In August 2020, an overwhelming number of Belarusians cast their ballots for opposition candidate, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, hoping for change. Daniil, a young Belarusian student, was among them. He was 18, and this was his first presidential election. Alexander Lukashenko had led the country for his entire life. However, after 26 years in power, it seemed that this time he wouldn’t be able to defend his mandate — he was opposed by a united society.
Daniil, who left Belarus after the rigged elections and brutal suppression of protests, shared his memories of the events with us.
How was election day for you?
The tension was palpable days before election day. There was a country-wide internet shutdown. On 9 August, internet access was practically non-existent. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya asked her voters to wear a white ribbon or bracelet as a sign of support. When I went to my polling station that day, I saw people wearing white ribbons everywhere, which was very encouraging.
After casting my ballot, I was approached by a young couple. They asked me who I had voted for, trying to count the votes in our district to compare them with the official results. Exit polls and independent observers are banned in Belarus. I told them I had voted for Tsikhanouskaya, to which they replied, “Like everyone else today.” I was very surprised and impressed. At that moment, it seemed that Lukashenko simply had no chance.
I waited outside the polling station for several hours, hoping to see the results, but the commission refused to post them. I then headed to the city centre, asking people along the way for any news. The internet was still down. They said the situation was the same everywhere and that everyone was gathering in one of the main squares in Minsk. That night was filled with the sounds of stun grenades and water cannons. A huge number of OMON, the special police forces in Belarus, was beating and arresting people. Miraculously, I managed to get home without being caught.
How did you feel after the results were announced?
The morning after that unfortunate night, I learned the results from television. I was in shock. After the election commissions refused to post the results of the vote, I anticipated fraud, but I never imagined that it would be on such a scale. Lukashenko literally gave himself 85%. It was a real slap in the face to the entire nation.
What was the atmosphere like during the protests in August 2020?
The suppression of the protests was cruel. The first three to four days were the most brutal. OMON acted with complete impunity on the streets. They could pull people out of their cars, break into their apartments, and beat them right on the streets. At one point, even the national army was deployed to suppress the protests. Everyone who was caught was tortured and humiliated—even today, it is terrifying to remember. A huge number of videos with testimonies of torture and atrocities can be found online. At one point, so many people were detained that there was no more room in the cells for anyone else.
But that didn’t stop us. It was perfectly clear that we had not only been deceived, but robbed, and that was difficult to accept. I took part in the protests myself, sometimes meeting friends from school or acquaintances. All strata of society were there, and few remained indifferent at the time. One day, a flashbang grenade landed so close to me that I could have easily been deafened or lost my arm—it was truly terrifying.
How did your situation develop after that?
A few days later, the internet came back online and even more people saw the atrocities committed by the government. At that point, even more people took to the streets, and the violence ceased for a while. It was then that Belarus saw the largest rally in its history. According to various estimates, around 300,000 people gathered in Minsk, and it was truly a moment of national unity.
How do you view the protests today, five years later?
There are different opinions as to why the Belarusians failed at that time, but I personally think that a lot was actually achieved. Yes, perhaps new elections weren’t achieved, but it was then that I felt that Belarusians realised themselves as a fully-fledged nation moving towards democracy and European development.
I’m sure that we will still have a chance to change the current situation in Belarus.