Belarusian who has established a company in Lithuania: “There is only one businessman in Belarus: A. Lukashenko” | Deal

“What is happening right now has never happened before in Belarus. Not in 1990 or 1991. Never. The nation has been severely humiliated,” said a wave of protests across Belarus. fifteenmin Natalija Kolegova, a Belarusian living in Vilnius and a co-owner of the short-term apartment rental company Natalex, spoke.

What is happening now has never happened before in Belarus. Neither 1990 nor 1991. Never. The nation has been greatly humiliated.

It is also supported by the project manager of Vilnius Relax, a Belarusian company engaged in the tourism business in Lithuania, the Belarusian Kirylas Atamančykas.

“What is happening now is the result of 26 years of leadership by A. Lukashenko. This has happened in many other countries where a narrow and corrupt clan used people to enrich themselves. People are tired of being constantly deceived. People She is tired of the cruel attitude of the authorities. People have been tired of the same face for 26 years “, 15 minutes K. Atamančykas highlighted.

People have been tired of the same face for 26 years, emphasized K. Atamančykas.

Protests across the country erupted after the announcement of Sunday’s presidential election results, which the opposition considers rigged. During these demonstrations, law enforcement officials are treating protesters particularly brutally, reporting hundreds of injured people.

Believe the regime will win

According to N. Kolegovas, Belarusians who wanted to express their will in Vilnius, at the Belarusian embassy, ​​also felt humiliated during the presidential elections in Belarus.

From morning, the longest queue stretched to the embassy: people spent a few hours in the sun on a hot day, but due to strict control, the embassy allowed two people to vote, then one at a time, so not all succeeded.

“The way we voted was humiliating. 500 people couldn’t vote, they weren’t allowed to express their constitutional rights. We ran. We ran – women with children, disabled – to take notes at the border in three minutes, pass a check with a metal detector and throwing the ballot into the polls, ”recalled N. Kolegova.

Closely observing the situation in Belarus and keeping in touch with friends in this country, the businesswoman emphasizes that Belarusians who rebelled against rigged election results are in dire need of support at this time.

“The children of my friends write to me and say: ‘We will not leave.’ A young generation that grew up in Belarus, aged 20 and 24, who knows no government other than Lukashenko, does not want it,” said a businesswoman from Vilnius. .

K. Atamančyk is also convinced that the protests in Belarus that will shake the entire country will inevitably lead to changes.

“What is happening now will inevitably lead to a change in the political regime. Now all the people of Belarus understand that Lukashenko does not have the support of the majority. And that is the problem of the current regime. Without the support of the people, they can stay in power, but only for a short time, ”says a Belarusian living in Lithuania.

Now all the people of Belarus understand that Lukashenko does not have the support of the majority. And that is the problem with the current regime. Without the support of the people, they can remain in power, but only for a short time, says a Belarusian living in Lithuania.

By the way, Belarusians hope that the Lithuanian government will recognize Lukashenko’s opponent in the elections, Sviatlan Cichanouskaya, as the new president of Belarus.

“People are not so much for her, but for not crushing her permanently”, is convinced N. Kolegova.

Speaking about the fact that Lithuania and Belarus are close countries and how Lithuania and its business can help Belarusians right now, K. Atamančykas drew attention to an important sign of support for Belarusians from the free calls to Belarus offered by the Lithuanian company Tele2 operator.

“The step taken by a Lithuanian mobile phone operator, which offered Belarusians free calls to Belarus at a time when the internet was blocked in the country, is a wonderful and important step. The step, which was highly appreciated in Belarus and Lithuania “, says K.Atamančykas.

Watched the business collapse

Belarusians who have rebelled against the regime for many years are fighting for what is normal for the peoples of democratic countries. It is not only the right to express political opinions, to fight corruption, but also the right to start a business without fear.

In Lithuania, Belarusians are doing business more and more actively. Director of Infobalt Mindaugas Ubartas 15 minutes He said that Belarusians have established about a dozen small businesses in Lithuania in the IT field alone.

Some people, like K. Atamančykas, who graduated from the European University of Humanities, start a business after studying and decide to stay here. Others are tired of the political corruption and pressure in Belarus.

For example, Kolegova decided to leave Belarus almost 20 years ago, seeing the independent business go bankrupt after Lukashenko came to power.

“It just came to our knowledge then. You will not convey that feeling in words,” sighed the interlocutor.

I saw the business collapse. Words will not exaggerate that feeling.

Ms Kolegova can speak non-stop about the Lukashena regime’s crackdown not only against the opposition, but also against businessmen, about family businessmen who have been arrested and imprisoned, demanding that they share their profits with high-ranking officials, companies accused of financial and economic crimes. Ecological crimes for not paying the required amounts, government orders paid in rubles, although the authorities still know on the eve of the order that the dollar will rise twice the next day.

“In Lithuania, the state order is incredible, how good. If you receive an order from the government in Belarus, you must understand that you will have to do it for free, otherwise you will be arrested. There will be documents, but you will not be able to go to any court” N. Kolegova regretted.

In Lithuania, the state order – wow, good. If you receive a government order in Belarus, you must understand that you will have to do it for free, otherwise you will be arrested.

Kolegova, who has been doing business in Belarus since 1991, said everything went well until 1994, when Lukashenko was elected president.

And already in 1995 it could dictate, for example, the dollar exchange rate. Life in the country no longer revolved according to the rules of the market. Everything was dictatorially assigned. The result is a host of famous people who started businesses in the 1990s and did a lot for the country, sit in jail, or collapse without knowing it. Or there was another way: join the “Batiuska program”, when he received 2-3 percent for his work, and everything else went to A. Lukashenko’s wallet, “said the businesswoman.

“It just came to our attention then. Belarus is not even Russia. There is only one businessman in Belarus. Only A. Lukashenko’s family. Nobody has the right to earn money anymore,” adds the businesswoman.

I need to understand. Belarus is not even Russia. There is only one businessman in Belarus. Only the family of A. Lukashenko. Nobody has the right to earn money anymore.

Later, Lukashenko changed the Constitution, the flag, the coat of arms and by 1997, Ms. Natalia realized that there was no going back.

While the highest rulers carried wealth, the common people were in trouble. According to N. Kolegová, Belarus lived richer only when it bought gas from Russia cheaper and then sold it at a high price; then the hard earned “peak” would drop some money and “go down.”

“Or when, for example, Belarus receives 2 billion.” One billion of the credit remained in the environment of A. Lukashenko, and one billion went down at the beginning of the pyramid and reached the population to close the gaps, “said the interlocutor.

Founded a tourism and accommodation company

N. Kolegova started her business in Lithuania with her husband Alexander in 2006. The interlocutor admits that he never planned to live in Lithuania, although his grandmother is a Lithuanian from Darbėnai. Natalija’s husband is also a Lithuanian citizen.

Having started a family with her husband Alexander, Natalia initially tried to settle in Belarus. It was the year 2000.

“The man came, lived in Belarus for three months and said, ‘I won’t be able to work here,’ Kolegova recalls. Then she packed things up and came to Lithuania to live with her husband and son from her first marriage.

One of the first activities undertaken by N. Kolegova, who came to our country, was to compile a genealogical tree of her family, so the woman began to visit the state archives of Lithuania.

Later, it turned into business: N. Kolegova helped one of the Belarusian TV shows in search of relatives of heroes in Lithuania. After some time, Natalia and Alexander’s colleagues began to accompany people who were arriving, organize tourist excursions, and finally rent apartments for them.

Today, short-term apartment rentals are one of the Colleague family’s main businesses. The entrepreneurs also plan to build a small residential complex.

In Lithuania, I don’t need to hire the son of the president or the prime minister or anything else to implement this project, emphasizes N. Kolegova.

“We are moving slowly towards this goal, using only official methods. In Lithuania, I do not need to hire the son of the president or the prime minister or anything else to implement this project”, N. Kolegova emphasizes the differences in business development in Lithuania and Belarus.

“No one in Lithuania will ruin you”

What is normal for Lithuanians is refreshment for business Belarusians who have been tortured by the regime.

“If you work in Lithuania, you can earn money from your work. And no one will stop you or destroy you. You can calmly go to the authorities without being afraid to deal with problems.

In Lithuania, if you work, you can earn money from your work. And no one will stop you or destroy you. You can calmly go to the authorities without being afraid to deal with problems.

And even if you have connections in the government, do not turn to acquaintances – you will go and do everything honestly. This is a big difference from Belarus, “says N. Kolegova.

“When I came to live in Lithuania, my husband asked me at first:” Why do you always think at first how to circumvent the law and only afterwards how to implement it? “It was a Belarusian habit,” laughs Natalia.

Currently, the company of colleagues has about 10 employees, including both Belarusians and Ukrainians. When asked whether to consider recruiting Belarusian asylum seekers, N. Kolegova stated that upon receiving such an inquiry, she would look for opportunities to help.

The woman has already received requests for help, how different, Belarusians have asked for help to correctly fill out the documents for their arrival in Lithuania.

However, according to N. Kolegovas, not many people want to come to Lithuania, because people are determined to fight for change.

“But if the resistance is repressed, there will be many refugees,” the interlocutor worries.

More than 200 people injured in demonstrations died in the country’s hospitals on Tuesday, two people were killed. Several thousand protesters were arrested.

Preliminary election results announced by authorities on Monday show that the country’s authoritarian leader, Aliaksandr Lukashenko, has secured a sixth term as president at 80.08 percent. votes. His main rival, Sviatlana Cichanouskaja, received 10.09 percent. the other two candidates received less than two percent of the vote.