Siarhei Mikhalok: KGB was preparing operation against us

The leader of Brutto band explains why he moved to Kyiv.

Siarhei Mikhalok said it in an interview with Maxim magazine.

“I returned to Minsk because my second son Makar was born, because I had a new band. Why should I flee and hide? I was tired of trying to escape. I made a big mistake. I decided they wouldn't bother me in Belarus, because I wasn't in Lyapis [Trubetskoy] any more. I was in Brutto. Hell no. Our fans in security agencies warned us that the KGB was preparing an operation against us. I moved from Minsk to Kyiv in one day. They could have organised a provocation. I am a drug addict who could have come round at hospital with a relapse. They could have planted drugs on me. There are no former alcoholics and drug addicts. I struggle against the desire to drink or use substances every second. But I won't 'do it,” he said.

Siarhei Mikhalok said how he had played a concert in Donetsk with two cars of armed men.

“We had a concert in Donetsk. Ninety five percent of comments on the Internet were like 'Come on, Maidan faggots, we'll kill you!' We arrived with two cars of armed men. The club was full, and all were chanting 'Glory to Ukraine!'. In Donetsk, in the centre of separatism. Why should I fear if I sing 'Kill a slave in yourself', 'Be brave' and 'Go ahead'? How can I know what will happen in Mariupol? I am a normal man. I am afraid for my life, too. It was more dangerous during a tour in Russia last year that in Mariupol. Every concert of Lyapis could have ended badly: I faced resistance from both the authorities and radical groups. I wasn't afraid and sang 'Warriors of Light', the hymn of Maidan, at Nashestvie festival, with plenty of DNR flags and slogans 'Crimea is ours'. The FSB, E Centre for youth extremism were watching us. But they helped us a couple of times. They warned that right-wing radicals wanted to attack us in Kaliningrad. We are fascists and Bandera fans for them,” he noted.

Mikhalok says he doesn't plan to visit Russia.

“No, I won't go to Russia. I don't know what what blacklists mean. They have aggressive environment. By the way, the state doesn't need to do something against me. Activists will do everything. There are relatives of people who were killed in DNR. They are sure I sang at Maidan for American money and I visit Russia with my hands in blood of Russian soldiers. I will be attacked by right-wing football fans, left-wing hardcore activists or cowards who fear to go to fight but walk in Samara in groups of two hundreds armed with sabres. If people without sabres attack me, I will knock down two or three men. But if they have sabres? Have you ever seen a man with a sabre? They are sure I burnt children in Odessa, personally I. A newspaper in Tyumen wrote that I shouted 'Kill Russians, kill Jews' at Maidan and then came to their northern multinational town. Propaganda and the information war did a lot,” Mikhalok said.

Speaking about the future of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, Brutto's leader said the countries should be normal neighbours rather than brothers.

“I am for the Scandinavian-style socialism. I like relations between Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Do you know the names of their presidents? I don't know either. I want us not to know names of our presidents. I want them just to do their work. If we are independent states, we will be friends. Do not drag us into the Eurasian Union, the Warsaw Pact, don't build the Soviet Union again. The empire collapsed! It fell apart! What an architect one must be to build a house from the fallen off stones? The pit us against one another! I want every nation to have its own state. I need my living space. I am on a train in my private compartment. If you want to talk, come and talk to me. You talk and leave my compartment. Don't say 'Well, I will lie here and solve a crossword puzzle!' I want us to travel in the same carriage but in different compartments. In this case we will love one another again,” the musician said.