The publication is a collection of texts dedicated to the development of civil society during the last 15 years that in a critical-minded way sum up the efforts of Belarusian non-governmental organisations. It deals with various dimensions of civil activity, including cultural activity, gender issues, political solidarity, local self-government, civil education, relationships among religious groups, youth subcultures, environmentalist movement, and the process of (de)consolidation and (de)politicisation of civic sector. The publication also sheds light on different understandings of civil society in Belarusian mass-media and the practice of substitution of civil society for state-run non-governmental organizations. Daily life of civic sector is described, as well as the peculiarities of the provision of social services by NGOs.