598 stolen days 

Mass preventive arrests became the standard practice of security services in Belarus. On the eve of the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championship more than 300 people were arrested all over Belarus: civil and social activists, the homeless and prostitutes. Based on false accusations courts handed down sentences with terms ranging from weeks to a month.

This project shows what these people have missed during imprisonment. Everyday life, beloved ones and friends, plans, daily trivia, joys and sorrows remained outside prison and in the memories. Reality narrowed down to a cell filled with tobacco smoke and a broken toilet, dirty mattress and aluminium cup of tea, waiting for letters and the day of liberation.

The focus of the project is the representatives of various political and social movements, many of whom have been inactive for a long time. They were only united by the fact that each of them was considered dangerous by the political regime. Security services in Belarus adopted the experience of their colleagues of the Soviet era: secret arrests at home and at work, family bullying, pressure in workplaces and universities. All of this becomes everyday life for those who find the strength to resist the system. 

Maksim Sarychau (b. 1987) is a visual artist, lives and work in Minsk, Belarus.

He works on personal long-term documentary and art photography projects. Maksim is concerned about social issues and conflicts between human and nature. He experiments with new forms of visual storytelling at the edge of photography and video.

Maksim balances between software development and work on personal photography projects.

Member of International Federation of Journalists. 

Awards:

2014 "Belarus Press Photo" contest, three 1st prizes

2013 "Vilnius Photo Circle" international photo festival, finalist in 'Homework' section

2013 "Warsaw Photo Days" international photo festival, competition "Open Program"

2013 "toKino" film festival, 1st prize, section "The Right to Speak"

2012 "Golden Camera" international photo award, diploma in "Conceptual" category