Lesia Pcholka's Roadside series of photographs is inspired by Mikhas Ramanyuk's iconic monograph Belarusian Folk Crosses (2000), a seminal work in local art history. Ramanyuk's book is the culmination of 30 years of meticulous research and documentation of Belarusian funerary and sacrificial crosses, which serve as a testament to the uniqueness of local culture. The crosses, typically placed by the roadsides of villages or at crossroads, were intended to protect people from epidemics, wars and natural disasters. These objects seamlessly blend elements of both Christian and pagan beliefs, a characteristic feature of Belarusian spirituality.

In an effort to verify the knowledge she had acquired during her artistic training, Pcholka travelled to the sites described and depicted by Ramanyuk in Belarus. She discovered that many of the crosses so carefully documented by the researcher had been dismantled or destroyed by the forces of nature. However, in keeping with tradition, new crosses had been erected in place of those that had disappeared. These new structures are richly decorated by the local people, reflecting their individual knowledge, beliefs and aesthetic preferences. Their eclectic appearance, enhanced by the use of contemporary, vividly colorful materials, gives them an almost queer look.

The Roadside series aims to emphasise that heritage is not static, but a dynamic form of communication. Pcholka continues the relevance of Ramanyuk's black and white documentation in representing modern Belarusian culture. It suggests that in order to truly understand ourselves, we must continually seek new ways of engaging with the past. This ongoing dialogue with history, reflected in the ever-changing forms of these crosses, underlines the need for a living, evolving approach to cultural heritage.