Rural Renaissance

Siarhiej Lieskiec’s project AGRO is a visual study of the contemporary identity of his native Belarus that is both anthropological and deeply personal. Most photographers capturing today’s Belarus focus on its lingering Soviet heritage and its infamous reputation as Europe’s last dictatorship. Lieskiec’s approach is different: he is interested in the contemporary, in the generation which grew up in the last 20 years in a completely new setting. The main subject of his research are the agro-towns created through the Rural Development Program, intended to revive the Belarusian countryside and restore the economy of the collective farms.