Belarusian scientist emigrated at 47 due to her stance. She left science and went to work in a factory

Marina Shapturenko. Photo by the protagonist

"Mathematics seemed too masculine"

Marina was born into a family with mathematical and physics-mathematical education. Her father taught all his life, and her mother worked as a software engineer. Her father dreamed that his daughter would also be a mathematician, but Marina found it too dry, a "masculine" science.

"But I always liked biology. I wasn't too studious in school, but I loved animal shows. Biology seemed to me something related to travel, new places, discoveries."

When it was time to apply to university, Marina simply asked herself: what did she really like? The answer was simple - biology. And although it turned out to be far from travel and discoveries, the Belarusian felt effective in her profession and in her place.

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Marina Shapturenko. Photo by the protagonist

How the management "helped" her write her doctoral thesis

Marina was a member of the academic council. According to her, her direct supervisor perceived the scientist as a competitor. Therefore, during her second maternity leave, she was excluded from it:

"Everything happened very quickly: I gave birth, and literally two weeks later I learned about the order. This affected me deeply. I was on maternity leave, couldn't return to work immediately, and suddenly it became clear: if I don't do anything, they will simply push me out. Then, one evening, I sat down and wrote a plan for my doctoral dissertation."

She sent the plan to academician Lyubov Vladimirovna Khatyleva, whom Marina calls her guide in science and a close person. Khatyleva replied: "Excellent. Let's do it." Marina saw the doctoral degree as a defense that would ensure independence in science and, in particular, at the Institute. Just a couple of months later, Shapturenko started working part-time, and returned to the academic council after defending her doctoral thesis.

"They tried to catch me on articles, even though I worked on weekends"

Due to her open stance, Marina received two reprimands.

"For me, there was no such thing as 'non-working hours': I took materials home, wrote, processed data, came in on weekends when articles needed to be prepared."

At the same time, I was the head of the natural sciences section at the State Committee for Science. There were constant trips: meetings, competitions, approval or rejection of projects for various programs. Yes, a scientist is a somewhat creative profession. Perhaps I allowed myself some liberties somewhere. But it was precisely for this that they tried to formally "catch" me on an article, with an attempt to dismiss me.

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Marina Shapturenko. Photo by the protagonist

Under pressure of circumstances, Marina accepted a job offer from foreign colleagues and decided to leave in June 2021. She tried to arrange unused vacation – three months had accumulated. They didn't want to approve it, but they had to.

After these three months, Marina planned to return – at least to visit her relatives.

"I couldn't imagine that this repressive machine would work to such an extent that returning would become impossible," she says.

She wrote a resignation letter just in case and left it with a colleague. He submitted it in the last days of her official vacation. Thus, in August 2021, the scientist left Belarusian science. Marina calls her departure the result of a system that expels those who think independently, freely, and do not fit into its framework.

Escape into the unknown

After leaving, Marina used her foreign contacts. A small private company in Germany – a manufactory producing juices and alcohol – received an EU grant for monitoring and preserving biodiversity in old orchards. They needed a biologist.

"Of course, without recommendations, it would have been almost impossible to get such a job – just to come 'off the street' and win a competition. But I was recommended. And the company's management was very empathetic to the situation: at that time, Europe was closely watching what was happening in Belarus," she said.

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Marina Shapturenko. Photo by the protagonist

In addition to monitoring the orchards, Marina also mastered accounting and worked at the cash register in the small company.

"Now I talk about it without shame, but in the first year, this thought literally suffocated me. It was very difficult to experience the 'fall' in social status. Everything inside resisted: 'I am a Doctor of Science! I have academic councils, the title of associate professor, publications in world editions... How did I end up here?'" Shapturenko recalls.

Therapy, court, and a "cleaned" resume

Later, the company went bankrupt due to "repercussions" of the pandemic. Marina had to look for a new place and move to northern Germany. She couldn't find a job as a biologist. What remained in her memory was a small seaside village, tears on the shore, and the support of nature.

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Marina Shapturenko. Photo by the protagonist

Then there was a move to the area of the university town of Greifswald. Marina was invited to a startup with post-Soviet roots. It soon turned out that the owners wanted to quickly resell the startup along with the biologist "as a package." The plan didn't work, and the money ran out. Marina wasn't paid, but they refused to fire her. She had to go to a German court – the scientist won, was fired, and received arrears from the state.

After two years in Germany, Marina realized that her resume with the regalia of a Doctor of Science made her "overqualified," meaning expensive and potentially "inconvenient." Rejection followed rejection. Then she took a radical step: she completely rewrote her resume, leaving only "a bachelor with extensive experience in science." As a result, she received a two-year contract – for production in a quality control laboratory.

"For me, this became a time of becoming and finally accepting my migrant story. It was there that I realized: I cannot transfer my professional past from Belarus to Germany. It cannot simply be taken and 'glued' to a new life. I need to build something absolutely new. But during this time, I discovered a drive for learning within myself. New people, a different environment, programs, methods – simple, perhaps, but ones I hadn't dealt with before."

High salary and exhausting work

Work in the laboratory was quite routine. Day in and day out, the same methods were applied. In Belarus, Marina's brain was occupied 24 hours a day: data analysis, problem-solving, results.

"Looking back, I realize that my family and children suffered then from my constant involvement," the biologist reflects.

Here, during routine tasks, she learned German, thought, and analyzed life. On January 31, 2025, the contract ended. Although the salary was much higher than the average in Germany, shift work was exhausting – the biologist says she paid with her health and time with her family. Now she is ready for new offers.

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Marina Shapturenko. Photo by the protagonist

Glass ceiling: why science at 50 remained in the past

Leaving Belarus, Marina thought that returning to science would be possible. It turned out this was a very optimistic assumption. The system in Germany is completely different.

"I went to interviews, applied as an ordinary research fellow, without titles or regalia. I saw that people liked me, they were interested in my experience, they saw me as a specialist. But all other things being equal, they will always choose a German here. They have more trust in him, he is 'one of their own,' he is understood, he is a product of this system."

There is a nuance with age.

"In Germany, science is done by young people. If you haven't achieved the title of professor by 35-40 in this system, an academic career is practically impossible. Another path is possible – working as an executor in private firms/startups or organizing your own business, if you have ideas and the ability to promote them, to find investors."

Life among "Soviet" Germans

Marina lives in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This is the north, former GDR – an agrarian region where young people move west, and those who remain are in many ways reminiscent of Soviet people. There is no Belarusian diaspora here; Marina lives in an absolutely German context.

She was received "warmly." For example, a neighbor lent her 1500 euros for moving to a new apartment with the words "You'll return it when you can."

"Of course, everything is more complicated now: because of the war, life has become more expensive, taxpayers are tired of the huge financial flows going to support migrants. This is a difficult question for society. But on a personal level, people are still willing to help," Marina said.

Marina herself also rediscovered herself, found it easier to make contact, and began to feel "another's misfortune" more acutely.

New country — new wardrobe

Changes also came to her wardrobe. Marina brought clothes she wore to scientific meetings, but she found herself in a manufacturing company where she had to trudge through fields. She had to get used to jeans.

"It all depends on the social circle, but in general, Germans dress much simpler. In Belarus, I ran around in heels, I love heels! But in Germany, it's physically impossible to walk in them — there are cobblestone roads everywhere. This is probably the main reason why German women choose comfortable shoes: sneakers, loafers. Shoes can be very expensive, but they are always functional."

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Marina Shapturenko. Photo by the protagonist

At some point, Marina realized that in her new environment she stopped using lipstick, although in Belarus it was unthinkable. For herself, she found a compromise: she dresses simply, but elegantly. She says that Belarusian and Ukrainian women in Germany are immediately recognizable — they "are used to being beautiful."

"In the Western scientific world, status is not emphasized by clothing. At the university, it's often impossible to distinguish a student from a young professor, all in the same jeans and hoodies. My neighbors are a wonderful family, both mathematics professors. They dress as simply as possible, are friends with students, go to the same parties."

Thanks to German friends, she started learning bridge. This is not only an opportunity for deeper integration but also simply an engaging activity.

How a scientist views "organic" products

Contrary to myths about beer and sausages, Germany turned out to have many vegetarians and those who prefer "organic" products.

"It's not just a trendy word, but a strict certification. I myself worked in an agricultural region and saw these organic fields – everything is fair, without chemicals, only natural fertilizers," the scientist said.

Now she herself chooses organic products as an investment in health. In addition, she found Russian stores, tried the "Dovgan" brand, and stopped making dumplings herself. But for syrniki (cheese pancakes), she looks for "our" quark.

Павялічыць

Marina Shapturenko. Photo by the protagonist

Sexual Education in Germany

Marina's daughter graduated from college last year. The difference between the Belarusian and German systems is that the latter does not have an "overload" of subjects "for general development." Her son attends a private gymnasium in Greifswald, which belongs to a private clinic. Chemistry and physics lessons take place in equipped laboratories – students are allowed to conduct experiments themselves.

"I like that my son has social lessons. They are taught how to manage finances, how to interact in society, how to resolve conflicts. But most of all, I was struck by the topic of sexual education. In the eighth grade, when my son turned 14, they were taken to a medical center. Boys and girls were separated and very detailed, without shyness, told about safety and contraception. My son came home thrilled, and I, I confess, was in a slight shock at such openness."

The boy, not being a fan of reading, read four brochures on sexual health in German from cover to cover.

"There is a lot of acceptance in German society. All these propaganda games in Belarus and Russia against an 'alternative' lifestyle seem meaningless here. I am confident: the percentage of homosexual people is the same everywhere; it's just that in the East it's hidden, and here it's not overly emphasized. It's important for teenagers to know about safety, about protection from diseases. This is a matter of national health, not ideology."

Only roots remain in Belarus

Paradoxically, the "capitalist system" proved to be "incredibly developed" in social terms and gave Marina a sense of protection. But she is ready to return to Belarus "tomorrow."

"As long as my son is studying, I will be strongly connected to Germany. My daughter has already started her adult life here. But for myself in the future, I see only one possibility – to return home. Although in Belarus I have no property or possessions left, only roots. I am Belarusian, and that is forever."

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