I have been waiting all my life!

I have been waiting all my life!

„I have been waiting all my life for these protests!“

„Now it can not go back to normal!“

„Everything is different right now!“

These are quotes of the young people, I met in Belarus that are describing the atmosphere in the country right now: Since 9 August 2020 you can see crowds of people holding white-red-white flags in their hands walking down the center of Minsk. Every Sunday more than 100.000 people are gathering to protest against the manipulated reelection of Lukashenka.

But when I was starting my project four years ago, it was completely different. Instead of getting involved in politics people preferred to focus on their own lifes: People were tired; people were fallen asleep; people were doing nothing. People were retreating into their private sphere, drawing the curtains close to be cut off from the outside world. Waiting for a change. Waiting that something will happen. Every time I came back to Belarus nothing had changed. Everything was still the same.

Belarus, is mostly known as the last dictatorship in Europe. Alexander Lukashenka established an authoritarian regime that has dominated political and public space for more than 26 years. What does it mean and how does it feel to grow up under these circumstances? How is life in a country in which the development of democratic values ​​such as individuality, freedom of expression, and self-realization is prohibited?

In my work I was looking for young people who are searching for individuality which is not desired in Belarus. People that are discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, political attitude or just because of a different way of living or thinking. People that are following their own path instead of doing something that is expected by the society.

In my project you can see portraits of young people. By showing intimate moments I want to give an insight into their live: I want to show what It means and how I feels to live under these circumstances. I want to show another perspective that is not visible for many people by now.