It can be a time of existing. It can also become a time of living–learning, becoming, and influencing.

Fedor was born in the Belarusian city Baranovichi to an international family a year before the collapse of the USSR. When he, still studying in elementary grades, learned from his parents that he could choose his nationality for himself (his father was Tatar, his mother Belarusian), he proudly declared, “I am Belarusian!”

As an elementary grade student he took to literature. In the senior grades his favorite author became L. N. Gumilev, the son of Akhmatova and Gumilev, who had spend much time in the Stalin torture chambers. Gumilev helped Fedor to understand how ethnic groups are formed and destroyed. Today on his apartment shelf are his books “An End and a New Beginning,” “To Keep the Candle from Going Out,” “Ethnogenesis and the Biosphere of Earth” and others. After the arrest on January 15, 2011 the first two “moved” to SIZO in Volodarsky at his request. They won’t come home; it’s the way the prison keeps it’s library stocked. The rest of the books will be waiting for its owner at home.

In the senior gymnasium grades Fedor competed in the academic Olympiads at the city, regional and republic levels having success in the subjects of history, computer science and geography. However, the greatest results Fedor had were with history (first place at city and regional), where he had a deep natural interest. His passion for history was shared by his older brother, mother, grandfather and great grandfather on his mother’s side. His great grandfather Ivan, born in Grodnensky district took part in World War II, and loved to tell stories of heroism and battle. His political and military idol was Tadeush Kostyushko, national hero of Belarus, Poland, and USA. Grandpa Fedor got his name, and the younger Fedor as well, thanks to this passion for history. “The names Tadeush, Todor and Fedor sound good together. Let’s name our son Fedor.” suggested great grandma Stepanida. In 1990 this name was christened in turn upon Fedor as well.

Having read serious books and having conversed with intelligent educators, Fedor quickly caught on to the core of history, understanding how many mistakes are to be found, falsifications, fabricated characters, invented tales, etc. “History under the Question Mark” by E. Y. Gagovich stifled his interest in this area of knowledge. However, it didn’t take long for him to find another “Holy Grail.” In the tenth grade Fedor developed an interest in economics. It began with a copy of “The Economic Way of Thinking” by P. Heyne and D. Prichitko brought to him by his father. It stayed at his side for a long time. Reading it Fedor, as he later admitted, considered the role of the government in our modern society and the role of the market, the cause of the wealth and poverty of people, and became familiar with various economic systems.

Later he had the question in choosing a profession. Fedor applied to the management faculty at the Belarusian State Economic University, specializing in Economic Cybernetics, having high grades. Already a student interested in the theories of Ludwig von Mises, a bold representative of classical liberalism, advocating noninterference by the government in the economy. In Belarus there is a functioning filial of the scientific research center of Mises lead by the politician and economist Y. C. Romanchuk. As an advocate of government noninterference in the economy Fedor at his first election voted for the candidate Y.C. Romanchuk.

Fedor has many friends and acquaintances. Even before becoming close to the students in his group, Yevgeny Paris picked out Fedor as an extraordinary, lively, self-confident person, understanding his own competence and in spheres where another young man would discuss nothing. Upon first meeting him on September 1, 2008 Yevgeny was sure that “Fedya” knew a lot:

I got the impression that you’re speaking with an expert, whose ideas are based on life, whose conclusions carry weight, and at the same time, a person who enjoys life. A love for life for Fedor combines with high ethical principles that become personality traits. And through it all holds to his uncompromising critical position. Later it turned out that this kind of discipline emanates from his honest, sincere approach to life. Among peers this was the first time I’d come across such a mature, well developed person. A person who values the truth, Fedya never throws it out, he guards it like some kind of treasure. Maybe that’s why it’s not always obvious to see the motives for his actions. For me, Fedor is a real person, one who understands that every word has a whole concept behind it, “friendship” not least of all.

Immediately after the arrest of Fedor there was a gathering of students from his group requesting a reconsideration of his means of constraint and releasing him on probation. In the course of the meeting the group mates remembered how history whiz Fedor organized group hikes to Vyazinka and Stolbtsy, the birthplaces of the Belarussian poets Kupala and Kolas, and his big plans for the future, his abilities especially in the discipline of his specialty, his drive to finish his studies in economic school and put his effort into developing the economy of Belarus. Students remembered the action of Fedor as well, adopting a homeless kitten last fall and nursing it from starvation to health, in spite of the veterinarian’s recommendation to put it to sleep.

During the period of his absence Fluffy has become the favorite of his comrades, and the weekly visiting of his mother in this difficult family time, is welcome tradition. Essentially, after the December events in 2010, Belarus has seen an active development in the Timur movement, in which the youth (without any party affiliation) volunteer to take charge for people, whose close ones have suffered political repression. Their selfless love and support help those convicted to stay true to themselves, to not give into treachery, and to stay on the sunny side of life.

Fedor Mirzayanov has been sentenced to three years in jail. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRCnAajl4pc