POLA KOMAROWA

ARTIFACTS

2023

The article was written as part of "Re:framing Migrants in the European Media". The ten international user-funded projects were created by the mechanisms that provided migrants and refugees with media coverage across Europe. The aim of the project is to help the mainstream media create an inclusive and safe space for self-presentation for migrants and rivals.

Algerd (33), 100-year-old silk haori and hakama

I was one of those who worked socially in the organization of fair elections - I coordinated the work of observers, people who watched over attendance and compliance with the rules. I tried to remain unnoticed, even my family didn't know what I was doing. After Lukashenka's victory in the rigged elections, several of my colleagues were picked up by the KGB. They were given absurdly high sentences - from 8 to 12 years. I decided to run away.
One of the first things I packed into my backpack was a 100-year-old silk haori and hakama, a traditional Japanese garment my sister gave me. In Belarus, I never wore this outfit - I was afraid that it would attract too much attention on the street. In Poland I wore it for the first time.

Kostya (34), dog Grem

After the protests in Belarus, my girlfriend and I moved to Kiev. Once I wanted to go to Minsk for my mother's birthday. Just before leaving, I got a message on Telegram: "Konstantin Valerevich, we are waiting for you, we have some questions." I thought it was a joke. It turned out to be the KGB. Of course, I didn't go anywhere.

After the war broke out, we fled to Warsaw. My dog Grem is with us all the time, who is both the easiest and the most difficult "luggage" to transport. He walks on his own legs, but it only works for short distances. He settles any complications at the border with bribes.It was worse after the war broke out.

There was no time to pack things. There were no cars and buses, the trains were packed. There wasn't room for everyone. We were wondering what to do if Grem does not fit in the transport. Fortunately, it worked. During the bus trip to the border, he was accompanied by two cats, two dogs and a hamster.
Now we are trying to start a new life again - this time in Warsaw.

Zmicier (29), silver clover

My girlfriend gave me a four-leaf clover found in the Białowieża Forest on my first date. I put it in the phone case. A few days later, the police stopped me during a protest. In the Awtozak, I was standing in a pool of blood - the militiamen smashed the noses of two boys. The officers mistreated us; they beat, they kicked. They took us to the Akrestina prison in Minsk. The cells were overcrowded - I spent two days in the yard, five meters long and five meters wide, with 127 other detainees.
I had problems with my ankle. The militiamen did not let me go to the doctor. I managed to get to the ambulance that came to pick up the man in critical condition. The doctor said they had to take me to the hospital.
My father picked up my belongings from the jail a few days later, but there was no clover among them. After getting out of jail, my girlfriend bought me a silver clover on a chain, which I haven't parted with since. Reminds me of what I went through in prison. In detention, I did not eat or sleep for three days - different thoughts come to mind at such moments. I learned a lot about myself.

Andrei (17), bird-shaped whistle

Not far from my grandparents' house is the Mir Castle, popular with tourists. My grandparents made friends with a craftsman who sells his wares there. During one of my walks, a shopkeeper gave me a bird-shaped whistle as a gift as a symbol of our friendship.

In 2021, I had to leave with my family - my mother participated in the protests and was detained. I had one suitcase that I couldn't fit even half of the things I wanted to take. However, there was room for a whistle. Reminds me of my childhood now.

Katia (35), wooden pad

My friend and I regularly went to a certain cult cafe in Minsk – the inhabitants of Minsk call it "U Grandpa". It was run by an elderly gentleman - Aleksander, a retired military man who arranged everything from scratch. The interior was decorated with various trinkets.

Once Mr. Aleksander got angry with us because we brought our own cups. We didn't want to drink from plastic disposable cups. As compensation, we decided to help him arrange a garden in front of the cafe. Since then, he has been kind to us, offering various delicacies. For Women's Day, we got various gifts from him - among them a decorative wooden pad that can be hung on the wall, for example.

We tried to visit Mr. Aleksander every weekend. Unfortunately we didn't have time to drop by the cafe for a while. When we showed up after a month, he yelled at us and chased us away.

After the revolution broke out, I had to leave Belarus - my boyfriend could go to prison for defending another person against the militia during a protest. I couldn't pack everything - there was no room for warm clothes in my suitcase. However, I packed a wooden placemat, which I now use as a place for candles. While in Poland, I found out that the owner of the cafe died. With him, this iconic place has disappeared.

Bazhena (22), mom's dress

I grew up in the countryside. When my mother was at work, my grandparents took care of me. Every day I waited impatiently for her return. I ran across fields and ditches to the bus stop to meet her faster. She was wearing a beautiful, airy floral dress. To this day I have this image in my mind, although I do not remember the meetings themselves. This is one of the most beautiful childhood memories.
In 2020, I went to Poland - I packed my mother's dress. I didn't know then that I wouldn't be able to come home. In May 2021, I organized a hunger protest in front of the European Commission in Warsaw. I have been banned from entering the country ever since. The last time I saw my mother was two years ago, at my grandmother's funeral. Now I really like wearing her floral dress. She became part of me.

Oksana (25), Pogoń shirt

The authorities persecuted me for participating in the protests. I had to run away with my 9-year-old daughter. I knew that I couldn't take the white-red-white flag with me - the Border Guard could arrest me. So I put two T-shirts with Pogoń, a symbol of free Belarus, in my suitcase. During the trip, I turned the shirts inside out so that the emblem would not be visible. We managed to cross the border safely. T-shirts served us instead of flags in our new home in Kiev. But the war has come. We headed towards the Polish border. I took documents, three books ("War has nothing of woman in it" by Svetlana Alexievich, "I am revolution" by Yulia Artemova and "Belarusian Donbas" by Katerina Andreeva), socks, panties and the T-shirts. It was terribly cold. I wrapped a T-shirt around my daughter's head to keep her warmer. We wiped tears and blood with the other T-shirt, because at some point our daughter's nose started to bleed from fatigue and stress. We reached the border point chilled and exhausted. We spent a day at the border. In Warsaw, I washed T-shirts. My daughter wears one of these. The second is a memento of what we've been through.

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Andrei (17), bird-shaped whistle Not far from my grandparents' house is the Mir Castle, popular with tourists. My grandparents made friends with a craftsman who sells his wares there. During one of my walks, a shopkeeper gave me a bird-shaped whistle as a gift as a symbol of our friendship.

In 2021, I had to leave with my family - my mother participated in the protests and was detained. I had one suitcase that I couldn't fit even half of the things I wanted to take. However, there was room for a whistle. Reminds me of my childhood now.

Andrei (17), bird-shaped whistle

Not far from my grandparents' house is the Mir Castle, popular with tourists. My grandparents made friends with a craftsman who sells his wares there. During one of my walks, a shopkeeper gave me a bird-shaped whistle as a gift as a symbol of our friendship.