Workshop. The story of one miracle

"Maistrounya. The Story of One Miracle" is a book about the birth of Belarusian identity during Soviet times, when everything seemed gray and hopeless. In it, Siarhei Dubavets describes how in 1980, a group of Minsk students revived the tradition of caroling, and soon became the core of the national movement. This book is a testament to how 50 young people, through their actions, shifted history and laid the foundation for independent Belarus.

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"Maistrounya. The Story of One Miracle" is an account of how a brilliant, unique Belarusian identity emerged from the dull, gray everyday existence of the Soviet era.

For Christmas in 1980, a group of Minsk students, calling themselves "Maistrounya" (The Workshop), decided to revive the old folk ritual and song tradition of caroling in the city center. As it turned out, this was just the first step. Soon, the group became the core of a national movement that began to grow and spread throughout Belarus, eventually leading to the creation of an independent Belarusian nation…
This is the story of the magical beginnings of "Maistrounya" and its founders, 50 people whose journey began 45 (forty-five) years ago. The fate of the legendary community members became the independence of the country.