"If you don't unite, you'll be wiped out." Nobel Prize-winning author's appeal March 18, 13:04
"I want to stop speaking, but if I don't speak, I'm sad, so I have to keep speaking,"
said Svetlana, a Nobel Prize in Literature writer with roots in Belarus and Ukraine.・ Mr. Alexchevic.
She responded to an interview with NHK on March 9th.
She has now heard a message she wants to convey to the world after Russia's military invasion of Ukraine.
(Keita Machida, Director, World News Department, International Bureau)
The suffering of Belarusian and Ukrainian roots
Belarusian writer Alexandrevic was born and raised in Ukraine to a Ukrainian mother and a Belarusian father.
In addition to "War does not have a woman's face" that summarizes the testimonies of women who served in World War II as a masterpiece, "War seen from a buttonhole" "Testimony of Afghan return soldiers" etc. I have listened to and wrote about the emotions and memories of people living in the former Soviet countries who have been at the mercy of me.
In 2015, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work "Chernobyl Prayer," which deals with the victims of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.
Mr. Alexander Lukashenko, who criticized Belarus's Lukashenko administration, which is known for its powerful politics, was in danger of being arrested one after another.
Currently, I need to treat my chronic illness, so I am moving from Belarus to Germany.
She was Mr. Alexander with a calm and calm impression, but in her interview she felt a quiet anger at every end of her words.
Writer
"Did you imagine this would happen?"
"No one could have imagined that unruly nationalism would slowly fall into fascism from Russia," said
Alexander .
Writer
"How are you spending these days?"
Alexandre
"I can hardly sleep. I spent all my childhood in Ukraine, and every summer I went to my grandma. Now our village is probably bombed too. I think. My relatives are still there. Anyway, it's totally unthinkable. Because
of the administration of my country (Belarus), I feel that I'm a fellow invader, and it's even harder. It's hard. It's the first time I'm embarrassed to say I'm a Belarusian. "
President Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin also held a meeting in March to emphasize unity.
Some are wary that the Belarusian army will join the Russian army.
It was impressive that Alexander, who had confronted the current Belarusian government, said he had deep sorrow and anger because he had roots in two countries, Ukraine and Belarus.
Responsibility as an "intellectual"
And there was another thing that caused her deep sorrow and anger.
That is that most Russian intellectuals are silent.
Alexander
"I couldn't help but say,'Why are you silent?' The scary thing is that the Soviet era remains. It's not just bad houses and roads. The fallen intellectuals remain. "
73-year-old Alexander, who has a chronic illness and is not feeling well, continues to raise protests.
On March 1st, along with Nobel laureates, he published a letter condemning Russia's invasion as "unjustice and cruelty."
More than 160 people are listed, including Shinya Yamanaka (2012 Medical and Physiology Award), Hideki Shirakawa (2000 Chemistry Award), and Maria Ressa (2021 Peace Award) from the Philippines.
Furthermore, in response to the suspension of activities in Russia by many media, "I want Russian citizens to be informed of the truth of this invasion by all means," he is calling through overseas media with Russian writers.
It was her heartfelt wish to hear the memories of those who experienced the collapse of the Soviet Union.
It is important to tell the Russian people the whole picture of Russia's attack on Ukraine.
About the suffering and loss of the Ukrainian people.
About the crisis of all humankind throughout Europe when the nuclear threat broke out.
Alexandre
"Citizens had little understanding of what was happening in the 90's transformation, and when poverty began, I think it was all due to Gorbachev (former president) and democracies. Putin
put
a huge amount of money into propaganda with that in mind, and many people came to support him. It is this that we have to work on. We have to talk to the majority of Putin's supporters. Sanctions will begin and Russia will face great challenges. The ruble has already fallen, and perhaps poverty awaits. There will be. "
"Angry is a sign of human humiliation living in the past"
In a speech by President Putin to the Russian people on February 24, he pointed his anger at the Western nations.
I asked Mr. Alexchevic how he took this speech.
[Full speech] What did President Putin say just before the invasion of Ukraine?
Mr. Alexander
"After the collapse of the Soviet Union, we created a true democracy, but there is no developed economy, no houses, no roads. All that is missing. Is it because of the West? The West replaces us. Should I have made everything? If for
more than 70 years, living under Soviet-era ideas, throwing millions of people into those ideas, all that remained was a mass graveyard and a sea of blood. It can't change so quickly. You can't bring in a beautiful house, great ideas, or a good factory from somewhere. It's impossible. To do that, you have to take the time to prepare and take it seriously. Strong Using fleets, new bombers, and new tanks is the most primitive and outdated way of doing things: he's the one who didn't move into the future. He tried to take us. The destination is the place he can understand, the past. "
The Cold War era when the United States and the United States fought as a great power.
Putin feels humiliated because of his past obsession, Alexhevic says.
"He wants to revive
the great Russia. He can't think of any other world that isn't. Russia can endure the humiliation he felt when the great Soviet Union collapsed. could not"
“There are also Belarusians in Ukrainian troops”
In Belarus, Alexhevic's homeland, there has been a large-scale demonstration by citizens protesting the administration for fraudulent presidential elections in 2020, and there is still a movement for freedom and human rights.
Alexandrevic points out that Russia's invasion of Ukraine will have a significant impact on Belarus and neighboring countries.
Alexander
"If Ukraine wins, Putin will have big problems in Russia, and of course Lukashenko will do the same.
Ukrainians are now for their future. It can be said that not only are they fighting for Europe, but also for the democracy of the countries around Ukraine, so
many Belarus are fighting Putin .
What should I call ... I went to a foreign land. There are many Belarusians in Ukrainian troops, because everyone understands that Ukraine will pave the way for the future. am"
Author
"What do we need to do to stop the Russian invasion?"
"We must be clearly aware that if we don't unite, we'll be wiped out. Now, in the face of Putin's outrage, we're all united
.
The darkness is coming from everywhere and everywhere, but every country has people on the bright side who are trying to counter it.
I just do what I have to do. I just sit down. I am not writing "War and Peace".
I'm trying to understand what's going on.
I'm listening to people and trying to write about it.
What makes people non-human, what makes people human.
You should do the little things you should do.
There are some words that are very important to me.
"There are dark times when no one listens to you.
I want to stop raising my voice.
However, if you do not raise your voice, sadness will be born.
So I have to keep raising my voice. ""
Keita
Machida
,
Director, World News Department
, International Bureau
Joined in 2013 .