Trying to distance himself from the “Russian World", Lukashenka is starting to change his rhetoric

The reason why Minsk seeks to unite society around the idea of nation building and against Kremlin’s aggressive global policy is to nullify the influence of “Russian World” on Belarusan society.

However, the authorities’ actions are inconsistent. This could be explained by the authorities’ passivity as well as by the conflicting nature of Belarus’ previous cultural and humanitarian policy. 

Throughout his rule, President Lukashenka has repeatedly asserted that Belarusans and Russians are one nation, and commented that "Belarusans are Russians with a quality mark". However, amid the Kremlin’s increasingly aggressive foreign policy towards Ukraine, President Lukashenka is starting to change his rhetoric in an attempt to distance himself from the so-called “Russian World".

During his last press conference with Russian regional media, Lukashenka said that the Belarusan authorities had failed to create a state ideology acceptable for all. “I am told that our national ideology is a profound patriotism and so on. But patriotism is understood without an ideology – we need something that would ignite and be acceptable for society as a whole, that would inspire. From my perspective, neither I, nor my assistants have come up with anything like that. Those involved in the ideology say that we have a state ideology. As the president, I tell them that it has not won my heart or my mind, so how would it conquer the heart of an average person?”

It is unlikely that the authorities’ recent initiatives to strengthen the Belarusan national consciousness have been exclusively prompted by the presidential campaign in 2015. According to IISEPS polls, the president’s approval rating has continued to grow throughout 2014 amid the crisis in Ukraine. 

Most likely, the Belarusan authorities have seriously thought about readjusting the current state ideology and reinforcing it with Belarusan national culture in order to consolidate Belarusan society. For example, for the first time in many years, President Lukashenka held a meeting not only with the Writers’ Union functionaries (pro-governmental union), but also with representatives of the Union of Belarusan Writers (an independent organisation promoting national culture). In addition, the authorities have become aware of the Belarusan language’s weak tenure in educational institutions, and the need to gently promote national cultural and historical values, which identify Belarusans as a nation and often conflict with the "Russian World" ideology. At a meeting with representatives of Belarus’ intelligentsia, President Lukashenka proposed establishing a national university where studies would be in Belarusan.

It is worth noting that, until recently, the Belarusan authorities have controlled protest activity in society by dividing their opponents. For instance, early in his presidency, Lukashenka managed to divide almost all the political parties and non-governmental organisations, which were regarded as disloyal to the Belarusan leadership. As a result, there are several political parties in Belarus with the same programme and ideology, or even the same name: the ‘Belarusan Popular Front’ Conservative Christian Party and the Belarusan Popular Front; the Belarusan Social Democratic Party (Gromada) and the Belarusan Social Democratic Gromada and the Belarusan Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Gromada). Having divided the political parties, the authorities caused a split in several major non-governmental organisations (e.g. the Belarusan Union of Writers), including ethnic minority organisations, such as the Union of Poles in Belarus.

Meanwhile, the authorities have neither attempted to divide Tavarystva Belaruskaj Movy (TBM) (the Belarusan Language Society), nor created a pro-governmental organisation which would support the Belarusan language. Interestingly, the TBM is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in Belarus today.

However, the Belarusan president is sending quite mixed signals to society and public officials. The public officials in the regions have not yet been properly updated about the president’s new ideas to strengthen the state ideology via national culture, and still use traditional coercive means against representatives of “alternative” culture. For example, while the president was meeting with writers, security agents in Grodno clamped down on the presentation of a new novel by Belarusan writer Viktar Martsinovich - a bestseller with a symbolic name ‘Mova’ [’Language’ in Belarusan].

In the near future, the Belarusan authorities might take cautious steps to developing Belarusans’ national awareness. In doing so, their aim will be to strengthen society’s loyalty to the Belarusan state, narrow the split in society, and create an alternative to the "Russian World".

The article was published at Solidarity with Belarus Information Office