Alexey Silenka is an architect and musician, a drummer. He graduated from BNTU, performed at Minsk venues and participated in street projects («oh.RA», «BULVAR», Mnsr. Gustav, etc.) After the war began, Alexey left for Georgia. In 2024, he returned to Belarus, where he was arrested and convicted under Art. 130 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus ("incitement of hatred") and Art. 361 Part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus ("call for sanctions").
On September 11, 2025, Alexey was forcibly expelled to Lithuania in a group of 37 Belarusian political prisoners. At the border, it became known that security forces had confiscated passports from 13 of them. The former political prisoners do not know on what basis they were released early from the colonies: they were not given a certificate of release, and even their sentences were confiscated. Several people were "pardoned," having practically served their entire court-determined sentence, and they were supposed to be released in the coming months anyway. It is worth noting separately that several of those pardoned had already long ago served their "original" sentences.
The first strong feeling appeared when the bus approached the border and I saw the EU flag. Before that, the day had been heavy, empty, emotionless. And then — just joy. Even greater than from the words 'You are free!'
When we arrived at the shelter, we were immediately given phones, SIM cards, and headphones. This helped us return to reality, start communicating, and receive information. After months of isolation and forced viewing of propaganda channels, this was incredibly important.
The Charitable foundation "A Country to Live in" has created a shelter in Vilnius for released political prisoners who need time and support to recover after months or years of imprisonment. Here, people receive safe housing, psychological assistance, legal support, medical care, and integration assistance. The shelter helps former prisoners gradually return to normal life, find themselves in new circumstances, and begin planning for the future.
It's comfortable and safe here. Everything is done so that we can recover. It's clear that there's still a feeling of uncertainty, but that's just an internal feeling from the situation. The atmosphere here is good, lots of attention and help. The company of people is good, everyone is like-minded, we get along well.
I was ready to serve my sentence and return to life in Belarus. Now all my plans are destroyed. I'm just forming new dreams. I want to continue my architectural work, studying what has changed in the profession, especially the implementation of neural networks. I'm confident I can catch up. And I'm also a musician, I've been playing drums for 20 years. In Minsk, I organized street jams where hundreds of people gathered. A free city for me is one where people dance in the streets. I dream of buying an instrument here in Vilnius and one day organizing a thanksgiving celebration.
Everything here is done wonderfully. I can only say one thing: thank you!
Each such story is a reminder of why we work: so that a person who has gone through captivity can feel free, needed, and capable of dreaming again.
Thank you to everyone who supports the foundation and our shelter — your help truly changes lives.
Every donation helps support political prisoners and their families, giving them hope and the means to overcome challenges.
