Artemy Troitsky: Belarus will definitely choose European path

The prominent journalist talked his wife out of changing her citizenship from Belarusian to Russian.

Artemy Troitsky said it in an interview with Radio Svaboda.

– Boris Nemtsov said a new democratic Belarus would inevitably become a part of united Europe and show an example to Russia. “The sooner you will win, the sooner we will win,” he said. Do you agree with him?

– I share this opinion of late Boris Nemtsov. I have always thought that Belarus will definitely choose a European path sooner or later. My wife Vera is a citizen of the Republic of Belarus. She wanted to change her Belarusian citizenship to Russian, because I am a Russian citizen and our children are citizens of Russia. I was talking her out of doing it. I said: “Vera, I have no idea what will happen in Russia. It's probable that nothing good will happen, but your Belarus will be okay sooner or later. So, you'd better keep your citizenship.”

– Do you think the murder of Nemtsov will change Russia?

– It's a difficult question. I cannot answer it yet. I think the murder of Boris Nemtsov can seriously change Russia and will trigger significant changes, but, in my opinion, a decision on the issue (it is likely to be not a single decision but a sequence of decisions) has not been taken yet. Yesterday's prominent article in Novaya Gazeta says that the Russian authorities and Putin are at the crossroads now, choosing their way. Putin took a break. He is allegedly sick. He hasn't appeared in public for a week. I think he'll soon make a decision. It will be interesting to see which. There's a high probability that the situation will worsen, but it's also possible that it will improve...

– How much can one person do? For example, such a person as Ukrainian pilot Nadya Savchenko.

– I think nobody except for one person can do anything. Everything we see in the world is made by people. Everyone takes serious decisions for themselves before people gather in groups, armies, parties and organisations. In particular, Nadya Savchenko shows an example of real heroism. It is not quite typical for the 21st century that we've got used to regard as a very pragmatic and superficial time. It turns out that such things are possible today. This is good.

– You are called a leader of public opinion in Estonia. You were invited to a meeting with president of Estonia Toomas Ilves, who is, by the way, a former director of the Estonian Service of Radio Liberty, on the occasion of the Independence Day. Do you feel that all decent Russian people are harassed in their home country but become very popular in neighbouring countries as representatives of Russia that cannot be ashamed of? For example, Andrei Makarevich is perhaps a leader of public opinion in Belarus after he sang a song in Belarusian, let alone his position on the war in Ukraine...

– I do not agree that I am a leader of public opinion in Estonia. I think it is an exaggeration. In my view, Estonia has other public opinion leaders. I am a rather popular journalist and blogger, but nothing more. What about the people who are not recognised in Russia but arouse interest abroad... I think it is typical of Russia. There have always been people who disagree with its opinion and criticise the country from abroad. We can find many examples in the 19-20th centuries – Herzen, Bakunin, Plekhanov. Even Lenin lived in foreign countries for a long time. As for me in Estonia, this is a very cosy, free and transparent country. I feel good here.

– You are a presenter of the show Multicoloured News on Russian-language ARU TV internet television. Belarusian political migrant Pavel Marozau is one of the channel's founders. What is the best way to counter propaganda of the Russian media, in you opinion?

– I think there are no best ways to counter the massive propaganda campaign, because it seems to me that the people who fell under its influence will never overcome this addiction. They are lost souls for me. I stopped having an internal dialogue with them. Actually, they are mutually deaf, they don't understand one another. However many arguments you give them, they continue saying Crimea is ours, nobody can replace Putin, Russia is rising up. They don't have any arguments to prove their theses, but they hold onto them strongly. It is not interesting for me to be involved in counterpropaganda activities.

What about the things I do on ARU TV... Young nice people asked me to help and support them. I think it would be a little harder for them to attract a wider audience without my help. I am working there with great pleasure. What I do is ironic taunting remarks and comments, because I don't want to talk about it tragically and dramatically.

– I've recently heard from a competent expert that if TV showed Russians information contrary to what they are watching now, they would believe it quickly and 85% of Russians would be changed. Do you agree?

– If the policy of our TV channels suddenly flip-flopped, of course, on the order from above, I have no doubts that 95% of journalists would be happy to demonstrate their skills of a chameleon and begin to say the things contrary to what they are saying now. As for the public, it is not as quick as journalists. I think several weeks wouldn't be enough, but in six months moods in the country would change significantly. Television really has satanic power. Much depends on television...