Baseline research results
This is an abridged version of a research paper that presents a comprehensive examination of the principal organisations and key figures within Belarusian culture, both domestically and internationally, alongside the contextual conditions influencing their existence from autumn 2024 to autumn 2025.
The collaboration for this study involves theBelarusian Council for Culture and the Danish Cultural Institute. The impetus for examining the current conditions surrounding Belarusian culture arose from the 2nd edition of the EU-funded programme ArtPower Belarus: Safeguarding the Belarusian Civic Space Through Culture and Arts. Previous studies conducted in 2023 and 2024 with similar objectives following the launch of the programme can be found here and here.
This study follows the analytical approach and methodology established in the two earlier evaluations, ensuring that the data obtained can be meaningfully compared with previous findings.
The purpose of the study is to describe the field of initiatives working towards the development and promotion of Belarusian culture, to analyse the challenges and prospects for their growth, and to assess the changes and dynamics within the Belarusian cultural sphere over the past year, beginning in autumn 2024.
The primary research method is semi-structured interviews with cultural leaders and activists. The selection of interviewees reflects different areas of activity across the cultural field. In total, nineteen interviews were conducted.
Additionally, fifty Belarusian cultural organisations and initiatives participated in an online survey. The results are not intended to be representative; however, it should be noted that organisations with diverse characteristics and backgrounds took part. The distribution of respondents across key characteristics (formal status, thematic focus, period of existence) closely mirrors the broader picture of the cultural sector reconstructed using open sources. The only characteristic that cannot be reliably determined is whether an organisation or initiative is based inside or outside the country, as the survey was fully anonymous for safety reasons. A careful analysis of the responses suggests that cultural actors from within Belarus also participated, though no further specificity can be provided.
The empirical basis of the research also includes open media materials, social media posts, and analytical and research publications on the topic.
Research period: August—October 2025.
