Belarusian Brushstrokes of Resilience

"I got a ticket to Kiev which my friend in the US bought for me and left. I was in no place to make decisions." In Minsk, Elena had pursued artistic projects on the side and was involved in organizing community events, such as urban art festivals. "For these events, we always had lots of applications from volunteers. This vibrant community is what I miss most from Belarus." Hearing the horrifying stories of what happened to those who couldn’t flee hurt her to the core. "Our civil society was being smashed. Many of my friends went to prison; there was so much injustice."

In Odessa, she tried to figure out ways of dealing with the post-traumatic stress and the hurdles of resettling in a new country. It was simple habits which helped her the most. "I grew up in a dynasty of medical professionals. I think this influenced me in how I approach problems as something which I can fix with the right measures: I kept a clear schedule to take care of my body, eating and sleeping regularly. I took myself on a walk for an hour every day." Another important step was acceptance, "It’s hard to accept a new reality which we don’t want to be real. But refusing it takes a lot of energy without inducing any positive change."

It took Elena a whole year to regain strength and reach out to the Belarusian community in Odessa. Inspired by her own and other migrants’ experiences, she launched the photo exhibition "Sea Heals" in 2021. She also decided to pursue a Master’s degree in psychology.

Striving for creative ways to build resilience in her community, Elena and her Belarusian friend, Nadezhda Yurieva, launched the "Hedonist Club". Each session, one club member would share an activity which makes them happy – and everyone would try it. "When people talk about what they truly love, they shine so bright that it's hard not to connect to them," says Elena. One participant was "really into perfume" and brought lots of little bottles of essential oils. The group smelled them and made their own perfume. Someone else loved stop motion cartoons and showed everyone how to create a short clip on their own. "We basically taught each other how to enjoy life. We could see how people went to this club and gained back a bit of happiness."

The "Hedonist Club" had just started its second season when the Russian war started in Ukraine. Weeks before, Elena had noticed that something was odd. Insurance companies wouldn’t cover any flights over Ukraine anymore. One day, she video-called a Ukrainian friend working in cybersecurity. "When I asked him what’s up, he was like, 'Everything is okay,' and I'm like, 'Nothing is okay. You're in the woods. In a military uniform!'"

Feeling anxious, she left Ukraine on 14 February, eight days before the war started. "One part of me didn’t want to believe that it could possibly happen, the other part kept brooding over worst-case scenarios. They soon became reality and I lost my home for the second time, with no way to go back."

One piece she feels especially attached to is "Belarusian Dream", exhibited in Pakhuis de Zwijger Cultural Center in Amsterdam. With thick layers of paint, she drew an image of Belarusian protesters on a porcelain plate. Then she smashed it. After the shards scattered on the floor, she collected the pieces one by one to put them back together. "There were pieces I never found and there were pieces which never made their way back into the final picture." The broken porcelain pieces were heavy, uneven and sharp. "I had to be careful not to cut myself. Many times, they wouldn’t fit when I tried to assemble them, but if they did, they would almost hug each other. When they found their place back, it was just magical."