«Collected flags and patches from the apartment — and like a respectable citizen, buried it all in the forest. But didn't clean the phone»

Uladzislau Yatsenka, December 2025

5 years in a penal colony for a donation to the Kalinouski Regiment and "desecrating buildings" with anti-war inscriptions in Ukraine. Such a verdict was handed down at the beginning of 2023 by a Homel court to Uladzislau Yatsenka. He served most of this term. On December 13, 2025, along with more than 120 other political prisoners, he was released and forcibly taken out of Belarus.

«After so many years of imprisonment in Mordor, the feelings are pleasant, but still, as they say in those places, a "regime head,"» — the Belarusian replies to the "Salidarnasts" question about how he feels ten days after his release. — «Internally, different things kick in: standing at attention, that you can walk there, but not there. I've only just managed to rest and get proper sleep, because the road through Ukraine was quite difficult. So the full realization of freedom hasn't come yet.»

Some moments, adds Ulad, he had to remember almost from scratch. And it's not even about technology — in the penal colony where he served his term, there were televisions and the opportunity to watch videos about travel, about scientific progress.

«It seems we even watched Dud's (Dudya's) episode — a conversation with a programmer working in Silicon Valley, who talked about artificial intelligence. But first, I need to sort out my own intelligence, then I'll get to AI,» — Ulad says half-jokingly.

For example, even turning on an unfamiliar stove, simply frying potatoes or scrambled eggs for himself — «I had almost forgotten how in four years, had to remember how to cook.»

«Violation of Aesthetics» on Fences, Relying on Chance, and Masked Raids

The "case" that led the security forces to Uladzislau and his "accomplice" Kiryl Plakushchava took place in March 2022, shortly after the war began. Residents of the southern regions of Belarus, particularly Homel, constantly heard its echoes and saw many Russian soldiers transporting equipment, shopping in local stores, drinking, and generally behaving as if at home. Not everyone could silently watch this.

At night, Uladzislau and Kiryl painted propaganda inscriptions in support of Ukraine and a free Belarus — what the court would later call "desecration of buildings and structures with cynical inscriptions." Ulad scoffs at this:

«I'm not a gopnik (hooligan) to draw on other people's homes or beautiful architecture. These were old fences, semi-dilapidated garages, once — an old residential panel building. There was no "aesthetics" left in these structures to violate.»

A second charge, Article 361-3 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (participation in an armed formation or armed conflict, military actions in the territory of a foreign state, recruitment or training of persons for such participation), came to the Belarusian for a donation of 21 euros to the Kalinouski Regiment, as well as for publishing screenshots on social media with calls to join the ranks of Ukrainian defenders.

«At that time, associations of Belarusian volunteers were not yet recognized as "terrorist" organizations, as they are now — if I had been caught later, I would have been tried for financing "terrorism," which carries a sentence of 8 to 12 years,» — Ulad says.

Incidentally, the Belarusian received these 21 euros (60 rubles at the time's exchange rate) for a tattoo with Ukrainian themes. He planned to continue making such tattoos and donating the earned money to the needs of Belarusian volunteers — but only managed to complete one drawing.

Looking back, Ulad admits that he himself was quite carefree at certain moments:

«We were painting in our own neighborhood, within a small radius of our apartments — you know, a reliance on chance, thinking who would care about us. Although we had seen what was happening since 2020, and there was an understanding: we could "go sit" for 5 years, but we mostly joked about it.

There were warning signs that they would come for me. Sometimes someone would tamper with the CCTV camera in the stairwell, or some officer would come to my place of residence (I'm not registered there), saying, "a 'chemist' lives downstairs, have you seen him and can you leave your details?" But my girlfriend, a good conspirator, gave him some made-up names and surnames. And the next morning, my phone had 50 missed calls from my father: "Why is the police calling me and mom?"

I had a feeling, so I gathered flags, patches, "extremist" paraphernalia from the apartment — and like a respectable citizen, buried it all in the forest. But I didn't clean my phone — again, hoping for the best. That's where they found the donation screenshot on my phone.»

Uladzislau was arrested in the morning "with a masked raid," to catch him in bed and lay him on the floor in just his underwear.

«I wouldn't say they beat me, but they pushed me around a bit. And literally the day before, I had watched a video on Telegram of how guys in Crimea who supported Ukraine were being "taken in"; they were laid on the floor, beaten. "See," I thought, "they could do that to me too." And the next day, they came.»

«Re-education» with News, Contact Lenses, and a 40 Ruble Salary

A reinforced-regime colony (and Judge Mikalai Dolia sentenced him to 5 years), according to Ulad, doesn't differ much from a regular colony: fewer visits, smaller allowance for purchases. And the same mandatory "welcome through the ShIZA" (punishment cell) for political prisoners, fabricated violations, attempts to turn non-political prisoners against "yellow-ticket holders" (political prisoners). Plus an atmosphere where snitching is encouraged, "stool pigeons" are used to gather information, and where the misdeeds of one punish everyone. For an ordinary person, this is wild; for a colony, it's the norm.

«Periodically, I was deprived of parcels, visits — all of them, in fact. Since 2023, I haven't had a single visit with my family. Letters only from relatives, those on the approved list. However, calls were as they should be, five times a month. And overall, when compared to what I've heard about other political prisoners — the conditions were normal.

In prisons, of course, they heavily brainwash you: every weekend, you absolutely have to watch Belarusian news, some "Kontury" program. Political prisoners generally tried to watch the news, reading between the lines. But the bile spewed out in every episode just made me feel uneasy, pushed me into aggression.»

The hardest periods, Ulad recalls, were the initial time, having to get used to the regime and conditions of the colony («drank tea from the same cup with someone — you could immediately end up in the ShIZA») and periods in the punishment cell — in wild cold, in a "glass" suit (thermal underwear, personal belongings — forbidden), with the inability to sleep and thoughts of whether you would get out alive and healthy.

«I have vision problems, and in the Shklov colony, contact lenses are allowed, but you can't have solution for them, and glasses are taken away in the ShIZA. So I sat there in a semi-blind state, not really knowing what was happening,» — Ulad recalls. — «To put it mildly, I didn't like it; it was very difficult. And afterward, I tried not to end up there again.»

On the other hand, he calls the local medical care "more or less normal": there was an opportunity to extract or even treat teeth, get necessary pills, have an electrocardiogram done. Ulad himself even managed to receive special medical assistance when a piece of earplug accidentally got stuck in his ear: he was escorted to a civilian hospital, where doctors helped him.

Another "attraction" of Belarusian penal colonies that is important to mention is the industrial zone. In Shklov, for example, prisoners sewed military uniforms and special clothing (for example, "Sirius" jackets). This work is monotonous, low-skilled, with high production quotas, does not provide a new profession, and is very poorly paid.

In the most successful months, Uladzislau Yatsenka was lucky enough to earn about 40 rubles — «that's a lot for 10 'profuliks' (possibly a unit of work or payment term)». And in the middle of the year, the foreman announced: apparently, political prisoners were not entitled to more than 100 "gross" rubles — about 20 "net" reached the convicted.

«But they feed you quite well,» — Uladzislau recounts. — «Anyone who thinks a colony means only gruel, bigos from half-rotten cabbage, would be very surprised. Both in the Homel pre-trial detention center and in Shklov, the food was normal.»

Ulad celebrated four birthdays in captivity. He says he even managed to mark them. As well as New Year's, for which they made cakes from store-bought condensed milk, cookies, dried fruits — «sweets are at least some joy; some inmates would put together such a cake from ordinary products that you'd lick your fingers clean.»

«Were there relaxations for New Year's? Yes. Last year, lights out was at one in the morning. Although you get up at six AM anyway. And you could skip breakfast. For a colony where you can't miss any scheduled event, be it meals, calls, shopping, or the bathhouse — this is a relaxation. Plus, sometimes they would give Olivier salad for dinner in the dining hall — such minimal "perks."»

Slippers from Shklov and Life Anew

For more than three years, Ulad had not seen his hometown or his family, having been deprived of visits. And now he deeply misses the chance to hug his mother, shake his father's hand, see his younger brother, who was 15 back then — and is now a grown man, with whom it would be interesting to walk and talk about life... But for now, the main task is to "reboot" himself, legalize in the EU, and start building a new life.

— Did you have a premonition that you might be released — or did they just come at night and tell you to pack?

— You know, I did. Literally the day before, they brought inventory lists to our unit for me and another guy — papers with a list of property you have in your bags. This means you're either going for a transfer (to another prison), for some "investigation," maybe a new case, or an investigator has arrived, or they might transfer you to another colony. Or a so-called "pardon" (we thought they would be taking us to Lithuania, like the previous group).

And I was able to call my relatives, to say that this and that, perhaps a transfer, perhaps a pardon. But I didn't know 100% until an officer came and said, "pack your things." They gathered 13 people one by one, and in the morning, either the KGB or someone else drove us to the southern border.

At least they gave me back my passport — for some, as I saw, it was just papers. And almost no belongings — people from other colonies arrived with whole duffel bags, but they even took my glasses; I only brought slippers from Shklov.

At the border, I was able to read "Novy Yarilovichi" and was surprised: Wow, they opened the border for us with a country where there's a war? And only later did I learn that Budanov was there, and a whole motorcade met us.

Uladzislau speaks of his plans with slight bewilderment for now: first of all — paperwork, medical examinations, and "getting at least some treatment." And then?

«Perhaps I will still go to Poland. My best friend is there, many friends in general, and it will probably be a bit easier to get back on my feet. I'm thinking about working as a barber or a tattoo artist; I used to do a bit of that — but I'm not sure yet. Although I don't shy away from any work. If needed, I can help at a construction site, or do something with my hands. It's not that I'm highly skilled, but "fetch and carry, dig, help here and there" — at the first stage, I can do that without question.»

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