Embroidered chronicles of resistance in Belarus
Historically, Belarusian women could neither read nor write, and embroidery and weaving were almost the only way to depict the surrounding life. This is how special geometric patterns arose that conceal many meanings and symbolism. For example, red symbolizes blood or life, and white freedom and purity. We can say that Belarusian ornaments are a kind of code of our national history, written by women, and which can be read as a text or a message.
The political events around the elections in Belarus are part of our great history, which needed to be written down with the code of folk embroidery. Therefore, on the basis of this technique, a series The History of the Belarusian Vyzhyvanka was created. The title of the series is based on a linguistic pun. „Vyzhyvanka“ is the name of the technique of traditional belorussian embroidering; „vyshyvat” means to embroider in Belarusian, while „vyzhyvat“ means to survive. Because under the conditions created by the regime, the Belarusian people are just forced to survive. All images in the series are original documents and are based on real events or illustrate specific Belarusians.
Folk embroidery was used as a talisman against evil spirits, I want to believe that it has not lost this power in our days!
According to Viasna Human Rights Organization, as of today there are more then 580 persons are considered political prisoners and remain in jail.
The cockroach metaphor was first used during Siarhei Tsikhanousky’s election campaign. His motto “stop the cockroach” gained popularity, and the word itself gradually came to have an automatic association with the Belarusian dictator. The metaphor of a cockroach as a mustachioed tyrant goes back to the work of Russian children’s author Kornei Chukovsky, namely his fairy tale poem The Monster Cockroach [Tarakanishche] (1921). In this poem, an insect assumes power over humankind by bullying them, possibly as a reference to the figure of Joseph Stalin (1878–1953). The poem became popular in the Belarusian protests. Some people went out to the street with slippers in their hands to suggest smashing the cockroach. The events of summer 2020 are sometimes referred to as the Slipper Revolution, but the name did not stick.
MoreCreated in 1918, the original flag of the Belarusian People’s Republic featured a red band on a white field. After the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, this flag was chosen as the national flag of the new, independent Republic of Belarus. Even though Aliaksandr Lukashenka himself had his first inauguration under the white-red-white flag, in 1994 he pushed for the return of the old Soviet insignia, i.e., the current official red-green flag, which also features a traditional ornament. Henceforth, the original historical white-red-white flag and “Pahonia” coat of arms became the symbol of Lukashenko’s opposition. In summer 2020, both flags were used by protesters side by side to emphasize national unity. However, since August 2020, the white-red-white flag has made a triumphant return to public circulation.
MoreAccording to Viasna Human Rights Organization, as of today there are more then 580 persons are considered political prisoners and remain in jail.There is a common picture of all athletes, who gathered to fight for truth and justice in Belarus. They created an Open Letter of Free association of athletes of Belarus that was already signed by more than 2000 belarussian athlets. Also they founded @sos_by_2020 and @bssf.team that helps repressed athletes to keep their trainings. Many of them sold their the most precious awards in auctions and donate money to the fund. These wonderful people constantly organize creative iniciatives as #MarathonForFreadom , #ZOZHteam , different challenges and keeping support Belarussian people and batter the regime!
More
