Laureates of the "Voice of the Generation of Freedom — 2026" Award Announced
The laureates of the "Voice of the Generation of Freedom" award for 2026 have been announced. It is presented to outstanding representatives of the Belarusian human rights, literary, and journalistic communities aged 65 and over, writes "Radio Svaboda".
This year, the awards were received by artist and poet Natalia Bordak (Natalka Chvoya), folklorist and public figure Ales Lozka, editor of "Regional Newspaper" and former political prisoner Aliaksandr Mantsevich, educator and author of educational methodologies Sofia Savelova, historian and editor Aliaksandr Smalianchuk, as well as journalist and human rights activist Tamara Shchapyotkina.
The names of three more laureates have not yet been disclosed. The award conditions allow for not naming them publicly.
Human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski congratulated this year's winners and noted their great contribution to making the voice of Belarusians heard in the world. He also wished them health and new creative successes.
The "Voice of the Generation of Freedom" award was founded in 2025 by Belarusian PEN in cooperation with the human rights center "Viasna", the Belarusian Association of Journalists, Press Club Belarus, and the "Free Press for Eastern Europe" Foundation. In 2026, the Ales Bialiatski Foundation joined the partners.
The award is intended for Belarusians aged 65+ who, after 2020, were forced to leave Belarus due to persecution and continue their activities in exile in Poland, Lithuania, or the Czech Republic. Laureates receive a financial prize of several thousand euros, and their stories are published in a special collection.
The presentation of the collection "Voice of the Generation of Freedom — 2026" will take place on November 7 in Gdańsk at the European Solidarity Centre.