Three days of celebration in exile showed how community, kindness, and solidarity can restore joy and hope to displaced families.

On 26, 27 and 28 December 2025, “Our House Centre for Human Rights and Relief” opened its doors to 42 Belarusian children in exile, 47 adults from the families of Belarusian political refugees, and 16 former political prisoners from Belarus now living in exile in Lithuania. For three magical days, our in-house celebrations brought together New Year, Christmas, the strength of community, peace and kindness – and reminded everyone present that warmth and solidarity can overcome even the harshest realities of exile.

Here you can browse our photos from these celebrations – including the joyful gift-giving for the children of Belarusian refugees. The children cheerfully called out for Ded Moroz (the Belarusian equivalent of Santa Claus), and he really did appear – accompanied by Snegurochka, the Snow Girl, who is officially described as his granddaughter and remains a distinctly Belarusian New Year tradition. The children solved riddles to prove they had behaved well all year and therefore deserved presents, although in truth Ded Moroz would have given them gifts regardless.

Everyone danced, sang, played charades, and acted out words for others to guess. These games helped build understanding and connection. The adults, inspired by the children, also tried to prove that they had behaved themselves over the year and, as a result, they received gifts too – thanks to IGFM Wittlich, the San Ramon Valley Rotary Club, the Belarusian diaspora in Canada, Italian activists from the city of Brescia, the Association of Former Belarusian Political Prisoners, and all those whose solidarity helped make this possible.

Sadly, New Year celebrations like these – organised for Belarusian children in exile – are considered criminal “extremist activity” inside Belarus. Members and volunteers of “Our House” who organise a simple festive gathering for the children of those who oppose Alexander Lukashenko risk up to seven years in prison. The team of “Our House” has long understood that we are already sentenced in absentia – simply because we protect and support children.

Even our humanitarian Telegram channel for Belarusian mothers in Lithuania, “Our House – Shufliadka,” has been declared extremist, as has our humanitarian warehouse. Yet none of this stops us. Children deserve safety, joy, dignity – and a New Year that feels hopeful.

These celebrations will not be the last. Our work continues – especially with your support. Help here! Or here!

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our partners and friends who helped make these celebrations real, bright, and meaningful. Please take a look at how much joy and warmth they brought.

Thank you for making the New Year unforgettable for Belarusian children in exile in Lithuania – and for giving them a little warmth and hope.

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A festive look at how international solidarity gave Belarusian children in exile in Lithuania a real New Year Women’s self-help: free hobby clubs in Our House for Ukrainian and Belarusian children refugees in Lithuania. Santa Claus and Snegurochka visited refugee children in Our House and gave them New Year’s gifts, prepared by IGFM and the Realschule from Manderscheid in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district, Germany Our House and Maisto Bankas: we help providing food to Belarusian refugees in Lithuania. Belarusian propaganda attacks Olga Karach and Our House, a Belarusian human rights organisation in exile Solidarity in Action: Humanitarian Aid from IGFM-Wittlich for Belarusian and Ukrainian Refugees in Lithuania