Maria Kalesnikava was born on April 24, 1982, in Minsk and has shaped the arts scene in Belarus and Germany for many years as a flutist and cultural manager. After completing her studies at the Music Academy in Minsk, she specialized in early and contemporary music at the University of Music in Stuttgart. Before becoming politically active, she led cultural projects at the “Laboratorium” in Stuttgart and worked as an art director at the “OK16” center in Minsk.

Her path into politics began in May 2020 as campaign manager for Viktar Babaryka. Following his arrest, she formed a trio in July 2020 with Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and Veranika Zepkala, which became the face of the pro-democracy movement against Alexander Lukashenko. She gained worldwide recognition in September 2020 when she prevented her forced deportation to Ukraine by tearing up her passport at the border.

She was subsequently imprisoned in Belarus and sentenced to eleven years in prison in a show trial in 2021. During her more than five years in captivity, which she spent partly in strict isolation and under precarious health conditions, she was awarded the International Charlemagne Prize in 2022. On December 13, 2025, Kalesnikava was finally released and left for Germany. Today she lives in Stuttgart and Berlin, where she continues to actively advocate for democratic reforms and the freedom of political prisoners.