As the U.S. and Russia negotiate over Ukraine, Belarus remains an overlooked but crucial part of the region’s shifting geopolitics. The fallout from the 2020 fraudulent elections and crushed democratic movement still unfolds—repression continues, exiles grow, and former political prisoners face new uncertainty. My project documents this ongoing aftermath, tracing displacement, resistance, and a nation in limbo. I am not just documenting this story; I am living it. Through portraits and daily life, my work explores exile, identity, and the struggle to hold onto home.
Riot police disperse a protest against Lukashenko on the day of the secret inauguration on September 23, 2020, in Minsk.
Twice forced Belarusian migrant Vesta in a temporary shelter in Warsaw, Poland, on March 3, 2022.
A participant in a pro-Lukashenko march in Minsk, Belarus, wearing a military uniform of the Russian Federation on 19 October 2020.
Belarusian volunteer fighter Gleb (18 years old), call sign “Sych”, who went to war in Ukraine in early March, 2022.
Hands of a Belarusian volunteer fighter, Gleb (18 years old), call sign “Sych,” who went to war in Ukraine in early March 2022. 24 November 2022, Grojec, Poland. Gleb left the front line and the Kalinouski regiment in July 2022 with shrapnel wounds in his legs, persistent nightmares, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Now, he is recovering and trying to rebuild his life.
Nasta Bazar (right) and her wife Dasha (left) in Krakow. Feminist and grassroots activist Nasta left Belarus for Kyiv in 2020 with her family. Shortly before the start of the war she moved to Poland. Nasta's main area of activism is protecting the rights of women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Nasta volunteered from the very beginning of the war in Ukraine and has tried to focus on helping women who have suffered from sexualised violence. Krakow, Poland. 26 October 2022.
A woman with flowers waits near the gate of the Okrestina detention center in Minsk, Belarus for the release of famous basketball player Elena Leuchanka after 15 days of detention on 15 October 2020.
Participants of the "March of Partizan" against Lukashenka's regime on 18 October 2020, named for its route along Partizanski Avenue, near the "Belarus" department store in Minsk, Belarus.
Armed forces guard the Palace of Independence (one of Lukashenka's residences) during a Sunday march against Lukashenka's regime in Minsk, Belarus on 30 August 2020.
A fighter of the Kalinouski Regiment, nicknamed "Chili," and his cat at the regiment's base in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 2 August 2022.
"Chili" is a Belarusian who has been living in Ukraine for 15 years. When the war began, he and his wife were in Lviv. They decided to relocate to Kyiv and turned their apartment in Lviv into a temporary shelter for refugees, providing a safe haven for those fleeing the conflict.
"Chili" is a Belarusian who has been living in Ukraine for 15 years. When the war began, he and his wife were in Lviv. They decided to relocate to Kyiv and turned their apartment in Lviv into a temporary shelter for refugees, providing a safe haven for those fleeing the conflict.
This is a short selection of photos from a project I am still working on. I can send a more complete selection of photos and text upon request.