Stanislau Shushkevich: Kebich Had a Sense of Shame Unlike Lukashenka
- 29.08.2016, 14:29
Speaking against democracy, Kebich helped the dictator, not himself.
The first head of independent Belarus Stanislau Shushkevich told in the interview to Radio Svaboda.
- Pyotr Sadouski in his book "My Shibboleth" writes that it seems to him that Zenon Poznyak had some positive impact on our destiny. Can you agree?
- Yes. No doubt that Zenon Pozniyak had a big impact on my fate. Although I used to be a subscriber of the Literature and Art newspaper, but I did not read anything about Kurapaty, when the article was published. I had a very interesting job. I used to leave home at 7 am and was back at least at 11 pm. My physical applied researches were the sense of my life. That was the only thing I was keen on. And I did not mention both Zenon Poznyak and Kurapaty. I constantly refused to be a nominee for deputy, but when I was nominated at the university and did not withdraw from the candidate pool, there was a vote by secret ballot at a meeting of 600 people. And I had 450 votes, the second Prorector, a wonderful person, had 70 votes, and Zenon Poznyak, nobody knew him worked at the university, got 50 votes. I felt ashamed that I did not know him. The next day I found him. I was glad to talk to him and was proud that there were such people in our country.
And then the second story begins. I was glad with what had been done. Later I made friendship with those who worked at the History Institute. There were Skalaban, Charnyauski and others. It is not fair to get credit only to Zenon Stanislavavich for all achievements. I had no political team and I still have my physical and mathematical team. They are my friends who know what I need. In political sense I was not prepared for that kind of work. I am ashamed that I did not protest against the events in Czechoslovakia, I did not protest against the events in the Soviet Union. Thank God that there were those dissidents.
- Are there any cases you were ashamed of while your leadership in Belarus?
- No. I was ashamed of what was being done in the Belarusian Popular Front, there was a holy man, and everyone listened to, thanked and bowed to him. It was not my case, I used to think first, then inform and take a decision.
- I my book I say that we should learn through errors and not let them occur again. Was that possible then to stop Lukashenka? Did you think about this?
- No, I didn't, because it was a pure betrayal. I realized later that Kebich had perceived me as the main competitor. I respected him and thought he was a good specialist, very good man, the most intelligent in the government, who ran a true policy and who could be an excellent director of a plant. And he had many qualities that could be envied. And I did not realize that he had secretly invented those stories about stealing of nails, for example, and Lukashenka made them public. Unlike Lukashenka he had a shame of sense and could not say it. And Lukashenka did it, that was his way. Kebich used to be in charge and that was a veiled treason. Speaking against me, Kebich helped the dictator, not himself.