Sonya Shaipak | Local on-site Group, Novogrudok/Belarus

Being a young specialist with great creative potential and a desire to demonstrate it, I am interested in studying the peculiarities of the development of history and culture, as well as preserving the heritage of our country. I’m 19 years old and this year I became a graduate of College for Linguistics and Humanity, and immediately entered Minsk State Linguistic University. I have recently become a part of a charitable organization The Together Plan (a charity in action working together with Jewish communities in the former Soviet Union for a self-sustainable future), where I decided on what to do in the future - contribute to the research, preservation and popularization of cultures of different countries and their historical and cultural heritage. Together we help to set up and run projects which community members of all ages can benefit from and participate in.

I will be glad to be a part of the project Living Memorial, find out more about the Bielski partisans in an interesting form, travel to the former camp site and enrich my knowledge on the subject of the Jews of Belarus and their contribution to the history. I think it will be good experience for my professional and personal development.

See Sonya's land-art installation created in the Naliboki forest during our first on-site meeting in Belarus (8-14 August 2021): VIDEO