Office for a Democratic

Belarus Headlines

Issue XL April 21, 2009

Round Table on Schengen Visa Liberalisation Policy towards Belarus and Belarus-EU Cooperation in the Field of Tourism Takes Place in Brussels

would help spreading that had been collected by European values the National Association of among , Tourist Organisations of and would bring some Belarus showing the nega- economic benefits to tive consequences of the Office for a Democratic both and Bela- Schengen area expansion on rus. He stressed, how- the tourism sector. For ex- Belarus ever, that both sides ample, since 2007 the num- would have to take ber of trips to Poland Inside this issue: some important steps booked via agencies On April 16, a round table to achieve this goal: while the dropped by 90%, while sales ‘Schengen visa liberalisation EU would have to make some for holiday packages to Round table on 1 policy towards Belarus and real progress towards relaxa- Croatia and France de- visa liberalisation Belarus-EU cooperation in tion of the visa regime, Bela- creased by 88% and 47% policy towards the field of tourism’ took rus should continue carrying correspondingly. In general, Belarus place in the European Parlia- out reforms towards democra- the number of travellers to in Brussels ment. The event was organ- tisation of the political re- EU countries went down by ised by the vice-chairman of gime. 66%. Belarusian travel Visit of 2 the Delegation for relations agencies stressed that the Belarusian with Belarus, Latvian MEP Delegates from Belarus, current EU visa policy Experts on Aldis Kuskis (EPP-ED Barys Vlasau of the Merlin causes great losses also to Tour travel agency and Al- energy group), in cooperation with the EU tourism and service the Office for a Democratic yaksandr Mirski of the Sakub businesses affecting mostly Conference on 3 Belarus (Brussels). Travel, described difficulties the new EU member states. faced by Belarusians when EaP in Minsk The working meeting brought together representatives of the obtaining a Schengen visa. The visa policy officer from European Parliament and the They spoke about a very long the Directorate General on Commission, the Group of list of documents requested Justice, Freedom and Secu- 3-4 EU and Belarus National Travel Agents’ and by embassies for the visa ap- rity of the European Com- Tour Operators’ Association plication, an excessively long mission Anne-Marie Soer- within the EU (ECTAA), the period it takes for a visa to be ensen explained that the Politics and 4-5 Association of Latvian Travel issued, and a high visa fee Schengen zone is a common Society Agents (ALTA), directors of which amounts to a sustain- space of free circulation several Belarusian travel able part of an average salary within 25 states and re- in the country. Olga Stuzhin- quires high level of security. 6-7 agencies, chairman of the Finance and skaya, director of the Office A common set of rules and Economics board of the National Asso- ciation of Tourist Organisa- for a Democratic Belarus, conditions is being applied tions of Belarus journalists added that Belarus is the only by the states signatories to and other interested parties. country on the EU Eastern the Schengen agreement. ‘The Men We 8-9 neighbourhood, whose citi- Choose’ zens have to pay 60 euro fee Mrs Soerensen expressed In his opening statement, her hope that the situation Aldis Kuskis said he believed for a Schengen visa while By Maryia Martysevich Russians and pay with Schengen visas for the liberalisation of visa pol- Belarusian citizens would icy towards Belarus was an only 35 euro. We on the Web improve with the recently important issue for everyone Representatives of Belarusian adopted new visa code. in Belarus and in the EU. www.democraticbelarus.eu travel agencies offered data Easier travel regulations Continued on p. 2 PAGE 2 BELARUS HEADLINES ISSUE XL Current Activities

Round table on Schengen Visa Liberalisation Policy towards Belarus and Belarus-EU Cooperation in the Field of Tourism Takes Place in Brussels (continuation)

Mr Michel de Blust, Secretary General tion were invited to attend the EC- of the Group of National Travel TAA General Assembly meeting Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Associa- which is scheduled to take place in tion within the EU (ECTAA) spoke Budapest in May 2009. about the negative impact of the strict Schengen visa policy on tourism indus- Participants of the round table agreed try and gave examples from different to send a joint letter to the govern- countries presenting not only the case ments of all 25 states signatories to of Belarus but also that of other coun- the Schengen agreement and to EU tries, such as India. He explained that institutions. The letter should explain According to the document, visa appli- member states focus mostly on security the current situation with visas and cation fees would be cut by 50 % for 6- and illegal migration issues and there is request changes in the visa policy. to 12-year old children; visa fees lack of real impact assessment from the Travel associations of various Euro- would be waived for certain categories tourist industry perspective. pean countries will be requested to of citizens, including students; multiple support the appeal. Michel de Blust advised the Belarusian entry visas would be issued more often Participants of the meeting agreed to for frequent travellers. EU authorities association of tour operators to join the ECTAA. Membership in the organisa- organise the next expert gathering in also plan to introduce standardised Minsk in the coming months. application documents, with collected tion, he stressed, would help Belaru- biometric and digital data remaining sians to address such issues as visa poli- 17/04/2009 valid for 5 years, and a common cies and increase awareness of the EU Schengen visa information system. institutions of similar cases. Represen- Source: ODB tatives of the Belarusian travel associa-

EU Policy: Sharing Knowledge with Belarus. Second Visit of Belarusian Experts to Brussels

ion and the Commission working on recent positive developments in the the region and the energy issues, in political situation in Belarus may pave general. European experts stressed the way for the intensification of EU- that energy is one of the crucial areas Belarus cooperation in all areas, in- for the EU-Belarus cooperation and cluding energy. European experts ex- Belarus is recognised as an important pressed their hope that Belarus would energy partner of the EU. They ex- take an active part in the Eastern Part- plained that main topics include the nership initiative, which has a special security of gas and oil transit through platform for cooperation in energy Belarus, nuclear safety and develop- matters. On the invitation of the Office for a ment of renewable sources of energy. Democratic Belarus (Brussels, Bel- The Belarusian delegates also learned The visit was part of a larger pro- gium) and the Foundation for Legal how the EU deals with energy issues gramme for Belarusian experts, which Technologies Development (Ukraine), and how some of this experience, es- is being implemented by the Office for a group of Belarusian experts on en- pecially that of the new member a Democratic Belarus in cooperation ergy visited Brussels on March 29 – states, could possibly be applied in with the Foundation for Legal Tech- April 2, 2009. The Belarusian delega- Belarus. This mostly concerns the use nologies Development and supported tion, which included representatives of European expertise, norms and by the Swedish International Develop- from government institutions, civil standards for construction of a nuclear ment Cooperation Agency (SIDA). initiatives, entrepreneur groups and plant in Belarus and in the promotion Topics for next seminars in Brussels media took part in a training course, of alternative sources of energy and include transport, transit and educa- entitled ‘EU Energy Policy: Sharing energy efficiency. tion. Candidates for participation in the Knowledge with Belarus’ programme are selected through an Belarusian experts encouraged the open call for applications. The organis- In the framework of the course, Bela- European Commission to carry out ers welcome participation of experts rusian delegates had a chance to get more projects with Belarus stressing from both civil society groups and acquainted with the work of the EU the need for EU assistance and exper- government-affiliated structures. institutions and meet with key experts tise in their country. Their counter- 29/03-02/04/2009 from the Council of the European Un- parts, for their part, stressed that the Source: ODB PAGE 3 BELARUS HEADLINES ISSUE XL

Current Activities

A Conference ‘Participation of the Belarusian Civil Society in the Eastern Partnership Initiative’ to Be Held in Minsk

The conference profit groups and associations, gov- aims to provide ernment representatives and think forum for discus- tanks to participate in the discussion. sion on the recently Questions on the agenda of the event introduced Eastern include the meaning of the Eastern On April 22, 2009 the Platform for Partnership initiative (EaP) and the invi- Partnership initiative (EaP) for Bela- Cooperation between Civil Society tation of the European Commission to rus, the role of the Civil Society Fo- Organisations and Local Governments contribute to shaping the European Part- rum in facilitating more active partici- in cooperation with the Office for a nership Civil Society Forum . pation of Belarus in the EaP, etc. Democratic Belarus (Brussels) will Taking into account the importance of The event will take place in Minsk. hold a conference, entitled the initiative, and in to secure ‘Participation of the Belarusian civil transparency and openness of the civil 20/04/2009 society in the Eastern Partnership ini- society dialogue, the conference or- tiative’. ganisers invite a wide range of non- Source: ODB

Exhibition of Belarusian Posters Opens in Brussels Again

The Office for a Democratic Belarus, Toulouse. In January 2009 it was also languages. the Centre culturel Forest (Brussels) available for Brussels’ citizens at Aula The entrance is free. and Association Culturelle Joseph Jac- Toots which was kindly supported by The exhibition will be on display until quemotte, are glad to inform that the Administration Communale d’Evere. May 7, 2009. exhibition Visual code of the time: The exhibition opens at 19:00 on post-Soviet poster art in Belarus revis- April 23 at the Cultural Centre For- The Office for a Democratic Belarus its Brussels. est (av. Van Volxem 1190 Forest, extends its gratitude to the Robert trams 82 and 97, stop Wiels) Bosch Stiftung, the German Mar- The exhibition represents the works of shall Fund of the United States, and 19 designers and demonstrates the im- The opening of the exhibition will be all the partners that helped make this pact that important socio-political followed by a small reception and the project possible. transformation taking place in Belarus presentation of a catalogue that in- in the mid 1980s-1990s had on the cludes 44 reproductions of Belarusian country’s poster art. It has already been posters of different periods accompa- 20/04/2009 seen by the audiences of Warsaw, Ber- nied by explanatory texts in the Eng- Source: ODB lin, Dresden, Trieste, Granarolo, and lish, French, Italian, and Belarusian

EU and Belarus

Czech Minister Swarzenberg Visits Belarus, Invites Lukashenka to Prague Summit

visit to Belarus. The programme of nical cooperation, were also on the his visit included meetings with rep- agenda. resentatives of the democratic oppo- sition, Foreign Minister Siarhey At a meeting in the Belarusian FM Martynau and President Alyaksandr Schwarzenberg said there were positive Lukashenka. changes in the Belarus-EU cooperation. “The situation is different from the one The aim was to consider the pros- we had two years ago,” Karel Schwar- pects of cooperation between the zenberg told Belarus’ Foreign Minister Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Karel Swarzenberg European Union and Belarus includ- Martynau. ing the latter’s participation in the On April 16-17 Czech Foreign Minister Eastern Partnership programme. The Continued on p. 4 Karel Schwarzenberg paid an official issues of bilateral economic and tech- ISSUE XL BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 4

EU and Belarus

Czech Minister Swarzenberg Visits Belarus, Invites Lukashenka to Prague Summit

Later Martynau announced that his kashenka was invited to the European Czech colleague had handed Luka- Union's Eastern Partnership summit. shenka an invitation to the Eastern “Russia kept telling its European Union Partnership summit in Prague. (EU) partners that sanctions and isola- tion of Belarus, a friend of ours, were Schwarzenberg, for his part, said not pragmatic,” Russian President President Lukashenka did not con- Dmitry Medvedev's special aide Sergei firm his attendance. ‘He accepted the Prikhodko said in a statement. invitation. It is now for him to decide who will represent Belarus at the summit,’ said the minister . Syarhey Martynau and Karel Swarzenberg 16-17/04/2009 Russia reportedly welcomed the fact Source: ODB, ERB, Reuters that the invitation of Belarusian Lu- Photos by mfa.gov.by, BelTA

Belarusian Leader to Travel to Italy, to Meet Pope

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frat- Roman Catholics account for one in tini said in an interview that he in- seven of the 10 million residents. tended to receive Lukashenka when he comes to Italy on April 26, principally Frattini also said he supported inviting for a visit to the Vatican. Belarus to a summit in Prague in May .

‘I think that our protocol people are Frattini said he believed "the correct still organising. Certainly, I'll see him. answer must be that of inviting the I don't know the agenda of the countries to the Eastern Partnership. Meeting Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (Italian) president or prime minister," Then, every country decides what is Frattini added. the level of participation. Belarusian President Alyaksandr Luka- shenka -- long shunned by the West -- The Vatican said Lukashenka, who Earlier this month on April 10, Alyak- will travel to Italy and meet the pope describes himself as an ‘Orthodox sandr Lukashenka met the Russian later this month, Italy's Foreign Minis- atheist’, would meet Pope Benedict Orthodox church new head Patriarch ter and the Vatican told Reuters on Fri- during the trip, possibly on April 27. Kirill. During the meeting they dis- day. cussed mutual relations between the News of Lukashenka's trip to Italy Orthodox and Catholic churches. came ahead of an announcement in Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, made a landmark Minsk that Belarus was also invited to an EU summit with ex-Soviet states in trip to Belarus last year and met Luka- shenka. He was the first senior Vati- Prague next month, in another possible 17/04/2009 sign of thawing relations with the West. can official to visit Belarus, where the Orthodox Church is predominant but Source: Kyivpost, ERB Politics and Society Belarus' Hardline Interior Minister Resigns Belarus’ President Alyaksandr Lukaschenka accepted Monday the resignation of his hardline interior minister Uladzimir Navumau, in what was seen as a new gesture to improve ties with Europe.

The presidential press office said Navumau had quit for ‘health reasons’— and provided no further information.

Navumau was one of those blamed for the disappearance of opponents of the Lukashenka ISSUE XL BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 5

Politics and Society Belarus' Hardline Interior Minister Resigns (continuation)

"Lukashenka wants to move closer to Europe," independent analyst Alyaksandr Klaskouski said. ‘The figure of Navumau annoyed the Europeans.’ He pointed out that other officials also named in the report for the pan- European rights body - which doesn't include Bela- rus - had already been fired. "Navumau's dismissal will please the Europeans and will help the current regime to avoid taking real steps towards democ- racy in Belarus which the West is demanding," Klaskouski added.

06/04/2009 Source: AFP

Political Prisoner Artsyom Dubski Released under Recognisance not to Leave

Artsyom Dub- Belarusian-Ukrainian border as he and his freedom was restricted for two ski was re- was headed to Minsk to take part in an years, which includes a ban on leaving leased yester- annual opposition rally on Valentine's his town. day, April 15 Day. under the re- He later fled to neighbouring Ukraine cognisance not Dubski faces charges of illegally leav- to avoid other criminal charges against to leave his ing his town once last year. him. place of residence. Dubski had been kept in prison since February 13, 2009, In 2008, he was found guilty of par- 14/04/2009 the day when he was detained on the ticipating in an unsanctioned protest Source: Nasha Niva, ODB

Justice Ministry Denies Registration to Belarusian Christian Democratic Party but Suspends Denial Later

“The Belarusian “Belarusian Christian Democracy should better withdraw their Ministry of Justice does not offer opposition but an alter- from the party founding papers if they denied registration native to what is going on in Belarus,” wanted to remain in their jobs,” Shein to Belarusian Sevyarynets said at the founding con- told BelaPAN journalists. Christian Democ- ference. ‘Many say and understand racy (BCD),” said Pavel Sevyarynets, a that things should not continue as they On Friday The Belarusian Justice Min- leader of this opposition party. are now and that it is possible to live istry issued a statement saying it had better when you keep the command- suspended its denial of registration to BCD held its founding conference in ments set forth in the Bible.’ the Belarusian Christian Democracy Minsk on February 28, electing Ryhor (BCD) party over what it called the Dzmitruk, Vital Rymashewski, Pavel “After filing he application, BCD ac- need to study additional information. Sevyarynets and Alyaksey Shein as co- tivists started complaining that they chairmen. On March 12, the group ap- were threatened with dismissal from plied to the Ministry of Justice for reg- their jobs. Ideology officials at com- istration. panies where BCD founders work 16-17/04/2009 approached them to say that they Source: BelPAN

Lukashenka Predicts ‘Dramatic’ Changes in Government by End of April

Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka is going to perform ‘dramatic’ changes in the government within the next two weeks. According to him, the economic situation has forced him to do it.

‘Those who cannot work will leave’, — BelaPAN quotes Lukashenka. The leader of the state noted that economic results would influence the fate of some ministers and heads of republican administration.

17/04/2009 Source: ERB ISSUE XL BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 6

Finance and Economics

Serbia, Belarus Agree Free Trade to Woo Investors

Serbia and Belarus signed a free trade statement. The free trade agreement was signed agreement on Tuesday, in a latest bid 'Foreign investors who produce in Ser- three weeks after Belarus leader Alyak- by the Balkan nation's authorities to bia will enjoy the same benefits,' he sandr Lukashenka made a rare foreign woo investors and prop up the econ- said of the pact signed in Belarus capi- trip, taking a week-long skiing holiday omy, hit by the global recession and tal Minsk. in Serbia. absence of new capital inflows. The list of duty free products excluded Trade between the two countries stands “The agreement we signed today is sugar, alcohol, cigarettes, second-hand at a mere $65 million, but free trade will very important because our economy cars, buses and tyres. likely lead to joint ventures and partner- will be able to export goods free of But new cars -- the domestically as- ships in energy, telecommunications and duty to the market of 10 million peo- sembled Punto by Italy's Fiat (nyse: agriculture sectors, the statement said. ple,” Deputy Prime Minister in charge FIA - news - people ) -- will be traded 31/03/2009 of economy Mladjan Dinkic said in a free of duty. Source: forbes.com

Belarus Reduces Oil Export Duty April 1

On April 1, 2009, Belarus reduced the ene and xylol) will be reduced from In conformance with the Belarusian- crude oil export duty from $115.3 per $90 per tonne to $86.4. Duties on Russian agreement, in 2009 the coeffi- tonne to $110 per tonne. heavy petroleum products (engine oil, cient of 0,356 will be used for calculat- The oil export duty has been revised processed oil products, mineral wax, ing the duty on oil supplied to Belarus downward following a similar reduc- oil coke, oil asphalt) will be cut from from Russia. From April 1 the duty for tion in the export oil duty in the Rus- $48.5 per tonne to $46.5 per tonne. Belarus makes up $39.2 per tonne. sian Federation effective from April 1. In line with the intergovernmental Bel- Belarus to step up work with EU noti- The export duty on oil products will arusian-Russian agreement, export fied bodies to get CE marking WAM/TF be reduced to the level of the duties duties on oil and oil products in Bela- valid in Russia. For example, duties rus are equal to the duties applied in on light oil products (light and middle Russia and are introduced on the same 01/04/2009 distillates, liquefied gas, benzol, tolu- date. Source: WAM

Belarus Cuts Budget by 20 %over Crisis

'Let me stress that what was planned reduced by cutbacks in budget funds and more than half a year ago at a rela- state investment programmes. But they tively calm time no longer applies,' say social expenditure will remain un- Lukashenka's press service quoted him touched in a system which prides itself as saying at the meeting. on enduring state control, considerable 'Every rouble due to be spent in the subsidies and intervention to provide budget must be placed under a micro- social security. Belarus has cut 2009 budget expendi- scope. And everything of secondary 'The main thing remains that our country ture by about 20 percent to eliminate a importance must be removed.' is a state for its people,' Lukashenka told deficit and fend off the effects of the Budget revenues had originally been the meeting. 'Social programmes and global financial crisis, the office of set at $26.4 billion, with a planned obligations undertaken by our govern- President Alyaksandr Lukashenka deficit of 1.1 percent of gross domestic ment cannot be altered.' said. product. That was to have been fi- In addition to the first $788 million A statement issued after a meeting on nanced by further sales of a part of the tranche of the IMF credit, Belarus has April 3 said expenditure in the con- Beltransgaz pipeline network to Rus- received a $1.5 billion credit from Rus- solidated budget had been reduced to sian giant Gazprom, foreign credits sia. But much of the money has already the equivalent of $22.4 billion from and sales of domestic securities. been used in recent months to maintain $27.4 billion. Belarus began feeling the effects of the the stability of the Belarusian rouble The International Monetary Fund, crisis late last year as exports plunged currency. which has agreed to lend Belarus $2.5 by 45 percent, GDP growth slowed to billion, has called for tough budget 1.4 percent from 10 percent and indus- policies as one of its recommenda- trial output fell by 2.3 percent. 03/04/2009 tions. Authorities say expenditure will be Source: Reuters ISSUE XL BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 7

Finance and Economics

Belarusian Inflation at 0.6% in March, 6.1% for Q1

Consumer prices in In the first quarter of 2009, Belarusian An approved government forecast puts Belarus went up by inflation came to 6.1%, compared to consumer price growth at 9%-11% for 0.6% in Belarus in 4.1% in the same period of 2008. 2009. The IMF forecasts Belarusian market in comparison Annual March-to-March inflation inflation this year at 11.5%. with February, when reached 15.5%. inflation reached It was earlier reported that inflation 1.2%, Belstat said. came to 13.3% in 2008. 10/04/2009 Source: Interfax

IMF Restores Resident Representative in Minsk

The Inter- Nataliya Kalyadina, a former senior According to Kalyadina, a team of IMF national economist at the IMF European De- experts will be staying in Belarus be- Monetary partment, entered upon the duties of tween April 29 and May 13 to study the Fund (IMF) the Fund’s resident representative in implementation of the conditions that has re- Belarus on April 6. the Fund tied to its loan. The delegation stored the will be led by Chris Jarvis, the new chief position of The IMF withdrew its resident repre- of the IMF mission to Belarus. its resident sentative from Belarus in 2005, a year representative in Belarus after a four- after the country’s government an- 14/04/2009 year break. nounced that it would no longer bor- Source: ERB row from the Fund.

44 Belarusian Open Joint Stock Companies to Be Sold by Auction and Tenders

Belarus State stock companies will be sold by auc- banks to foreign investors in the mid- Property tion while the shares of 26 more com- term perspective.’ Committee panies – by tenders. has prepared The concentration of capital in state- a draft decree ‘To preserve the interest of investors, owned banks is quite high in Belarus on the sale of the State Property Committee is devel- reaching some 70% . shares of 44 oping the terms of sale of shares,’ open joint noted Uladzimir Kavaleusky . ‘As Initially the plan was to consider the sale stock compa- soon as the interests of a potential of Belarus’ major banks to foreign in- nies by auc- investor coincide with that of the state , vestors after 2010. However, the suc- tions and we will start to prepare a new draft cessful experience of work with small tenders, Uladzimir Kavaleusky, from decree on the sale of another package and medium banks showed that the state Belarus’ State Property Committee, of state-owned shares,’ explained is ready to sell controlling blocks of said at the Privatisation and Market Kavaleusky . shares in Belinvestbank and BPS-Bank Liberalisation conference, held in and also 25% stakes in Belarusbank and Minsk. A member of the Belagroprombank. ‘This plan was Board of Direc- voiced in public statements of the gov- According to Kavaleusky, some inves- tors of the Na- ernment and the National Bank,’ said tors have already shown their interest tional Bank of Dubkou. in purchasing the stake in the open Belarus, Syarhey joint stock companies which were Dubkou, said included in the privatisation plan for ‘Belarus has not 2008-2010. That is why the draft de- given up on the cree on the sale of shares of 44 open plans to sell joint stock companies has been pre- shares of the 20/04/2009 pared. The shares of 16 open joint country’s major Source: BelTA ISSUE XL BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 8 Culture The Men We Choose by Maryia Martysevich

stood the word ‘muzhik’ in the refrain of tus Kalinouski (5), who failed in every- this poem not as a class but as a gender thing. Some say the history is written definition. Somehow I don’t think that by the winners. The Yanka Kupala was urging his people to is an exception, because it was written cast off the yoke of oppression. The same by the losers™ (its short version (6) goes for authors of other classic texts had been written by one of the cult los- which we had to learn by heart in order ers, Vatslau Lastouski). Our unofficial to pass exams in ; classics are all losers. These are sweet the texts which we still see in our rest- tubercular patients Maksim Bahdano- less, retrospective dreams. It seems to me vich(7), Ihnat Kancheuski (8), Maryia Martysevich that these authors merely presented their (Branislau Tarashkevich (9), Maksim worldview and comprehended the truth Haretski (10), Frantsishak Aliahno- Maryja Martysevich is a promi- that they had been pre-programmed for a vich(11) who died violent death, nent young Belarusian writer and failure in both their creative work and Uladzimir Dubouka (12), new Bahrym, translator. In the essay that ap- life. Siarhey Hrahouski, who was born in the pears in her book, ‘Dragons Fly village of Nobel but went through GU- The last 200 years have proven that Bela- LAG and never visited Stockholm; for Spawning’, Martysevich pre- rus is mission impossible. All the more Jewish-Belarusian poet Arkadz Heine, sents a rather critical and non- so, one admires the heroes who believe who died in 1942 in the Holocaust, and traditional view of Belarusian and rise in spite of everything (‘What if a multitude of others who were losers to men and a personal reflection on something comes out of it?’). However, such an extent that nobody knows any- what she thinks is the cause of unlike Hollywood heroes, they do it in thing about their fate – those buried in most Belarusian past and present order to lose, and to die losing. The best Kurapaty (13), the Belarusian Valhalla. troubles. The essay was written in men in our history are members of Vilnia However, the sum of their misfortunes (2) Belarusian gymnasium’s rugby team the aftermath of protests that has created the context of our existence, who, exhausted and covered with mud, and this is their major success. erupted in March 2006 following fixing their broken pince-nez, are leaving the rigged presidential elections. the field where they have been smashed Well, here is the time we have to live Maryja Martysevich also runs a by the team from Eaton. The only thing in. Midday break in a school, only girls popular blog http:// we have left, sitting on the stands, is to remain in the classroom. We shuffle users.livejournal.com/maryjka_/ be moved with this sad finale. aside chairs and tables in order to make and, in a truly post-modernistic Chronologically, it was Pauliuk Bahrym space for a class disco, and, generally, nature, marks her main ideas with (3) who became the first loser of modern think positive. The boys, pale-faced and a ™ sign. Belarusian literature. As an adolescent, red-cheeked, with their eyes like corn- flowers and hair like flax, with their IQ The Men We Choose he was recruited into the Russian army after someone found a notebook with his potentially equal to 130, with flat- Belarusian-language poems. Later he footedness, curvature of the spine, and became a taciturn blacksmith whose other reasons to avoid obligatory mili- I like men a lot, especially Belarusian most successful project was some banal tary service, read about their general ones. The reason of my fondness to- girandole. However, the model loser was defeat from school readers. They take it wards Belarusian men can be easily described by Frantsishak Bahushevich for granted, the same way they learn explained: throughout my entire life I (4) in his poem, ‘Things Will Get Bad’. from textbooks about their inborn lack have been non-pragmatically and Considering the new cultural situation of of iodine; they absorb their failure with irresistibly attracted to losers™. that time the appears to be highly the first swallow of port wine in the There is something ineffably touch- emblematic. The poem’s main character, school backyard. A Belarusian is a ing in the way they muffle them- poor Alindarka, who happened to be loser™, there is no escape. Loser™ is a selves up in their scarves, smiling born in March, saw this as a mystical universal karma of every man who guiltily, charmingly giving way to reason for all his bad luck. A woman bears the tax duty stamp Belarus, it their inferiority complexes, hesitant christened Alindarka in a river; his embraces the intellectual sphere as well to make the first step, stand up to strange was given to him by mis- as everyday life. While listening to their their beliefs, find their place under understanding; he committed no crime poems, cleaning up their socks scat- the Sun. All this enchants me. It but landed in prison. The poem ends with tered over the floor, or listening to their makes me think. the words “Thank God, he was released, speeches during political campaigns, the same day he was once christened”. A you understand that them being losers ‘For I’m a muzhik, a stupid muzhik looser is a thread hero of the Belarusian has a genetic cause. (1)’. Ever since I was a child, I under- socio-cultural space, beginning with Kas- ISSUE XL BELARUS HEADLINES PAGE 9 Culture

I personally do not know any Belaru- love you”. Today, when you meet him at 12 Uladzimir Dubouka, Belarusian poet. sian man who would be perfect home after work, this manager of He spent 27 years in Stalin’s concentra- enough to earn his creator a decent wooden plough and scythe, you tousle tion camps. mark in a labour education class. his hair, kiss him into his mat, and tell 13 Kurapaty – site of mass executions him as usual: “Howdy, my dear loser!” during Stalin times near Minsk. In the , the word 14 Aliaksandr Milinkevich, opposition ‘Svaboda’ (‘Freedom’) has a femi- candidate during the 2006 presidential nine gender. Moreover, its synonym March 25, 2006 elections. – ‘Volya’ – is a popular woman’s name. On 20 March 2006, when Translated by Ales Kudrytski Aliyaksandr Milinkevich (15), an- 1 A quote from a popular poem by other charming loser, had finished Yanka Kupala, a prominent Belarusian his speech on the October Square, poet, see more http:// the crowd was addressed by his wife, www.democraticbelarus.eu/node/5811 Ina Kulej. It became immediately ‘Muzhik’ is a Belarusian word which clear who was the real master of has two meanings – ‘peasant’ (old- their village house somewhere in the fashioned) and ‘man’ (informal). Shchuchyn region. ‘That’s a presi- 2 Vilnia – traditional Belarusian name of dential candidate we needed!’, some- Vilnius. one said. ‘Why don’t women run for 3 Pauliuk Bahrym – Belarusian poet, president in our country anyways?’ who was conscripted into the army as a Still, there will never be matriarchy convict-soldier for a term of twenty-five in our country. It also means that years. He was not heard of thereafter as there will never be a revolution in a poet and died in 1891. Belarus. One meets a pregnant 4 Frantsishak Bahushevich – Belarusian friend, put a hand over her belly and lawyer and poet, who published in Kra- asks her ‘Who are you expecting a kow his book of Belarusian-language girl or a loser?’ poetry ‘Dudka belaruskaya’ in 1891. However, this incompleteness, this 5 Kastus Kalinouski – leader of the creative neglect of form and contents 1863-1864 uprising against Russian rule conceals some kind of bashful sexu- on Belarusian lands. The uprising was ality. It arouses the same kind of crushed, Katus Kalinouski was hanged libido which can be described by a in Vilnius. verb ‘shkadavatsi’ which in a Bela- 6 ‘A Short History of Belarus’ – one of rusian dialect means ‘to take pity’. the first popular books about Belarusian In the post-war years, it took my national history, written by Vatslau grandfather Ihnat about twenty-four Lastouski, prominent member of na- hours to walk thirty kilometers along tional independence movement, who the Palesse railroad after his work was murdered during Stalin’s purges. shift. At home, he collapsed into the 7 Maksim Bahdanovich – Belarusian hands of my grandmother Maryja. poet, read more about him here http:// Another grandfather, Anton, was www.democraticbelarus.eu/node/4528 appointed to revive a collective farm 8 Ihnat Kancheuski – Belarusian phi- somewhere in the Pastavy region losopher and poet, author of the pro- after the war. There he had a love grammatic philosophical essay ‘Along affair with a woman working as the Eternal Road’. agronomist. This resulted in the 9 Branislau Tarashkevich – Belarusian grandfather’s expulsion from the politician and linguist, creator of the Communist Party. Ashamed, he re- first modern Belarusian grammar turned home, as a burden to my (1918). Executed during Stalin’s purges. grandmother Zoya. When both 10 Maksim Haretski – prominent Bela- grandfathers became old, they de- rusian prose writer and literary critic. scribed their relationships with wives Executed in 1937. 11 Frantsishak Aliahnovich, Belarusian with the same phrase: “Her whole Cover of ‘Dragons Fly for Spawning” life she took pity of me”. Freudian writer, famous for his accounts of being logics of Belarusian women of all arrested by Soviet secret services. Killed by Maryia Martysevich generations can be written upon local by an assassin in Vilnius in 1944. valentines as “I pity you, therefore I