Ina Kuley on Alexander Milinkevich’s Health, Ploshcha‑2006 and Lessons from Decades of Belarusian Struggle

Ina Kuley, a well-known civic activist and the wife of former Belarusian presidential candidate Alexander Milinkevich, is the featured guest on the newest episode of the podcast 'Канапы' (Kanapy). The program brings together personal testimony and political reflection as Kuley discusses several interlinked topics: her husband’s health and rehabilitation, the couple’s personal history, the 2006 Ploshcha events, and broader questions about civil society and political activism in Belarus.

Central to the episode is the issue of Alexander Milinkevich’s current condition. Kuley speaks about his health and the process of rehabilitation, framing it as both a personal family matter and an issue of public interest given Milinkevich’s profile as a former opposition figure. The conversation treats health and recovery as subjects that intersect with political life for public figures in Belarus, and Kuley outlines how these private realities have played out in the public sphere.

Kuley also recounts the story of her relationship with Milinkevich, offering listeners a glimpse into the personal side of a couple known for their political engagement. While the episode contains recollections about their life together, Kuley situates these memories alongside larger historical moments, suggesting that personal histories and political trajectories are often intertwined for those involved in Belarusian civic and political movements.

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on Ploshcha‑2006, the mass events that remain an important reference point in the country’s recent political history. Kuley revisits those moments and reflects on how they shaped the strategies, expectations and resilience of Belarusian civil society in the years that followed. Her remarks connect that period to subsequent waves of activism and to the enduring questions of how citizens organize and sustain political engagement under difficult conditions.

Throughout the episode, Kuley considers the character of Belarusian civic life and the disposition of ordinary people toward political involvement. She speaks to why Belarusians are not passive, offering reflections on motivation, endurance and the lessons learned by activists and citizens across decades of political struggle. These observations are presented as part of an effort to understand both the limits and possibilities of civic action in the country.

The Kanapy episode forms part of a broader multimedia offering on the Radio Svaboda site, which includes other interviews and features on contemporary Belarusian politics and society. The program page notes that the link to the episode is accessible even in locations where the site may be blocked, underscoring ongoing efforts to ensure information reaches audiences within Belarus.

Kuley’s appearance on Kanapy thus combines the personal and the political: health and family life are discussed not as isolated concerns but as pieces of a larger story about opposition, civic resilience and the ongoing struggle for rights and participation in Belarus. Listeners are left with an account that aims to bridge private experience and public activism while reflecting on the lessons of past mobilizations and the character of current civic efforts.