Belarus lives on – even though it seems that, years after the protests against a sham election, the regime has driven the country further and further into isolation, the democracy movement in exile continues to fight for a free and democratic Belarus.

But it is doing so increasingly away from our attention, despite exhaustion and despite the adversities that the struggle for its own survival entails. So it is time to put Belarus and its citizens back in the spotlight.

A lot has happened since the protests in 2020. Any form of protest is nipped in the bud and the regime continues to crack down on its own people with unrelenting severity. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have left the country and now live in exile – in Warsaw, Vilnius, but also in Berlin.

Among them are not only political activists, but also musicians, writers, artists and journalists. They all have their own stories and individual perspectives on their country's past, present and future. And despite everything, these perspectives continue to be marked by great hope.

We want to make these voices heard in a collage of conversation, literature and music. These are the voices that give hope and will shape the future of Belarus.

An evening with:

Volha Hapeyeva: writer, poet, translator, linguist. Volha Hapeyeva is the author of 15 books written in Belarusian, and her poems have been translated into more than 15 languages.

Veranika Kruhlova: singer, theatre artist. Veranika Kruhlova is a well-known Belarusian ethno-singer and founder of the legendary band KRIWI.

Olga Loiko: Journalist Plan B. Olga Loiko was editor-in-chief of the politics and economics section of the Belarusian private web portal TUT.BY. The Belarusian authorities closed TUT.BY after the protests against the presidential elections in August 2020. Since 2023, she has been editor-in-chief of the online medium Plan B., which focuses on Belarusian economics and politics.

Marko Martin: Writer. Marko Martin left the GDR in May 1989 as a total conscientious objector and, when not travelling, lives as a writer in Berlin.

Uladzimir Matskevich: Philosopher and political activist. He is considered one of the best-known public intellectuals in Belarus. In the 1990s, he was involved in various elections, both as a candidate for different parties and as an election campaign advisor. He has also been repeatedly involved in educational reforms and projects.

Sophija Savtchouk: One of the founders, former chairperson and currently member of the extended board of RAZAM e.V., the first and now largest nationwide interest group representing people from Belarus living in Germany. RAZAM means ‘together’ in Belarusian.

Palina Šarėnda-Panasjuk: Political activist. Pаlina Šarėnda-Panasjuk was born in Minsk and graduated in history from the State University of Brest (France) in 1998. However, the establishment of the pro-Russian dictatorship in Belarus prompted her to devote herself to politics out of conviction and to actively fight Lukashenko's regime.

Lavon Volski: Musician. Lavon Volski is a legend of Belarusian alternative and rock music. With bands such as Mroya, N.R.M. and Kramambulya, and countless music projects, he has shaped the Belarusian music and cultural landscape like no other.

Zmicier Vishniou: Publisher, poet, writer. Zmicier Vishniou is co-founder of the literary movement Bum-Bam-Lit. From 2007 to 2022, he was head of the Halijafy publishing house.

Moderator:

Alice Bota: Journalist, DIE ZEIT. Alice Bota was born in Krapkowice, Poland, in 1979. In 1988, her family emigrated to northern Germany. She studied political science and modern German literature in Kiel, Poznan, Berlin and Potsdam. She writes mainly about Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. In 2021, her book ‘The Women of Belarus: On Revolution, Courage and the Urge for Freedom’ was published.

Ingo Petz: Journalist, dekoder. Ingo Petz is head of the Belarus project and a partner at the non-profit media platform dekoder.org. For over 25 years, he has been writing political analyses and cultural-historical essays on Eastern Europe, with a particular focus on Belarus.

Date and time: 28 November, 7 p.m.
Location: taz Kantine | Friedrichstraße 21 | 10969 Berlin

Registration: https://taz.de/Freiheitskaempfe-in-Osteuropa/!vn6127723/

(Language: German)

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