Days of exile Hamburg

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was the patron of the Days of Exile 2023. She is a civil rights activist and leads the Belarusian democratic forces in exile. According to independent observers, she won the presidential election on 9 August 2020 against the autocratic President Alexander Lukashenko.

“Today, when millions are travelling across Europe to escape war, terror and tyranny, it is more important than ever to build bridges and open our hearts and homes to those in need. I am glad that circumstances, however terrible, bring out the best in people.

They bring out the best in people who provide shelter, humanitarian aid and help to alleviate the suffering of Ukrainians. They bring out the best in the people who have helped Belarusians to build a new existence far away from the terror of the regime.

Since the stolen 2020 election, hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have been forced into exile. I am one of them. I have found refuge in Lithuania with my children. My husband is still a political prisoner in Belarus. For many, exile is a story of broken families, separation and interrupted lives. By definition, exile is forced upon you. But it is our decision what we do with our lives in a foreign country.

We look forward to a free and democratic Belarus. Many will return to Belarus to repair the damage caused by years of dictatorship. They will bring with them new knowledge, ideas and friendships gained in exile. If you help a Belarusian person in exile, you contribute to the future of our country.

But people in exile should not be seen as victims. I have met Belarusians in the diaspora in many countries. I am always amazed by the energy and commitment with which they build their lives and help their country.

It is an honour for me to be the patron of the Days of Exile. I hope to contribute to building bridges of understanding and new connections. These meetings and the mutual understanding they promote are the best way to a peaceful future.”

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya

The key visual for the Days of Exile 2023, which is depicted on the cover of the programme booklet, was designed by Sofiia Klymenko. She was born in 2003 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. She has been an artist since childhood. When she was 15, she focussed mainly on illustration. In 2020, she began studying graphic design at the Kharkiv State Academy of Arts. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine began during her second year of study. Sofiia Klymenko then fled to Germany. She successfully applied for a programme for Ukrainian students at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg (HFBK).

Together with her fellow students, she organised the exhibition ‘Contra Spem Spero’ about Ukraine. She has been studying communication design at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart since October 2022. With the illustration on the Days of Exile programme booklet, she interprets the theme of exile in a symbolic and modern way. The head represents the power of evil from which people are fleeing. It portrays the emotional aspect of an experience that millions of people have now had to go through.