The administration is trying to eradicate any solidarity, but we were still one small family. History of captivity of Kristina Cherenkova
The antifascist from Mozyr Kristina Cherenkova was detained on March 23, 2022, along with her husband. Later, the girl was accused of inciting other social discord for unflattering statements in a personal account of Instagram in the direction of the police and condemned by 2.5 years of colony. Christina was released on April 11, 2024. We talked to her about the detention, the court and the conditions of his stay in the women's penal colony.
I felt it would happen. And it happened.
On March 23, 2022, at about 7 a.m., Christina, along with her husband Fedor woke up from the roar and the sounds of the Bulgarian. Literally a couple of seconds, the whole apartment was filled with people in black.
I did not even have time to wake up, to recover, how I felt kicks on my legs and back. I did not resist, but at the same time, it did not prevent them from using force to me, - Christina recalls.
When entering the pre-trial detention center, the girl was recorded many herds. Later, on the fact of the illegal use of physical force and special means by police officers during the detention, an investigative check was carried out, but this did not lead to any result: a few months later, Cherenkova was sent an unsubscribe, which said that the investigators did not have the opportunity to find out how she had injuries.
In their opinion, as stated in the decree, most likely I inflicted them on myself in the process of detention.
Christina remembers:
"Before the initiation of a criminal case, I was indeed detained by the administration, as well as by the employees of the ROVD of the city of Mozyry in 2021, I checked all my social networks, but then they were not confused.
Of course, I knew that I should be quieter, especially given the increased interest in my page of all sorts of crazy yabacks. By the way, one of them wrote to me denunciation of the mentums in 2021. But how could you keep quiet when you see this lawlessness every day? When you see that people are going to prison because of some far-fetched nonsense... And when the war began, it became absolutely impossible to remain silent.
The Antifascist notes that despite the fact that she was always very careful in her publications, she never insulted anyone by the namally, did not call for aggressive and violent actions, she had a premonition that sooner or later she would come.
I didn't know when it would happen, what article I would be incriminated, but I felt it would happen.
And it happened... to be honest, initially I didn't even understand who they came to - to me or my husband. When I found out that all this so-called capture group came from Minsk and from Gomel because of a few comments on the Internet, the first thought was: "Damn how many taxes in our country are spent on simulated this turbulent activity?
On that day, 10 people from Christina's entourage were detained, most of them were brought to administrative responsibility. The charges under criminal charges were brought only by Kristina Cherenkova and her friend Anna Pyshnyk.
A couple of hours after the arrest, when after all the searches I was brought to the ROVD, I had a many hours of interrogation by an employee of GUBOPiK. From him, I almost immediately learned that I was detained on suspicion of committing a crime under article 130, paragraph 1, of the Criminal Code.
When the investigator closed the case, she said that she did not see the composition of the crime at all.
The trial of Christina Cherenkova began almost eight months later and lasted three days. The girl refused to testify in court, so in the trial she read out her testimony from interrogations.
It was not a court, but some kind of theater of the absurd. The journalist who broke through to one of the meetings, said to my relatives later: "I'm not bad, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ale I am so not audible, at the voise of the biv-nauschvayuc?.
In the indictment, the posts in the ?nstagram, containing the following expressions:
I congratulate the Belarusian policemen on their Dnoma, "The well-known fact is worse than g... on, "Good ment" is dead ment, "Dumb a piece of brainless biomass in balaclave" and others.
For this, Christina was found guilty of inciting social discord against such a group as policemen and deprived of liberty for two and a half years.
In general, I still counted on as much as two years, since all the numerous inspections that have been carried out for so many months could not find anything. Identified only a negative assessment of the activities of police officers, expressed in the words of the message of the "msor," "msor," etc. This was enough for the prosecutor to request 3 years in prison, and the judge gave 2.5 years of imprisonment.
It's not "ball that when the investigator closed the case, she said that she did not see the crime for the 130 article at all, but she was instructed to close it with her.
You don't actually belong to yourself.
In February 2023, the Supreme Court considered the appeal of Kristina Cherenkova on the verdict, but left her unsatisfied. After the anti-fascist was transferred to the women's penal colony No. 4.
According to Christina, the most terrible thing in the conclusion, especially in the colony, is the feeling of absolute helplessness.
You actually do not belong to yourself... And yet, I, as a person who appreciates his time, was simply unbearable to spend daily precious minutes and hours on some useless idle, endless constructions, conclusions from the factory and to the factory, endless queues in the captive.
And, of course, sometimes it was very difficult to hold back and not to tell the employees everything you think about them.
The girl notes that the life in the colony is built in such a way that there is not a minute of free time for political prisoners. If the work falls on the first shift, then after the rise at 6 a.m. there are literally 20 minutes to lock the bed, wash, dress.
Then you go to breakfast, and after it begins the withdrawal to the factory. From the detachment to the factory is about 100-150 meters, but this path lasts on average half an hour. The work shift lasts until 14.30, but you get to the detachment at about 15.10-15.15, because for a long time you stand, and then go through the inspections and the carp [frame with the metal detector."
If immediately upon arrival from work you did not come up with any activity, such as lectures in the club, then before checking you have half an hour to drink a cup of coffee. At 16.00 begins the county-family check. Immediately after it, the "vector" begins when you have to sit for a few hours in the room of educational work under the camera and watch TV. Next we have dinner, an additional check for the fuchet, and there it is time to prepare for the bed.
Christina says that between all these regime measures, the prisoners have moments of free time, but if you need to clean the snow, draw puddles, go to inventory, etc. If the work in the second shift, the day looks almost the same, only broken differently.
The life of political in the colony is significantly different from the life of "orderly prisoners": what is possible for a simple mortal is strictly forbidden to the political. Even the little thing can lead to punishment.
And in everyday life, we have special conditions: upper beds on the aisle itself, the most inconvenient and inaccessible places in the captive, calls one by one and under the supervision of operatives, while everyone else enters the crowds, long dates for a maximum of one day and without the removal of products that bring their natives, the ban on visiting entertainment events in the club and the gym, the ban on the work hours. in the factory and other restrictions.
I'm waiting for you all, my dear ones! Together we are a great power!
Because of the anti-fascist views, Christina sometimes felt biased by the colony's collaborators.
I was forced to paint two of my tattoos, and one of them is an anti-fascist flag. I was told that this image has already been included in the list of extremist symbols of the Republic of Belarus.
But I would never do that. And besides, I knew they were just trying to intimidate me.
In the colony, Christina was practically not ill, but if necessary, having defended a couple of hours in line, she received a handful of tablets. At the same time, she is absolutely sure that doctors are much less willing to give the hospital to convicts under political articles than ordinary prisoners.
In captivity, the anti-fascist was very lacking good music. At the same time, in the pre-trial detention center, Kristina painted a lot, her drawings came out in letters to relatives.
For creativity, time flew for me imperceptibly. I really liked it... But unfortunately, there's actually no time in the colony. For a while, I was painting for a squad editorial board. For example, my mother's day card took the first place in the colony, but my name did not appear anywhere. Political can not be in the editorial board officially, but many draw "underground."
Christina says that in the colony felt support from other political prisoners.
I was very supported by the girls in the colony. Despite the fact that the administration is constantly trying to eradicate any solidarity and mutual assistance among the convicts (especially political ones), we were still one small family.
Also, the relatives of Christina tried to regularly convey to her greetings from friends and associates and talk about how many people support her.
Of course, that gave me strength.
Kristina notes that the letters not from her relatives almost did not reach her. But in the prison of the girl came a lot of pleasant parcels:
This attention was very much supportive of me!
In the colony, very strict censorship, and, unfortunately, letters there are almost no breaks. But it's still great that people are still trying to support political prisoners - writing letters and providing other support. At least the colony's administration and censors see that people still remember and loved.
To all who remain in captivity, I want not to lose hope and strength of the spirit! Sometimes it seems that despair covers with his head and you can not see the lumen, but it is not so much. I'm waiting for you all, my dear ones! Together we are a great power!
You can support Christina by translation on the following details:
PL59 1020 4900 0000 8602 3669 8310 Krystsina Charankova RKO, RPK
PAYPAL: A.CHARANKOVA
Fedar Charankou LT553250020307376461 the Revolut Bank UAB
