Alexandra Konofalskaya, the guardian of political prisoner Dmitry Kubarev, talks about her participation in the joint information campaign of our Foundation and the Dissidentby.com initiative in support of political prisoners "Until All Are Free".
"When "Dissidentby" contacted me and offered to choose someone from the painfully long list, I was initially at a loss. How can choose here one person when urgent assistance, even if informational, is needed by everyone?! But I was explained that the goal is to find a guardian for each wrongfully convicted person. Therefore, the choice became a little easier.
It so happened that in August 2020, I met Dmitry with just one handshake. I followed his further fate not only through the internet. Even then, his worldview amazed me - his activity, determination, and inner core. What his last words in court are worth: "Even behind bars, I consider myself more free than many people sitting here [in this hall]." In addition, Dima is a designer and draws beautifully, which is close to me as an artist.
Taking care of political prisoners is important because they are like us. Anyone could be in their place. It's impossible to turn over the page. This is our common cause, and even more so for those who are now in relative safety: to speak, to write, to tell, aloud, to share information about political prisoners until everyone is released.
Each of them is a real hero, and we need to know our heroes. If you write, report some news about a specific person - how they feel, what they read, what they suffer from, whether they receive letters, what they need - it is a very strong support, including support for their relatives and loved ones. It shows that they are not alone.
I tell about Dmitriy Kubarev's fate on my social networks: I write posts about him, share his photos from behind bars, mention him during various events in which I participate.
For example, last year, with Ekaterina Vodonosova - a musician, singer, and, by the way, also a guardian of a political prisoner - we held 5 concerts called "Krai" in Poland. While Katerina sings and musicians play, I draw with sand. And what I draw is shown on the screen on stage. Portraits including Dmitry Kubarev's, appear on the screen, Under the song "For Whom", dedicated to Belarusian political prisoners.
I also did video design for the performance of free kupalovtsi "Words from Behind Bars", based on poems, prose, and excerpts from letters from Belarusian political prisoners.
During the voicing of one of Maksim Znak's works, a drawn portrait of Dmitry Kubarev appeared on the screen, because the meaning of this work for me was not associated with no one else but with Dmitriy.
I always proudly wear badges pinned to my jacket or shirt "Until All Are Free" and another one - with a special English translation, which "Dissidentby" gave me as a guardian. People ask what are these badges about , and I willingly tell them, not forgetting about the specific person thanks to I received these badges as a guardian.
I go hiking in the mountains, recently officially joined the club of those who decided to get the "Crown of Polish Mountains" (28 peaks). I decided that I would take Dmitriy's portrait to each peak so that he would travel with me too, at least in this way.
I urge people to write letters to Dmitry. I hand over postcards with my illustrations to organizations that organize letter-writing campaigns for political prisoners".
Dmitry Kubarev – UX/UI designer. He has been behind bars since August 11, 2020. He was sentenced to 8 years of strict regime for "Organization of mass disturbances" and "Illegal actions in relation to objects, the action of which is based on the use of combustible substances".
Alexandra Konofalskaya - artist, master of pescography.
"When "Dissidentby" contacted me and offered to choose someone from the painfully long list, I was initially at a loss. How can choose here one person when urgent assistance, even if informational, is needed by everyone?! But I was explained that the goal is to find a guardian for each wrongfully convicted person. Therefore, the choice became a little easier.
It so happened that in August 2020, I met Dmitry with just one handshake. I followed his further fate not only through the internet. Even then, his worldview amazed me - his activity, determination, and inner core. What his last words in court are worth: "Even behind bars, I consider myself more free than many people sitting here [in this hall]." In addition, Dima is a designer and draws beautifully, which is close to me as an artist.
Taking care of political prisoners is important because they are like us. Anyone could be in their place. It's impossible to turn over the page. This is our common cause, and even more so for those who are now in relative safety: to speak, to write, to tell, aloud, to share information about political prisoners until everyone is released.
Each of them is a real hero, and we need to know our heroes. If you write, report some news about a specific person - how they feel, what they read, what they suffer from, whether they receive letters, what they need - it is a very strong support, including support for their relatives and loved ones. It shows that they are not alone.
I tell about Dmitriy Kubarev's fate on my social networks: I write posts about him, share his photos from behind bars, mention him during various events in which I participate.
For example, last year, with Ekaterina Vodonosova - a musician, singer, and, by the way, also a guardian of a political prisoner - we held 5 concerts called "Krai" in Poland. While Katerina sings and musicians play, I draw with sand. And what I draw is shown on the screen on stage. Portraits including Dmitry Kubarev's, appear on the screen, Under the song "For Whom", dedicated to Belarusian political prisoners.
I also did video design for the performance of free kupalovtsi "Words from Behind Bars", based on poems, prose, and excerpts from letters from Belarusian political prisoners.
During the voicing of one of Maksim Znak's works, a drawn portrait of Dmitry Kubarev appeared on the screen, because the meaning of this work for me was not associated with no one else but with Dmitriy.
I always proudly wear badges pinned to my jacket or shirt "Until All Are Free" and another one - with a special English translation, which "Dissidentby" gave me as a guardian. People ask what are these badges about , and I willingly tell them, not forgetting about the specific person thanks to I received these badges as a guardian.
I go hiking in the mountains, recently officially joined the club of those who decided to get the "Crown of Polish Mountains" (28 peaks). I decided that I would take Dmitriy's portrait to each peak so that he would travel with me too, at least in this way.
I urge people to write letters to Dmitry. I hand over postcards with my illustrations to organizations that organize letter-writing campaigns for political prisoners".
Dmitry Kubarev – UX/UI designer. He has been behind bars since August 11, 2020. He was sentenced to 8 years of strict regime for "Organization of mass disturbances" and "Illegal actions in relation to objects, the action of which is based on the use of combustible substances".
Alexandra Konofalskaya - artist, master of pescography.
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