The book “Invincible Marynich” includes the last thoughts and a lot of photos from the personal archives of Mikhail Marynich – Belarusian politician, diplomat, and later political prisoner. As the author, Aliaksandr Tamkovich, acknowledges, the book was supposed to be published before the 75th anniversary of Mr. Marinich, who even began to exercise his hand after the second stroke to be able to sign copies of the book. However, it turned out, that the 17th book of Aliaksandr Tamkovich was presented without the main hero.

Aliaksandr Tamkovich is a journalist, and the author of several books about important political developments in Belarus and their impact on the fate of people – political prisoners, civil society activists and human rights defenders. “Tamkovich is a chronicler of Belarusian modern public life and democratic resistance” – said Ales Bialiatski, the Belarusian human rights defender, during the presentation.

The head of the human rights center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski told the audience about Marynich, who he remembers from the work in the Minsk city council as an invincible person.

“In the early ’90s all these people faced the choice: some went to serve the regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, but Mikhail Marynich saw another way of Belarusian development. In 2001 he tried to participate in the presidential campaign, and in 2004 the authorities arrested him and put in prison on false accusations. Mikhail Marynich opposed the government in hard times: the time of disappearance of politicians (1999-2001), the time of disbandment of democratic structures (2003-2004, when several hundred non-governmental organizations were closed down). The authorities took brutal vengeance on Marynich in 2004. He was held in prison for 2 years, that in fact undermined his health: he suffered a stroke in prison. Mikhail Marynich did not sign a petition for pardon and was released after the “presidential elections” in 2006 with broken health, but even then he continued his political fight. I can say that the name of the book really fits him. And this is how he stayed in the history of Belarus as non-conquered and invincible”- said Ales Bialiatski.

Pavel Marynich has also shared his memories about the character, hopes and ideals of his father: “The choice of my father was conscious, he saw that under the leadership of Lukashenka Belarus turns into a pariah state. He knew what awaited him and remained faithful to his ideals, but sincerely believed that would live till the day when the dictatorship collapses and Belarus is free.”

The book “Invincible Marynich” shows not only the fate of the politician and diplomat Mikhail Marynich, but the events in the history of Belarus, that affected his fate. “For all those diplomats, who are just beginning to work with Belarus and in Belarus, it is necessary to read such books to know what our country went through with such people as Mikhail Marynich,” – said Taciana Reviaka, the president of the Belarusian HRH.

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Mikhail Marynich was an Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Latvia, Estonia and Finland, served as minister of foreign economic relations, but after joining the political opposition he was imprisoned. The UN Committee on Human Rights recognized Marynich as a victim of political repressions, and his trial as unfair. Mikhail Marynich died on 17 October 2014.

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