Marina from Grodno misses the products of «Molochny Mir». Alena is not satisfied with the salaries of designers in Belarus. Pavel from Grodno is fascinated by the history of the city. The editors of Hrodna.life talked with Grodno residents about how the political situation forced them to leave Belarus, what they lost and what they found in a new place. Three of our heroes study at the European Humanities University in Vilnius.
The names of the heroes have been changed for their safety.
Marina from Grodno is against Minsk development and for Belarusian «dairy»
If it weren’t for the political regime in Belarus, I would have stayed in Grodno, entered a local university and studied there. But because of the situation in the country, where they can imprison you for your opinion, I decided to leave. The Russian-language Belarusian university in Lithuania, in Vilnius, turned out to be an ideal option — next to Grodno. When there were still relatively free times and the borders were not closed, I had the opportunity to be home in three hours.
I was attracted by the European model of education: there is more freedom of thought, opportunities, and a career orientation. If you have a residence permit, doors open for travel and self-discovery.
From the point of view of a Grodno resident, it was a little difficult for me because of slightly different mentalities. It so happened that until March 2024 I lived with people from Minsk. We very strongly disagreed on important points for us, starting with everyday life and ending with values.
When I felt bad, I wanted to be alone, I locked myself in the bathroom, where I could allow myself emotions. I just sat quietly and cried. And people from Minsk periodically told me that if I want to cry, I should do it more quietly. And I heard this not from one person, I heard this from three. In addition, I encountered… At first it was playful, but then it quickly turned into real bullying that I was not from the capital. «Oh, Horadnia, a village.»
Later I moved in with a girl from Grodno, we lived in perfect harmony. We still have a great relationship. And, in general, when you can discuss some local joke with a person, he understands you, it warms the soul.
In my first year, I missed Grodno a lot: the streets, the gopniks, the grandmother with the accordion — everything native. Then I found places in Vilnius that resemble Grodno — it was Užupis (a district of Vilnius, partially located in the Old Town. It is considered a district of artists — Hrodna.life), which became a small piece of home for me.
I am a very family person. I have one mother, who is almost 50 years old, and a grandmother — she is 70. It’s scary to leave loved ones, especially realizing that every year is important. If there were no political problems, the borders would be open, I could go home more often.
Sometimes I think about returning. I love the people, the mentality, the atmosphere of Grodno. But I understand that we need to move on. At the moment, they (prospects for young people — Hrodna.life) are not there because of the political situation. If, conditionally, Grodno returns to the level of development and freedom of at least 2018, I would say yes, and they are quite large. Especially if the profession is related to logistics and economics. A city that is close to Poland and Lithuania is an economically advantageous city. If you are a fierce, terrible careerist and want to build a career, you need to go to Minsk. But if you want to develop creatively or surround yourself with a warm circle of people, or you are an art historian, I would advise you to go to Grodno.
I had rose-colored glasses when I left. I thought that I was going to a magical country where there was nothing bad. Europe: everyone is so tolerant, cool, cheerful. And the biggest thing that broke my glasses, which I now accept, is Lithuanian nationalism. For example, they can ignore me when I speak Russian, but when I switch to German, they immediately offer Russian or English…
I miss Belarusian products, especially dairy. When I come home, I ask my mother to buy «Molochny Mir». Belarusian kefir, damn it, is delicious, I can’t find a substitute here in Lithuania. And I also miss the kindness and openness of Grodno residents, their willingness to help. This openness, when you can approach a stranger, start a friendly conversation with him. And, of course, the native language environment.
If I could change something in Grodno, I would remove the Minsk development projects that are destroying the surroundings of the old city. For example, Muravyov’s house, which the «wonderful person» Syamashka converted into a hotel, encased in concrete and decorated with golden angels.
«The famous Grodno businessman Stanislav Syamashka saved the historic building. He bought the building of the merchant Muravyov at the end of 2019. It was decided to give the first floor to a restaurant, and the rooms where the merchant once lived with his family became part of the Syamashka apart-hotel (it is located in the next building). It is reported that the interior of the rooms is made in modern classic style. The cost of living in a hotel starts from 145 rubles per day,» Realt.by reports.
This kills the cultural heritage, and young people who have not seen this do not see the value in preserving history.
I had a rather small circle of friends because I am an artist. In principle, Sovetskaya Street is a place of great concentration of young people. Recently, it is also the Triniti shopping and entertainment complex — a large place where there are a lot of different entertainment stores where you can walk around, hang out, do something. The youth of Grodno rather breathes with communication, creating a pleasant atmosphere, and the nature of this communication is slightly different. It (youth — Hrodna.life) Grodno gathers at guests, parks, coffee shops to communicate and discuss current events. My circle usually met in two cafes or near the Old Castle. We talked about books, anime, new releases, and also often drew. Grodno is a very picturesque city with many old buildings, which we sketched and discussed their history. Among my friends there were many historians.
I would say that here it is — the youth of Grodno, not all, but numerous.
Alena from Grodno: «I used to say ‘I'll leave and won’t remember anyone,' but now I miss Grodno»
The first reason [for leaving] is studying. It is difficult to enter a university in the Republic of Belarus: high passing scores, you need to pass the CT (centralised test — school graduation and university entry exam) well. I wanted to leave because I was afraid of not entering, and I didn’t want to waste an extra year, money and nerves.
In Lithuania, teachers treat students better: they address them formally with «vy,» we are on equal footing. In some Belarusian universities, there’s an attitude of \Why are you all bad, you’re all unworthy, how did you even get in here?" In most cases in Belarus, it’s scary to go to a teacher and talk. I’m a designer, and it’s difficult in Belarus after graduation. You can find [work] in an advertising agency to make logos, but the salary will be very low. 800 rubles is very little to live on. In Lithuania, there are more opportunities, there are places to apply, places to go, agencies to work in, and the salary is higher. I like our university because the first two years you learn the basics of design, and from the third year there are branches — animation, web design, and graphic design.
At first, I was happy, but then I started to miss home, my parents, my friends. We’re getting an apartment. I arrived, I moved all my things, and I just sit and start crying because I started to miss my mom, my parents, and in general, the time when I was in Grodno. So, I think at some point it will become very sad that you moved. Because you get used to things, and you are suddenly thrown into a different environment, a different country, and you’re like — can I bring my parents here?
I came with a positive attitude; I wanted to be friends with everyone. I wanted more acquaintances, new friends. As a result, I arrived, and most of the people came from Minsk. There were already groups of people who knew each other. But now I live in an apartment with a girl from Grodno. When you are with someone from the same homeland, the connection is stronger. It’s nice to talk about the city where you both lived. I used to say «I'll leave and won’t remember anyone,» but now I miss Grodno. It’s a part of me. You walk around: this is where I studied, this is where I live, this is where I drank beer with my friends — key and very significant moments in my life.
Źyliber Park — I spent most of (the time — Hrodna.life) there because after school we went there, there’s an amusement park, there are fountains. Savetskaya Square and the railway station — a large part of my life has passed there.
Regarding my field, I think there is no perspective [for young people in Belarus]. Even in Minsk, it’s very difficult to find anything. My sister studied at the Academy of Arts in Minsk — she moved to Poland. Her friend, who works in Minsk, had a hard time finding a job. She said: \God willing, they would pay 800 rubles." She worked as a cleaner and a security guard, where they paid more than as a designer. And that really knocked me down. But programmers always have prospects. Grodno has an excellent university — Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, where my classmates who are programmers study. There are normal scores for admission, and the university itself is beautiful and historic, so for such professions, Grodno is a good choice.
In my first year, I had plans to return to Grodno because I realized that I love Grodno, I want to study in Grodno, I want to work in Grodno, I have friends there with whom I want to keep in touch. But a problem arose — in Belarus, they don’t hire people with European diplomas. Therefore, I think, most likely, I will stay here, but now I don’t even want to think about it, to be honest, time will tell. Even my parents tell me to stay in Lithuania or move to Poland. The only drawback is the language.
[In Grodno, I would like to change] the government. Probably, the understanding of young people. Attitudes. Change the attitudes of teachers. There should be an understanding that students are people, not everyone can score 300 points on the CT and CE — it’s very difficult.
[The authorities] started to organize a lot of holidays, concerts. Stas Mikhailov came, I was at his concert. There you go. Meladze and Stas Mikhailov — what a combo! They started to come up with a lot of things, started to build a lot of things. The city is also expanding.
There wasn’t anything serious [about the political component at school]. Maybe they added some hours: here’s our Motherland and we love it. Then there was a very strange thing, that there was a Day of National Unity in the city. And now you look at it like… What? What unity when there’s a war going on?
Grodno resident Pavel about street names: «The city has a rich history, and I don’t want to bury it until the 'Soviet' era.»
The reason for leaving for me was primarily my studies. I finished school, without medals, but well — the average score was sufficient. I thought for a very long time: whether to go to Poland or apply to Minsk. But I missed the moment and didn’t learn Polish. I started looking for other options to study abroad, we argued with my parents for a very long time — do I even need it? I would have entered Minsk — I would have gone home without any problems.
The second reason is family conflicts. I didn’t have the best relationship with my parents until I left. «Out of sight, out of mind.»
The third reason is to see the world, to show myself. I’ve been to Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine. I think it’s worth seeing Europe, is everything there as bad as it’s painted? Although I love my country very much, I know the Belarusian language, I participated in Olympiads, I was filmed on television. But I decided to move here (to Lithuania — Hrodna.life) because I needed a change of scenery. In the comfort of my parents and family, I was losing my diligence. When my girlfriend and I broke up, I experienced the sadness of first love, but it was the beginning of my maturation. I left the parental nest and started an independent life.
I wouldn’t say [about the difficulties of moving]. I love my city. I was engaged in local history. If there is an opportunity, I will definitely go there.
For the first two weeks, I was in a state of euphoria from the fact that I had left my parents. There was a feeling of impunity and freedom. Now I’ve grown up, I’ve realized that it’s better to wear a hat because medicine is not cheap. I was very surprised at how hard it is to be an adult. Then I settled in, got used to it after about four months. But with this came the sadness of home, relatives stayed there, friends stayed…
At first, I felt uncomfortable in the dormitory, in a new language environment, even though I knew Russian and English well, which are used by most residents of Vilnius. I knew one phrase in Lithuanian, and with it, I lived for 8 months in Lithuania.
Over the past six months, I’ve changed about five jobs. And I found a good option for myself, which really satisfies me. I now earn no less than my parents do in Belarus. I stopped being financially dependent on them around the age of 18−19. And in this regard, I am very proud of myself. I’ve matured emotionally by about 10 years…
Now I can speak Lithuanian. Not like a native speaker, but I understand about 90%. In two years — that’s cool. Another factor why I chose Lithuania as my country of residence is that I had relatives living here, and I knew a lot about Lithuania. I arrived at the dormitory and moved in with my classmate, whom I met there unexpectedly. So the three of us lived together.
My peers are leaving because, firstly, the education is better, and secondly, there’s a change in the situation. Also, because of political reasons. Because young people really want freedom. They don’t know much about what it is, but they will try. Many, of course, return.
The most important thing is to continue communicating with those who stayed. They are very sad there, in Belarus. I don’t know about the girls, but for the guys, there’s also the army — you go to Belarus, and that’s it: a shaved lawn and a gray sphere is your head. And nobody needs it. At the moment, I’m satisfied with everything in my personal life. I’m in a relationship with a citizen of another country. This may slightly speed up obtaining a Lithuanian passport, but we haven’t really thought about it. From a professional point of view, I can’t say that I have a plan. I create media content, but it’s not entirely related to what we are taught here (EHU — Hrodna.life). I don’t want to take on extra burdens because time is already short.
[Prospects for young people in Grodno] exist. It depends a lot on the desire for freedom and the character of the person. I believe that Grodno is a very important transport hub, which has such prospects in the future that it’s crazy. If the political situation changes and the borders are open: there will be labor migration, free trade, the level of tourism will rise. Of course, this is in four years. That’s when you enroll now and after your studies go to a free Grodno. Then the total work will begin.
A youth-friendly city in general. There are a lot of sports and music related things. I graduated from music school and played football at the same time. The main problem for young people now is the lack of motivation and desire, and I notice this in myself.
I miss my mom’s cooking very much. I recently sent them a photo, and they said that I had lost a lot of weight and needed to be fed. I’m a horseradish cook: I can boil dumplings and fry meat. Luckily, my girlfriend cooks well.
«Kasya and Basya» (favorite place in Grodno — Hrodna.life). These are two old water towers: pink and yellow. Behind them is the Swiss Courtyard with a lawn and a bench, where you can see the railway. This is my favorite place in the city, where I spent a lot of time. The second place is the embankment near the Borisoglebskaya Church. I will definitely go to the rebuilt Eastern Bridge, which I didn’t have time to enjoy enough before leaving.
I like everything in Grodno, except for the old street names. Which should have older names than «Soviet». I’m so glad that in Lithuania the streets are called by their old names. I know old street names that are almost from the 19th century. The city has a rich history, and I don’t want to bury it until the «Soviet» era.
It has changed a lot (about the city after the events of 2020 — Hrodna.life). People have become sadder. I noticed: after the twentieth year, in the summer, there were still smiling people on the streets, but… Many people left, both from Grodno and Minsk. Some institutions were deserted, some closed. Many people were laid off because of politics. And that’s sad.
It will be better (about Grodno in the future — Hrodna.life). It will be part of such a gigantic European heritage that is unimaginable. This is a normal process, after stagnation there should be growth. And Grodno will return to its previous state, I think, in two months. And after that, it will begin to grow both culturally and physically.