Vasil Starovoytov was born on 13 June 1924 in the village of Borok in Belarus. Before the outbreak of the World War II, he graduated from the school for obstetricians. After the liberation of Belarus he became the Communist Party member. He has worked in the Communist Youth Union of the Republic of Belarus, as well as in the Communist Party of Belarus.

For almost 30 years he was in charge of kolkhoz Rasswiet in the region of Kirov, Mohilou circuit. For his successes at work he twice became the Hero of the Socialist Labour. In 1994 Vasil did not support Aliaksandr Lukashenko’s candidacy for president, he publicly expressed his doubts about this candidacy.

Chronicle of repression

On 11 November 1997 Vasil Starovoytov  was arrested and accused of committing crimes of theft and fraud under several articles of the Criminal Code. At that time many people were arrested, including the Minister of Agriculture, Vasil Lieskov. The authorities launched a criminal case concerning the kolkhoz Rasswiet, in which hundreds of people were accused.

In 1997 Starovoytov was convicted for stealing the property and was sentenced to two years in a penal colony of maximum security. He was released on 11 November 1999.