A Belarusian man broke his leg and is asking for support because he is unable to work and has spent all of his savings on medical treatment and rent.
My name is Vladislav Kalyada. I’m a Belarusian from Minsk – a musician, drummer, artist, and tattoo artist – and I now live in Poland.
In 2020, my band recorded an album in Minsk with songs about the elections and politics. During the protest marches, I performed with the collective “Trebuyem Razoytis”, which brought together musicians from across Belarus.
Like my fellow musicians, I was arrested, put on trial, and fined. Once, we were all detained right in the middle of a rehearsal. Then one band member faced criminal charges, followed by another. Eventually, people started leaving the country. I was one of the last to leave.
In 2021, I moved to Ukraine. At first, I thought it would only be temporary. But then the full-scale war began, and everything changed. The company I worked for prepared takeaway meals for refugee centres, and I helped organize the logistics. In my free time, I volunteered at the Belarusian-Ukrainian centre “Sustrecha.”
In the spring of 2022, I lost my passport and found myself trapped. For three years, I was unable to leave Ukraine and often found myself without money or work. In 2025, after enormous difficulties, I finally managed to move to Poland. I applied for international protection, adapted to my new life, found a job, and returned to both tattooing and my creative work. At the same time, I continued drawing. For me, it is not only work but also a way to stay grounded, maintain my inner resilience, and preserve a sense of normal life.
But recently, everything took another sharp turn for the worse. I broke my leg. At the hospital, my leg was immobilized with a cast, and I was prescribed crutches, pain medication, injections, follow-up appointments with an orthopedic specialist, and further medical supervision. My recovery has already lasted more than two and a half months. Doctors cannot rule out the possibility that I will need another surgery.
At the moment, my mobility is severely limited, and I am unable to work properly. For someone living in exile, that is a huge problem.
Over the past two months, I have spent all my savings on rent, medication, medical examinations, and recovery – just the basic necessities. I have been living in exile for several years now, and it is difficult for me to find myself in a position where I have to ask for help again. But this injury has effectively taken away my ability to work, and without support I risk losing my housing and falling into serious financial hardship.
I am not asking for support to “start a new life from scratch,” to pay for past mistakes, or for comfort. I am asking for temporary assistance while I recover so that I can keep my home, complete my treatment, and gradually return to work.
Fundraising goal
€2500
€1100 – Rent
€900 – Medical expenses, medication, and rehabilitation
€500 – Food and other basic necessities during recovery