# Maria Kalesnikava on art and freedom

> Belarusian activist Maria Kalesnikava links cultural freedom to resisting authoritarianism after prison.
- Title: Maria Kalesnikava on art and freedom · Dw | Shortify
- Summary: Belarusian activist Maria Kalesnikava links cultural freedom to resisting authoritarianism after prison. Maria Kalesnikava, a Belarusian political prisoner…
- Keywords: maria kalesnikava, belarus, beethovenfest, belarusian opposition, political prisoner, art freedom, united states, german foreign minister, lukashenko regime, beethovenhalle, cultural events, political spaces
- Source: Dw — https://dw.com/en/art-for-freedom-maria-kalesnikava-in-bonn/a-79612009?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: maria kalesnikava, belarus, beethovenfest, belarusian opposition, political prisoner, art freedom, united states, german foreign minister, lukashenko regime, beethovenhalle, cultural events, political spaces
## Maria Kalesnikava's prison experience
Maria Kalesnikava spent five years in detention as a political prisoner, three in solitary confinement.

> A person's external freedom can be taken away, sometimes almost entirely.
## Art as prison refuge
Music saved Kalesnikava during her imprisonment, providing mental freedom through melodies that stayed in her head.

> I spent a lot of time in complete silence. But this silence was almost never empty, because music constantly played in my head.
## Kalesnikava's freedom message
Kalesnikava says art is vital for free societies and why authoritarian regimes distrust cultural expression.

> And it is precisely in this that I find the explanation for why culture is so important for a free society and why authoritarian systems so often view it with distrust.
## Kalesnikava on Ukraine war
Kalesnikava links Russia's war in Ukraine to a broader attack on European values and culture.

> The war Russia started is not just against Ukraine. It's a war against European values and European culture.
## Beethovenfest conference
Over 200 music industry representatives debated cultural spaces for freedom at the Beethovenfest conference.

> Arts and culture are not responsible for taking on specific opinions from political parties, or for making explicitly political statements.
## Beethovenfest success
The 2026 Beethovenfest attracted 35,000 visitors, the highest in a decade, ending on German Unity Day.

> After four weeks of Beethovenfest 2026, the festival recorded the highest number of visitors in a decade.
## Kalesnikava's current role
Kalesnikava lives in Berlin, recovering from imprisonment and advocating for 800+ Belarusian political prisoners.

> She sees it as her responsibility to remind the world about what is happening to more than 800 political prisoners in Belarus.
## Key takeaway

Maria Kalesnikava, a Belarusian political prisoner released after 10 months, says art protects freedom from authoritarian regimes.