“The First Undemocratic Ones”: A Mini-Exhibition on the 2001 Elections
September 5, 2026
On 5 September at 12:00, the Free Belarus Museum will open the temporary exhibition “The First Undemocratic Ones”, followed by a meeting with participants of the events of 2001.
On the 25th anniversary of Belarus’s first undemocratic presidential elections, the Free Belarus Museum presents a small exhibition that uses materials related to street campaigning and personal artefacts to tell the story of the 2001 election campaign and the first attempts at large-scale street resistance under conditions of total state control over the media.
On 5 September at 12:00, we invite you to the exhibition opening, a meeting with participants of those events, and a guided tour. The meeting will feature Pavel Kazanetski and Uladzimir Kobets, representatives of the democratic movement who directly participated in the events of 2001.
It was during this period that the youth initiative “Zubr” launched a wide-ranging street campaign despite having no access to independent media. Posters, stickers and leaflets became important tools for communicating with society.
On 9 September 2001, Belarus held its second presidential election since gaining independence. Amid increasing state control over the media and the electoral process, the election became an important test for the Belarusian democratic movement and contributed to the development of new forms of civic mobilisation, including independent election observation, youth initiatives and street campaigning.
The materials from the 2001 elections were donated to the Free Belarus Museum by Pavel Kazanetski. They are now being presented for the first time as part of the temporary exhibition “The First Undemocratic Ones.”
The exhibition will be open only from 5 to 11 September. If you are interested in the history of the first election campaigns in independent Belarus, the development of the democratic movement and street campaigning, make sure to see it while you can.
Free Belarus Museum, ul. Foksal 11, Warsaw
5–11 September 2026
Opening, meeting and guided tour – 5 September, 12:00
Free admission.
With the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Warsaw.
