Our zine is a printable A5 booklet. We were using the typewriter to create the text blocks, so that there is a sense of authenticity and reference to Samvydat. We combined text, hand-drawn illustrations and cut-outs from original 1960's Belarusian immigrant newspapers. The final outcome can be easily reproduced in numerous copies and spread.

Viera Vałovič, Siarhiej Siarhiejeŭ and Alena Šyš creators of the zine

The topic of exile is very personal for the three of us and many other Belarusians. According to various sources, there are from 500,000 to 800,000 Belarusians who have fled to the EU since 2020. In the zine we address numerous issues that arise in immigration, from practical ones to the questions of identity, in the form of ironic instructions from a fictional persona, Branisłaŭ Biada. It helps face these problems and also brings up historic continuity: we are not and have not been alone in this, even if any other immigration story is different.

Viera Vałovič, Siarhiej Siarhiejeŭ and Alena Šyš creators of the zine

While working with the archive of Jerzy Giedroyc and his collection of Belarusian immigrant periodicals, we realized that the content of the newspapers from the 60s is strikingly similar to the ones Belarusian independent media has to offer today: interviews with immigrants, verses from patriotic poetry, critical articles on what is going on inside the country based on the evidence from anonymous sources, and of course fundraising for the publishing of the paper. The times have changed but the core of the problem remains the same: Belarusians are still desperately building up a sense of united community and belonging, while being detached from their own country. The archive also revealed touching details, like the photos of kids looking for friends in immigration. This data is very valuable, since it gives humane faces to the numerous immigrant stories that seem to have become invisible over the years.

Viera Vałovič, Siarhiej Siarhiejeŭ and Alena Šyš creators of the zine

This zine was created as part of Freedom of Speech Beyond Borders, an interdisciplinary educational project introducing young people to the history of the struggle against censorship during the Cold War. The programme combines online seminars with study visits to European archives and memory sites, where participants explore the legacy of samizdat and tamizdat literature. Through archival research, workshops, and creative practice, participants collaborate to produce DIY publications inspired by underground publishing traditions.
Learn more about the project

The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland within the framework of the Inspiring Culture Programme.