Offbeat fashion show and charity event: How anniversary of women's protests was marked in Vilnius

13.08.202111:14

On August 12, our compatriots living in the Lithuanian capital city marked the beginning of women’s protests in Belarus.

Belarusians wearing red and white clothes with images of political prisoners were demonstrating the collection ‘The Womanly Face of Revolution’ by Belarusian fashion designers led by Sasha Varlamau and T-shirts with printings by famous artist Uladzimir Tsesler.

The show was a charity event; the funds raised are to be handed over to the families of prisoners.

“[One can see] printings with the images of reputed people, bright faces of women who are at the helm of the protest movement. There is a red cross on the T-shirts – in such a manner security forces marked those detainees on Akrestsin Street whom they were about to beat more severely; the picture of bloody fingers is indicative of the riot police,” fashion designer Sasha Varlamau said.

Among the ‘models’ there were people who were forced to leave Belarus due to political persecution and police violence. Many of the participants took to the streets of Minsk on 12 August 2020.

Opening of event dedicated to anniversary of women’s protests in Belarus. Town Hall Square, Vilnius, 12 August 2021.

Photo: Belsat

Veranika Kvyatkouskaya, curator of The Womanly Face of Revolution project, with image of Maryia Kalesnikava on T-shirt. Town Hall Square, Vilnius, 12 August 2021.

Photo: Belsat