Draft:The White-Red-White Movement

The White-Red-White Movement is the oppositional movement in Belarus, deriving its name from the historical national flag of Belarus, featuring horizontal bands of white, red, and white, known as 'БЧБ' among Belarusians.

In 1991, after Belarus gained independence from the Soviet Union, the white-red-white flag was reinstated. In 1995, President Alexander Lukashenko assumed power and changed the flag to the current green and red. The white-red-white flag endures as a potent symbol of independence and freedom for Belarus, serving also as a significant marker for various waves of oppositional movements and protests, including the recent one protest. The intensity of the White-Red-White movement heightened in 2020 reflected significant momentum following the disputed presidential election, in which Alexander Lukashenko, the long-time leader of Belarus, claimed victory in a vote widely regarded as rigged. The white and red have become the colors of the Colour Revolution in Belarus and have since been omnipresent in daily life and media, representing the opposition's fervent struggle for a democratic and free Belarus.

Led by three women — Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maria Kalesnikava, and Veronika Tsepkalo— it signified a beginning of a new era for the entire nation, marked by human rights violations, prosecutions, torture, and the mass exile of cultural figures including Mikalai Khalezin. Many people since then have been arrested including Ales Bialiatski — the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate in 2022. The Belarusian artist Ludmila Christeseva based in Sweden, described Belarus and the loss of national identity during the wave of migration as “A Country Without a Native Language and People Without a Native Land”.

At the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Tikhanovskaya called for increased western support for Ukraine, and began promoting the anti-war movement in Belarus. In connection with these efforts, the white-red-white movement continues to be seen in Belarus in protest of Lukashennko’s dictatorship, where citizens show desire for liberation visually, painting their nails, wearing clothes, and creating art using the colors white and red to express their dissent. Against this backdrop of political unrest, artists in Belarus have played a vital role in gaining awareness and support for the opposition of Lukashenko. From street and performance art, graffiti and digital illustrations, art has served as an important form of protest and solidarity. Notable examples include Belarusian artist, Vladimir Tsesler’s representations of Belarusian flag symbolism, where he infuses the historical significance of these symbols with the ongoing protests in his representations of Belarusian flags titled “Don’t break, Don’t stop, Don’t hold back”. Another artist, Rufina Bazlova, utilizes traditional Belarusian colors within the medium of embroidery titled “The History of Belarusian Vzshyvanka”, weaving illustrations of protest and violence.

As the struggle for democracy in Belarus continues, The White-Red-White movement remains a powerful force for change embracing belarusians in exile and including People's Embassies of Belarus around the world.