“Thank you, Anton, but we definitely won’t go to Belarus.” The sister of the Olympic champion Kushnir – about the silence of her brother, war and observance
We turned around about the Ukrainian athletes who happened in the national team of Belarus, achieving a high level, but after the start of the war they did not react in any way to the events in their homeland. Among the athletes and natives of the Rivne region, the 2014 Olympic freestyle champion Anton Kushnir, who has long settled in Minsk. We decided to talk to Anton’s older sister. Nadezhda Karunas is 40 years old, she is a designer, the founder of her brand’s clothes. He asked her how she perceives the totality of her brother. Find out how they got along as kids. We found out what she thinks about Belarusians and current events in Ukraine.
Panic, Rivne, genocide
— When and how did it become clear that the war came to Ukraine?
– On February 23, I was in Kyiv on the set. Returned to Rovno at night. And in the morning, a text message was requested … It became clear that the war had begun. Ever since in the fog The first state is panic. Shortness of breath, hands shaking, legs do not go – I did not know before what it is. Fear, afraid for children. It’s not immediately professional what to do, because you don’t particularly tell where to run, where to hide. No one suspected that this was not the case. The day before, as already mentioned, I was in Kyiv on a business trip, everything is calm. People strolled carelessly around the city center.
— What happened next?
– I realized the reality of the war even more when I woke up on the morning of February 25 from an explosion when the airport in Rivne was bombed. It is 5 km from the house. Permanent air raid sirens. Hiding. We live on the fourth floor and have taken place in the basement. Sometimes up to seven times a day. There was no alarm case. It was in Kharkov that acquaintances prepared more for war, prepared first aid. But in the west of Ukraine it was different. Well, I got together. I left with the kids after a week. The psyche could not stand it – constant anxiety. We lived for a month in Poland, now in Germany. Mom recently came to visit us. She works as a kindergarten teacher. I want to take a break for a while. We have long bought tickets for 10 days on a sea cruise. My husband was supposed to go, but, of course, they didn’t let him out. Changed tickets for mom. In Ukraine, in addition to his wife, there was a younger brother. We are three children in the family. Miroslav in Rivne. It has coverage issues, so it’s not shipping yet.
– Are you going to come back?
– Not. Especially if everything develops into a protracted stage and we will have a second Israel. Mom is expected anyway, but I’m not ready. Although Ukraine has its own housing, business. It’s cheaper here than abroad. Yes, a house is a house. But, when there are children, tosh thoughts in other categories. You don’t tell yourself. I have two boys: 16 and 12 years old. Not ready to give them to the war. Almost everyone has acquaintances who have already happened. I still can’t deal with these horrors. Exposed nerve. There has never been anything older in my life. It is difficult not to start all this genocide of the Ukrainian people through yourself.
Health, Sochi, pension
– Does Anton fully understand what is happening?
“Of course, he is aware of the situation, he understands everything. He has friends all over Ukraine, probably sitting. It’s just that today he chose such a disease – not to be announced publicly.
– It is right?
– Don’t judge anyone. War taught me. We must also understand that Anton had health problems two years ago. Serious problems. I don’t want to go into details – since my brother hasn’t advertised yet, then I won’t either. It was a big family tragedy. And now, imagine a wife, four children, relatives. You are young, beautiful, it will happen soon, but health does not allow. Although Anton is an Olympic champion, both Belarus and Ukraine were proud of him. How proud I was! I saw his conquest in Sochi – conquered moments! And after a career, almost no one needs it. Bye bye system. The harsh truth of life. I probably know that in Belarus there is no pension for Olympic champions. Anton never used. But I well understand how he is expected. Therefore, before those health problems, he decided to become a coach-consultant for the Kazakhstan national team – there were no good options in Belarus. Probably, all these properties are inherent in the market of the world.
Why doesn’t he leave Belarus?
“He is an adult who makes his own decisions. Yes, he is my brother, but I cannot and probably have no right to his share. In addition, how many families quarreled against the backdrop of the war! Children with children are resting.
Lord, patriots, gate
– Did you get in touch after the start of the war?
– Yes. The brother said: “Come to Belarus.”
– And you?
— Thank you, Anton, but we definitely won’t go there. I don’t know what the situations are telling them in the news, but in the end it’s impossible, because there are Russian troops in Belarus. Not to mention the fact that in Ukraine, with the temporary Orange Revolution, there was a redemocratic one, but in Belarus it never happened. And not the fact that it will. People are very kind and used to being led. They are afraid to utter a word, as in the USSR. Lukashenka is still the ruler of the state. I don’t know if a small country is ready to change this regime at the cost of the blood of its children, as in Ukraine. Our youth went to the Maidan and did not say anything about the computer. And now the self-sacrifice of a new generation of rebellion is a huge respect.
I do not justify anyone, but, I repeat, I do not judge people who are silent. Before the war, I was also far from politics – discovery and care. A creative profession, a family… Many Ukrainians have just opened their eyes, although everything has been dragging on since 2014. Why did they start bombing us! But we are all different. There are patriots who are ready to take up arms with their homeland, and there are those who have not taken and will not take it in their hands. Plus propaganda, Russian news. Believe me, for some Ukrainians, Putin is a real restorer. Situations arose when people live in Kyiv, they bomb around, and they pass in Russian and say: “Who told you that it was Putin?”
– Alla Tsuper is also from Rivne and also did not react in any way to the Russian invasion.
We know each other, but not close. Again, I’m not going to rate. Perhaps you have your own changes.
– Did you meet a hat next to your brother, they say, is he a pseudo-Ukrainian?
– There was a little on Facebook. But people do not know Anton, his life situation. The brother is called to speak out after the elections in Belarus in 2020. I will say this: what Kushnir and Zuper have achieved in sports cannot be crossed out in any case.
Brother, champion, children
— When was Kushnir in Ukraine for the last time?
– By the way, he was going to come before the war, but he himself was not allowed. Stood at the border and deployed. And so we saw each other a year and a half ago at the wedding of my younger brother.
What was Anton like as a child?
He is 2.5 years younger. I remember protecting me like a man. We were friends. He grew up as a sports guy, active, shoot, hardy. They ran together, tempered themselves through dousing with cold water. Dad paid serious attention to the control of our health. Anton was also accommodating. It was easy to work with him – his brother trusted the coaches, he listened. Perhaps for this reason they showed good results.
A person has been involved in professional sports since the age of 10. It’s two workouts a day, sacrificing everything else. The brother began to achieve success early, he was taken to the training camp. He was also kind and responsive. But at the same time, internal charisma, purposeful. Once, a friend of dad came to visit us with a video camera. And chosen who Anton wants to be. He said in an impromptu mini-interview: “Olympic champion.” See how it all turned out. The video is still there somewhere. Then they remembered this incident after the victory in Sochi.
– When your brother left for Belarus, how did you answer?
– Fine. Our dad played football himself, with his young years he ended up away from home. Parents were sympathetic to Anton’s move. In addition, his coach went with him (Galina Dosova. – Approx. Ed.). There seem to have been conflicts in Ukraine with Belarus’ recommendations for good conditions.
– How does Anton live now?
– We have begun to communicate less lately, yet we end up in countries of different countries, with each of our families. But I think the answer is obvious. My brother has four children. And he loves them dearly.