The Irishman whom young Tsikhanouskaya visited in the 1990s: "If someone had told me one of these children would become a politician, I would have pointed to Sveta"

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Henry Dean, Roscrea, Ireland, July 2021. Photo: personal archive

«Radiation reached Ireland too»

Henry Dean is now 70 years old. He lives in the village of Roscrea in County Tipperary, practically in the very center of Ireland. It's a town with a population of about five and a half thousand people, where, according to Henry, every fourth person is a foreigner. He himself worked for 37 years in local government and also owned a small business for many years. Henry and his wife Marian have two children and already six grandchildren. Their son is a professor in Canada, and their daughter lives next door.

After the Chernobyl disaster, this family decided to help Belarusian children. Henry Dean recalls that the accident became a serious problem, the consequences of which even his country felt.

«Part of the radiation reached Ireland too, affecting farms in the Wicklow Mountains [in the southeast of the country]. It was even measured here, in the local monastery. So we felt the consequences. I knew that a lady from Cork brought Belarusian children there. She was the first to organize it. First, I joined her group, and later, in the early 1990s, I founded my own organization,» Henry recounts. «The reason I did this was that before, no one brought children a second or third time. And I felt that Irish families became so attached to children from Belarus that if they wanted and could afford their repeated visits, we had to facilitate it for them.»

The organization Chernobyl Life Line, co-founded by Henry, brought children to Ireland several times a year.

«The first group usually arrived in June, the next in July, and another in August. And then there was another one for Christmas. On average, we managed to bring about 40 children over three to four months a year,» Henry recalls. «When the small children arrived, it was pure fun. And when older children, aged 15-17, arrived, we found them work so they could earn money for their education when they returned home to Belarus. In addition, the children received treatment here. Some required it for a long time, so they had to return again and again.»

«Frightened children who completely transformed in a day»

Henry says that children from Belarus who came for rehabilitation and holidays were amazed by how different life was in Ireland.

«At first, they looked scared. Perhaps a little anxious and tense. Their clothes were a bit old, worn-out,» the man recalls. «But already the next day, they became completely different. Their eyes sparkled. They were more relaxed, and they had a lot of fun. The children changed as soon as they arrived here.»

Павялічыць

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (Pilipchuk) in Ireland in 1998. Photo: Henry Dean

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (then Pilipchuk) visited the Dean family four times. Henry recalls that the future leader of Belarusian democratic forces already spoke good English back then and often helped with translation.

«She was an excellent translator even as a child. Her English was very, very good. So she looked after the younger children or those who didn't speak English, helping them communicate with us,» Henry says.

He is especially proud that during Sviatlana's visits to Ireland, they managed to instill in her a love for good English-language music.

«When we were driving somewhere, Sveta would sit in the front seat, and I would put on my favorite music,» Dean says. «Because of my age, I loved music from the 1960s. Sviatlana picked up on that and came to love bands like The Mamas & The Papas, The Beatles, and others.»

«If someone had told me one of these children would become a politician, I would have pointed to Sveta»

Henry says that even back then, they discussed politics with young Sviatlana. He admits that he couldn't imagine then that his ward would herself become a political leader.

«We always discussed Irish politics when she visited. Sviatlana was very impressed that we could speak openly and critically about our politicians because it wasn't allowed in Belarus. I couldn't imagine what would happen to her in the future. But if someone had told me then that one of the children we brought to Ireland would become a well-known politician, I would have confidently pointed to Sveta and said: "That's her,"» the man says.

Павялічыць

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (Pilipchuk) in Ireland. Photo: Henry Dean

Henry Dean was among the first to learn that Sviatlana decided to run for president in 2020—they regularly spoke on the phone.

«Sviatlana told me as soon as she got involved, even before the campaign began. I was aware of what was happening in Belarus. I knew what was going on, I watched the news reports,» Henry recounts. «Of course, I tried to give her some advice on the campaign. But I wasn't on the ground, I wasn't there personally. So my advice couldn't be called spot on.»

Reunion after 18 years

In July 2021, during her visit to Ireland as the leader of Belarusian democratic forces, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya came to Roscrea to visit the family that hosted her in childhood. This meeting was the first in 18 years.

Павялічыць

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya with Marian and Henry Dean, Roscrea, Ireland, July 16, 2021. Screenshot of DW Belarus video

«It was fantastic. A dream come true: to see Sviatlana again, how she has grown, to meet her two wonderful children. Because before, we had only seen her and the children through phone calls, on WhatsApp. It was wonderful to see them in person. I can't wait for her to return again.»

Over the years, the connection between Henry Dean and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has not been broken. They still keep in touch:

«We call each other and talk about everything. About politicians—from Trump to Putin, from Zelenskyy to Xi Jinping. We discuss world affairs. And just chat.»

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