Belarusian and Polish champion jailed for evading army service in Belarus. And now he has completely disappeared
Viktar Shmuliay has been involved in freestyle wrestling since childhood. He participated in competitions first in Belarus, and then in Poland. But a few months ago, the young man disappeared, and his mother recounts a family tragedy on social media.
Viktar Shmuliay in Poland. Photo: gosirteresin.pl
Viktar's dramatic story was shared by his mother, Viktoria Shmuliay, on Threads. She lovingly shows off her son's room, which his father made for him. The only thing that surprises commentators is the mirror, on which pistols can be seen.
Viktar's room in his parents' house. Screenshot from a Threads video
Viktar, the eldest son in the family, was born in 1996. He grew up athletic and decided he wanted to pursue freestyle wrestling.
In 2013, he even traveled to the European Championship as part of the Belarusian junior national team.
His mother, Viktoria, admits that the family decided to move their son to Warsaw to prevent him from being drafted into the Belarusian army.
Viktar even has a page on Polish Wikipedia. It describes his achievements: "Participant in international cadet, junior, and youth championships. His best result was eighth place at the European U23 Junior Championship in 2018. Polish champion in 2017 and 2019; second place in 2018; third place in 2016. Vice-champion of Poland among youth in 2017 and 2018. First place among juniors in 2016."
Photo: static2.radiosochaczew.pl
In the domestic media, Shmuliay's surname was last mentioned in 2019. At that time, it was reported that Viktar Shmuliay, Belarusian and Polish freestyle wrestling champion, helped conduct a master class for the Pinsk Hawks hockey club.
In 2023, Viktar — by then 27 years old — decided to return to Belarus to his parents. He was detained. As a result, according to his mother, her son was given a month and a half of arrest for evading military conscription.
His mother says that his addiction (alcohol and drugs) appeared long before his return home.
"From a champion and a wonderful, kind, sympathetic guy, he turned into a homeless person. For five years, it has just torn our souls apart, especially the last three years."
There was a moment when the family had hope that their son would get back on track – he found a girlfriend. His mother says that his chosen one was beautiful and smart, and owned her own shops. But soon Viktar left his beloved – he chose the high.
Parental conversations were no help, his mother writes: "Homeless, and that's normal for him. Lying in bushes, in a tent. I told him he would die prematurely, and he almost killed me out of anger."
Life turned into a complete nightmare: their son disappeared, and his parents searched for him everywhere – often finding him in a terrible state. They brought him home, fed him, pitied him – and then it all happened again and again.
About six months ago, Viktar was supposed to be forcibly sent to a medical-labor preventive facility, but at the last moment, his father managed to get him out. The scare lasted one day – then the young man reverted to his old ways. His mother says that as a result, things only got worse.
Two months ago, Viktar disappeared – after his parents tried to implement stricter rules and stopped giving him money. The family does not plan to look for him; everyone is trying to live their own lives.
His mother entertains the thought that her son might have left for Poland again, as he has Polish citizenship (Viktar's father is Polish):
"He disappeared when the police here in Belarus started pressuring him. Constantly inadequate. Annoying everyone in shops, stealing."
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