Alexander Lesko

Nastya, Sasha and Kristina are 16 years old. They study together at a school in a Belarusian town and live ordinary teenager lives, with the usual problems and dreams. Nastya wants a better life. Her dream is to study in Poland. Several times a week she goes to a private Polish language tutor. On these trips she is accompanied by her friend Sasha. The boy is constantly bullied by his schoolmates, who think he is gay. As for Kristina, she doesn’t plan on studying and is mostly interested in dating her new boyfriend. The school follows a severe law of rules and discipline that hasn’t changed much since Soviet times. The only person who stands out is a young English teacher. One day everything changes. A shocking event brings out fears, prejudice and hatred of those who are different.

Five friends go to the village to celebrate a birthday party. Igor has to take his small sister with them. The friends are full of hormones, alcohol, cigarettes, intrigues and fun when they suddenly realize the terrible: they've lost their sister. Igor is sure the reason is the locals with whom they have recently had a fight. The story becomes a bridge for teens from the childhood to the adult life.

“What’s Belarus?” is the authors’ point of view on modern Belarus. A schoolboy’s curiosity and the quest for justice don`t allow him to accept the opinion of adults for it is made of a set of labels and national symbols imposed by the school. What’s Belarus? How does it smell? What color is it? What is its form? How does it sound? The pupil goes to the streets to find the answers to all these questions.