To avoid being forced into cooperating with the KGB, Eugene fled to Serbia. Now he is trying to rebuild his life after losing his home and business.
My name is Eugene. I was born into an ordinary family, started military service early and spent several years in the army under contract. After leaving the army, I worked at the Ministry for Emergency Situations: shifts, callouts, fires, accidents. But over time, I wanted a quieter life, and I started my own small business.
Everything changed in the summer of 2020. I was walking along the avenue near the Red Church. People were chanting “Dump Lukashenko!”, “Shame!”. A guy climbed onto a bus stop, someone handed him a flag – and at that moment the security forces began closing in. We walked up to the line of riot police and tried to speak to them humanly: “Drop your shields, stand up for the people.” But they didn’t listen. That’s how I ended up on Okrestina.
There were about a hundred of us in one cell. We stood pressed together like sardines in a jar – impossible to sit, impossible even to turn. They didn’t let us go to the bathroom, and we were given one and a half litres of water for everyone. I saw people beaten, bruises all over, blood. Paramedics were called right into the cell. I will never forget that night.
After the wave of protests, I tried to move on with my life. I began travelling frequently to Serbia and opened a business there: selling software for logistics companies. I travelled back and forth on business. That continued until 2023, when I was detained again.
I was stopped at the Belarusian border. First they held me in the IVS, then KGB officers came into the cell and gave me a choice: either “go to Minsk and they will deal with you there”, or “cooperate”. I understood this was blackmail. I understood there was no way out. And I signed their paper just so they would let me out. The next day, they released me, and I immediately left for Serbia.
That’s when the other pressure began. My “mentors” wrote to me: go to the Belarusian centre in Belgrade, gather information about the opposition’s plans, “earn the trust” of the Belarusian diaspora. I avoided it, delayed, pretended I didn’t have time. But at some point, I realised this had to end. And that if I kept living between two countries, I would never get off the hook. So I went back to Belarus one final time, said goodbye to my family and friends, got a new passport – and returned to Serbia. This time for good.
I cut off all contact with the security forces. I simply deleted the chats and stopped replying.
And now I am left without work. In Belarus, I was registered as a sole proprietor and transferred funds from there to my Serbian company. But one day the bank called and said that transfers to Serbia were no longer possible. I was left with only €200. I am now living at a friend’s place and scraping by. I tried to get a job in a café, but a spinal hernia doesn’t allow me to stand for 8–10 hours, four at most. Age is catching up, and my qualification isn’t needed here.
I spent a long time thinking about what I could do to survive. And I realised I can register as a sole proprietor in Serbia and start a small business: smoking and drying fish. There is demand for it here, it’s work I enjoy, and something I can physically do. For this, I need a smoking cabinet (€800), a small house with a yard instead of a flat (€400 rent + €400 deposit + €200 agency fee), and the first batch of fish (€700). Altogether it comes to about €2500. This budget would allow me to launch immediately and without going into debt.
I just want to work and live in peace. I need a place where I can legally open my business, obtain a residence permit, and finally stop being afraid.
If you can help, it will give me a real chance to break free completely from the system I’ve been running from for years.
Thank you.
Fundraising goal
€2500
€1000 – rent of a house with a yard (€400 rent, €400 deposit, €200 agency fee)
€800 – smoking cabinet
€700 – first batch of fish