The recent high school graduate selected her wardrobe carefully as she headed off to a summer folk festival.
She dressed all in white, as is customary for the event, and wore a large flower wreath in her golden hair. But when it came to choosing a sash for her skirt, she grabbed a brown leather band, avoiding the color red.
In Belarus, red and white are the colors of the protest movement against the country’s authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko. And even the smallest sign of protest can land a person in jail.