The Power of a Smile: Highlights from Maria Kolesnikova’s First Major Interview Since Her Release

On December 13, 2024, Maria Kolesnikova, one of the leaders of the 2020 Belarusian protests, was released as part of a large-scale prisoner exchange. After spending more than four years in prison, including 19 months in complete isolation, she gave her first detailed video interview to Yuri Dud. Kolesnikova spoke about how she survived within a system she calls a “meat grinder,” why she has no regrets about tearing up her passport, and why she is now calling for dialogue with Lukashenko to save those still in prison.

Experience in the “absolute Middle Ages”

Maria describes a Belarusian prison as a place where Human rights are completely absent, but the living conditions were stuck in the past. At the prison, she encountered slave labor: Prisoners sew uniforms for the police, earning about 25 euros a month for their work. Maria had a clear “red line”—she was willing to go to solitary confinement, but would refuse to sew clothes for the Russian military.

Kolesnikova spent a significant portion of her sentence in a solitary confinement cell (PKT) and in a disciplinary isolation cell (SHIZO), where the only amenity was cold water. Despite her isolation, she kept herself going strict discipline: She practiced yoga for 4.5 hours every day and walked 10,000 steps in a space measuring two by three meters. According to her, it was physical activity and her inner freedom from hatred that helped her avoid feeling like a victim.

Surgery on the Brink of Death

In 2022, Maria found herself in critical condition due to a perforated ulcer, even though she had never had stomach problems before. She spent a few hours on the floor in solitary confinement, before the administration decided to call an ambulance. Kolesnikova was saved at a civilian hospital, and she emphasizes that this incident taught her a lesson: even in an inhumane system There are people who are willing to step up and save someone else's life.

The Legend of the Passport and the Dictator's Bubble

Maria provided a detailed account of her abduction and the attempted forced deportation in September 2020. In order to remain in Belarus, she tore up her passport right inside a security forces vehicle in the neutral zone on the border with Ukraine. She commented ironically on rumors that Alexander Lukashenko allegedly believed she had “swallowed” the document. For her, this is a sign that dictators live in an artificial information bubble, which is created by loyal security forces.

Attitudes Toward the War and Putin

Kolesnikova openly calls the events in Ukraine a disaster and states that Russia started the war. During the exchange, she found herself in Chernihiv and personally took shelter in a bomb shelter, which gave her a clear understanding of the horror of what was happening. She holds Vladimir Putin responsible for the loss of life. She also expressed deep respect for the Belarusian volunteers fighting for Ukraine, noting their willingness to give their lives for freedom.

Why is Kolesnikova calling for dialogue?

One of the most talked-about parts of the interview was Maria's remarks about the need to negotiations with Lukashenko. She argues that there are still at least 1,300 political prisoners, whose lives are in danger.

• Purpose of the dialogue: the release of people, an end to repression, and the country's return from isolation.

• A Moral Choice: Kolesnikova draws on Andrei Sakharov's philosophy, believing that a moral choice is the only correct one in the long run, even if it seems unpopular.

Plans for the Future

Maria has no plans to hold public office, describing herself as political activist, rather than a traditional politician seeking power. She intends to focus on:

1. Cultural Projects, in order to “build bridges.”

2. Help for Belarusians in overcoming isolation and ending repression.

3. The Creative Industry in Berlin to make a living.

Maria's biggest dream is — Return to a Free Belarus, where “reason will prevail someday.”