Belarusian proposed to his beloved near the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome — to applause from dozens of tourists

Hanna and Aliaksei. Screenshot from an Instagram video

In Belarus, Hanna graduated from a medical university, completed her internship, and then began working as a radiologist in one of the polyclinics.

In 2020, like many others, the girl could not bear to watch the falsification of elections and violence, so she repeatedly went out to protests. It so happened that at the end of August, it was there that Hanna met Aliaksei.

Hanna laughs: she later heard stories that some people hoped to meet their soulmate somewhere at a march. But she says she didn't have the goal of meeting anyone during the protests.

Aliaksei's acquaintances, however, joked: "Come on, dress more decently, maybe you'll find yourself a girlfriend."

Hanna says that initially, they had no romantic relationship — for several months, the young people simply "partisaned" together. And, apart from protest activity, nothing united them.

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Hanna on Freedom Day in Warsaw

The girl admits: she felt that Aliaksei was not just a guy with similar views and values — after his arrest in November 2020.

— He was arrested quite brutally after one of the rallies… He was given 24 hours — first Akrestsina, then Zhodzina. I was surprised myself, but at that moment, the thought crept in that he would return and that's it, I wouldn't let him go anymore. And when he got out, I realized that I loved him very much.

At the end of 2021, the couple decided to leave Belarus.

— Due to, among other things, threats from the chief doctor. She didn't like my political views. The idea that people have certain rights — and that they can defend them — doesn't quite fit into the Belarusian medical system.

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It was dangerous for Hanna's boyfriend to stay in his homeland. As a result, they emigrated together to Poland. Here, Hanna has already successfully passed several mandatory medical exams, had her diploma nostrified, and started working as a family doctor. She also entered neurology residency.

Hanna is a moderator of the "Write a letter to a political prisoner" initiative, as well as a volunteer at the Belarusian Youth Hub.

Many Belarusian couples broke up after emigration: not all relationships withstand the trials, of which there are more than enough in a new country. Hanna admits that there are such sad examples even among her acquaintances — when people broke up even after 5-8 years of marriage, despite having children together.

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Hanna with her beloved

But the forced move did not negatively affect Hanna and Aliaksei's relationship.

— As soon as any difficulties and hardships happen in life, on the contrary, Aliaksei and I unite. Like in the Power Rangers movie — we assemble into one powerful robot and just go straight ahead. Breaking through, solving questions, tasks, and problems that, unfortunately, don't end when you are a first-generation emigrant.

The girl admits: after three or four years of dating, thoughts occasionally crossed her mind that her beloved would soon propose.

— Overall, it was clear that everything was leading to marriage. We discussed what we envisioned for our future. And our plans always converged — there was a place for us there.

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Hanna in Rome

But in the end, the proposal was a surprise for Hanna. It all happened during a trip to Italy with friends. That day, the couple walked a lot around Rome. They really wanted to see the famous Trevi Fountain — but during the day there are too many people near the attraction.

So Hanna's boyfriend suggested going there in the evening — it was their last night in the capital, there was no more time to put it off.

— Honestly, I was very tired and planned to stay in the apartment. I changed into my home clothes and was almost asleep. I gave in because we rented accommodation in the old city and the fountain was literally 200-300 meters away. So I went in my home slippers. Aliaksei was walking ahead and smiling. I asked: "Come on, tell me what happened?" — and he: "Nothing." And he smiled again but didn't admit it. I remember quoting "The Lord of the Rings": "Alright, keep your secrets."

They arrived, sat by the fountain, admired its beauty... And then suddenly Aliaksei suggested filming a dance video, which the couple planned to record against the backdrop of some Roman landmark.

And so, the couple dances, Hanna twirls, and at some point, she turns around and sees that her beloved has knelt on one knee. It was so unexpected for the girl that she immediately thought: did Aliaksei stumble?

— And then I suddenly see a ring in his hand. My ears start ringing — I heard nothing but my name. I started to cry — I didn't expect that from myself. Before, I thought I would shed a tear in such a situation, because it's sweet and all that. But the emotions overwhelmed me so much that I just cried and cried. Suddenly I realized that I hadn't answered for a very long time, and I nodded.

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The people, of whom there were quite a few despite the late hour, reacted enthusiastically: they applauded, shouted "Bravo!", then came up to congratulate the couple. And they also shared videos — the proposal was filmed from all possible angles. Because people were filming one of the most beautiful fountains in the world — and then such a show happened.

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After Rome, the couple and their friends planned to go to Naples, then to Pompeii to see Vesuvius. On the way, they decided to stop at a beach to refresh themselves in the sea.

And then a real drama occurred. Hanna was putting on the jewelry she had taken off before swimming. And the engagement ring — that very long-awaited one! — treacherously slipped from her finger into the sand.

— I shouted: "Everyone stop! My ring slipped off my finger!" I looked down and saw nothing. We started searching — it seemed, well, it couldn't have flown far. Ten minutes pass, twenty… One of the friends says: "Well, this is unrealistic." Then another admits that it's unlikely we'll find it.

But Hanna says that she would never have left the beach without the engagement ring. She already imagined how she would dig through the sand at night by the light of her phone's flashlight.

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They considered various options — including calling someone with a metal detector.

This story has a happy ending: the bride herself miraculously managed to dig up the white gold ring, which had flown several meters away.

Now the couple is waiting for Aliaksei to sort out his document issues. And then — the wedding!

On Threads, Hanna and Aliaksei's story also gathered many reactions. Among those who congratulated the lovers were Margarita Levchuk and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

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