Belarusian diaspora's tax returns help to launch a history portal

The team behind the project "Buduj Svajo" (Build Your Own) has launched a new portal, History of Belarus. This website is dedicated to popularising Belarusian history in three languages: Belarusian, English, and Polish. The project aims to make the study of history enjoyable both for Belarusians and the foreign public.

The site became possible thanks to the support of Belarusians in Poland through charitable deductions from tax returns and with the help of partners FaniMani and Tutaka.

The portal contains articles written by a famous Belarusian historian, covering the key periods from the Polatsk Principality to the Second World War. There are 18 sections in total.

The project turned out to be high-tech.

"With the help of interactive elements, 3D models, AI search and exclusive content, the viewer can dive into the past and discover unknown pages of the history of the Belarusian nation," the creators of the project note.

The materials are supplemented with interactive elements, including 3D models of architectural objects created from historical drawings. According to the team, these models can be studied in augmented reality, which is especially enjoyable for children.

The site is powered by an AI assistant that adapts information to the user's request. "You can ask a question and specify for whom the content is needed - for example, for children - and get adapted, easy-to-understand information," the developers say.

One of the participants in the project was Pavel Liber, who noted:

"This is a portal about the history of Belarus for foreign historians and journalists. The task was to present the main events in a concise form for the English-speaking audience, and it turned out very well - I myself was interested in refreshing history in this format. Our team combined authored texts, reworked illustrations, video, AI and 3D/AR to create the final digital product".

The project was realized with the support of the Buduj Svajo initiative and donations from Belarusians in Poland. In 2023, about 47 thousand euros were collected, for which a library of Belarusian books was opened in Lithuania and a historical portal in Poland.

Liber added:

"This portal turned out to be important and wonderful for us - Belarusians and Belarusian women, whose history and culture is today suppressed by Russia. It is an important base on which we will add new sections - blogs, quizzes, additional articles".

The Buduj Svajo initiative will continue its work in 2025. It plans to create new educational and cultural projects to popularize Belarusian history and culture.