Anglo-Belarusian Society
promoting all things Belarusian in Britain since 1954
Updated: 2 hours 9 min ago
Kaliady and Batlejka 2025 (Christmas celebration), Saturday 20 December 2025, 14:30-17:00, London
All members and friends of the Belarusian community in Britain are cordially invited to the traditional Kaliady celebration organised by the Anglo-Belarusian Society, in partnership with other Belarusian organisations, on Saturday 20th December 2025, starting at 2:30pm at the Church of St. Cyril of Turau, followed by tea with biscuits at the Marian House afterwards, and a service at 6pm. From 4pm there will be a Christmas market at the Francis Skaryna Library, with a selection of Belarusian books, calendars and board games by Belarusian publishing houses brought by skarynapress.com and some Belarusian handmade gifts and Christmas cards.
There will be the traditional, well-loved Batlejka (Belarusian Christmas puppet show) performed by Paval Šaǔcoǔ and his troupe.
Please see Paval before the start if you would like your child to get a present from Sviaty Mikalai! (the named presents you bring for this purpose shouldn’t exceed £10 ) There will also be festive folk songs for friends and families to sing along too.
Dress code: Kaliady folk costume or anything festive. There is no charge for this event but we encourage donations (£5 for ABS members and £10 for non-members). Please bring with you seasonal food and drink – both Belarusian and British.
Please see Paval before the start if you would like your child to get a present from Sviaty Mikalai! (the named presents you bring for this purpose shouldn’t exceed £10 ) There will also be festive folk songs for friends and families to sing along too.
Dress code: Kaliady folk costume or anything festive. There is no charge for this event but we encourage donations (£5 for ABS members and £10 for non-members). Please bring with you seasonal food and drink – both Belarusian and British.
WHEN: Saturday 20 December 2025, 14:30-18:00
WHERE: the Belarusian Church of St. Cyril of Turau, Marian House, Holden Avenue, London N12 8HY
The post Kaliady and Batlejka 2025 (Christmas celebration), Saturday 20 December 2025, 14:30-17:00, London first appeared on Anglo-Belarusian Society.
“In Conversation with Evelina Shchadryna and Hanna Komar – Contributions to Belarusian Culture in the UK”, Saturday 6 December, London
Both Evelina Shchadryna and Hanna Komar arrived in the UK after the events of 2020 in Belarus, and since their arrival have made outstanding contributions to Belarusian Culture in the UK.
Evelina Shchadryna is a musician, folklorist and educator. She worked at the Belarusian State University of Culture of Arts for 20 years teaching vocal-choir and Belarusian folklore. In Belarus she was leader of the students’ folk group Strala at the University and soloist of folk Group “Vietah”. Currently she is leader of the Belarusian Folk Group “Vir“, which performed both at Kaliady 2024, and Kupalle 2025 held in London.
Hanah Komar is a poet, translator and writer. She studied in Minsk at the Belarusian State Linguistic University, specialising in English. After 2020 she came to Britain with the award of a Chevening Scholarship and gained an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Westminster. She has published five poetry collections: Страх вышыні (Fear of Heights), the docu-poetry collection Мы вернемся (We’ll Return), and Вызвалі або бяжы (Set Me Free or Run) in Belarusian, as well as the bilingual collections Recycled and Ribwort. She has also written a nonfiction book Калі я выйду на волю (When I’m Out of Here) exploring the collective experience of incarceration following the 2020 peaceful protests in Belarus. In 2021, she was awarded the Freedom of Expression award by the Norwegian Authors’ Union.
In 2024 she performed in the premier of her play “Body in Progress” which dealt with the lasting effects of her imprisonment during the events of August 2020 in Belarus. Currently she is a PhD student at the University of Brighton researching the use of poetry as a tool for working with aspects of gender based violence for women from Belarus. This meeting will be in a conversation format, chaired by Alan Flowers, and provides an opportunity to hear from Evelina and Hanna about their life in Belarus, the work they have done since coming to the UK, and their future plans.
It is hoped that in additional to all interested members and friends, as many Belarusians as possible who are active in cultural events in the UK will attend this meeting, – so be ready for possibly some surprise guests!! The meeting is scheduled to follow a rehearsal of the “Vir” group, led by Evelina, and will commence with a drinks reception from 16.30, to enable a prompt start at 17.00, and close of meeting at 17.50, prior to the Belarusian Church service at 18.00.
Please aim to arrive at this meeting by 16.30. For this meeting the reception and networking will be before the event, there will be no drinks reception after the event.
Evelina Shchadryna is a musician, folklorist and educator. She worked at the Belarusian State University of Culture of Arts for 20 years teaching vocal-choir and Belarusian folklore. In Belarus she was leader of the students’ folk group Strala at the University and soloist of folk Group “Vietah”. Currently she is leader of the Belarusian Folk Group “Vir“, which performed both at Kaliady 2024, and Kupalle 2025 held in London.
Hanah Komar is a poet, translator and writer. She studied in Minsk at the Belarusian State Linguistic University, specialising in English. After 2020 she came to Britain with the award of a Chevening Scholarship and gained an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Westminster. She has published five poetry collections: Страх вышыні (Fear of Heights), the docu-poetry collection Мы вернемся (We’ll Return), and Вызвалі або бяжы (Set Me Free or Run) in Belarusian, as well as the bilingual collections Recycled and Ribwort. She has also written a nonfiction book Калі я выйду на волю (When I’m Out of Here) exploring the collective experience of incarceration following the 2020 peaceful protests in Belarus. In 2021, she was awarded the Freedom of Expression award by the Norwegian Authors’ Union.
In 2024 she performed in the premier of her play “Body in Progress” which dealt with the lasting effects of her imprisonment during the events of August 2020 in Belarus. Currently she is a PhD student at the University of Brighton researching the use of poetry as a tool for working with aspects of gender based violence for women from Belarus. This meeting will be in a conversation format, chaired by Alan Flowers, and provides an opportunity to hear from Evelina and Hanna about their life in Belarus, the work they have done since coming to the UK, and their future plans.
It is hoped that in additional to all interested members and friends, as many Belarusians as possible who are active in cultural events in the UK will attend this meeting, – so be ready for possibly some surprise guests!! The meeting is scheduled to follow a rehearsal of the “Vir” group, led by Evelina, and will commence with a drinks reception from 16.30, to enable a prompt start at 17.00, and close of meeting at 17.50, prior to the Belarusian Church service at 18.00.
Please aim to arrive at this meeting by 16.30. For this meeting the reception and networking will be before the event, there will be no drinks reception after the event.
A ZOOM link for this may be posted nearer the date on the Anglo-Belarusian Society Facebook page, and also sent out by e-mail.
WHERE: Marian House, Holden Avenue, London, N12 8HY
WHEN: Saturday, 6 December 16.30pm
ZOOM: TBC
The post “In Conversation with Evelina Shchadryna and Hanna Komar – Contributions to Belarusian Culture in the UK”, Saturday 6 December, London first appeared on Anglo-Belarusian Society.