From Minsk to the diaspora

Since the failed uprising of 2020, nearly one million people have left Belarus. Missing Minsk examines how Belarusians in exile continue to engage in democratic activism and sustain cultural life beyond the country’s borders, while also considering the pressures faced by those who remain in Belarus under increasingly constrained conditions.

A central concern of the project is the evolving practice of journalism in 2026, particularly the challenge of reporting on a country that is no longer accessible to journalists. Closely related is the question of how Belarus can remain present in Dutch journalistic discourse and foreign policy attention.

Rather than offering a geopolitical analysis, the book is grounded in the personal narratives of several Belarusian protagonists. Through these individual stories, Hummels aims to provide a close, human-scale perspective on life in the context of political repression, displacement, and ongoing resistance.

Hummels values the NIAS fellowship as an important opportunity to deepen her research in dialogue with an international cohort of fellows, and to further develop the book in an environment that fosters reflection, exchange, and interdisciplinary engagement.