Belarus

People seen outside the bar that was famous among opposition supporters in Minsk, Belarus, Sunday August 8, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Visitors and participants of the Big Conversation, a press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko seen in the hall of the Presidential palace with Soviet Union flags and old communist party attributes, prior to the hours long conversation in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Visitors and participants of the Big Conversation, a press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko seen in the hall of the Presidential palace with Soviet Union flags and old communist party attributes, prior to the hours long conversation in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Visitors and participants of the Big Conversation, a press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko seen in the hall of the Presidential palace with photographs of Lukashenko meeting with Egypt president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Sudan president Omar al-Bashir, prior to the hours long conversation in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Visitors and participants of the Big Conversation, a press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko seen in the hall of the Presidential palace with photographs of Lukashenko meeting with former Serbian president Tomislav Nikoliс, prior to the hours long conversation in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Visitors and participants of the Big Conversation, a press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko seen in the hall of the Presidential palace with photographs of Lukashenko meeting with Pope Francis, prior to the hours long conversation in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Visitors and participants of the Big Conversation, a press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko seen in the hall of the Presidential palace prior to the hours long conversation in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Visitors and participants of the Big Conversation, a press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko seen in the hall of the Presidential palace with photographs of Lukashenko meeting first Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and Ukraine President Leonid Kuchma, prior to the hours long conversation in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Visitors and participants of the Big Conversation, a press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko seen in the hall of the Presidential palace with photographs of Lukashenko meeting with former Serbian president Tomislav Nikoliс, prior to the hours long conversation in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Visitors and participants of the Big Conversation, a press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko seen in the hall of the Presidential palace with photographs of Lukashenko meeting with former Serbian president Tomislav Nikoliс, prior to the hours long conversation in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Visitors and participants of the Big Conversation, a press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko seen in the hall of the Presidential palace with photographs of Lukashenko meeting Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, prior to the hours long conversation in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Visitors and participants of the Big Conversation, a press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko seen in the hall of the Presidential palace with photographs of Lukashenko meeting Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, prior to the hours long conversation in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Nikolai Lukashenko a son of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko seen prior press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times)

Belarus

Visitors and participants of the Big Conversation, a press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko seen under the screen broadcasting Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Visitors and participants of the Big Conversation, a press conference and a talk with experts and members of the government and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko seen under the screen broadcasting Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

People play volleyball at the bank of the Svislach river in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. A one year since the disputed presidential election in Belarus, which sparked a protest movement of unprecedented size. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

People play volleyball at the bank of the Svislach river in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. A one year since the disputed presidential election in Belarus, which sparked a protest movement of unprecedented size. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Youth hang out at the bank of the Svislach river in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. A one year since the disputed presidential election in Belarus, which sparked a protest movement of unprecedented size. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

An empty World War II monument which was the main spot of clashes with police in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. A one year since the disputed presidential election in Belarus, which sparked a protest movement of unprecedented size. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

An empty World War II monument which was the main spot of clashes with police in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. A one year since the disputed presidential election in Belarus, which sparked a protest movement of unprecedented size. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

A man cycles at the empty Lenin Square in from of Belarus government which was the one main places to gather in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. A one year since the disputed presidential election in Belarus, which sparked a protest movement of unprecedented size. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

A man cycles at the empty Lenin Square in from of Belarus government which was the one main places to gather in Minsk, Belarus, Monday August 9, 2021. A one year since the disputed presidential election in Belarus, which sparked a protest movement of unprecedented size. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Iraqis talk to the embassy staff at the check in gates at the airport in Minsk as they in wait for registration for the evacuation flight from Baghdad in Minsk, Belarus, Tuesday August 10, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)

Belarus

Iraqis talk to the embassy staff at the check in gates at the airport in Minsk as they in wait for registration for the evacuation flight from Baghdad in Minsk, Belarus, Tuesday August 10, 2021. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev)