Druya 2026

Dates: August 10–20, 2026
Duration: 10 days

DRUYA ’26 is an educational photography retreat exploring the landscapes, cultural heritage, and historical sites of northwestern Belarus. Participants will be based in Druya and travel throughout the region for photography sessions, field studies, excursions, and workshops.

The participation fee includes:
• transportation throughout the programme;
• accommodation in a guesthouse;
• four meals per day;
• educational programme;
• practical photography workshops;
• guided cultural and historical excursions.

Age requirement: 12+
No previous experience is required. The programme is designed for both beginners and experienced photographers.

We welcome adult photographers, young photographers, photography enthusiasts, art students, and educational groups accompanied by their teachers.

The theme of the 2026 retreat is “Developing Visual Imagination”.

Throughout the programme, we will explore how photographic images emerge from observation, association, and personal experience. Participants will learn to recognize unexpected connections between subjects, develop visual thinking, and transform impressions into meaningful photographic statements.

The educational programme includes:
• lectures on composition and photographic theory;
• creative assignments;
• practical exercises;
• daily image reviews and group discussions;
• individual mentoring sessions.

Particular attention will be given to form, space, light, and composition as tools for building visual narratives and artistic expression.

An important part of the programme will be our evening cinema sessions. Screenings and discussions of classic films will help participants expand their visual awareness, develop critical observation skills, and gain a deeper understanding of visual storytelling.

Fieldwork forms the core of the retreat. Participants will photograph in a variety of natural, historical, and cultural environments throughout northwestern Belarus.

Practical assignments will focus on developing personal vision and discovering expressive visual solutions. Through observation, experimentation, and discussion, participants will learn to work with light, space, rhythm, colour, texture, and atmosphere as essential elements of photographic language.

The programme encourages photographers to move beyond familiar approaches, challenge habitual ways of seeing, and explore new creative possibilities.

Participants will also have the opportunity to experiment with a range of photographic equipment and lenses, from monocles and vintage optical systems to contemporary professional optics, gaining firsthand experience of how technical choices influence visual expression.

Each shooting day concludes with a review and discussion of the photographs produced during the day.

Understanding a place is an essential part of understanding how to photograph it.

The retreat includes visits to significant natural, historical, and architectural landmarks of northwestern Belarus, including:

• Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Vidzy;
• Holy Trinity Church, Druya;
• Old Believer churches of the region;
• Yelnya Mire Nature Reserve;
• Braslav Lakes;
• “God’s Eye” natural spring in Slobodka;
• historic manor estates;
• traditional historical towns and villages of northwestern Belarus.

Excursions are led by local historians, researchers, and cultural specialists whose knowledge provides a deeper understanding of the region’s history, traditions, and cultural identity.

These experiences enrich the photographic process, offering new perspectives, visual ideas, and a stronger connection to the places we photograph.

Places are limited.
For registration and further information:
+375 29 309 50 41