Former political prisoner Pavel Spiryn lived in a forest in Lithuania for a month. Why?

Blogger and former political prisoner Pavel Spiryn had been sleeping in a tent in the Vilnius region of Lithuania since September 20. He was without a phone or connection, and on a diet. He told Belsat why he did it.

Pavel Spiryn was released on November 4, 2025, after fully serving his term. The blogger was detained in September 2020 and sentenced to 4.5 years in a penal colony for "inciting hostility". Before the end of his term, he was sentenced to another year in prison for "malicious disobedience" to the demands of the colony administration.

The blogger only received a residence permit in Lithuania in August, which allows him to work officially, and now he has applied for asylum. Spiryn lives in a rented house near Vilnius, which he shares with the landlord. He continues to work in the information sphere, also moonlighting in car repair and construction. And he says that his income is enough for basic necessities.

Nevertheless, in Lithuania, Spiryn yearned for silence and the ability to decide for himself how to spend each day:

«After five years spent in prison, I realized that a person can get tired of the constant presence of other people. All this time I was in a confined space among a large number of prisoners, subjected to a fixed routine and unable to manage my own life».

«Reboot with updates completed»

The Belarusian asked the landlord of the house where he lives about places for a quiet retreat with spring water — away from large settlements, but not in complete wilderness. He took a tent and a sleeping bag and went into the forest without a phone or computer, to "rest from people, regain strength, and gradually get used to free life".

In the forest, the blogger chose for himself when to wake up, walk, cook food, or simply sit and think.

«I woke up in the morning, came out of the tent, looked at the trees or just stood in silence. I didn't have to maintain a conversation, adapt to other people, or constantly monitor what was happening around me,» he says.

According to Spiryn, elk and roe deer walked near the tent. He observed birds of prey, noticed animal tracks, and listened to the nocturnal sounds of the forest.

«Freedom lies not only in the ability to be where one wants, but also in the right to make decisions independently,» he says.

Spiryn emphasized that he did not intend to test himself with cold and had everything necessary for an overnight stay:

«Why would I deprive myself of the health I barely preserved in the zone?»

The blogger clarified that reports of him starving in the forest referred to a strict dietary restriction. According to him, he ate a small amount of light food — "a handful," for example, nuts — and then gradually returned to his normal routine.

«Why disappointed? Of course not»

Spiryn also rejected the notion that he decided to seclude himself due to disillusionment with the Belarusian democratic movement.

«Why disappointed? Of course not. This is a period when activity is reduced. So many people, especially those who like things to move fast, are upset that everything is going too slowly. They want it faster, but it's not happening,» he said.

According to the blogger, he is invited to various projects, continues to communicate with other Belarusians, and works in the information sphere.

«After spending a month in the forest, I returned to the house where I used to live. The reboot with updates is complete; I am once again continuing my work for the benefit of Belarus,» Spiryn summarized.

The blogger says he had practiced such retreats to the forest before: in spring, he also lived in nature, but for less than a month. He plans to repeat this experience next spring.

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