Belarus in Focus: Through the eyes of international journalists Belarus in Focus: Through the eyes of international journalists Cover photo: Silent protest in Minsk. June, 2011. Siarhei Hudzilin 7UDQVODWLRQRIRULJLQDODUWLFOHVLQWR%HODUXVLDQ%UHH]H,77UDQVODWLRQ2I¿FH0LQVN Contents Editing and proofreading (English): Alexandra Kirby Preface, Yuliya Slutskaya . 7 Editing and proofreading (Belarusian): Igor Drako, Taciana Niadbaj 'HVLJQDQGOD\RXW0DUFMXV]:áRGDUF]\N Belarus in Focus: About the Competition, Alexandra Kirby . 9 Winners . 10 Selection Panel . 11 Copyright of the articles and photographs within this book belongs to the articles’ authors or the Competition Articles publishers. Permission was given for the reprint of these articles by competition participants on entering the competition ‘Belarus in Focus’. Solidarity with Belarus,QIRUPDWLRQ2I¿FHDQG3UHVV Red on White: Aftermath of the 2010 Presidential Elections . 13 Club Polska may not be held to account for failure by competition participants to obtain Mayhem in Minsk: a dispatch from inside President Lukashenko’s brutal election crackdown. permission from their publishers. The New Republic, James Kirchick . 15 Inside the Snow Globe. Harper’s Magazine, Sam Knight . 19 Truth Behind the Pageantry: jail for dissidents in Europe’s last dictatorship. The Independent, Shaun Walker . 31 Organizers of ‘Belarus in Focus’ journalism competition 2011: Minsk – Silent Protests and Detention. Latvian Radio, Ugis Libietis . 35 In Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko is Playing at Reform. Washington Post, James Kirchick . 39 Assisting a Little-known Nation. Belarusian Review, Kiryl Kascian . 43 In the Grips of Economic Crisis . 47 Black Days in Belaya Rus. Polityka, Katarzyna Kwiatkowska . 49 Lukashenka’s Regime in Utter Ruins, Belarus Clutched by Crisis. Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, Michal Potocki . 53 Is the End of Lukashenka’s Regime Coming Soon? Deutschland Radio Kultur, Gesine Dornblueth . 59 Belarusian Dreams in Independent Culture. 65 7KHDWUH¶V$FWRI'H¿DQFHLQ(XURSH¶V/DVW'LFWDWRUVKLSThe Independent, Shaun Walker . 67 Like Fish in an Aquarium that can Sense the Sea. Delo, Polona Frelih . 71 When Theatre is ‘Thoughtcrime’. Contemporary Theatre Review, Brendan McCall . 77 Otherwise You Go Mad. Publik Forum, Ulrike Gruska . 81 7KHSURMHFWµ%HODUXVLQ)RFXV¶ZDV¿QDQFHGE\WKH1RUGLF&RXQFLORI0LQLVWHUV Spain-Belarus. Contrast of Concerns. Ymalaga.com periodical, Angela Espinosa Ruiz . 85 This book may not be sold or used for any commercial purposes. $XWKRUV¶3UR¿OHV . 87 Warsaw 2012 Belarus in 2011. Through the lenses of Belarusian photographers . 92 Preface For many Europeans, Belarus is a blank spot; it simply does not exist in their consciousness. In the best case, they have heard of ‘the last dictatorship of Europe’, and in the past year, something about political prisoners. Belarus has given the world dozens of outstanding people, among them, Marc Chagall, Kazimir Malevich, Frantisk Skaryna, Ralph Lauren, and – recently – Maria Sharapova and Viktoria Azarenka. The historic decision to dissolve the Soviet Union was taken in the Belavezheski forest in Western Belarus. In terms of size, it exceeds Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, or Greece. Yet only the neighbouring countries really know Belarus. There are many reasons for this; the main reason, however, is that after the fall of the Soviet Union and gaining LQGHSHQGHQFHLQZH%HODUXVLDQVHOHFWHGRXU¿UVWSUHVLGHQWLQ±$O\DNVDQGU/XNDVKHQND±ZLWKZKRP we have now been living for 18 long years. From time to time, Belarus is mentioned on European TV channels or in newspapers, usually during election time. And then disappears as soon as the elections are over. But there are international journalists who during their short visits manage to make friends with Belarusians and become fascinated with Belarus’ history and culture. And they can no longer remain indifferent towards Belarus and Belarusians, to our efforts to live in a free, European country. And these people become the only medium between us and you. And they keep on trying to return to Belarus and prove to their editors that Belarus is worth writing about. This book is composed of articles by journalists writing about Belarus for an international audience. These articles help those from outside to learn something more about our country than just the ‘last dictatorship’. And they will help us, Belarusians, to understand that we are not alone with our problems. These articles are by the ZLQQHUVDQGUXQQHUVXSRIWKH¿UVWHGLWLRQRIWKHLQWHUQDWLRQDOMRXUQDOLVPFRPSHWLWLRQ±µ%HODUXVLQ)RFXV¶KHOGLQ 2011 by Solidarity with Belarus,QIRUPDWLRQ2I¿FHLQSDUWQHUVKLSZLWK3UHVV&OXE3ROVND I know that these journalists will return to Belarus and will write about it. I know that there will be more of them and together we will become witnesses of democratic changes in our country. And that Belarus will open up to the world and cease being a blank spot on the map of Europe. Yuliya Slutskaya, director of Solidarity with Belarus,QIRUPDWLRQ2I¿FH 7 Belarus in Focus: About the Competition Held between September and November 2011, Belarus in Focus was a competition for journalists writ- LQJDERXW%HODUXVIRUDQLQWHUQDWLRQDODXGLHQFH2SHQWRSURIHVVLRQDODQGFLWL]HQMRXUQDOLVWVWKH¿UVWHGLWLRQRI ‘Belarus in Focus’ received around 50 entries from 14 countries. The selection panel consisted of two international media experts who have worked with Belarus for several years: Oliver Money-Kyrle, International Federation of Journalists, Anthony Howson, BBC Media Action as well as experienced Belarusian editors-in-chief: Andrej Dynko, Nasha Niva, and Yuliya Slutskaya, Solidarity with Belarus,QIRUPDWLRQ2I¿FH “I was looking for words which told the story of Belarus in a way that was accessible to a broad audience… not just those interested in Belarus and the Former Soviet Union, but who would not otherwise even consider the place” said Anthony Howson. Oliver Money-Kyrle commented “The outstanding piece, by Sam Knight, focused on the life of an unlikely hero, Belarus’ last remaining independent pollster, and his brave but ultimately futile attempt to avoid the closure of KLVEXVLQHVVDVKHVWUXJJOHGWRPHHWDRQHZHHNGHDGOLQHWRSD\D¿QHLPSRVHGRQKLPE\¿QDQFLDOFRQWURO- lers. His company’s fatal mistake had been to faithfully record Lukashenko’s falling popularity as the economic cri- sis bit. This one man’s struggle for survival is set against the chill of the December elections, ensuing protests and violent clamp down. Our hero missed most of the election drama as he raced to round up the money in time, only for the authorities to move the goal posts, close his business anyway and charge him with organising the protests.” “What impressed me most was the level of analysis, the amount of questions that international journalists asked” said Yuliya Slutskaya. “At the same time, though, it was clear that many articles covered the same issues. It would be good in the future to see a greater variety, and I hope that we can help journalists to uncover new topics”. The six winners of ‘Belarus in Focus’ came to a two-day workshop held in Warsaw, Poland, in February 2012 where they met with Belarusian journalists. Solidarity with Belarus,QIRUPDWLRQ2I¿FHDQG3UHVV&OXE3ROVNDWKDQNHYHU\RQHZKRSDUWLFLSDWHGWKHMXGJLQJ panel, and our partners who helped promote the competition: Civic Belarus (Prague), the German Marshall Fund RIWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV %HUOLQ2I¿FH +RXVHIRUD8QLWHG%HODUXV 9LOQLXV DQGWKH2I¿FHIRUD'HPRFUDWLF%HODUXV (Brussels). Finally, we are very grateful for the kind support we received from the Nordic Council of Ministers. Alexandra Kirby, project coordinator, Solidarity with Belarus,QIRUPDWLRQ2I¿FH 9 Winners Selection Panel Andrej Dynko NN.BY / Nasha Niva editor is the laureate of several international awards, including Lorenzo Natali Professional journalist winners: Award (EU, 2007), Oxfam-Novib / PEN Freedom of Expression Award (2006), the Russian First Channel Award for Journalistic Courage and Professionalism (2006) and the Hanno Ellenbogen Citizenship Award 1. Sam Knight, United Kingdom (Czech Republic, 2003). Andrej was a lecturer at Minsk University before he moved into journalism as a 2. Shaun Walker, United Kingdom reaction to freedom of speech violations. His latest book is “Baptism of a Nation: Mass Rallies in Belarus in 3. Polona Frelih, Slovenia 1988-2009”, co-edited with Valer Bulhakau and Andrej Kazakievich. Andrej is a member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists. Citizen journalist winners: Anthony Howson 1. Angela Espinosa Ruiz, Spain 2. Brendan McCall, United States Anthony Howson has been a journalist for over thirty years. For the last 15 years he has worked for BBC. A lot 3. Kiryl Kascian, Belarus of that time has been spent in the former Soviet Union and this year he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the journalism faculty of the University of Uzghorod in Ukraine. His career started in newspapers, having trained with the National Council for the Training of Journalists in Britain before he became a senior producer with the BBC. His current work involves travel around the globe. In the last few years he has been working in Gaza, Yemen, An- gola, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. He is 55 years old with three sons and a granddaughter. Oliver Money-Kyrle Oliver Money-Kyrle is the Assistant General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists. He has EHHQZLWKWKH,)-VLQFHZKHUHKHZRUNHGDVWKHSUHVVRI¿FHUEHIRUHEHFRPLQJUHVSRQVLEOHIRUSURMHFWVLQ Former Yugoslavia and the wider Balkans, in Central Asia, the Caucasus, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. In recent years he