Project description
The war in Ukraine has become part of the modern history of Belarus. Since 2014, Belarusian volunteers have taken part in defending Ukraine, and many have given their lives in the struggle for freedom and independence.
To date, more than 90 Belarusians are known to have died in Ukraine since 2014.
Their stories, faces, personal choices and contribution to the struggle for freedom are an important part of modern Belarusian history. However, remembering those who gave their lives requires not only preserving archives and documents, but also creating a cultural space that allows society to see the individual people behind historical events.
The “Portraits of Heroes” project aims to create an artistic series of portraits of Belarusian volunteers who died in Ukraine, promote a positive image of Belarusian volunteers and preserve the memory of their heroism.
Through art, we want to draw public attention to the lives of Belarusian heroes, their contribution to the defence of Ukraine and the struggle for freedom.
The project also aims to contribute to contemporary Belarusian culture and historical memory. One of its long-term goals is to shape and preserve the image of a Hero of Belarus — a person whose actions and life contributed to the struggle for Ukraine’s freedom and the future of Belarus.
The project plans to create approximately 50 original artistic portraits of heroes.
The planned dimensions of each canvas are 130 × 90 cm.
The canvas material is linen.
Each portrait is an independent, original work of art and requires individual preparation, the collection of visual materials, artistic work and the creation of a finished piece.
The project has no end date in terms of preserving and promoting the collection. After the main phase of artistic production is complete, the portraits can be used for further exhibitions, cultural events and projects aimed at preserving historical memory.
The main implementation phase involves creating the collection, preparing the display and holding a series of exhibitions in major cities across Europe and Ukraine.
The duration of the project’s main active phase will depend on implementation conditions, the availability of exhibition venues, partners’ capabilities, the logistical situation and other circumstances.
The estimated period for preparing and holding the main exhibition cycle is 12 to 24 months. However, individual events and further use of the collection may continue after the main phase of the project has ended.
Exhibitions are planned in at least 5 countries and 5 cities across Europe and Ukraine.
Each exhibition may last from one day (24 hours) to 30 calendar days, depending on the conditions of the particular venue and the arrangements for the event.
After each event, visitors will, where possible, be invited to take part in a survey or leave feedback using available online resources.
This will help assess how the exhibition is received, identify possible changes and additions to its format, take visitors’ wishes into account and improve the project’s subsequent work.
The feedback received will also help assess public interest, the effectiveness of communication and the prospects for further development and expansion of the project.
Activities and main project stages
The first task within the project is preparation and organisation of the work
The first stage involves preparing the necessary project documentation and planning its implementation in detail.
This stage includes:
- drawing up and refining the budget;
- planning artistic production;
- identifying technical and organisational needs;
- finding partners;
- finding exhibition venues;
- preparing a logistics plan;
- planning the transport and storage of artworks;
- preparing communication and information materials;
- arranging financial and accounting support for the project.
This stage is necessary to ensure that the creation of the collection and the exhibitions can proceed in a coordinated sequence, taking into account the particular circumstances of different countries and cities.
The second task is to create the art collection
The project plans to create approximately 50 original portraits of fallen Belarusian heroes.
Each work involves a preparatory stage, selecting the necessary visual materials, developing the artistic portrayal and creating the artwork itself.
This part of the project requires purchasing materials for artistic production, including canvases, paints and other materials needed to create and prepare the works.
Once the artistic work is complete, the portraits are prepared for storage, transport and public display.
Photographic documentation of the completed works is also planned to preserve information about the collection, prepare information materials and publications, and present the project in the future.
The third task is to prepare and hold exhibitions
Once the necessary number of portraits has been created, work begins on organising exhibitions.
Depending on the city and country, this involves finding and renting suitable exhibition space or arranging for it to be made available.
Preparation for an event may include:
- preparing the premises for the exhibition;
- transporting the artworks;
- packing and unpacking the portraits;
- arranging temporary storage;
- preparing the display;
- installing and dismantling the exhibition;
- preparing information materials;
- communicating with partners, civic organisations and the media;
- coordinating the running of the event.
Exhibitions are planned in at least 5 countries and 5 cities across Europe and Ukraine.
Each event may last from 24 hours to 30 calendar days.
The number of exhibitions and the duration of the project may be increased if additional opportunities, partners and funding become available.
The fourth task is project coordination and ongoing support
The project involves creating large-format original works of art and subsequently moving them between different cities and countries.
Continuous coordination is therefore an essential part of implementing the project, rather than a separate supporting task.
Coordination work includes:
- working with artists;
- working with families and sources of information about the heroes;
- communicating with partners and exhibition venues;
- organising the transport of artworks;
- coordinating the installation and dismantling of displays;
- preparing the necessary materials;
- providing financial and accounting support;
- organising storage and packing;
- documenting the collection;
- carrying out information and communication work;
- coordinating events in different countries and cities.
This work requires ongoing support throughout the entire implementation period of the project.
Organisation and coordination expenses directly ensure that the completed works do not remain solely artistic objects, but can be presented to the public, transported safely, preserved and used in exhibitions.
Final stage — data processing, statistics and feedback collection
Available data is collected and processed after each successfully completed event.
Where possible, feedback is collected from visitors, partners and project participants.
This will make it possible to:
- determine the level of public interest;
- assess the effectiveness of the exhibitions;
- identify potential problems;
- make changes to the event format;
- improve the organisation of subsequent exhibitions;
- identify prospects for the project’s further development.
Interest from the public, cultural organisations and the media is also analysed.
The findings are used to adjust subsequent work and assess opportunities to expand the project.
Details and budget
Artistic production
The central part of the project is the creation of approximately 50 original artistic portraits of fallen Belarusian heroes.
Each portrait is an independent work of art, approximately 130 × 90 cm in size, painted on linen canvas.
Artistic production costs cover the creation of finished works of art, preparatory artistic work and the necessary materials.
The project provides funding for the creation of approximately 50 portraits.
The art collection is the foundation of the project and is being created for subsequent public presentation at exhibitions in Europe and Ukraine.
Project organisation, coordination and ongoing support
The project involves not only creating works of art, but also fully organising their public presentation.
Ongoing work to organise and support the project is needed so that the portraits can be shown to the public in different countries and cities.
This part of the budget includes:
- project management and coordination;
- organisational work with partners;
- finding and preparing exhibition venues;
- coordinating exhibitions;
- accounting and financial support;
- photographic documentation of the completed portraits;
- design and layout of project materials;
- preparation of communication and information materials;
- packing and preparing artworks for transport;
- logistical support;
- additional transport;
- storage of artworks when needed;
- organisational costs associated with holding events.
Coordination costs are an important part of the project, because creating the portraits alone does not guarantee public access to them without ongoing organisational work.
Coordination is what turns the art collection into a fully developed social and cultural project: organising exhibitions, safeguarding artworks, transporting them between countries and cities, preparing materials for visitors and ensuring cooperation with partners.
Funding organisational work therefore directly serves the project’s main goal — preserving the memory of the heroes and presenting their stories to the wider public.
Contingency expenses
The project is implemented in several countries and depends on many external circumstances.
The costs of materials, transport, storage, venue rental and other services may vary depending on the country, city and specific conditions of each event.
In addition, the duration of the project and its exhibition activities may be adjusted according to the situation and partners’ capabilities.
The budget therefore allows for justified unforeseen expenses directly related to implementing the project.
Total
Creating the art collection, preparing materials, organising and holding exhibitions, transporting and storing the artworks, providing financial support and coordinating the project require a total budget of €70,000.
The fundraising target for implementing the main phase of the project is €70,000.
The portraits will have lasting cultural and historical value and can be used in future exhibitions and events aimed at preserving the memory of Belarusian heroes.
Every donation helps not only to create a work of art, but also to preserve the story of an individual — their face, name and contribution to the struggle for freedom.
“Portraits of Heroes” is a project about memory, history and people who should remain part of Belarus’s national memory.
