I met Iryna as soon as I came to work at BelaPAN at the end of the past millennium. It's been almost three decades that I've worked with the company.

At first, I can say I and Iryna even had a professional conflict because I came to a new team with my own traditions, way of interaction. I needed time to adapt to all the details. I remember we had a big fight once, so our relationship was not a friendly one right away.

But I valued her adherence to principle. On the one hand, there's no arrogance at all about her; many employees address her informally, without ceremonies. Yet it doesn't mean she is patronising. In terms of work Iryna can be rough, demanding, principled or even start a conflict standing her ground.

I met Iryna at an educational project for Belarusian journalists in Sweden. I remember I looked at her and thought: 'I wish I could get closer to her'. She irradiated such confidence, professionalism. She could say nothing and just sit opposite to you and you would look at her and just, just— Mother of dragons!

Several years after that there was a staff reduction at Nasha Niva and I was offered to come work with Ales Lipai. So I had a happy chance to work with the team.

The atmosphere, rules, values everything is built on are all Iryna's values, Ales' values, other editors' values. Numerous times I witnessed how Iryna cleared our colleagues' articles of information absurdity. It has always been accurate, without getting down to emotions or becoming personal. It was about the product, about the truth.

We met when I came to work at BelaPAN in the fall of 2006. And I was probably very lucky to be given a desk right near Iryna's one. Her desk was at the wall and mine on her right. She had to teach me, make me fit the agency's standards, explain the specifics.

Ira is the soul of the agency, the centre of everything. She led the work of the agency, journalists' work. She is a top-class professional.

I don't think there are a lot of managers like her in Belarus. As an example I can name Marina Zolotova (editor-in-chief of T*T.BY currently recognized as an extremist media, a political prisoner — Ed.). These are equally significant figures despite the differing specifics of their work. Marina Zolotova developed a nation-wide portal targeted at a mass audience while Iryna Leushina led an information agency with paid subscription with its target audience being other media, diplomatic missions, Belarusian and international organisations.

Mama is crazy professional. Her work is her life. I think she is a perfectionist in her work. She always tries to accomplish the tasks she sets. She is a good manager capable of finding an approach, being friends, organising her colleagues.

And she's the best mother in the world. Even though she is always working we are friends. She's the person I have always looked up to. I always wanted to be like her.

We spent a lot of time together. We like walking, finding new cafes, places, we love to chat. She has always supported me in any of my undertakings including when I started designing clothes, she helped me as she could. She was proud of me.

We have always had cats and dogs. Our labrador Brooklyn has been a great support for my mama recently, a super friend. She used to take him on two-hour walks. I can't imagine mama without animals around her. Even though she is now saying some time has to pass after Brooklyn died, I think as soon as she is free and everything comes back to normal someone new will appear.

Mama is goal-oriented. Stubborn, in a good sense. She achieves what she wants. She's very kind, very clever in many respects. For those who know her better, she is very artistic, lively.

When she was for the first time detained in the BelTA case (in 2018, a number of journalists were detained accused of unauthorised access to the materials of the state-owned information agency BelTA — Ed.) it was a complete surprise. This time, she was prepared.

She knew BelaPAN was the only largest independent mass medium still existing on the territory of Belarus. So she had prepared instructions, for me as well. When I realised I couldn't reach her since morning there was no shock or stress. I knew I had to follow her instructions.

I'm doing everything myself for now. I took the first package to the pre-trial detention centre (in Akrestsina, in Minsk — Ed.) and it was accepted. I was so happy. Then her lawyer saw her and it turned out that of the whole package—there was 5 kg of food, hygienic items, warm clothes in it—she only received a half-empty bottle of water, toilet paper and napkins. This was a shock for me because people accepting the package at the detention centre were very nice to me and assured me they will pass everything. And then you find out that they even spill half a bottle of water. So odd.

And as I got from what the lawyer said, mama was very upset about it because she was counting on receiving at least minimum hygienic items. Then she passed on that they feed them relatively well and the food is enough.

Mama remains energetic and funny even there. I can't imagine the situation where mama would fall apart and let know she's not fine. The lawyer consistently tells me everything is fine, she's in a good mood and keeps upbeat.

The most important support for mama is in letters. She used to write to the political prisoners a lot even though many letters never reached their destination.