"Failure, I think. It's over." Seviarynets recounted how Milinkevich conquered villagers and foresters right on the border with Russia
Pavel Seviarynets recalled a story from the 2006 presidential campaign, when the single opposition candidate came to Maloe Sitno in the Polotsk district. The outcome of that meeting was unexpected.
In early 2006, Aliaksandr Milinkevich, then already the single opposition candidate in the presidential campaign, came to Maloe Sitno, where I was felling timber while serving a political "chemistry" sentence.
A whole motorcade arrived, a headquarters with journalists. The management scattered. Someone hid. Workers gathered on the trestle, where logs were being sawed.
And so I introduce Milinkevich — with a feeling of an abyss under my feet: how would he, an intellectual, polyglot, "Westerner," converse with villagers and foresters from the remote areas, right on the border with Russia.
But Milinkevich offered people to speak — and simply listened. Half an hour. An hour. Two.
Failure, I think. It's over. He said nothing. No programmatic speech. He listened and listened, occasionally nodding. How I would explain all this to the men after his departure — I couldn't imagine.
And so we say goodbye. Milinkevich shakes hands, gets into the car. The motorcade disappears into the forests on the dirt road. I return to the trestle, a chill under my sigh — and there's a group of my captivated Sitno residents:
— Pasha, what a man!..
— Now that's strength!
— Someone like that for president!!..
And I'm in shock.
— Uh-uh-uh… what did you like? He didn't… say anything.
— Pash!.. HE LISTENED TO US!