Office for a Democratic

Belarus Headlines

Issue XLI May 26, 2009

Conference on the Role of Civil Society Groups and Local Authorities in Promotion of More Equitable, Open and Democratic Society in Belarus

Relations De- cooperation with local au- partment Ste- thorities impossible; the fania Toriello, pressure put on civil society UNDP Resident activists, economic barriers Representative for NGOs activities. In par- in Belarus An- ticular, the speakers noted tonius Broek, that the existing regulations Office for a Democratic INGO confer- put civil society and busi- Belarus ence of the ness groups on the same Council of shelf in terms of office rent, Europe rappor- legal address, etc. At the Inside this issue: On May 25-27, 2009 the As- teur Cyril Ritchie, and Direc- same time, they mentioned sociation of the Local De- tor of the Brussels-based Of- that the space for coopera- Conference on 1 mocracy Agencies (ALDA), fice for a Democratic Belarus tion has been slightly widen- Belarusian civil Lev Sapieha Foundation Olga Stuzhinskaya. ing. society role in (Belarus), and the Municipal- promoting the ity of Monfalcone (Italy) or- The speakers and ganized an international con- the audience Millennium goals ference ‘The Millennium De- stressed the lack opens in Brussels velopment Goals and the state of knowledge on of art in Belarus. The role of the potential role initiatives from civil society of non state ac- Summary of the and local authorities in order tors and local news (April 27— to promote a more equitable, authorities in May 27, 2009) open and democratic society’. providing sus- tainable develop- The conference is part of the ment in Belarus EU and Belarus 2-3 REACT Project (Reinforcing as well as the lack of commu- The representatives of Bela- Actions of capacity building nication between them. rusian NGOs also explained for civil society), which aims During the discussions the that the system of power in Politics and 5-6 at strengthening the role of participants stressed the need Belarus is highly central- Society non-state actors and local for building up specific skills ized. The local authorities authorities in the field of pov- and capacities of civil society have no need to create a Finance and 7 erty reduction in the context organizations as independent positive image among the Economics of sustainable development, and autonomous structures population as their success according to Millennium De- that can voice the concerns of does not depend on voters velopment Goals and other communities and citizens and but on their superiors. One internationally agreed devel- improve the quality of con- participant stressed that it is FeminEAST 7-10 opment targets. crete actions at local level. of greatest importance to writer Maryia convince the local officials Martysevich The speakers included ALDA Belarusian speakers men- that cooperation with the President Per Vinther, Lev tioned the main problems most active part of society interview Sapieha Foundation Chair- NGOs in Belarus face in their represented by NGOs’ activ- man of the Board Miraslau everyday work. These include ists is of mutual benefit to Kobasa, Chief of the Mayor denials of projects’ registra- all. We on the Web Cabinet of the Municipality tion, NGOs’ negative image of Monfalcone Lucio Gregor- in state-run mass media – the 26/05/2009 www.democraticbelarus.eu etti, ALDA’s head of External issue that often makes their Source: ODB PAGE 2 BELARUS HEADLINES ISSUE XLI EU and Belarus Belarusian President Visits Italy, Meets Pope and Berlusconi

On April 27, Belarusian President shenka's audience with the Pope went Alyaksandr Lukashenka held talks down very well might have a positive with Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican. impact on his popularity at home. Ac- cording to independent opinion polls, Lukashenka's first official visit to opposition to Lukashenka among the Western Europe since 1995 came country’s two million Catholics is after the European Union lifted its three times greater than it is among travel ban on the Belarusian Presi- the country's Orthodox majority and dent and other top Belarusian offi- nearly twice as great as it is among cials last October after Belarus Protestants. In other words, Luka- bowed to international pressure and shenka may have managed to disarm released several political prisoners Lukashenka's 5-year-old son, Mikalai, giving the pope his the largest bloc of opposition to him in in August 2008. ABCs book from school Belarusian society. For much of his presidency, for politi- A Vatican statement made an indirect tween the Belarusian government and the cal and geopolitical reasons, Luka- reference to the state of democracy and Catholic Church, Leanid Hulyaka, the shenka has acted as a buttress for Rus- , saying the government’s Commissioner on Reli- sian Orthodoxy. He suppressed the Pope and other Vatican officials spoke gious and Ethnic Affairs, said at a round- development of the Greek Catholic to Lukashenka about "certain internal table discussion in on May 7. (Uniate) Church from its stronghold in problems of the country." Ukraine, pressurised Belarus' own Lukashenka's trip to Italy and the Vatican Orthodox Church and adopted a re- Lukashenka invited the Pope to visit was not without controversy. An editorial pressive law on religion that discrimi- Belarus, telling the Pontiff at the end of in Italy's leading newspaper, Corriere nated against Protestant denomina- his 25-minute meeting, "Your Holiness, della Sera, criticised the Berlusconi gov- tions. His championing of the Ortho- we hope to receive you on Belarusian ernment for allowing the so-called doxy was symbolised in 2001, when soil, God willing." ‘Europe's last dictator’ to break his isola- he played host to the Patriarch of the tion in Italy. Russian Orthodox Church at exactly Approximately 60 percent of Belarus’ Italy’s Foreign Minister and former EU the same time that Pope John Paul II population is Orthodox Christian. How- Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and was paying a visit to Ukraine. ever, its President has often described Security Franco Frattini responded with a However, Lukashenka has quietly himself as an "Orthodox atheist." Bela- letter to the newspaper saying the visit pursued a policy of building up his rus' Orthodox Church is an exarchate of was part of a EU thaw. political capital through ecumenism the powerful Russian Orthodox Church. since at least 2002 - the time when he Lukashenka’s invitation to the Pope to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Luka- explicitly declared that he would like visit Belarus, whose Catholic commu- shenka and Italian Prime Minister Silvio to bring the Catholic and Orthodox nity constitutes 14 percent of the popu- Berlusconi met on the same day, April churches together. lation, is significant because relations 27, to discussed issues of Belarus' rap- between the Vatican and the Russian prochement with Europe. In the months before Lukashenka's Orthodox Church have been tense since At the talks the sides also touched upon visit to Rome, he met the Catholic the Soviet collapse. such an important humanitarian issue as Archbishop of Belarus and paid a sur- the adoption of Belarusian children by prise visit to Patriarch Kirill. Viewed The late Pope John Paul did not visit Italian families. In recent years, many in the context of Lukashenka's strat- Russia due to opposition from the late dossiers of documents have unilaterally egy, it now seems clear that he was Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II who been frozen by Minsk, the Italian Foreign trying to secure Kirill's (and the claimed that Catholics were "poaching" Minister said. However, according to Kremlin's) consent for a visit to Rome converts. Alexy's successor, Kirill, is Frattini, since the beginning of 2009, in and to discuss the possibility of a seen as more liberal and open to con- there have been some encouraging sig- meeting between Kirill and Benedict - tacts with the Vatican. The Vatican’s nals that positive decisions might be and, since his return from Rome, Lu- Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio reached on several dozen of specific kashenka has mused publicly about Bertone paid his first visit to Belarus in cases. his meetings with the Pope and the his official capacity in June 2008. He Commenting on Lukashenka’s visit to Patriarch. then met with Alyaksandr Lukashenka Rome and Vatican Vital Silitski, the Di- 27/04-24/05/2009 and the top clerics of the Roman Catho- rector of the Belarusian Institute for Stra- lic and Russian Orthodox Churches in tegic Studies, called it a ‘breakthrough Source: BISS, Itar-tass, ODB, Belarus.The visit of Pope Benedict which may also prove to be a break- zenith.org XVI should give a new impetus to the through in domestic politics’. Photo by Reuters work on a cooperation agreement be- According to Silitski, the fact that Luka- PAGE 3 BELARUS HEADLINES ISSUE XLI

EU and Belarus Eastern Partnership Summit in

and cultural basis. The European Un- eralization without compromising ion has allocated approximately 600 security, and strengthen energy coop- million Euros to the partners for vari- eration allowing for a secure and long- ous projects until 2013 (Polish Radio, term transit route for resources across May 7). The small amount, as well as Belarusian territory. The newspaper the wording of the initial draft of the also maintained that the political di- partnership, which deleted the words rection pursued by the EPP began "European countries" with reference with the fall of the Iron Curtain in to the six countries, and replaced it 1989. Belarusian democratic forces representatives with "Eastern partners" (Daily Tele- Martynau declared that an important with Ferrero-Waldner graph, May 7), implies that the asso- issue for Belarus was the project of ciation may be initially limited in its the so-called ninth Transit Corridor, scope. The role of Belarus is the most which will provide a link between the On May 7, in Prague, the Eastern Part- ambiguous of all the participants, and Baltic and Black Seas, and entail a nership Project (EPP) was initiated was referred to by several opposition much higher level of EU investment with the participation of Georgia, leaders who were also visiting Prague in the long term. Martynau noted that Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, as a "Trojan horse" acting on behalf of Belarus has agreed to expand its con- Ukraine, and Belarus. Perhaps reflect- Russia. nections with the European Bank for ing a response to the concerns of sev- Reconstruction and Development and eral European leaders, Belarus was not The newspaper Belarus' Segodnya the European Investment Bank, and represented by President Alyaksandr (Sovetskaya Belorussiya, its former that both will have the right to open Lukashenka or Prime Minister Syarhey name is still on the masthead), Luka- branches in Belarus Several opposi- Sidorski, but by Deputy Prime Minis- shenka's official mouthpiece, provided tion leaders met with the Czech For- ter Uladzimir Syamashka and Foreign an in-depth report on Minsk's percep- eign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, Minister Syarhey Martynau. Moreover, tion of the event. As well as the high- and there was a small protest against several EU countries, including level meetings between the two Bela- the policies of Lukashenka led by the France, Spain, and the United King- rusian officials and EU leaders, it leader of the Conservative Christian dom, were not represented by their stated that there were numerous con- Party of Belarus, Zyanon Paznyak. leaders, suggesting that either the tacts and discussions with the aim of Though supportive of closer Belarus- meeting was not a high priority or that accelerating political links and pro- EU links, the Belarusian opposition these countries had reservations about moting economic integration. The four leaders insist that it should be tied to the process. key areas of concern are democracy, the improvement of human rights in effective government, and stability; their country. In general, the meeting was explora- economic integration; energy security; tory, embracing issues such as energy and bilateral contacts. Belarus and the 18/05/2009 cooperation, the creation of a free trade EU intend to create a large free trade By David Marples zone, adjusting laws to European stan- zone, cooperate on an institutional Source: Jamestown foundation dards, and exchanges on an academic basis, support free travel and visa lib-

Lukashenka, Fererro-Waldner Discuss Eastern Partnership

According to the Press Office of the Belarusian president, on May 12, Alyaksandr Luka- shenka had a telephone conversation with European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Fererro-Waldner Lukashenka and Ferrero-Waldner have reportedly discussed the Eastern Partnership pro- gramme, Belarus-EU relations and the details of the European Commissioner’s planned visit to Minsk. According to Ferrero-Waldner’s press-secretary, the details of her trip to Minsk are being worked out. However, no date has been set yet. At the same time, the Commissioner’s press secretary has refused to comment on the telephone conversation that allegedly took place between Lukashenka and Ferrero-Waldner.

13/05/2009 Source: ERB ISSUE XLI BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 4

Politics and Society Iran and Belarus Sign Two Agreements, Express Hopes for Further Cooperation

with Speaker of the Belarusian Parlia- Iran is also interested in Russia's so- ment Barys Batura and the Mufti of phisticated air defence missiles, the S- Belarusian Muslims, Ismail Varano- 300 surface-to-air system, to enhance vich. its defensive prowess against a poten- At a meeting with journalists tial Israeli attack on the country's nu- Shahroudi said that the Presidents of clear infrastructure. Iran and Belarus Justice Ministers Iran and Belarus were likely to meet signed two documents and a Memoran- in the near future. Speaking during his visit to Homel dum of Understanding (MoU) on judi- He also told reporters the summit voblast of Belarus on May 8, Luka- cial cooperation, transfer of prisoners may take place after a majority of Iran shenka denied the rumours that the and extradition of criminals. -Belarus joint projects are imple- country had any plans of selling weap- mented. ons to Syria or Iran. Iran's Judiciary Chief Mahmoud "The Belarusian President and high- Hashemi Shahroudi, the former Iranian profile authorities and delegations "As far as S-300 and Iskander Minister of Interior Mostafa Pourmo- from Belarus are always welcome in [missiles] are concerned, these com- hammadi, and Justice Minister Gholam Iran," stressed Shahroudi. plexes cannot be exported without my Hossein Elham arrived in Belarus on approval. There is not a single con- April 28 with a three-days visit to ex- tract or project related to these sys- plore the ways for bilateral coopera- Alyaksandr Lukashenka, for his part, tems that I have been asked to ap- tion. noted he would like to implement top- prove. This is utter nonsense," the level agreements with the government President said. During a meeting with Belarus’ Presi- of Tehran. dent Alyaksandr Lukashenka, "We will sacredly fulfil our agree- The latest version of the S-300 family Shahroudi said Iran was willing to in- ments with Iran President Mahmoud is the S-300PMU2 Favorit, which has crease economic cooperation with the Ahmadinejad and expect more activity a range of up to 195 kilometers (about country by US$1 billion annually and in projects earmarked for joint imple- 120 miles) and can intercept aircraft turn Iran-Belarus relations into a strate- mentation," President Lukashenka and ballistic missiles at altitudes from gic partnership. said in a message handed to the Ira- 10 meters to 27 kilometers. Iran-Belarus commercial cooperation nian Judicial chief. The Iskander-M system (NATO re- reached US$83.9 million in 2008, in- An article published by Ria Novosti porting name SS-26 Stone) is creasing by 34.1 percent compared to said that the swiftness of relation- equipped with two solid-propellant 2007. building between the two states is an single-stage 9M723K1 guided mis- Lukashenka said his country remained indication that Belarus’ leader is sell- siles with ‘quasi-ballistic’ capability. committed to its obligations towards ing the short-range missiles to Iran. Iran and believed that the agreed plans The report comes shortly after Iranian would meet interests of the two sides. Defence Minister Brigadier General 28/04/-08/05/2009 He described Iran as Belarus' major Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar visited Source: ISNA, Tehran News, regional partner. Moscow to push for further military Ria Novosti, ODB Iran's Judiciary Chief also held talks cooperation with Russia.

Belarusian and Ukrainian Presidents Meet for Talks

On May 6, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko met in the Belarusian city of Homel. The Ukrainian delegation also included the country’s Foreign Minister, Deputy Head of the Presidential Secretariat, First Deputy Fuel and Energy Minister, Deputy Finance Minister, National Bank Chairman and Chairman of the Security Service. The tête-à-tête talks lasted for four hours. Other members of the delegations joined the negotiations later. Summing up the results of the talks with his Ukrainian colleague, Lukashenka said that the prime-ministers of the two countries should meet by the end of May to work on the implementation of different economic and humanitarian projects. He believes that before this meeting the Belarusian-Ukrainian commission on trade and economic cooperation should gather for a session. Victor Yushchenko said the meeting focused on a wide range of issues, including regional cooperation in energy sector. He expressed hope that both parties could finalise the implementation of the reached earlier agreements during Luka- shenka's next visit to Ukraine. 06/05/2009 Source: Itar-Tass, Kyivpost, ODB ISSUE XLI BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 5

Politics and Society

Lukashenka Criticizes Russia ahead of Putin Visit who needs this so-called integration even though Lukashenka has sought a process? "The presidents take deci- rapprochement with the West after sions, and the Russian government years of isolation and accusations of fails [to implement them]." human right abuses. He said he would discuss these issues Despite talks of adopting the Russian when Putin visits next week. The two rouble for trade, Minsk has been frus- are also expected to discuss the release trated by what it sees as unequal ac- of a $500 million Russian loan to Bela- cess to Russian markets as both ex- rus and the idea of a currency swap, to Soviet countries grapple with the allow Belarus to move to the rouble in Belarusian President Alyaksandr Luka- global economic downturn. its trade accounts. shenka has criticized Russia for failing "Everything that we agreed, that we Lukashenka has to perform a balancing to carry out decisions on integrating the discussed at the supreme state council, act between Russia, the traditional ally two states, a week before Russian the appropriate documents that we which is kinder to Lukashenka's style Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is due to signed - all of this has been blocked," of rule and supplies Belarus' energy, visit Minsk. the official BelTA news agency cited and the European Union, which can Lukashenka as saying. offer modernization and investment. The two countries have talked for more "If we are going to be blocking each than a decade about a "" other on such issues and Russia starts 24/05/2009 bringing the countries closer together denying us access to its markets, then Source: Radio Free Europe

BAJ Concerned about Bill That Would Establish Punishment for Extremist Materials

The Belarusian As- of materials extremist," the Associa- tional commitments. However, it sociation of Journal- tion said in a statement that it adopted warned, the new legislation could make ists (BAJ) has ap- at its seventh convention held in the situation even worse. pealed to the House Minsk. The BAJ expressed concerns The Association called on the lower of Representatives that the bill contains a "very ambigu- parliamentary house to reject the bill against an amend- ous and vague definition" of the word and introduce instead an amendment to ment to the Admin- "extremism." The production and dis- the extremism prevention law that istrative Offenses Code that would es- tribution of extremist materials is cur- would define clearly extremist activi- tablish punishment for the distribution rently punishable only under criminal ties as recommended by the OSCE Of- of extremist materials. laws. fice for Democratic Institutions and The new legislation would allow "law- The BAJ criticized the country's ex- Human Rights, BelaPAN says. enforcement agencies, above all the tremism prevention law, saying that it State Security Committee (KGB), to restricted the freedom of expression, 25/05/2009 arbitrarily declare an unlimited number running counter to Belarus' interna- Source: axiglobe.com

Israeli Foreign Minister to Visit Belarus

Israeli Foreign Lieberman is to arrive in Minsk after a Lieberman asked that the Foreign Min- Minister Avigdor two-day visit to Moscow. He will meet istry receive special funding to reopen Lieberman is to with senior defence officials, the For- the Israeli Embassy in Minsk. He also arrive in the Bela- eign Minister and Jewish community sought the appointment of veteran dip- rusian capital leaders. It will be Lieberman's second lomat Ze'ev Gur-Aryeh as ambassador Minsk on May 27, visit to the city since he was appointed to Belarus. Gur-Aryeh is currently Lie- following up on his foreign minister. His first visit, a pri- berman's adviser on the countries of the request for a meet- vate one, was in February, a few days former . ing with President Alyaksandr Luka- after the Knesset elections. shenka. About a year ago, Israeli- Belarusian relations became strained Lieberman has visited Belarus several 26/05/2009 after Lukashenka made an anti-Semitic times in the past. As infrastructure Source: axiglobe.com remark. minister in Ariel Sharon's government, ISSUE XLI BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 6

Finance and Economics First Belarusian Trade Mission Opens in Manila

The Belarusian Chamber of Commerce tion with Belarus Honorary Consul of the world's 7th largest exporter of and Industry is sending a trade mission the Philippines Anna Marie Ablan. A tractors; Belshina, one of the biggest to the Philippines on May 5-9. cooperation agreement is scheduled to tire manufacturers in Europe; Tech- The delegation, which will be com- be signed by the two chambers. noshans Inc.; DB Radar, an exporter posed of representatives of top Belaru- The PCCI has organized a business of radar, EW equipment and R&D sian companies, will be led by Vasil forum on trade opportunities and busi- products; Vitebsk Carpets, maker of Ramanau. ness matching with the different mem- carpets and flooring, and LEMT Re- bers of the delegation. search & Development. Ramanau and his delegation were in- 04/05/2009 vited by the Philippine Chamber of Included in the delegation are repre- Commerce and Industry in coordina- sentatives of Minsk Tractor Works, Source: business.inquirer. net

National Bank of Ukraine Settles Procedure for Payments in Hryvnias between Ukraine, Belarus under Export-Import Agreements

National Bank of Ukraine settles proce- According to the letter, the procedure The decision was made in line with a dure for payments in hryvnias between is stipulated in NBU resolution of memorandum signed on January 20, Ukraine, Belarus residents under export April 30 No. 266, which came into 2009 between the Ukrainian cabinet, -import agreements effect from the moment of its signing. the NBU, the Belarusian government The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) "Banks transfer funds from one corre- and the National Bank of Belarus on has settled the procedure for making spondent account of Belarusian banks the elaboration of a set of measures to payments in hryvnias between residents in hryvnias to another correspondent boost bilateral trade and economic of Ukraine and Belarus under export- account of Belarusian banks under the cooperation in conditions of the global import agreements, which are to go instruction of Belarusian banks only to financial and economic crisis. through correspondent accounts of Bel- fulfil commitments of Belarusian resi- arusian banks opened in Ukrainian dents to Ukrainian residents under 07/05/2009 credit and financial institutions, accord- [trade] in hryvnias," reads the letter. Source: Kyivpost ing to an NBU letter to banks.

Belarusian Foreign Trade Deficit Skyrockets in Q1

Belarus saw its foreign trade deficit exports of goods falling 48.9% to Belarus had a foreign trade deficit of balloon some 565% in the first quarter $4.116 billion and the export of ser- $4.4 billion in 2008, while the govern- of 2009 to $1.445 billion, the National vices dropping 21.5% to $723.6 mil- ment had predicted a deficit of $1.4 Bank said on its website. lion. billion-$1.42 billion. In 2009, the gov- The foreign trade deficit for goods Imports to Belarus fell 31.6% to ernment has set the goal of lowering totalled $1.78 billion in the quarter, $6.284 billion in the period with im- the deficit to $1.47 billion-$1.5 bil- while the foreign trade surplus for ser- ports of goods declining 32.2% to lion. vices reached $335 million. $5.896 billion and the import of ser- Belarusian exports declined 46% to vices decreasing 20.2% to $388.6 mil- 08/05/2009 $4.839 billion in the first quarter with lion. Source: Interfax

Gas Becomes $100 Cheaper for Belarus within a Day

According to day before he claimed that the gas US$147. He stressed that Belarus had Deputy Prime would cost between US $200 and 205. no debts for the current supply of gas, Minister of Deputy Prime Minister did not explain adding that the country would have to Belarus why the price had changed so quickly. pay for the gas received in April by Uladzimir Sya- May 23. mashka, the Syamashka mentioned that the price price of Russian gas for Belarus will be of Russian gas for Belarus was 22/05/2009 US$210 for one thousand cubic me- US $102 or 103 per one thousand cu- Source: ERB bic metres starting from July 1. The ters in the first quarter of 2009 and thereafter the country paid only ISSUE XLI BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 7

Culture Maryja Martysevich: FeminEast Writer

lation is the key which helps “Bronik”, in a buddy-buddy way, and decrypt her first book of po- generally treats him without pity, albeit etry and essayistic writing not without adoration. “Bronik is Bela- “Dragons Fly for Spawn- rusian James Bond and George Wash- ing” (Logvinau Press, Minsk, ington. His portraits will appear on our 2008). As a translator, she euro bills. He made up the whole state. crosses borders which separate He has written Belarus, which became different literatures. Maryja is a school textbook we use in our classes, also a keen traveller - she has unable to close the file or turn the just received a new passport page”, she writes in her essay “Bronik because her old one was fully As We Love Him” (in Maryja’s book stamped with visas. No won- the title actually appears in English). der her book is heavily satu- rated with the motive of cross- Maryja’s interest in Branislau Tarash- One simply can’t help putting some ing borders. “I can’t stand spending too kevich also stems from the fact that it shine on his shoes before meeting much time away from home, but I also was a border crossing that decided his Maryja Martysevich for an inter- become bored soon after I return,” she fate in a radical way. Tarashkevich view. This young lady who is sip- admits. “The fact that my parents were lived in the time when territory of Bela- ping on her coffee (“No sugar, born in two different corners of Belarus rus was divided in two after a Polish- please!”) in one of the cafés in comes in very handy. It gives me a Soviet treaty of Riga (1921). While the downtown Minsk is known for her chance to visit relatives in faraway re- eastern part, already the Belarusian unflattering attitude towards Belaru- gions and change my setting in an in- Soviet Socialist Republic, enjoyed a sian men. “The reason of my fond- stant”. In Maryja’s book there is a whole short period of national flourishing un- ness towards Belarusian men can be set of poems titled “Border Stories”, der the policy of Belarusification, west- easily explained: throughout my obviously inspired by her travel experi- ern Belarus struggled under Polish po- whole life I have been non- ences. She writes about an unlikely ro- lice crackdowns. For the sake of justice, pragmatically and irresistibly at- mance between a Belarusian border one should admit that both countries tracted to losers,” she writes in her guard officer and a Philology Depart- regularly jailed political prisoners. essay “The Men We Choose”. Para- ment female graduate who meet in a Later they exchanged them like hos- doxically, many if not most of train compartment during the midnight tages on a narrow wooden bridge con- Maryja’s readers embraced this char- border crossing; about a distressed girl necting two countries at a border cross- acteristic and flocked to her read- who hitchhikes back home with a ing Kolasava (now a small train station ings. friendly hauler who “drives his truck in the centre of Belarus). Maryja calls like a cathedral”; about a student who this “an absurd theatre”, where Belaru- Who is Ms. Martysevich? An essay- smuggles a bottle of beer into Belarus sians were traded for . As a ist, poet, translator, journalist, blog- and rejoices when he gets through the Polish political prisoner, Tarashkevich ger, or all of the above? She prefers customs unnoticed. In these poems, eagerly agreed to be traded for a Soviet- to call herself a “creative writer”. Maryja is fascinated with the borderland held political prisoner Frantsishak Born in 1982, Martysevich is now universe. On one hand it separates dif- Aliahnovich, his old friend, who got writing up her thesis at the Depart- ferent countries, but on the other hand it into the hands of GPU (predecessor of ment of Philology of the Belarusian helps to erase borders between people KGB). Maryja recreates their meeting State University. She also works as a for a moment. on a narrow bridge. “Bronius, where journalist for a liberal Minsk-based are you going?” desperately asks Aliah- newspaper “Novy Chas” and writes Maryja is eager to deconstruct national novich. This did not stop Tarashkevich essays for an art magazine icons (or, better to say, reconstruct them who naively believed that Soviet Bela- “Partisan”. the way she desires). A good example is rus was a promised land or at least the her treatment of Branislau Taraskevich, land of big promises. He was bitterly Maryja entered the world of litera- one of the most prominent figures of the disillusioned some years later, facing a ture with her translations. In her Belarusian national movement who Stalinist firing squad in 1937. Branislau heart, she has a special place for cen- helped Belarusian People’s Republic to Tarashkevich is one of the charming tral- and east-European literature. its feet in 1918 and the author of the first losers Maryja both adores and pities. Most recently, in 2008, she pub- grammar book of the modern Belarusian lished her translation into . Taraskevich was demonised Maryja is one of the most popular Bela- of the novel “The Sky Under Berlin” by the Soviet propaganda machine and rusian-language bloggers. This is also by Czech-German writer Jaroslav idealised by the nationally conscious reflected in her book that takes the form Rudis . Maryja’s fondness for trans- intelligentsia. But Maryja calls him of “Barbara Radziwil’s Livejournal”. ISSUE XLI BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 8

Culture Maryja Martysevich: FeminEast Writer

According to Maryja, this is a set of of the icon of St. Nicholas. This half- The miserable charm of Belarusian men poetic entries written by Barbara isolation (the house has been recently both irritates and touches Maryja. She is Radziwil, Belarusian mid-16th cen- connected to the telephone landline) not a misanthrope, quite the opposite. tury femme fatale for her internet from civilisation is, undoubtedly, the It’s just that the Belarusian universe, at blog. Mixing past and present into a advantage of paradise”. Maryja’s par- least its masculine part, doesn’t quite postmodern cocktail is a favourite ents migrated to Minsk from the coun- live up to her modest expectations. trick of Maryja. tryside. She belongs to numerous sec- Maryja is not alone in this attitude – ond-generation Minsk citizens who many Belarusian women tend to think “Palesse Chronicle” is a diary of a once in a while return to villages where along similar lines. They try to change different kind. Maryja borrowed its they have never really lived but have their men, then fail, sigh, and carry on title from a novel by Ivan Melezh, nonetheless always felt part of. with their lives. During the last reading prominent Soviet-time prose writer. of her book, Maryja bought a big bou- In “Palesse Chronicle” she describes In her essay “The Men We Choose” quet of roses and presented them to her a visit to her grandparent’s village in Maryja presents a rather critical and fans – mostly male who, of course, came the south-western Palesse region, the non-traditional view of Belarusian men. to her performance without flowers. In lost paradise of her childhood. There, According to the author, they are habit- Maryja’s interpretation, Belarusian she wants to work on her translation ual and hopeless losers. This is the rea- women are feminEasts. Leaving men to of a new novel. The pictures of vil- son of many past and present national play around with their illusions of supe- lage life she writes about are closely troubles – after all, men pose them- riority, they earn money, raise kids, and, familiar to any Belarusian in their selves as statesmen and policy makers once in a while, write books. 20s or 30s: “There is nobody here in this patriarchal land. Noteworthy, the except of “our own people” – aunt essay was written in the aftermath of 21/05/2009 Manya, uncle Kolya, and Belarusian major opposition protests, which television anchors. There is no Inter- erupted in March 2006 after the rigged By Ales Kudrytski for the net, and my mobile phone catches presidential elections. ODB the signal only when I put it in front

Interview with Maryja Martysevich: “Our Literature Mafia Speaks Belarusian”

Maryja Martysevich: “Our Literature Mafia Speaks Belarusian” Ales Kudrytski: Please, tell our readers about your book “Dragons Fly for Spawning”. Maryja Martysevich: This book appeared because it had to. I want to create literature in the future, although I still don’t know exactly which one. In the world of Belarusian literature one can only make his claim by writing a book. The feeling that I must write a book came in a very natural way. I have been choosing texts very carefully. These are essays in poetic and prosaic form. Two main concepts of the book are the concept of borderland and the concept of birth. A.K.: How would you describe yourself – as a writer, translator, journalist, critic or someone else? M.M.: That’s a tough question. I don’t know. A.K.: Do you feel the need to categorise yourself at all? M.M.: I think it could be possible. However, when I find a definition for myself, I will immediately get bored and betray myself with another role. A.K.: What is your view of the relationship between the Soviet and “independent” tradition of Belarusian literature? M.M.: I don’t think the canon of Soviet Belarusian literature will perish even in the next twenty years. School curriculum and mass culture must ensure the general rethinking of the Belarusian classic literature. It is already happening, albeit very inconsistently. Until such rethinking takes place, the qualitative progress of Belarusian literature and culture in general will not be possible. The scene of contemporary Belarusian literature exists not owing to but in spite of what is being taught at schools. We must change the mainstream. We must change the way people see the classics. ISSUE XLI BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 9 Culture

A.K.: How was such a literary “literature officials”, apparatchiks deal- – despite the fact that the majority of canon developed? ing with literature. These are academic Belarusians are Russian-speaking, our institutes, university professors, crit- “literature mafia” is Belarusian- M.M.: In spite of repressions, the ics… I don’t want to say that they must speaking. This is a very special phe- Belarusian language hasn’t seized to board some kind of “philosophers’ ship” nomenon. Many Belarusians who speak exist. Belarusian literature developed and leave the country. This is not a Russian in their daily lives choose to itself more or less proportionately to problem of generations; this is a prob- create literature in Belarusian. Person- any literature of other European na- lem of discourse. Some young people ally, I haven’t had this choice. I have tions. We had traditionalistic as well have exactly the same mentality. never written in Russian simply because as modernistic developments. I didn’t want to. I knew I would do poor “Owing” to the Stalin’s purges in the In Lithuania or Poland modernist and job writing in Russian. The problem is 1930’s a very powerful correction provocative writers, just like green party that the Belarusian language has lost its took place. All modernists were activists, have filled offices in parlia- communicative function in our society. mown clean, and only traditionalists ments and serious newspapers. Here, in “Thanks” to the Soviet policy of russifi- were allowed to stay alive. In the Belarus, they are either already dead or cation the Belarusian language was following decades the “harmony and ruined by drinking. Many of them don’t forced into the purely ornamental role – balance” were maintained in order have anything to do with literature any- songs, folk fests, festive speeches. To- not to let modernism raise its head. more. Our system is so skilled at nipping day, for Belarusians, their mother everything in the bud, that it would do tongue is a sacred matter. Its aesthetic The purpose of a school programme an invaluable job by using the same en- is not only to get children acquainted function is hyperbolised. The one who ergy in stifling Colorado beetles on our creates literature in the Belarusian lan- with literature, but also to impart potato fields. some ideological guidelines to them. guage applies it as a precious tool, as a Looking at our school programme, A.K.: Does Russian-language Belaru- material, which is very scarce. That is one can’t help thinking that Belaru- sian literature exist? why their works turn out to be better sian authors wrote only about love than they could have been otherwise. towards their native tongue, mother- M.M.: As long as there are people who claim that they are Belarusian writers A.K.: What are the prospects for the land, nature, and their hatred towards Belarusian language? Will it survive? the Nazis. Some female writers were who write in the , such also allowed to write about love. As literature does exist. This is similar to a M.M.: The Belarusian language is still a result, the people who will never population census: if someone calls him- being developed as a means of commu- be professionally connected with self an elf, this is the way he should be nication. I deeply respect young men literature in their future lives, but noted in the form. The lack of under- and women who translate interfaces of who, potentially, would be interested standing between Russian- and Belaru- popular websites like Google into Bela- to attend some literature reading, sian-speaking people was an acute issue rusian, create dictionaries, and renew the tend to think that the entire Belaru- in the 1990s. The generation of twenty- communicative function of our lan- sian literature is like that. The most or thirty-year-old people has outgrown guage. I think, in about fifty years eve- troubling thing is that our writers this problem. My Russian- and Belaru- rything will be fine in Belarus in terms notice that such works are in demand sian-speaking peers are politically cor- of the language situation. by schools, state authorities, officials rect and polite in their communication who distribute literary prizes, and with each other. Today, Belarusian- and A.K.: What will happen if Alyaksandr state-owned publishing houses. As a Russian-language literatures coexist, Lukashenka decides to launch a pol- result, they begin to write accord- complementing each other without fus- icy of Belarusification? ingly. This literature is insincere. I ing into one. The division runs along aesthetic, not linguistic lines. M.M.: I like to put labels on people. am convinced that this canon has to Once I have said, that everything Franak be changed. In my view, literature of A.K.: How well developed is Russian- Viachorka, one of our youth opposition any country cannot avoid being in- language Belarusian literature? leaders, does, in the end turns into pub- fluenced by ideology. Every state licity stunts. I have also said that every- tries to impose its values through M.M.: I wouldn’t say that there are no thing Adam Hlobus, one of our contro- literature. However, the contents vivid Russian-speaking writers; it’s just versial writers, does, turns into a scan- must change, at least thematically. In that there are not too many of them. If a dal. Well, everything Lukashenka does Belarus, however, as a result of a person living in Belarus decides to do also turns into something – but I still can recent reforms in education, the pro- creative writing in Russian, then he or not find the right word to describe it. I gramme was purged of the last re- she finds it more logical and pleasant to wouldn’t like to see Lukashenka pursu- maining interesting works. communicate with Russian-speaking ing Belarusification. The result would be colleagues from Russia and Ukraine. the same as we see it with his recent A.K.: Who is to be blamed of such Why? Here in Belarus Russian-speaking a state of Belarusian literature? policies of promoting sports, reviving authors are often regarded as a minority. villages, and building new national li- M.M.: Mafia! The blame is on the This is a major paradox of our situation brary – misérable. He better not! ISSUE XLI BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 10 Culture

A.K.: You call Belarusian men However, it took him just one year to had to sacrifice something in order to be losers. How do you live in this ruin his image, mess up the collective a Belarusian writer. country? farm he was a director of, and cheat on his wife with an agronomist. He was A.K.: Which type of book do you lack M.M.: Oh, it is very difficult. I thrown out of the Party with a “wolve’s in Belarusian literature the most? thought I would offend men with my ticket” – he could not work anywhere in essay, but their reaction showed me M.M.: I would like to see something like the region where he lived. In order to “Gone With the Wind”. that I was wrong. All men formed bring the life of her family back to nor- two big groups. One of them felt mal, my grandmother took all the func- A.K.: Don’t you have a temptation to insulted by this text, another one tions of a family head in her hands. She write such a book yourself? agreed eagerly: “yes, we are losers!” raised two kids, became a popular local I have just as many grudges against council leader in a faraway village M.M.: Of course, I do, but I also realise the group which agreed, as against where she found a refuge with her fam- that in order to write such a book one the ones who protested. Perhaps, this ily away from humiliation. She was a has to be a housewife, not some bohe- essay was too emotional. However, hero woman. I think Belarusian women mian chick. So, there’s no chance of me the very concept of a nation of los- are much more feministic than anyone, writing it! ers, outsider nation, is worth serious including themselves. consideration. Today I plan to go to A.K.: How has our society changed in a concert in the company of my A.K.: Are you also like that? the course of these 15 years of au- friend, young man from Poland. thoritarian rule? Some time ago he called me in order M.M.: I think I am. Perhaps, this is due M.M.: I don’t know what to say. We to ask which clothes he should wear. to peculiarities of my family upbringing. don’t have our own South Korea which He didn’t want to wear jeans if I All my familiar lines show obvious could show us what Belarus could look don’t, and vice versa. I was so im- signs of matriarchy. like if it had a different regime. I think pressed and even shocked by this A.K.: How would you describe a typi- that during the first decade of authori- attitude. Would any Belarusian men cal reader of Belarusian-language tarianism Belarusians were in a state of ask me which clothes should he wear literature? shock. In terms of literature, the most in order to match mine? Never! I popular cultural projects were rock think something is definitely rotten M.M.: These are very strange people. So bands like N.R.M. and their analogues in terms of men in our society. That far this is only a subculture, unfortu- in literature. However, Belarusians is why aged Italian men and Turkish nately. From what I see these are mostly eventually got used to this situation. As exchange students have much more students with interest in humanities. For a result, now there is a widespread ten- success among our girls than Belaru- these people, reading contemporary Bel- dency to abstract away from reality. sian boys. However, I wanted to arusian literature is a sign of being Euro- Although, foreign observers tell us that write that I really love losers, be- pean. this is not possible, because we still con- cause a person who couldn’t care sider the political situation, even if it is less which clothes to wear for a party A.K.: Is it possible to live from profes- not present in our literary works di- is still much closer to me than any sional writing in Belarus? rectly. In general, the development of other. M.M.: Speaking about , it is just Belarusian literature doesn’t deviate A.K.: If Belarusian men are losers, as marginal here as anywhere in the much from the universal trends. We then how would you describe Bela- world. Poetry is like a sect which at- have a problem of aesthetic, not political rusian women? tracts a special kind of people. The ma- censorship. The state policy may jority of poets can not earn their daily change, but if the people with the same M.M.: They are feminists. FeminE- bread with poetry, because it is unremu- aesthetic model come to power, the cul- asts, better to say. These are women nerative. In order to live from literature, tural situation will remain the same. In who adapted an Eastern model of you must be either a star poet, who is this regard, the conservative part of the feminism. The whole world sees internationally famous, or become a opposition is not much different from them as oppressed women; however, prose writer who produces novels of the authorities. What we need is a na- they are much more feminist than specific genres and sizes, which fit the tionwide liberalisation of consciousness. any western gender equality activist. demands of the book market. Due to the Similar to the regime of Lukashenka, the I have often noticed, also on the ex- language situation in Belarus, such a opposition of the 90s has compromised ample of my relatives, that Belaru- novel wouldn’t sell. It is unprofitable. itself with its inclination to totalitarian- sian men would never make it with- All attempts to write prose fail here be- ism. However, I also see a new literature out their women. Seeing that a man cause of banal economic reasons. The of young writers emerging. I call it “new fails in his life, our woman overtakes ones who still write are either altruists age literature”. These are authors like his role. My grandmother married (which doesn’t automatically make them Paval Kastsiukevich, who writes about the most promising guy in her town. good writers) or people like Alhierd Israel, but tells us about Belarus in his He was a communist, military offi- Baharevich, who found the opportunity books. cer, war veteran with a big salary. to live from literary fellowships. He also