01
Research
We conduct our own and collaborative research, work with qualitative and quantitative data, and analyse media, public communication, strategic narratives and social processes.
Independent research platform
About us
Kantrapunkt is an independent research and analytical platform. We study how power, media, gender and social structures shape people and society under authoritarianism, forced migration and large-scale transformation.
We are interested not only in what is happening, but also in the mechanisms behind it, the consequences they produce, and what can change.
What we bring together
Research, analysis, public-facing expert work and educational formats — at the intersection of academic knowledge and civic practice.
So that research can help make sense of real-world problems and be useful to media, civil society, experts and decision-makers.
01 Focus
Our focus is Belarus and Belarusian society
For us, Belarus does not end at the state border. We study processes unfolding both inside the country and within Belarusian communities in exile.
Since 2020, Belarusian society has experienced a political crisis and repression, mass forced migration, the disruption of professional and social ties, and the restructuring of institutions and communities.
We seek not only to document these changes, but also to understand how they reshape people, relationships, professional trajectories, public communication and visions of the future.
At the same time, we examine Belarus within the broader regional context of Central and Eastern Europe and the political, social and communication processes of which it is a part.
02 Name and method
Why
“Kantrapunkt”
In music, counterpoint is the combination of distinct, independent voices
We approach social problems in much the same way: rather than reducing them to a single explanation, we examine different perspectives, contradictions and connections between phenomena that may at first appear unrelated.
Research principle
Examine a problem at multiple levels, test familiar explanations and identify mechanisms that are not always visible on the surface
03 Process
How we work
From a research question to knowledge that can be applied in practice
02
Interpret
We are interested in more than describing facts. We look for connections between individual phenomena and broader mechanisms of power, inequality, communication, authoritarianism and social change.
03
Explain
We translate research findings into language accessible beyond academia. We publish analysis, collaborate with media and take part in public discussions.
04
Put knowledge into practice
We develop educational programmes, deliver lectures, training sessions and workshops, and provide expert consultations. We help teams and organisations apply research-based and strategic approaches in their work.
04 Foundation
Our principles
Four principles that guide the platform’s research
Evidence-based
We distinguish what the data show from interpretations and hypotheses, and we are transparent about the limits of our research.
Independence
Research questions and conclusions should not be subordinated to political or institutional expediency.
Multiple perspectives
We deliberately look for what may be invisible from a dominant perspective and do not replace the complexity of social processes with simple explanations.
Research connected to practice
For us, producing knowledge is not enough: it should also be useful for public debate, professional practice and decision-making.
05 History
From researcher
to institution
Kantrapunkt grew out of many years of research and expert work by Iryna Sidorskaya, a researcher specialising in media, communication, power and gender.
Over the years, this work developed through academic research, collaboration with independent media and civil society organisations, and expert and educational projects.
After 2020, new questions emerged: how authoritarianism transforms public communication and professional agency; what happens to people and institutions under repression and forced migration; and how social ties are preserved and rebuilt.
2026
Fundacja Kantrapunkt was established to provide an institutional base for the development of an independent research and analytical platform
06 Institution
Fundacja
Kantrapunkt
Kantrapunkt operates through Fundacja Kantrapunkt, registered in Poland in 2026
NIP 5253093448
To verify Fundacja Kantrapunkt in the official register, open the Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy search and enter this NIP
Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy — official search portal ↗ KRS 0001245121
REGON 544978902
07 Collaboration
Who we
work with
Kantrapunkt is open to collaboration with researchers, media, civil society organisations, and educational and expert organisations.
We can join collaborative research projects, develop research designs and analytical frameworks, conduct research and expert analysis, prepare analytical materials, and contribute to educational and public projects.
