Kalesnikava: "The scale of hatred and aggression shocks me." Maryja explained what returning to normality means for her.

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Maryja Kalesnikava, in an interview with Die Zeit, spoke about how she tried to feel free while imprisoned and what she thinks about the world she found herself in after her release. We present the most interesting parts.

How to maintain freedom in captivity?

"Even in prison, I didn't allow myself to give up living my life," Maryja noted at the beginning of the interview.

"I never felt lonely. I always felt the support of my family, even when I was in complete isolation for almost three years, without any information about my relatives."

Music was also a source of strength for Kalesnikava. When she was in solitary confinement, she could listen to state radio.

"Mostly [they played] music that wasn't close to my heart. But sometimes Elton John or Queen, Beatles, Sting or Lady Gaga would come on. You hear it and understand: this is reality. I'm sitting here in these artificial decorations, but Mick Jagger exists. He sings! People go to concerts! They listen to music! The songs on the radio brought my thoughts back to normal life."

Someone sent Maryja Mozart's sheet music behind bars.

"I heard music in my head — symphonies by Mozart, Beethoven, especially Bach. This is a world of sounds in which I spent most of my life, more than 30 years. It's a part of me. Then I was at peace with myself."

In solitary confinement, Kalesnikava wrote two books. Her manuscripts were not returned to her.

"One was about the events of 2020. The second book was about me, primarily about my environment, my education in Belarus, in Germany, about my family and childhood, about colleagues who were examples for me. In it, I tried to understand how I managed to find myself in prison. For me, it was an unusual situation, and I wanted to comprehend it."

During her time in captivity, Maryja read over 700 books. "In the pre-trial detention center, the library was much better stocked, with a lot of literature in foreign languages. It was harder in the colony. But even there, there were Shakespeare, Schiller, Montaigne, Spinoza. This saved me. When you read Shakespeare, you don't feel like you're in solitary confinement."

Павялічыць

Maryja Kalesnikava in court. Photo: Ramil Nasibulin/BelTA pool photo via AP, File

"Even in prison, my laughter was perceived as a provocation"

"Even in prison, my laughter was perceived as a provocation. I love to laugh. Even when I was in solitary confinement, I couldn't help but laugh. Even in the most horrific things, I find something comical. I laugh when I see something terrible or disgusting, because it seems like a farce to me. I refuse to accept it as reality," Kalesnikava shares.

She noted that she remained polite behind bars.

"I wished everyone good morning, joked to say: I'm still here! I smiled. Politeness works even in prison. All sorts of people are there. Some can be rude. At first, they were surprised by such politeness, as they had never encountered it before. But after a while, they themselves were wishing 'bon appétit' or 'good morning'."

"After five years of imprisonment, this is one of the big changes I feel here, in freedom: politeness has somehow disappeared," noted the former political prisoner.

Maryja also explained why red lipstick is important to her.

"I just like it! Over the years, it has become a symbol, a part of me. I even used it in the colony, where women were not allowed to use red lipstick. The guards didn't like it at all, but I still smiled beautifully. It looked like a banner! When I was released, I told the guards I needed to go to the toilet. I wanted to leave captivity with red lips."

"We had to get up every day at six in the morning and be completely ready by 6:20 – even the bed had to be made. Many women in captivity stop using cosmetics and taking care of themselves. But I was already ready by 6:20 – with red lipstick and styled hair," Maryja recalls.

Павялічыць

Maryja Kalesnikava, Maryna Zolatava, Pavel Seviarynets in a bus that brought former political prisoners to Warsaw. December 18, 2025.

"We need to talk to Lukashenka"

"Why did you thank Lukashenka immediately after your release?" — journalists asked Kalesnikava.

"First, I thanked Donald Trump! Then — Volodymyr Zelensky. And last of all — Alyaksandr Lukashenka. But, please be precise: I thanked him for the release of each individual person."

To the remark that it was Lukashenka who continues to give orders to detain people and allowed torture, Maryja replied,

"And it was Lukashenka who freed us. The crucial thing is that 123 people can now embrace their loved ones."

Kalesnikava explains her position: if there is an opportunity to talk to Lukashenka to free people, one must talk.

"We need to talk to each other and listen to each other. What shocks me most in the world after five years of imprisonment: it's the scale of hatred and aggression. You might not notice it, but I was torn from one reality and transported to another. When people shout, they don't hear each other. But the ability to listen can lead to something good."

"My point of view differs slightly from that of another part of the opposition," Kalesnikava says, referring to the remark that Tsikhanouskaya has a different position. "But that doesn't mean that one of us is right and someone else isn't. It is very important that we stick together and work towards a common goal: for Belarus to return to normal life, for people to return to Belarus," says Kalesnikava.

"I have great respect for Sviatlana. What she does is invaluable. And she has helped many Belarusians. But the existence of different opinions is a principle of democracy. I believe that we are stronger the freer we are. Otherwise, it would be as if there was only one correct opinion. We know how that works in Belarus and Russia."

Should sanctions be lifted, in Kalesnikava's opinion?

"I cannot dictate to European politicians what they should do. I can only describe to them the suffering of Belarusians and make them understand that Europeans have the power to alleviate this suffering."

Kalesnikava also explained what returning to normality means for her.

"We must return home, because we all miss our home. Belarusian authorities must understand that people are not a threat, but the most important capital of the country. They have massively left the country — with consequences for medicine, education, economy, culture. Returning to normal life means: everyone can return home."

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