Playwright Karelin fired from New Theatre

Andrei Karelin, who was issued a fine of 7mn rubles for a comment about the police on an internet forum, has been sacked from the New Drama Theatre.

The playwright says that he talked to theatre director Vasily Martsetski on August 26, after his return from the vacation. The director recommended him to quit. Karelin says Marteski told him he had a telephone call from the main department for ideology, culture and youth of the Minsk city executive committee and was ordered to dismiss the playwright, Belorusskie Novosti reports.

Karelin says the director offered Karelin to write a resignation letter voluntary, otherwise “we will do it it together”.

“I decided not to put his career at risk. I handed in the letter of resignation. I understand after the conversation that there will always be a reason to dismiss me in this country,” the playwright says.

According to him, the procedure took a little time. He didn't even return the company property he had.

“I know that people may get fired for their views in this country, but I thought I have been working with more decent people,” Karelin said. According to him, he suspected a possible dismissal, but he didn't expect it would happen soon.

Karelin had worked for the New Drama Theatre for less than a year – since September 26, 2012. He says the theatre director wrote a good character reference for him for the trial and signed the application to prolong the employment agreement for two years.

Karelin has a wife and a small child. The playwright is ready to work even as a loader at a store , “because they earn 2 or 3 times more than employees of the cultural sector”.