Maria Kalesnikava's Lipstick and Maryna Mentusava's Breast Pump — Top Exhibits from an Exhibition on Belarusian Women's Struggle
The Museum of Free Belarus in Warsaw has opened the exhibition "Point of Entry: Women's Affairs", showcasing personal belongings of Belarusian women who have gone through protests, detention centers, penal colonies, and emigration. All of them tell the story of a modern, concerned Belarusian woman fighting for her rights and the price of the chosen path.
We tell the stories of several exhibits from the exhibition.
Maria Kalesnikava's Very Same Lipstick
Photo: Nasha Niva
This lipstick went with Maria through her entire difficult path in captivity — it was with her on the day of her detention on September 7, 2020, and with it, she was released, being deported from Belarus in December 2025. Maria wore red lipstick every day — both in the pre-trial detention center and in the penal colony. Her fidelity to herself and her desire to maintain beauty even in the most horrific conditions inspired many Belarusian women.
It is known that Kalesnikava ordered all her prison belongings to be thrown away, not wanting to carry their burden into a new stage of life. However, friends preserved this exhibit and handed it over to the museum.
Maryna Mentusava's Breast Pump
Photo: Nasha Niva
In August 2020, Maryna Mentusava's daughter Viera was only five months old. The family lived in Moscow, but Maryna, as an activist and feminist, could not stand aside from the post-election events in her homeland and became one of the co-organizers of women's marches.
To be able to leave her daughter with her father and not worry about feeding, Maryna used a breast pump.
Recalling how her female colleagues drew posters while she was simultaneously expressing breast milk, Maryna cannot hold back tears.
Maryna Mentusava tells about her exhibit
"Many Belarusian women made their choice and paid the price. For me, this item is about separation, because I am not just a mother, I am an activist who fights not only for her own rights but also for the rights of her daughter and other girls."
Maria Zaitseva's Civilian Clothes
Photo: Nasha Niva
Maria's friends recall that she never wore dresses or skirts — unfortunately, she will no longer even have the chance to try. In January 2025, the 24-year-old girl died, fighting on the side of Ukraine against Russia.
In contrast to the prison uniforms, which can also be seen in the museum, these are the clothes of a free Belarusian woman who fought for freedom in the 2020 protests and continued to fight in Ukraine, becoming a sniper.
At the Museum of Free Belarus, you will be able to see many other exhibits — each of them a very personal story of both a specific individual and the country. The exhibition also features items from writer Sviatlana Kurs, actress Yulia Shauchuk, pensioner-blogger Aliaksandra Khanevich, and former political prisoners. Staff noted that women continue to bring in new exhibits right now.
The exhibition «Point of Entry: Women's Affairs» will continue its work until April 12.
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