Two Belarusian history researchers received the Lew Sapieha Awards at the University of Bialystok (UB). Dr Ihar Melnikau became the laureate for 2020 and Dr Katsiaryna Kryvichanina for 2021.

The Lew Sapieha Award aims to honor outstanding services in shaping and developing the civil society in Belarus and building an independent, democratic Belarus, taking into account the best historical traditions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Dr Kryvichanina is a researcher, publicist, and opposition activist. The sphere of her scientific interests focuses on international cooperation between Belarus in overcoming the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and on scientific and technical cooperation.

Dr Melnikau is a historian, publicist, journalist, blogger and editor of a historical portal, and the author of over 500 scientific and journalistic articles and 13 books.