Hi! The BYSOL training camp team is on the line. Today we are again with good news: Antonina Konovalova, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya's proxy for the 2020 elections, left Belarus a few days ago. And now at her request we are opening this collection.
Antonina was arrested and sentenced to five and a half years in prison for her stance. Her husband, Sergei Yaroshevich, also ended up behind bars. Their children, Vanya and Nastia, were forced to leave Belarus with their grandmother and remained without parents all this time.
In the colony Antonina endured harsh conditions of detention, which greatly affected her health — her eyesight deteriorated so much that she became disabled while in the colony. Despite everything, she kept her fortitude and faith in the best. In March 2025 she managed to leave for a safe country and hug her children for the first time in 1555 days.
Now Antonina is starting her life from scratch. She had to leave Belarus with only documents. She needs our support to adapt in the new country and to take full care of her children. Antonina needs funds for basic things: a telephone and a computer, so that she could solve household issues, communicate with doctors, find a job and stay in touch with her relatives.
In addition, the family still has their beloved dog in Belarus, with whom the children were emotionally connected. Now it is important to reunite the whole family, including their four-legged friend, which requires organization and finances to transport the animal.
She also needs to undergo a full medical examination — years of imprisonment have severely damaged her health, but doctors give her a small chance of partially restoring her sight with urgent diagnosis and possible surgery.
By supporting Antonina, you will help her recover from her tragic experience and find hope for a new, peaceful life with her children. Any amount is a step towards justice, healing and a future.
How much is needed?
€6700
€1500 — to provide the necessary means of communication (phone and computer) to integrate into a new society and keep in touch with loved ones,
€2000 — to undergo medical examinations and treatment, especially to restore eyesight,
€700 — to organize transportation of a dog from Belarus, with whom the children are emotionally connected,
€2500 — funds for living and adaptation in a new country.