I fell in love with my people. And I won’t stop fighting for Belarus until all are free.
I don’t believe that the dictator will release our people voluntarily. Only solidarity, only our joint effort can do that.
Though I know that sanctions are not a silver bullet, they are a way to weaken dictators and force them to make concessions.
But sanctions do work only when paired with support for the people.
On one hand, we must deprive the system of resources – close loopholes, and paralyze its military industry.
On the other hand, we need to empower people – give them the energy and resources to fight, support the repressed, launch independent media, and do everything that weakens the regime from within.
And what we need the most is consistency. Lukashenka hopes that after some time, the West will go back to business as usual, as it was before. This must not happen.
And here, I have big hopes for the principled and decisive position of my friend Kaja Kallas, another prominent alumna of this great university, and now the head of European diplomacy.
I am happy that this position was taken by a woman. I do believe that, especially in times of war, more women in politics will mean more empathy, humanity, and wisdom in our decisions. Women are also good at long distances.
Dictators can’t be appeased. They can’t be reeducated. They can only be fought. I also hope that this understanding will guide the new American leadership. That American support for Ukraine – and for democratic Belarus – will remain unshaken. Because dictators see hesitation as a weakness.
We saw how Putin responded to Chancellor’s Scholz phone call. With massive shelling of Kyiv and dozens of innocent victims.
We need leaders who stand firm with those who fight for freedom and are ready to make even unpopular but creative decisions.
Sometimes, even small countries can make a difference. I will never forget how small Estonia, for three times in a row, gathered at the UN Security Council to discuss Belarus. And then appointed a special envoy, Marko Koplimaa, to work with the democratic forces, not with the criminal regime. This was an example of outside-the-box thinking, and this is what we need right now.
Of course, changes in Belarus are a task for Belarusians themselves. But not everything depends on us. As we remember, it was the hesitation of the free world that allowed the Bolsheviks to establish the empire of evil that existed for 70 years.
As we speak right now about future peace talks on Ukraine, we must keep it in mind. Tyranny is like a cancer: if not destroyed completely, it strikes with double force.
If we speak about a just peace, let’s remember that it must not be made at the expense of Ukraine or Belarus. I am really worried that Belarus can become a concession to Putin, his consolation prize. That’s why we insist that Russians must withdraw not only from Ukraine but also from Belarus, including their nuclear weapons.
And we insist that representatives of Belarus, democratic Belarus, must also be present at these talks. We must not allow another Treaty of Riga signed behind our backs.
In today’s world, there must be no more spheres of influence and no more Iron Curtains! People must be able to choose their future themselves. And our future, the future of Belarus, is with Europe.
It is not just about Belarus. Without Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova, the European project will never be complete.
I do believe that Belarus can be a success story. And it will be a success story. Very much like Estonia.
Free Belarus will be a donor of security, a reliable partner, and a good neighbor, an integral part of prosperous, safe, democratic Europe – this is our ultimate goal.
This path will take time and effort but let’s walk this path together.
Thank you,
Elagu Eesti!
Zhyve Belarus!»
