Tatyana Marynich and Anastasiya Khamiankova grew up in Belarus, and opened the doors to Imaguru, Belarus’s first startup hub, in 2013. Imaguru, created in the capital Minsk, soon became a shining spark for these ideas. It has created or made possible the creation of more than 300 startups and assisted these emerging businesses in raising over $100 million in investments. Since then, everyone’s political terrain in Belarus has shifted dramatically. This bureaucracy of exclusion has driven its founders into exile and criminalized their organizing.
Imaguru’s influence on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Belarus has been pivotal. Nearly all the successful startups the city has incubated have grown up under its protective wings. MSQRD, for example, was snapped up by Facebook, while Prisma was allegedly snapped up by Snapchat. The hub’s successes have not protected it from the increased political oppression in the country under President Alexander Lukashenko.
The repression escalated after the 2020 presidential elections, considered by all as the perfect crime. Mass protests erupted throughout Belarus. In one of the most high-profile responses to this crackdown, Tatyana Marynich joined Belarus’ Coordination Council—an emergency governing body founded by the top opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Marynich, serving as a member of this council, signed the famous declaration calling for free and fair elections. This audacious gamble would shortly prove to be the fateful decision for her and her peers.
By 2021, the stress on Imaguru had reached a breaking point. Its activities were labelled an “extremist formation” by the KGB in 2023, making any contact with the group a criminal offense. Marynich and Khamiankova had harsh consequences imposed immediately after receiving their designation. Belarusian authorities then sentenced them ‘in absentia’ to a total of 23 years behind bars.
To the surprise of many, in 2023 Lukashenko signed an executive order. Accordingly, Belarusian embassies withdrew the issuance or renewal of documents to the citizens, often those who currently live abroad. This indirectly stranded multiple dissidents abroad without documentation. Now, Tatyana Marynich is stuck and stateless in Spain after her Belarusian passport was implicitly revoked. Though she does now have an EU residence permit, she cannot apply for citizenship, since she cannot do so without a passport.
Marynich’s path to starting Imaguru was profoundly shaped by her late husband, Michael Marynich. He has paid an enormous cost for standing up to the repressive regime. From 2004 to 2006, he was imprisoned for having the audacity to oppose Lukashenko in the presidential elections. Her experiences made her passionate about creating an environment that encourages innovation and strengthens entrepreneurs. As she likes to say, “You have to create your own future.” Entrepreneurs are generally not conforming thinkers and free people are highly suspicious of organized and centralized power.
Marynich and Khamiankova’s ordeal sheds light on a much larger problem. Their plight is symptomatic of a much broader and deeper tide of repression that affects the whole startup community in Belarus. As fellow entrepreneur Yauhen Gurvits told us, “Even junior employees who previously worked at Imaguru cannot go back to Belarus. This isn’t just about two founders. It’s the story of an entire community that’s been exiled for having the audacity to believe in innovation and freedom.
As the story develops, advocates have spoken out against the punitive measures being taken against these startups. Liao, a long-time human rights advocate, spoke to the injustice of Marynich and Khamiankova’s treatment. “It’s heartbreaking. I’ve written recommendation letters for both of them for international programs. I’d do it again in a second. These are good people, and this is unjust.”
Imaguru’s stifling showcases an alarming trend. They are the stark results of what happens when the campaign to stifle innovation has turned into a broader agenda to make independent business illegal. Marynich articulated this sentiment poignantly: “What began as an attempt to silence innovation has evolved into the full criminalization of independent business.”
Here’s where the international community comes in to support these displaced founders. They have a powerful vision for a freer Belarus. Liao asserts that “Democratic governments should be doing everything they can to support them,” highlighting the need for global action against authoritarianism.