Vasil Bykau. 'The Epistle of Vasil the Sinner to the Russian Righteous Men'
It has so happened that I am far from Belarus
and far from Russia. I am here on my own, a less organized (read: less
bridled) writer. But I am still a citizen and hope to remain one. Though,
as life shows, it gets more and more complicated.
First, the union. It is true that Europe unites (common market), and the
States were united long ago. Russia thirsts for community with whomever,
otherwise its imperial ambition suffers and there is no one to make rackets
with. Our utterly common security services have never split up at all.
But writers don't want it. At least, the Belarusian writers.
But maybe it's not necessary?
Still, when you get down to it - it's not them who don't want it, it's
their genes that scream, "No!" For we have been united long
enough, and so closely, that there is no air to breathe. Even now, when
scattered to the hateful "sovereign" flats, they still can't
get enough of breathing. And some of you, our dear citizens, patriots
and humanists keep phoning, visiting, persuading, "Let's unite! Are
you against us? Against great Russia? Its age-old culture? Its literature,
highly esteemed in the world? Or do you disrespect us personally as democrats
and humanists?"
We are not against you! On the opposite. It is quite possible that we
are more for you than you yourselves are. But we are for ourselves too.
There's the rub!
We do respect, honour and love you, but you are not gods. Look who is
behind you, who breathes on the back of your heads? Aren't they those
who breathed on the back of the head of this somewhat eerie metaphor's
author? One of these breathing criminals has already found himself in
prison overseas. But is he the last one? Both in your country and in ours.
A Czech proverb says: don't start a mill if you don't have the power to
stop it. Do you really have that power? We don't yet. That is why we do
not intend to wear a common collar, which is always a collar, whether
collective or personal.
So don't risk both our love and yours, don't drag us into the yoke again.
We have been yoked for over seventy years. And we don't want it anymore.
Like you, we are happy to have unyoked ourselves. Who knows how things
will turn out, they may even be bad. But as was said before us: it is
better to die standing, than live on our knees. And what if we also want
to write something? We need to write a lot, because for a long time we
have been mute and haven't written at all - we have been fighting. For
and against - with enemies, neighbours and with ourselves. When we've
finished writing we will consider uniting. With you, with Europe, America
and the whole world. But first of all, with truth. By the way, we wish
you the same.
Frankfurt-on-Main
27 February 2001