Since August 9, mass actions against the results of the presidential elections have not ceased in Belarus. Public figures, businessmen, athletes, musicians and actors from all over the world express solidarity to the participants in the events. For example, American action star Chuck Norris recorded a threatening video message to Alexander Lukashenko (“I’ll come to one of your residences and make you cry”), Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto posted on Instagram an image of the white-red-white flag (“Belarus, we are with you "), and the head of Tesla, Elon Musk, reacted to an appeal from a Twitter user who urged him to draw public attention to what is happening in the country (" Sorry to hear that. How can we help? ").
Some seek to express support not so much in word as in deed. One of the first was a native of Belarus, Rufina Bazlova, who presented traditional embroidery based on protests in the country. The artist's works served as prints for T-shirts with the telling names “Squares against triangles”, “Police with the people” and “Women of Belarus”. According to Rufina Bazlova's Instagram information, all profits from the sale of the episode will be directed to the “victims of the regime”.
talks about other artists, designers and entrepreneurs who have released items in support of Belarusian protesters or donated funds from the implementation of existing projects.
Windsor's soap
This summer, the Moscow brand Windsor's Soap, which creates perhaps the most scented candles, diffusers and bath bombs, was preparing to release a collection dedicated to the sea, sand and sun. "But what happened, what happened" - the novelties received the smells of fields, forests and lakes, symbolizing freedom, dreams and changes, which are so lacking in Belarus today. The founder of Windsor's Soap Yana Windsor promises to transfer half of the funds from the sale of sets decorated with Belarusian embroidery and packed in a bag with the inscription “Love, peace, freedom” to the Solidarity Fund on a weekly basis. It was created by the public organization By Help and the founder of Sports.ru, Dmitry Navosha, and is intended to help not only directly victims, but also those who have left their service in law enforcement agencies in principle.
First Aid set, Windsor's Soap, 5000 rub. (windsor.care) © windsor.care
Yana Windsor, founder of Windsor's Soap
“Apart from my beautiful friends from Gomel and Brest and abstract dreams of a collaboration with the Neman crystal factory, Windsor's Soap has no special connection with Belarus. But she is not needed. In 2020, I want to believe that the future is about to come, the government will be replaced by robots. And if it turns out that a good and peaceful country is being pulled to the bottom by medieval aggression, then it is worth speaking for justice.
The segment of our products is far from making any kind of situational statements. In addition, the cycle for creating special items is not lightning fast: it includes the choice of a concept, the release of a test product, the selection of packaging, label printing, filming, loading into the store, publications. Sometimes we just do not have time to react, despite the fact that we are touched or outraged by many things. For example, for the third summer we have been unable to release a rainbow collection for the month of Pride (actions demonstrating the existence of LGBT people in society - "). But it was with the charitable Belarusian drop that everything turned out with lightning speed: the idea and design of the products came from the team, and I was very happy with such enthusiasm and supported him from the olfactory side - I collected the aromas of herbs, forests and autumn bonfires in the smells of a candle, soap and diffuser.
We do not need to explain to buyers why what is happening now in Belarus is bad. I expect and believe that our clients share our values - the most common human values, in fact. By offering specific help, hoping that the context is quite noticeable, we did not receive a single negative comment, but there were a lot of reposts and approving words. I was very pleased with such responsiveness. We are ready to continue to tell and help with deeds in some necessary and important things and to take possible risks."
Nate
The idea of a T-shirt with the inscription "Change" came to the St. Petersburg brand "Nate" "at lightning speed and almost by accident." The day before it was published, the founder of the project, Yana Koretskaya, read an article about the detention of Belarusian sound engineers who played the song "Changes" by the "Kino" group at the election event in support of Alexander Lukashenko. The girl realized that this was the most relevant composition of August: firstly, the 30th anniversary of the death of Viktor Tsoi happened, and secondly, the lines reflected the mood of the Belarusians. The first batch of "Changes" was also sold out rapidly, so the Nate team promptly launched the second batch. 10% from the sale of each T-shirt will go to the Viasna center, which helps victims of repression in Belarus and their families.
T-shirt "Change", "Nate", 1800 rubles. (@natenosite) © press service
Yana Koretskaya, founder of the Nate brand
“We have already expressed our civic position through clothes: for example, we made a T-shirt“Please Enough”on the topic of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Although, it would seem, where is he and where is the St. Petersburg streetwear. But we do not divide problems into "ours" and "not ours" - they are the same everywhere. Personal stories also pushed us to create a T-shirt in support of Belarus: each member of our team has dozens of relatives and friends associated with this country. Moreover, the events in Minsk are unique in themselves. Belarusians are very strong and confident, but at the same time they are careful in relation to themselves and their country. For the first time at protest actions, people themselves remove garbage from the squares, feed each other. Performances are performed with flowers and lullabies - probably a reference to the 60s in the United States. With the same meaning, but in different realities. Scary and beautiful at the same time.
I would like the Nate prints to be perceived not as slogans, but as incentives to stop, look around and ask yourself: "What world am I living in?" For example, by May 9th we released a T-shirt "Can't we repeat?" This is an appeal not to specific people, but to all of humanity: will we be so prudent as not to allow bloodshed and destroy millions of destinies again? The same applies to the "Change" T-shirt - it's not only and not so much about a single country, but about the desire to change the whole world for the better."