Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Pavel Latushka, representatives of civil society, and members of the Belarusian diaspora visited the unique Mroya homestead, located near the Belarusian border in Poland.
The hosts gave guests a tour and shared the story of how the homestead came to be. More than 50 people gathered there to celebrate Kupalle. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya joined the participants to weave traditional Kupala wreaths, dance in circles, and sing Belarusian folk songs.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Celebrating Kupalle at a homestead with such a symbolic name as Mroya feels like returning to childhood, when every holiday was filled with real magic. What Siarhei and Natallia have created here — and continue to build — is truly inspiring. They have transformed an abandoned place into a genuine island of Belarusian identity.
As we wove wreaths together, picked blueberries, sang our songs, and danced in circles, I felt once again that Belarus lives within each of us. We may be in exile, but no one can take our home from our hearts.
Thank you to everyone who was with us that day, and especially to the hosts of Mroya for creating a Belarusian place in Poland where we can come together”.
The homestead near the Belarusian border was purchased by Siarhei Hun and Natallia Tsiuliupava, who had to leave Belarus for Poland because of political persecution. They are now building the Mroya eco-village — “a piece of our homeland with its own unique vibe”. You can support the project.
