--- description: Find out how Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership. title: 2021 TIME100 Next: Svetlana Tikhanovskaya image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt26d6531df54930ba/698a171a457a522341d64e6f/time100-next-Svetlana-Tikhanovskaya.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Feb 17, 2021 # Svetlana Tikhanovskaya by Juan Guaidó  Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, candidate for the presidential elections, and wife of non-registered candidate Valery Tsepkalo greets people during a meeting in her support in Brest, 326 km (203,7 miles) southwest of Minsk, Belarus, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020\. The presidential election in Belarus is scheduled for Aug. 9, 2020\. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, candidate for the presidential elections, and wife of non-registered candidate Valery Tsepkalo greets people during a meeting in her support in Brest, 326 km (203,7 miles) southwest of Minsk, Belarus, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020\. The presidential election in Belarus is scheduled for Aug. 9, 2020\. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)Sergei Grits—AP Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is an example of resistance and dignity for all of us who are fighting for democracy in the world. Tikhanovskaya’s firm objective, as the voice of [Belarus’ opposition](https://time.com/5880593/belarus-protests-lukashenko/ "undefined"), is to ensure that her country holds free, fair and verifiable elections, all political prisoners are freed, and exiles can return. Her 2020 run for office against Alexander Lukashenko—Europe’s longest-serving leader—galvanized support throughout Belarus, as citizens clamored for a fresh face in government. When Lukashenko claimed victory in a purported landslide, despite a belief that Tikhanovskaya was the true winner and widespread calls for a fair election, the people of Belarus took to the streets. Tens of thousands protested the regime, emboldened by Tikhanovskaya’s tenacity, bravery and daring. In Belarus, the people have set off on a one-way road to democracy, and that road can only end in freedom. _Guaidó is the leader of Venezuela’s opposition to the Nicolás Maduro regime_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2021/5937680/svetlana-tikhanovskaya/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2021/5937680/svetlana-tikhanovskaya/"},"headline":"Svetlana Tikhanovskaya","datePublished":"2021-02-17T01:50:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-02T23:48:07.464Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2021/5937680/svetlana-tikhanovskaya/","keywords":["list","franchise","TIME 100 Next"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt26d6531df54930ba/698a171a457a522341d64e6f/time100-next-Svetlana-Tikhanovskaya.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"creator":"TIME Staff","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt26d6531df54930ba/698a171a457a522341d64e6f/time100-next-Svetlana-Tikhanovskaya.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2021/5937680/svetlana-tikhanovskaya/","name":"Svetlana Tikhanovskaya"}}]}] ```