A 23-year-old student has become responsible for youth policy in the United Transitional Cabinet. Who is he?

Margarita Vorykhava left her position as representative of the United Transitional Cabinet for youth policy and student affairs. Until the Coordination Council proposes a new candidate, her duties will be performed by her first deputy, 23-year-old Aliaksei Hrakhouski — co-founder of the youth organization Lichtar and a master's student at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.

We asked Aliaksei to tell us about himself and his activities.

«In Belarus, civic activity will always be political»

Aliaksei Hrakhouski: I was born in Minsk. I've been involved in civic activity since approximately 2017-2018. I've always been very interested in Belarusian history and language. The first organization I joined was the Society of Belarusian Language in Minsk.

Afterwards, I studied at the Yakub Kolas Belarusian Humanitarian Lyceum. When I finished it, I decided that I should engage in public affairs to contribute to Belarus's transformation into a democratic country. In the situation with Belarus, civic activity will always be political. Even if a person is involved in something that seems completely non-political, for example, ecology or culture, it will still turn into politics.

«Nasha Niva»: Under what circumstances did you leave Belarus?

AH: I left in 2021 under the Kalinouski program to study at a Polish university. The Belarusian Humanitarian Lyceum is an institution that Lukashenka's regime closed back in 2003. After that, the lyceum continued to operate unofficially. Throughout this time, both teachers and students were persecuted.

I understood that due to my views and fear for my own safety, I couldn't continue my studies in Belarus. So, I decided to go to Poland.

Last year I received a bachelor's degree in International Relations and Diplomacy at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, and now I'm continuing my master's studies there.

«NN»: In 2023, you co-founded the Belarusian Youth Socio-Political Organization Lichtar in Poznań, which the KGB recently recognized as an «extremist formation». What did Lichtar do then, and what does it do now?

AH: Lichtar was established at the university in 2023 as a student and youth organization. Initially, we wanted to focus on promoting Belarusian culture, telling Poles and Ukrainians in the Polish academic space about Belarus and the real situation in the country.

Then we realized that we needed to do more advocacy, protecting the rights of youth and Belarusian students in Poland. This is what we did and continue to do.

Neither being recognized as an «extremist formation» nor having our materials deemed «extremist» a year prior significantly affected our activities. However, we have, of course, started to work more cautiously.

«NN»: Can you give specific examples of such protection of the rights of youth and Belarusian students?

AH: We actively addressed the problem of recognition of Belarusian educational documents. We participated in numerous meetings, including with Polish deputies and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. We tried to ensure that Belarusian students could properly enroll in Polish universities.

As a result, a transitional provision was included in the new Polish law, according to which Belarusian applicants apply under the same rules that were in force before the denunciation of agreements between Belarus and Poland in 2023. A significant problem arose in 2024 when Belarusian applicants could not properly confirm their documents. They came to education curators and received strange requirements. For example, to bring an apostille.

Many did not have an apostille because people urgently left Belarus and could not complete this administrative procedure. We found a way for Belarusian students to continue their education.

We also continue to strive for all Kalinouski program scholarship recipients to be able to study for free at Polish universities. Currently, each university decides for itself how tuition fee exemptions will occur, so this rule does not apply everywhere. This is an important issue.

Павялічыць

«The regime wants to lock youth inside Belarus»

«NN»: How did you get involved in the United Transitional Cabinet in the first place?

AH: I worked at Lichtar, attended conferences, and spoke with people to expand the presence of Belarusian youth in Belarusian politics and generally engaged in advocacy on youth issues.

At some point, Margarita Vorykhava offered me to become her deputy. I agreed and am pleased with it.

«NN»: You already had Lichtar, on behalf of which you advocated for the rights of Belarusian students. What was your motivation to join the Cabinet?

AH: Lichtar is a youth organization, not a political structure engaged in political activity. The Cabinet is a genuine political structure. Officials recognize it, and representatives from, for example, Poland communicate with it. We receive responses to the appeals we send to our Polish colleagues and partners.

If I can contribute to Belarusian youth receiving quality education, being able to legalize themselves properly in other countries, feeling confident, and not thinking they've been forgotten, I will continue to work.

«NN»: Who and what is the Cabinet's youth policy and your activities primarily aimed at?

AH: There are different directions. Of course, working with youth who have left remains important. We help with obtaining education and consult on university admissions.

But the issue of youth inside the country also remains important. I would even say it's a key issue. We are trying to improve the conditions in which young people live. The Cabinet created a platform where young people can find various opportunities, look for places to study, including within Belarus, learn how to start a business, and find inspiration.

A separate problem is mobility. We see that the regime wants to lock youth inside Belarus and not let them leave anywhere. Therefore, the "Visa for Young Belarusians" project is important to us. Such a visa should allow young people within the country to obtain short-term visas, travel, see what Europe and a free society look like, rather than just staying in the oppressive environment that the regime is trying to create. This is a very broad direction. It concerns not only Poland but also various EU countries.

«NN»: What have you managed to do directly in the Cabinet? Do you have your own projects and initiatives?

AH: As Margarita's deputy, I largely focused on helping her. All projects implemented at that time were our joint efforts. We had very fruitful partnership work, and every project of the representation includes a part of my contribution.

«NN»: If the Coordination Council proposes your candidacy for the position of representative for youth policy and student affairs in the Cabinet, will you agree?

AH: I would like to leave this decision to the Coordination Council. The most competent person should hold the position of representative. Let him or her be determined during consultations. Whether it's me or not doesn't matter. The main thing is for the representation to work and for Belarusian youth to be heard and confident in their future.

«NN»: But personally, would you like to take this position?

AH: I am considering such a possibility. But if there is a more deserving, more competent candidate, I will, of course, support him.

«NN»: Recently, the Vice-Speaker of the Coordination Council, Lizaveta Prakopchyk, said that she had accumulated about $12,000 in debt, partly because civic activity had to be combined with ordinary life. How are you with finances? Will you have to go into debt for civic and political work?

AH: I am a student and currently receive the Kalinouski scholarship. This gives me a certain foundation. I wouldn't want to delve too deeply into financial matters, but I feel confident and don't worry about it.

«NN»: You speak five languages, are learning a sixth, and are receiving a European education. You have one more year left of your master's degree. What do you plan to do after that, what do you see as your future? Will you fully engage in political activity?

AH: I would like to simultaneously engage in both political and academic activities. This includes teaching, writing scholarly works, and conducting research. That's what interests me. But I also want to continue working for Belarus.

Of course, I would very much like to return to Belarus. I believe that at some point — hopefully in the near future — we will indeed be able to return and work for a better future for Belarus already within the country.

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