Alexandr Zgerski: Placebo for Belarusians. Published in Belarusian. Web-magazine “SAKAVIK”, #4, December 2013. www.sakavik.net

In the 90-s of the twentieth century the “Great Soviet Empire” collapsed. Hopes of soviet dissidents and those people who had been thinking and acting in a way that differed from “ruling party’s line”, hopes of democratization and liberation in a social and individual area of life came true. So called “ParadeofSovereignties” took place and national republics began to build their own world inside of their state borders. Each newly formed country had different starting conditions, unique historical and cultural features of their previous development and each of them undergone their personal highs and lows and mistakes on this path.

Belarus, the same as other neighbouring countries, got a chance to rebuild its national home. Belarusians are often being characterized as tolerant and conservative people. Maybe these definitions aren’t bad but excessive conservatism played a low-down trick with us. In 1994 considerable part of population of Belarus was frightened of growth of corruption and uncontrolled and wicked process of privatization. So, Alexander Lukashenko and his lines of economic development that can be described with motto “Back to USSR!” were chosen. But time passed and now we can see that president’s electioneering bribe differs much from that what we have today.

Nowadays Belarusians got authoritarian system of government, planned economy, subordination of mass media and persecution of civil and political associations. This crisis leads to tension, anxiety, sense of weariness and uncertainty among our people. In search of way out of crisis and changeable political situation outside the country lead to the necessity of solving problems in such areas as national identity and national awareness including problems of value guidelines, problems of choice of political and economic development, self-awareness in a motley and complex universe of modern national states. Intellectual elite of Belarus, as it should be, has quite a diverse visions of the situation and formulas of finding the way out of the situation. Often it comes to pessimistic prognosis such as inevitable loss of national identity and then, as a result, loss of sovereignty.

In article “Placebo for Belarusians” another attempt of reinterpretation of the Belarusian situation is being made. Basing on the Benedict Anderson’s statement which says that “nation-ness is the mostuniversallylegitimatevaluein the political life of our time” appropriateness of pessimistic findings about nonviability of Belarusian community are being called into question. It’s about possibility and necessity of changes for the better in historical and cultural education of Belarusians, education which is now being included in authoritarian schemes of governing.

Viktoryia Kozlova:Implications of the EU’s Association Agreement with Ukraine on Belarus. Published in English. Web-magazine “SAKAVIK”, #4, December 2013. www.sakavik.net

Ukraine has been negotiating for over 15 years with the European Union (EU) over improving mutual cooperation and possibly becoming a member state. Unfortunately, the official government of Ukraine has been highly divided on the topic of EU accession. In the last five years, however, this has not stopped the negotiations and application for the Association Agreement. Recent protests in Ukraine in December 2013 clearly exemplify citizen’s disappointment. It is important to find out what exactly the Association Agreement entails since Ukrainian government, for now, has chosen not to sign it. This article questions the effects of the Association Agreement for the EU and Ukraine, and then analyzes the implications it could have on Belarus.

Categories: Мараль, Мова, Нацыя