'Traitor': Tombstone of Belarusian defender of Maidan desecrated, his family bullied

Unidentified individuals scratched the word ‘Traitor’ on the tombstone of Mikhail Zhyzneuski, a citizen of Belarus, who was killed during the protests in Kyiv in January 2014.

“The tombstone was placed on his grave in the village of Stsyag Pratsy near Homiel in summer, 2015. It is big and beautiful. Some money was raised by volunteers. We borrowed the rest and now we are still paying off the debts. We immediately insured the tombstone because we were ready for provocations,” Nina Zhyzneuskaya, Mikhail’s mother, told gazeta.ua.

On October 1, a journalist told her that someone scratched the word ‘Traitor’ on the tombstone. He also reported the case of desecrating the monument to the police.

“My husband and I went to the grave. We burst into tears. The inscription was half the monument. We called the police, but they said that the cemetery is ‘quiet and calm’. They do not know whom they should look for. They are not going to investigate this case. But they do know who has done it. I also suspect someone, but I cannot mention the name, I have no proof,” Nina says.

When Mikhail’s father saw the desecrated tombstone, he got sick and cried a lot, the woman sighed.

“After our son’s death we became pariahs in Belarus. Last year our daughter Natasha was expelled from Homel University. Her lecturer, a former Komsomol member, told Natasha that her brother was a thug and a Nazi, he earned money on Maidan. She refused to accept her graduate thesis saying that she disliked the title. After the intervention of journalists, Natasha resumed studies. And that lecturer retired,” Nina Zhyzneuskaya says.

The woman wants to reach the time when her son will be recognised Hero of Ukraine.