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Siarhei Besarab () is a Belarusian chemist, civil activist, and science communicator known for his contributions to popularizing science in the fields of radioactivity, nuclear safety, and environmental protection. As one of the few voices drawing public attention to political repression within the Belarusian scientific and academic community, Besarab faced professional dismissal and a ban from public institutions following the 2020 Belarusian protests due to his political stance. He continued his advocacy through public science journalism, critically analyzing the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant's safety systems and addressing the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus. His activism led to political persecution by the Belarusian authorities, with charges from the Belarusian KGB forcing him to flee to the European Union in June 2023, where he remains active in both his scientific and civic roles.
He earned his master's degree in chemistry at the University of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB). His master's research was supervised by Alexander Tretyak, a renowned Belarusian specialist in glass chemistry and functional glass materials. Following his master's studies, Besarab completed his PhD in surface science under the guidance of academician Vladimir Komarov at the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry at NASB. Komarov is recognized as a leading Belarusian chemist and founder of the national school of adsorption science.
During his secondary school and university years, Besarab developed an interest in meteoritics and meteorite hunting. He worked as an analytical chemist in a team involved in commercial meteorite search expeditions, where he was responsible for identifying recovered materials.
As a futurologist, Besarab has published articles and Forecasting on topics such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and energy innovation in Belarusian independent media, including Belsat TV and TUT.by. He is also a Collaboratory at the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute (GCRI), where he contributes expert insights on global risks and future challenges.
Besarab is also active as a climate science communicator, regularly publishing analytical articles on the impact of climate change in Belarus and Eastern Europe. He is recognized for raising public awareness about Climate risk, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and adaptation strategies in the region. In 2025, he received the Green Award Prize for producing some of the best environmental content in the country, including his analysis of climate anomalies in Belarus and articles focusing on local adaptation strategies.
Besarab also champions Alternative food, such as insect protein, further advancing science literacy.
In response to ongoing repression, Besarab co-founded the Belarusian Scientific Solidarity Fund to support persecuted scholars. He further opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine by publishing an open letter on behalf of the Belarusian scientific community, despite backlash from the NASB. As part of the Until All Are Free campaign, he became an advocate for political prisoner Artsiom Bayarski, a chemistry student targeted for his involvement in post-election protests.
As a public defender of academic freedom Besarab has consistently highlighted issues in Belarusian science, such as censorship, lack of academic freedom, and opaque funding practices. His data-driven initiatives include mapping the repression of Belarusian citizens and scientists, producing analyses like the "map of Belarusian extremism" and profiles of repressed academics. Through his activism, Besarab remains a vocal proponent of transparency and reform in science policy and education.
In spring 2023, amidst heightened geopolitical tensions, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced plans to bring Russian tactical nuclear weapons into Belarus. Besarab responded by publishing detailed descriptions of potential storage sites for these weapons on his blog and engaging with independent Belarusian media to discuss the associated risks. This activity placed him in direct conflict with Belarusian authorities, who subsequently labeled all content from his science blog as extremist material.
Facing mounting pressure, Besarab became the target of criminal charges for allegedly causing harm to the state. The Belarusian KGB threatened him with imprisonment, prompting his decision to flee the country and seek political asylum within the European Union to ensure his safety.
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