The book contains photos of and essays about the 70 people, known in Belarus and beyond, who left a significant mark in the modern Belarusian history. There no information in the “official” publications about some of these people. Therefore, the book of Aliaksandr Tamkovich can be considered a unique collection of information about important Belarusian historical figures of the last 15-20 years. The author compares the book with the reference book “Who is Who”, but notes that is has more exposed and literary form of writing. “This book-excursus will be useful to those who want to learn about Belarus, to get overview of the socio-political life of the country. Thus, for example, it may be interesting for the diplomats. After reading of the book a lot of the questions fall away and immediately everything becomes clear. However, unfortunately, it is difficult to publish such books inside Belarus, as they do not coincide with the official ideology, “- said Aliaksandr Tamkovich, the author of the book and the well-known Belarusian journalist during the presentation.
The characters from the book – the head of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski and the member of the Board of “Viasna” and the President of the Belarusian HRH Tatsiana Reviaka – noted the importance of the work done by A. Tamkovich, for the history of Belarus. “History is easy to manipulate with: many of the events and people who have done a lot for Belarus in due time, are now removed from the” official “history. People, whose fates are collected in this book, are of great importance for Belarus and can not be forgotten, and the book of Aliaksandr Tamkovich “Contemporary History in Faces” is an excellent attempt to keep their names in our history, leaving no blind spots, “- said the heroine of the book, a human rights defender Tatsiana Reviaka.
The essays and photographs in the book reflect different periods of lives of the characters, among whom there are well-known politicians, human rights defenders, social activists. 
“Many of the characters in the book have become political prisoners, and in the “official” reference books and information books there is nothing about these people. Therefore it is particularly important that Aliaksandr Tamkovich undertook to describe this challenging, interesting, dramatic period and the fates of its heroes. This book gives the impression of what is the Republic of Belarus, and also gives a sense of historical optimism – if there were not such important people, there would be no book. Despite pressure and restrictions, hundreds of thousands of people defended and continue to defend their position, which allows to have an optimistic look at Belarus as a country with a future “- said the hero of the book, the head of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski (left).
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Aliaksandr Tamkovich is a journalist, the author of several books about important political events in Belarus and their impact on the lives of some people – political prisoners, social activists, human rights defenders. The book “Contemporary History in Faces” is published in Belarus and in the English version.
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