"I want to visit my grandma in Belarus." How children of Belarusian emigrants live and adapt in Europe

Yadviga and Kazimir live in Mainz and study at a German school

Kazimir, 12 years old, and Yadviga, 10 years old, live in Mainz, Germany

"I came to Germany when I was eight years old. We left because it was dangerous in Belarus. When we went to school here, we knew German very poorly. We couldn't answer well in class or talk to other children. Now I don't have contact with my friends from Belarus; here we mostly communicate with children who are also not from Germany but have lived here for a long time and speak German," says Kazimir.

Kazimir studies in the sixth grade of a German school and believes that teachers in Belarus are stricter than in Germany.

"In Germany, I have more friends than I did in Belarus. It's easier to find new friends when you already know the language," he explains. "Among friends, I sometimes forget German words. And sometimes, when I communicate with my family in Russian, I forget words in Russian too."

"When we came to Germany, I was six years old. I hadn't gone to school in Belarus yet. In German school, I like swimming lessons. And I really like that here, for example, you have to earn badges for swimming," says Yadviga, Kazimir's sister. "Here I have more friends than in Belarus. One of my friends in Germany got interested in my language and asked me to teach her a few words in Russian."

Kazimir says he would like to visit his family in Belarus, his grandmother and grandfather. "I would like that too," adds Yadviga.

Anastasia, 16 years old, lives in Warsaw, Poland

"I've been living in Poland for a little over a year. We arrived in January 2025 after my mother was sued. I study at a Polish-Belarusian lyceum, where classes for students from Belarus are also held in Belarusian, and they help us adapt to the Polish system. But I've been homeschooled for the second year now, so I don't attend regular classes much.

So far, it's difficult for me to speak and take exams in Polish, but the study material itself is easier because everything they cover in Poland now was already familiar to me in Belarus. Of course, it's good if the curriculum is easier, but it turns out there's no new knowledge. Even after the lyceum, there won't be the same knowledge as after 11th grade in a Belarusian school.

There's less pressure here, so it's easier to cope with studies and exams morally. I'm invited to Polish lessons, but for now, honestly, I'm a bit scared because, one might say, I don't know Polish. When I need to ask for something in a store, I look up how to say it correctly beforehand, and then I start talking to someone. But, of course, I want to learn Polish because I need to communicate with people somehow.

A good communication experience was last summer when I went on a hike from the lyceum with Poles, Belarusians, and Ukrainians. Here, I only make friends with children from Belarus. Poles have a slightly different outlook on life. They feel much freer, can defend their rights, they are cheerful, noisy.

I constantly think about returning to Belarus. Now, of course, I don't really want to; there are no normal living conditions. Poland, although I don't really like it here, is a good country; one could say they accepted us here, allowed us to live legally. Today I can call Poland my home, but still, Belarus is more of a home for me. If there's an opportunity, I would like to return to Belarus, live and work there."

Yan and Adam, 12 years old, live in Vilnius

"We are from Minsk and moved to Vilnius three and a half years ago; I was 8 years old then. Our mother understood that if she stayed in Belarus, she could be imprisoned," says Yan. "We arrived in Vilnius at the end of August, we had to quickly find a school, and since there weren't many options, we went to a 'Russian school.' Lithuanian was taught there, but in reality, everyone spoke Russian. After two years, we transferred to a Belarusian school, which is attended by children from the Belarusian community. There are Belarusian, English, and Lithuanian lessons there. If I compare this school to my school in Belarus, the teachers here are kinder, the education is better, and it looks more modern. There's a friendlier atmosphere here, it seems to me."

Yan says he communicates with Ukrainians, Russians, and Lithuanians, but he's closer with Belarusians, because most of the students in the school are refugees from Belarus.

"Belarus is home for me because I was born there. And Lithuania is home because I've spent all my conscious life here," he believes. "I would, of course, like to go to Belarus and visit our family there. If it were possible, I would go for a couple of weeks – to walk around, to see the district where we lived, but not to stay permanently. I prefer Vilnius as a city and Lithuania as a country. Vilnius is more beautiful, it has better architecture. Minsk wasn't as big for me as Vilnius; Vilnius seems bigger than it is."

Павялічыць

Yan and Adam in the center of Vilnius

"When we went to the Russian school, we stopped learning Belarusian, so a gap formed for me during those two years. In the Belarusian school, I recalled it again. In my first school in Belarus, I liked Belarusian and Russian lessons. Here, my favorite subjects are ethics and fine arts," says Adam, Yan's brother. "In Vilnius, I especially like the city itself. I remember a school excursion where they told us about the Grand Duchy of Lithuania; I like it when they tell us about its history in school. I would like to return to Minsk; I would like to see my school where I went for the first and second grades. When I left Minsk for Vilnius, I had a couple of photos of our house, but I hardly remember anything myself anymore. I will never forget Vilnius, but I still dream of returning to Minsk when everything is normal there."

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