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Goalkeeper Simas Skinder, who represented more than one Belarusian team, remained in the neighboring country after finishing his career. Despite the authoritarian regime of Alexander Lukashenko, as the goalkeeper himself says, he is better off there than in his native country.
The brother of Valdas Dambrauskas’ assistant, 39, Marius Skinderis supports A. Lukashenko’s regime and often openly emphasizes it in the social space. The Belarusian portal tribuna.com spoke about it in S. Skinder, who learned the secrets of football in Panevėžys and became the winner of the LFF Cup three times.
Below are excerpts from the interviews.
After a video in which Lukashenko appears on the ice with a Russian journalist, you wrote: “Super, great!” What do you mean specifically?
I liked the way Lukashenko behaved: positive, with a sense of humor.
You probably know that most Belarusians see Lukashenko not as a humorist, but as a tyrant.
I am not a majority of Belarusians and I have my opinion. You’re talking about tyrants, something else. You call yourself Democrats. What is democracy? For example, I can express my opinion what I want, not what other people impose on me. I liked the way Mr. Lukashenko behaved, and I wrote it down. If someone doesn’t like it, that’s not my problem. I can live here positively, comfortably, very well for me.
Why don’t you want to change?
Again, I am satisfied with everything. I like the order in Minsk, security. I was even surprised by how they treated me when I recently received COVID-19. He cared as if he had never cared in Lithuania in his life.
But while living in Minsk, you should see the “order” that is happening in the city, in the countryside. Are you not intimidated?
Absolutely not. I am intimidated by athletes who protest. When they played sports, they were fine. And when his career ended, he began to express himself. It seems to me that they are doing it with little sincerity. In general, I am angrier not about politics but about sports. The best example is CSKA footballer Ilja Škurinas. No mind was found in that boy. He could have become a great footballer, earn money, play for the Belarusian team, but now he will be forced to travel to the army. Belarus will lose a player from the national team and he will not make his childhood dream come true and will play in the fifth league when he returns.
When people see violence, they just react.
The people themselves are asking for such violence. There is no need to go anywhere from home and there will be no violence. Why, for example, does no one cause me violence? Because on Sundays I feel at home and I don’t go to town. This and you feel at home.
Do you see what is happening in Lithuania? Everywhere, it is not possible to leave the cities, the curfew has been introduced (PS: In Lithuania, the curfew due to COVID-19 does not exist and has never been introduced). After all, Lithuania is not in space, but very close to Belarus. But there everything is closed, only stores and pharmacies open. And here … people march after the rallies.
And don’t you think that athletes express their discontent with the government and go against the system?
Yes. But I ask: why do they suffocate hockey players and footballers so they don’t look like cowards and talk? With us, democracy and everyone can have their say whenever they want. And the footballers and the hockey players who keep silent begin to insult. If they don’t speak, they are satisfied.
Why do I support power? Because I am satisfied with everything. Why do I live in Belarus and not in Lithuania? Because here I am better. For my family, it is better and safer here.
As for athletes, they simply show solidarity with colleagues who have suffered for their civic position.
Let him think what he says. There is power, there are rules. If you wander down the street criticizing, be prepared for anything. Everything is simple.
So with us, freedom of expression.
This is not the case in Belarus with complete freedom of expression.
Isn’t that normal?
In my opinion, yes. With a Belarusian Kolkhoz mentality, people always need to stay stronger. Otherwise, there will be a mess. My opinion is that.
Is your Lithuanian mentality different?
Since Lithuania has been in Europe for a long time, there are differences between the Lithuanian and European mentality. And anyway, it is quite similar to a Belarusian. Lithuania only needs a normal head of state. There was one, Algirdas Brazauskas, but he died. Later, the country was ruled by Valdas Adamkus.
But these people are not there now. And when one woman (Dalia Grybauskaitė) started leading all those minorities, a catastrophe began. It will destroy Lithuania. See what the prices are there, what happens there.
And do Belarusians need to be controlled?
I’m not saying that. Frankly, it is not necessary to allow everything to be in order in the country, there are no gay parades and so on. I am not talking about beating people, but in fifteen years it has become clear to me that Belarusians must be stopped. And if there is a law, it means that it must be obeyed. If you can’t walk around the rallies, it means you can’t.
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