Kseniya
Syramalot
Kseniya Syramalot was born on December 19, 1999. Before her arrest, she studied at the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences of Belarusian State University, was the press secretary of the Belarusian Students' Association, and a volunteer at the Viasna Human Rights Center.
Kseniya was detained on November 12, 2020, the "Black Thursday" of Belarusian students. The investigation accused Kseniya and other defendants in the case of "coordinating protests" at their universities. In May 2021, the court sentenced Kseniya to 2.5 years of imprisonment.
Kseniya has fully served her sentence and is now free.
Belarus Lives
On grey walls:
Under the paint, on the paint
In washed out art
Red on White —
Belarus Lives.
In tears and smiles,
In tired eyes
(And yet, beautiful).
In shouts and songs
In language and poems
In bright people
That are in dark places, —
Belarus Lives.
In small sheets of paper
In warm sunny words.
Belarus is scrabbed on the walls,
Drawn in the most hidden parts —
Belarus Lives in our hearts.
Translated from Belarusian by Volha Yermalayeva Franco
In language and poems, in bright people that are in dark places, — Belarus Lives.
POEMS FROM PRISON IS A JOINT PROJECT OF THE FREEDOM POSTCARDS INITIATIVE AND People’s Embassy of Belarus in Brazil.
Kseniya
Syramalot
Kseniya Syramalot was born on December 19, 1999. Before her arrest, she studied at the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences of Belarusian State University, was the press secretary of the Belarusian Students' Association, and a volunteer at the Viasna Human Rights Center.
Kseniya was detained on November 12, 2020, the "Black Thursday" of Belarusian students. The investigation accused Kseniya and other defendants in the case of "coordinating protests" at their universities. In May 2021, the court sentenced Kseniya to 2.5 years of imprisonment.
Kseniya has fully served her sentence and is now free.
Belarus Lives
On grey walls:
Under the paint, on the paint
In washed out art
Red on White —
Belarus Lives.
In tears and smiles,
In tired eyes
(And yet, beautiful).
In shouts and songs
In language and poems
In bright people
That are in dark places, —
Belarus Lives.
In small sheets of paper
In warm sunny words.
Belarus is scrabbed on the walls,
Drawn in the most hidden parts —
Belarus Lives in our hearts.
Translated from Belarusian by Volha Yermalayeva Franco
In language and poems, in bright people that are in dark places, — Belarus Lives.
POEMS FROM PRISON IS A JOINT PROJECT OF THE FREEDOM POSTCARDS INITIATIVE AND People’s Embassy of Belarus in Brazil.