Untapped potential? A map of Belarusian culture in Poland
In recent years, Poland has become the most important center of Belarusian cultural life in exile. A report by the Mieroszewski Centre highlights the scale of this phenomenon and the challenges currently faced by Belarusian artists and cultural practitioners.
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The publication maps an ecosystem of around 120 organisations and initiatives, as well as nearly 200 artists active in Poland since 2020. These creators represent a wide range of disciplines—from literature and music to visual arts, theatre, and film.
The report aims to capture a rapidly evolving yet still underexplored phenomenon. Following the political events in Belarus in 2020, many artists were forced into exile. Due to its geographical and cultural proximity, Poland became one of the key places where they could continue their artistic work.
According to various estimates, between 145,000 and 350,000 Belarusians currently live in Poland, making them one of the largest foreign communities in the country. At the same time, the actual scale of cultural activity may be even greater, as many artists operate outside formal structures, often anonymously or under pseudonyms.
A new cultural landscape
The report shows that since 2020, Belarusian creative communities have emerged in nearly all major Polish cities, including Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, Białystok, Wrocław, and Poznań.
Alongside them, new organisations, artistic spaces, and initiatives have been established to support artists in exile. Poland has become not only a place of intense cultural development, but also a space for building new forms of collaboration and identity.
At the same time, only a portion of artists have managed to fully enter the Polish institutional system and reach audiences beyond the diaspora. Many had to start from scratch in Poland, facing language barriers, legal procedures, and often the need to change professions.
Between integration and identity
The report emphasizes that the Belarusian cultural scene in Poland is developing in tension between integration and the preservation of identity. On the one hand, artists are learning to navigate a new system and build international collaborations; on the other, they face the risk of fragmentation and invisibility.
As the report’s authors note:
“After emigrating, many artists found themselves in a situation where they had to rebuild their lives while trying to continue their artistic work. This requires time and support, but it also reveals the enormous potential of this community.”
Successes and collaboration
Despite these challenges, there are already significant achievements and clear examples of successful Polish–Belarusian collaboration.
Belarusian artists are receiving awards, exhibiting in leading Polish institutions, and increasingly establishing their presence within the mainstream cultural landscape. Artist Yana Shostak received the Paszporty Polityki award in 2021, while Ala Savashevich was nominated in 2024. Meanwhile, playwright and director Mikita Ilyinchyk is developing his career in the Polish theatre scene and was nominated for the 2025 Paszporty Polityki in the theatre category.
Belarusian artists are also gaining visibility in major exhibitions and curatorial projects, including Warsaw Gallery Weekend and institutions such as Zachęta – National Gallery of Art and the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art. They are increasingly involved in international projects in collaboration with Polish partners.
In film and visual arts, an example of such collaboration is the work of director Mara Tamkovich, whose feature debut Under the Grey Sky was produced with the support of the Polish Film Institute and screened at international festivals.
The music scene is also developing dynamically. Projects such as Soyuz and Sw@da x Niczos—drawing on the Polish-Belarusian borderland culture—are reaching audiences beyond the diaspora and demonstrate the potential of transnational cultural exchange.
While many of these examples are still individual successes, they clearly indicate a broader trend: a shift from operating within diaspora circles toward a growing presence in the Polish and European cultural mainstream.
The report shows that the potential of this collaboration is much greater—both for the Polish cultural scene and for the future of a democratic Belarus.
Areas of analysis
The publication presents Belarusian culture in Poland across several key fields:
- visual arts and design
- film
- literature and translation
- music and performing arts initiatives
- theatre and performance
- heritage, history, and language
Conclusions and recommendations
The authors emphasize that this is a case of enormous but still underutilized potential. Key recommendations include:
- developing cooperation between Polish cultural institutions and Belarusian artists,
- supporting translation, production, and distribution of Belarusian works,
- creating platforms for collaboration between the diaspora and the local cultural sector,
- expanding residency and grant programs,
- supporting projects that engage both Polish and Belarusian audiences.
According to the report’s authors, such actions can benefit the entire cultural sector—strengthening international cooperation and opening up new artistic perspectives.
A potential for the future
The report demonstrates that a complex and dynamic network of Belarusian culture has emerged in Poland. At the same time, it remains largely under-recognised and underutilized.
The development of this scene may play a key role not only in shaping cultural life, but also in building relationships between societies and strengthening democratic processes in the region.
