Bomb shelter instead of a pub: what happened to the Belarusian establishments in Kyiv | Belarus: view from Europe – DW special project | DV
A native of Vitebsk, Vital Brovko moved to Ukraine due to emergencies and the inability to work in Belarus anymore. Last December, he opened a Belarusian art pub in Kyiv. A few months before the war, Belarusians Vitaly Laptenok and Nadezhda Naymushina also opened their own bar. What is happening with the small business of Belarusians in Ukraine – in the DW material.
Closed structures Vitebsk art pub revived in Kyiv
Art-pub “Torvald” was opened in Vitebsk in 2016. The institution, located not far from the town hall and the monument to Grand Duke Olgerd, has become one of the informal centers of Belarusian culture. Concerts, creative meetings, festivals, educational events are held here. In the first wave of the pandemic, Torvald prepared hot meals for doctors.
However, after the 2020 protests, due to government pressure, the pub closed. “Despite all the losses, I couldn’t save the bar. There were conditions when any of my activities in Belarus – concert, restaurant, public – became simply impossible. I was forced to leave for Ukraine,” says the founder and owner of the art pub Vital. Brovko.
Vital Brovko
At the end of 2021, Torvald was revived in Kyiv. Here, as well as in Vitebsk, concerts of Belarusian performers, open lectures, performances, Belarusian language courses “Mova Nanova” were held.
“We had big plans for March, but the war started. I never had any illusions about the Putin regime, but I didn’t believe that everything was taking on such monstrous proportions,” Vital admits.
“Torvald” is located in the bomb shelter area on the territory of the Interregional Academy of Personnel Management (IAPM), from the first day it has been widely operating as a pub and has become in the Republic for its intended purpose.
Since the beginning of the war in “Torvald” – a bomb shelter
According to Brovko, the team and volunteers cover the shelter, where up to 170 people are hiding. At the same time, everyone was provided with three hot meals a day. Volunteers also accompany Belarusian volunteers, representatives of the defense and all those in need.
The pub became a volunteer center
“In fact, Torvald has become a volunteer department.
However, the role of “Torvald” and the center for volunteers in the bomb shelter is now under threat. According to Brovko, when it became calmer in Kyiv, the administration of the academy of voice called for students who were volunteers to return to classes. Vital that MAUP called them outside the hostel, in the month when they did not live. As a result of a conflict between the university and students, some employees of the art pub were detained, because of this, the administration of MAUP decided to terminate the lease agreement for Torvald.
“Now I declare high prospects to find Torvald as a place where I am sure after the war – and I can that Ukraine will win – to be reborn in the Belarusian cultural environment. .
He himself is not going to leave Ukraine, the Belarusians believe that the restoration of cities will soon begin here, and for this there will inevitably be many forces and people. “Ukraine has become my second home. I have committed myself to help in any way I can with my volunteer work. I stayed here, as did most of our team. How can we get closer to the acquisition,” Vital said.
“The business was successful until the war began”
Also in December 2021, the bar “Berlin’89” was opened in Kyiv, co-owned by Belarusians Vitaly Laptenok and Nadezhda Naymushina. “My husband and I wrote about a cafe or bar “with character” for a long time, in the summer of 2021 we met Yegor Perekhod and Vasily Sapunkov, who at one time worked with many studies in Minsk institutions. In September, we found a room in the very heart of Kyiv – on Podil. A lot of love, time and effort has been invested in the bar,” Nadezhda says.
According to her, they began to transfer their right to ownership, which reigned in Berlin after the fall of the wall, “when democracy came, freedom of speech and choice”: “For us, Berlin is just about freedom and humanism. And our bar is a place “. where people could freely communicate, express their thoughts and views, listen to pleasant music, enjoy food and good wine.”
Bar “Berlin’89” February 24, 2022, the day the war began
Hope admits that there were no fears about a possible war, they were more worried that quarantine could be introduced in Ukraine due to the incidence. “There were many plans: to open a terrace with live music in the courtyard, to put a bar counter there, to cook for guests on the grill on weekends,” says Nadezhda. “The case went pretty well until the war started.”
On February 24, Nadezhda and her family left Kyiv, left Ukraine and some of the Belarusian employees, some are now in Poland, some in Spain, but most of the Berlin’89 team remained in Kyiv.
Now we are ready and delivering food for children from the territorial region, we plan to make tea and coffee to go in the near future. image very soon” – Nadezhda.
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