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Lithuanian and Belarusian National Identity in the Context of European Integration

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Lithuanian and Belarusian National Identity in the Context of European Integration RENEE BUHR, MARHARYTA FAbrYKANT, STEVEN M. HOffmAN, REGINA JASIULEVICIENE, LIUDAS MAZYLIS, SIMA RAKUTIENE, VICTOR SHADUrsKI, ALIAKSANDR TsIKHAMIRAU, LINAs VENCLAUSKAS LITHUANIAN AND BELARUSIAN NATIONAL IDENTITY IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION Steven M. Hoffman and Renee Buhr Editors VYTAUTAS MAGNUS UNIVERSITY Kaunas, 2013 UDK 316.3(474.5:476) Li576 A joint project of: Vytautus Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania Belarusian State University, Minsk, Belarus University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA The project was realized with active participation of Adrey Selivanov (BSU) and Jovita Tirviene (VMU) Reviewers: Associate professor Egle Butkeviciene, Department of Sociology Kaunas Univer- sity of Technology, Lithuania. Associate professor Aliaksandr H. Hurko, Academic secretary of the Research Center for Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature of the National Academy of Sciences, Belarus. © Vytautas Magnus University, 2013 © Renee Buhr, 2013 © Marharyta Fabrykant, 2013 © Steven M. Hoffman, 2013 © Regina Jasiuleviciene, 2013 © Liudas Mazylis, 2013 © Sima Rakutiene, 2013 © Victor Shadurski, 2013 ISBN 978-9955-12-949-3 © Aliaksandr Tsikhamirau, 2013 e-ISBN 978-9955-12-948-6 © Linas Venclauskas, 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 . .Lithuanian preface / Pratarmė 5 . .Belarusian preface / Слова да чытачоў 7 . .Introduction PART I: NATIONAL IDENTITY AND CONTEMPORARY REALITIES 15 . Chapter 1 Theoretical Approaches to National Identity 52 . Chapter 2 Modern Lithuanian Identity: Transformations and Continuity 86 . Chapter 3 A Work in progress: The Formation of Belarusian National Identity PART II: NATIONAL IDENTITY IN THE CONTEXT Of EUROPEAN INTEGRATION 124 . .Chapter 4 Lithuania’s European Identity During the Post-Soviet Period 139 . .Chapter 5 Identity and the Construction Of Lithuania’s Foreign Policy in the Post Eu-Period 160 . .Chapter 6 Belarusian National Identity, State Building and regional integration PART III: YOUTH AND NATIONAL IDENTITY 182 . .Chapter 7 Youth and National Identity in Belarus and Lithuania: A comparative Analysis 199 . .Appendix 213 . .Contributors 3 PRATARMė Ši kolektyvinė monografija yra dvejus metus vykdyto tarptautinio mokslinio projekto „Lietuvos ir Baltarusijos nacionalinės tapatybės ypatumai Europos integracijos kontekste: panašumai ir skirtumai“ rezultatas. Projektą vykdė trijų valstybių atstovai – Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto, Baltarusijos valstybinio universiteto ir Šv. Tomo ir Povilo universiteto (JAV, Minesota) mokslininkai. Visi projekto dalyviai yra pristatomi skyriuje „Contributors“. Tyrimas atskleidė, kad pasaulio globalizacijos procesai nepa- neigia ir nesumažina nacionalinės tapatybės svarbos, o nacionali- nės savivokos lygis yra vienas iš visuomenės politinės ir ekonomi- nės konsolidacijos komponentų. Lyginamoji Lietuvos ir Baltarusijos nacionalinės tapatybės analizė, siejant jos pokyčius su eurointegra- cinių procesų įtaka, išryškino bendrų tapatybės kriterijų problemą. Kilo klausimas, kaip galima palyginti nacionalinę savivoką, nusta- tyti etniškumo ir pilietiškumo santykį. Todėl pateikiama informacija neženklina pretenzingo siekio vienareikšmiškai atsakyti į daugelį klausimų, kylančių nacionalinės tapatybės tyrinėtojams. Manome, kad čia pateiktos išvados ir apibendrinimai yra gera prielaida toliau tirti nacionalinės savimonės vaidmenį formuojantis europinei tapa- tybei bei palyginti lietuvių ir baltarusių nacionalinę tapatybę inte- gracinių procesų kontekste. Pritariame kolegų baltarusių pratarmėje išsakytai idėjai, kad tokio pobūdžio bendravimas yra būtinas ir reikalingas. Vykdant šį projektą paaiškėjo, kad akademinė bendruomenė gali ir geba disku- tuoti, analizuoti ir komunikuoti, nepaisant kultūrinių skirtumų. Už finansinę paramą šiai monografijai išleisti dėkojame Lietuvos mokslo tarybai . Regina Jasiulevičienė VDU Politologijos katedros profesorė 4 Слова да чытачоў Aд імя беларускай часткі аўтараў прадстаўленага Вашай увазе выдання дазвольце перш за ўсё падзякаваць літоўскім і амеры- канскім калегам за сумесную творчую працу, а спонсараў пра- екта з Беларусі і Літвы – за арганізацыйную і матэрыяльную падтрымку. Кожная краіна, кожны народ маюць унікальнае месца ў гіс- торыі, унікальную культуру. Адукаваны чалавек ніколі не будзе сцвярджаць, што гісторыя ці культура адной краіны больш ціка- вая і змястоўная ў параўнанні з іншымі. Сапраўды, існуюць больш вядомыя свету і навуковай супольнасці краіны і народы, пра якія шмат напісана і гаворыцца. Беларусь і Літва, хоць і знаходзяцца ў геаграфічным цэнтры Еўропы, тым не менш не з’яўляюцца самымі вядомымі і зразумелымі краінамі для навакольнага свету. Беларускіх і літоўскіх даследчыкаў, прадстаўнікоў палітычнай, эканамічнай і культурнай сфер чакае шматгадовая напружаная творчая праца, накіраваная на тое, каб пры прыгадванні гэтых дзвюх краін у грамадзян іншых дзяржаў узнікаў адметны вобраз, падмацаваны аб’ектыўнымі фактамі і ацэнкамі. Спадзяёмся, што наш калектыўны твор з’яўляецца невялікім, але канкрэтным крокам на гэтым доўгім шляху. Аўтары ставілі задачу не толькі пашырыць новыя веды па беларуска-літоўскай праблематыцы, але і паспрыяць папулярызацыі гісторыі і культуры нашых краін сярод англамоўных чытачоў. Размяшчэнне манаграфіі ў адкры- тым доступе ў Інтэрнэце дазволіць пазнаёміцца з яе зместам неабмежаванай колькасці зацікаўленых асоб. Мы чакаем камен- тарыяў, канструктыўных заўваг, гатовы да працягу распача- тай дыскусіі. Адзінае, што не падлягае перагляду, — гэта нашы наступныя высновы. 1. Нягледзячы на розныя абставіны (прыналежнасць да розных моўных груп, гістарычныя і культурныя асаблівасці, знешнепалітычныя арыентацыі і г. д.) беларускі і літоўскі народы 5 з’яўляюцца паміж сабой блізкімі і сяброўскімі. Шэраг навукоўцаў піша нават аб генетычнай блізкасці, падабенстве формулы крыві ў прадстаўнікоў дзвюх суседніх нацый. Таму трэба адзначыць, што спробы супрацьпаставіць два народы, сутыкнуць іх нацы- янальныя інтарэсы асуджаны на паражэнне. 2. Патэнцыял супрацоўніцтва дзвюх дзяржаў не рэалізаваны належным чынам. Гэта тычыцца многіх значных сфер узаемад- зеяння, у тым ліку навукова-адукацыйнай. Нам трэба больш сумесных праектаў, канферэнцый, публікацый і г. д. 3. Суседнія народы вельмі часта сапернічаюць у шматлікіх сферах. Не выключэннем з’яўляюцца Беларусь і Літва. На розных гістарычных этапах лідары ў гэтым тандэме мяняліся. Трэба адзначыць, што спаборніцтва двух суседзяў дапамагала праг- рэсу і ўзяемнаму ўзбагачэнню. І ў будучым неабходна зрабіць усё, каб саперніцтва не прыводзіла да канфрантацыі, а было накіравана толькі на супрацоўніцтва! Віктар Шадурскі, прафесар Беларускага дзяржаўнага ўніверсітэта, доктар гістарычных навук 6 INTRODUCTION Regina Jasiuleviciene Steven M. Hoffman Victor Shadurski Statement of Sponsorship This monograph was developed as part of a larger research project entitled Peculiarities of National Identity of Lithuania and Belarus in the Context of European Integration, the aim of which was to conduct a comparative analysis of national identity in these two proximate but very different nation-states . The work was carried out by researchers at Belarusian State University (Minsk, Belarus), Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas, Lithuania) and the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota, USA). The research was con- ducted in accordance with an agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on matters regarding cooperation in science and techno- logy as determined by the State Committee on Science and Tech- nology of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania . National Identity in Lithuania and Belarus In a rapidly globalizing world national identity remains a critical factor in both national development and international relations . The issue is particularly relevant for Belarus and Lithuania whose people lived for centuries within the boundaries of the same state or empire, i .e ,. the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish-Lithuanian 7 Commonwealth, the Russian Empire, and the Union of Soviet Socia- list Republics . As discussed in Chapters 2 and 3 of this monograph, the late years of the tsarist regime saw considerable ferment on the part of nationalist intellectuals as they actively began to promote their visions of Belarusian and Lithuanian identity; this work proved to be a crucial foundation for the national identities that develo- ped in subsequent years . A key difference between the two states, however, was Lithuania’s independence early in the 20th century and its experience as an independent state in the period between the two world wars (see Chapters 1 and 2). As will be discussed in Chapter 1 and elsewhere, Lithuania flirted with independence earlier in the century, having experienced an independent national state in the period between the two world wars . While short in its duration, the period nonetheless has been used by Lithuanian natio- nalists in their construction of a contemporary state laden with its own symbols, traditions, and a coherent national idea . Belarus, on the other hand, was created whole cloth, for a brief moment as the Belarusian People’s Republic, then as a union republic within the USSR in the 1920s with few of the formal attributes of statehood . The Belarusian language, nationality and culture both benefited and suffered subsequent to the founding of the BSSR and it was only after the collapse of the USSR that Belarus achieved independence and international recognition of sovereignty . Since that time, while a number of researchers have
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