Sasha Filipenko

Sasha Filipenko (Саша Филипенко, Саша Філіпенка) is a Belarusian writer, journalist, and TV show host. His books were translated into more than 15 languages. Plays, based on his works were staged in Berlin, Kyiv, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Vilnius. In 2021 PEN International declared Filipenko a victim of censorship. He currently lives in Switzerland with his wife and son, since it is dangerous for him to come back to Belarus. For openly opposing Alexander Lukashenko and supporting Maria Kalesnikava Filipenko can be prosecuted - official press (Sovetskaya Belorussiya – Belarus' Segodnya) mentions quotes of the Criminal Code (articles up to 12 years in prison) that can be applied to Filipenko.

Biography
Filipenko was born in Minsk into a mixed Russian-Ukrainian-Belarusian family, studied in an arts lyceum, and got his BSc (2007) and MSc (2009) in literature in Saint-Petersburg University. Filipenko worked at the Russian independent TV channel Dozhd.

Filipenko's books were staged in a number of theatres including Russia's leading avant-garde theatre Gogol Center and classical Alexandrinsky Theatre. His books became best-sellers in Germany and the Netherlands, were recommended by Oprah book blog. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine British daily newspaper The Guardian published his widely discussed article regarding the background of the ongoing war and the Belarus, Russia and Ukraine "dysfunctional family affair".

In 2023 Ukrainian director Sasha Denysova staged Filipenko's play "Tikhari" in the Lithuanian Old Theatre of Vilnius with independent Belarusian actors, who had to leave Belarus due to political repressions.

In 2024 Maxim Didenko brought Filipenko's novel to stage in Berlin; "Cremulator" premiered with praiseful reviews.

Political activism
During the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Filipenko wrote a number of articles harshly criticizing the Lukashenko regime and calling for political prisoners release in Belarusian  Russian,   German,     British, Swedish,  Dutch, Polish,  and French press. In 2021 he wrote an open letter to the president of International Ice Hockey Federation René Fasel against holding an International Hockey Championship in Belarus, that was published by several European newspapers, including German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Süddeutsche Zeitung, Swedish Aftonbladet, and Polish Gazeta Wyborcza.

Filipenko wrote an open letter to International Committee of the Red Cross's president because the organisation refused to inspect Belarusian prisons, where political prisoners were tortured after the protests.

In 2022 he spoke at the Munich Security Conference together with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

Awards

 * 2011: Diplome of the Belarusian PEN club
 * 2014: Znamya magazine award
 * 2016: Big Book Award - shortlist
 * 2016: Snob award: Made in Russia
 * 2020: Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award - Reader's Choice
 * 2022: EBRD Literature Prize Red Crosses on the shortlist for translated fiction
 * 2023: Transfuge French literary prize Best European Novel for Kremulator
 * 2024: ProLitteris prise for being an exceptional author