Art for freedom: Maria Kalesnikava in Bonn
The Belarusian musician and civil rights activist Maria Kalesnikava held the keynote speech on the importance of art at the 2026 Beethovenfest in Bonn. She also visited DW.
Maria Kalesnikava, a Belarusian flautist and activist, spoke at this year's Beethovenfest in Bonn about the importance of art and culture in the face of authoritarianism. Kalesnikava herself spent five years in detention as a political prisoner in Belarus, where she endured solitary confinement. She emphasized that while external freedom can be taken away, it is much harder to control a person's inner freedom, which is protected by art and culture.
Kalesnikava highlighted how art provides a space for encounter and tolerance of ambivalence, which is crucial for a free society. She also noted that authoritarian regimes, such as those led by Stalin, Hitler, Putin, and Lukashenko, often view art with distrust. Kalesnikava's resilience and freedom were partly attributed to the music of Beethoven and Bach, which she studied during her imprisonment.
During the festival, Kalesnikava participated in a panel discussion and appeared on DW's Russian language show. She currently resides in Berlin, where she is recovering from her experiences and advocating for the over 800 political prisoners in Belarus.
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