Darya Akkerman

When the sun reaches its highest position in the sky and opens a window for the shortest night of the year, fairytales enter the dark forests of Belarus. A magic Fern Flower might bloom somewhere, surrounded by devil hoof prints and frogs.

 

Botanical literature will tell you that ferns have no fruits. Although, it has been seen on tapestries, coins, and even passports. Is it really just an imagination? Fern Flower is also alive outside material culture; it’s a frequent feeling of people from Belarus: constant searching, looking, and being on the journey while not reaching the goal. The myth and notion of searching play an important role in Belarusians' identity.

 

I invite you to enter the magic maze, meet protagonists of Belarusian mythology and try to look for the flower yourself!