The constitution of the republic proclaims Belarusian and Russian as the state languages of Belarus. They have absolutely equal rights and opportunities for walking and existence. De facto, the situation looks somewhat different, and Belarusians often criticize the government for insufficient efforts to develop Belarusian as the language of the titular nation.
The fact is that the Russian language predominates in most spheres of the country's public life. Most official documents are published on it, it is accepted as the main one in the media and is even more often heard in the everyday life and life of the inhabitants of Belarus.
Some statistics and facts
- In its pure form, Belarusian is used only by rural residents in the provinces and by the intelligentsia and patriots of the country in the cities.
- In regional centers and large villages, Belarusians prefer the so-called trasyanka in everyday speech. A mixture of Russian and Belarusian languages is used in reports and speeches even by officials.
- In addition to Russian and Belarusian, minority languages are accepted in the country - Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Polish.
- Russian received the status of the state language of Belarus in a referendum in 1995, when more than 83% of the population voted for it as the official one.
- Despite the fact that only 15% of the country's inhabitants consider themselves ethnic Russians, more than 80% of the population of the republic use the Russian language in absolutely all spheres of life.
- In secondary specialized and higher educational institutions of Belarus, up to 90% of the volume of teaching is conducted in Russian.
- The most popular newspapers and magazines are published in Russian, and out of 1,100 registered publications, the vast majority are published in two languages or only in Russian.
Eight universities of the republic train specialists in the specialty "Russian philology". 14 out of 18 Belarusian theaters offer their performances in Russian.
History and modernity
The Belarusian language is rooted in the Proto-Slavic and Old Russian languages, which were used by the inhabitants of the region in the 6th-14th centuries. Its formation was influenced by Church Slavonic and Polish, the dialects of the ancient Radmichi, Dregovichi and Krivichi.
Both state languages of Belarus are quite similar to each other and, despite a number of phonetic differences, can be understood by native speakers of any of them. A feature of Belarusian is a large number of preserved archaic Old Slavic words.
There was a time when our Riga made the same impression on tourists. “Why do you have nowhere and nothing written in Russian - all the same around - Russian speech, and they will answer your question in Russian?” After all, even in the menu of restaurants popular among tourists, they wrote only and exclusively in Latvian.
And the local residents had to explain to the guests about our national peculiarities - about the law on the state language and cautious entrepreneurs, and so on and so forth ...
Now we have these difficulties with translation and excesses, it seems, for the most part, already behind us - graduates of our Russian schools have spoken Latvian en masse, regardless of nationality. Yes, and foreigners in Riga bars-restaurants in the Latvian language are no longer a nightmare: the restaurant and hotel business in Latvia has grown to respect the client, communicating in a language he understands.
In Belarus, everything is different. There are two official official languages here - Belarusian and Russian. And
Russian in Belarus received the status of the state language as a result of a referendum: in the mid-90s, more than 80 percent of all participants in the referendum voted “for”.
After all, the language situation in the country is special, unique in its own way for the former post-Soviet space.
About 15 percent of the population consider themselves Russians in Belarus, but two-thirds of the inhabitants who speak the Belarusian language choose Russian in their family and everyday communication. And only 6 percent of Belarusians constantly use the Belarusian language. However, sociological studies and census data give different figures. But on the streets of Vitebsk, for example, the predominance of Russian visitors immediately catches the eye.
Experts believe that the language situation in Belarus today resembles that in Ireland.
The country has been free from political dependence on Great Britain for a long time, but English clearly dominates here. And Irish, although considered the official language, is supported only by the efforts of the national intelligentsia.
Difficulties in translation
In my presence, one of my colleagues asked a Belarusian student of philology: does anyone here speak Belarusian at all?
Yes, it turns out, say writers, journalists, representatives of the nationally oriented intelligentsia. In rural areas, many people speak, but hardly pure Belarusian.
Rather - depending on the geography of the region - a local mixture of Belarusian in Russian, Ukrainian or Polish.
And if it’s so easy to turn to a person in Belarusian on the street, then what? With a high probability, he will answer you in Belarusian, but this is not a fact. On Pushkin Street, where craftsmen and Vitebsk artists set up tables with souvenirs on the occasion of the city holiday and weekends, we got into a conversation with a local resident Ivan. Including - about the Belarusian language.
Ivan also tells me: they say, it happens that he himself is reproached for being a Belarusian, but for some reason he speaks Russian.
But what's the point of him, when offering a product, to talk to a person in a language that he does not understand at all? ..
After all, there are townspeople on the pedestrian walk, and there are many tourists. And the Russian language is equally understandable to everyone. The native language of my interlocutor is Belarusian, and he speaks Russian in most life situations. Which confirms the statistics.
...and the joy of recognition
By the way, both Latvian and Lithuanian speech in Vitebsk also sounds quite often. In any case, during the three days in the city I happened to meet my compatriots more than once. Vitebsk is still territorially very close to Latvia - our Kraslava is only 230 km from it, and even less to the border.
Cross-border cooperation between Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus is developing, and the Vitebsk region territorially falls into such programs.
The Belarusian holiday Kupala is like our Ligo. Photo: Vasily Fedosenko, Reuters / Scanpix
Latgale has much in common with Vitebsk region.
There are family and friendly ties, the habit of visiting each other or shopping with neighbors is still preserved, the price difference is great.
Look at least how many cars with Belarusian numbers are parked at the Daugavpils shopping center on weekends! By the way, we were in Vitebsk just in those days when journalists from Belarus writing about tourism were visiting Latvia - including Kuldiga and Riga.
Take a look at the Vizit Jurmala Facebook page to find out how cheerfully the Belarusians learn Latvian on this trip: and the vocabulary is not at all the one taught at school, but the most suitable for strengthening friendship and cooperation!
Language as a national color
I met people in Vitebsk in national “embroidered shirts” - just on the street, in a crowd of passers-by. Occasionally, but met. But in general, the impression was that the bright signs of the Belarusian identity receded into the region national color, such as is shown mainly at patriotic holidays and foreign tourists.
The same beautiful Belarusian language - in lively and figurative speech and in the song version - we heard only once, and in the museum. Thanks to Raisa Gribovich, actress of the Vitebsk National Academic Drama Theater named after Yakub Kolas!
How well she speaks and sings beautifully!
Raisa Gribovich, actress of the Yakub Kolas National Academic Drama Theatre. Photo: Tatyana Odynya/Russian TVNET
We were fortunate enough to listen to her by pure chance. Some important Chinese guests were expected in the Repin estate Zdravnevo near Vitebsk. And while they were driving, Raisa Stepanovna sang wonderfully to the participants of the Vitebsk festival "PhotoKrok" with all her heart.
"Vitebsk" or - "Vitebsk"?
The inhabitants of the city have another linguistic and fundamental dispute: what is the correct name for them?
In Minsk, the citizens are Minskers, in Moscow - Muscovites, and in the city of Vitebsk - who? ..
There are two variants in colloquial speech - Vitebsk residents and Vitebsk residents. Moreover, both are considered self-determinations of almost equal rights. Those who come from hereditary townspeople in several generations are in favor of "Viteblyans".
And they tell, by the way, such a bike. When the city of Vitebsk - still under Soviet rule - was preparing to solemnly celebrate its 1000th anniversary, the chaste party members considered it completely indecent in "Viteblyans" fucking"... And they began to intensively introduce a new "Vitebsk people" into the minds and speech of Vitebsk residents...
So, the old-timers consider one of the names imposed by philologists-ideologists at the behest of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus. Maybe it's true, or maybe fiction, no one can say for sure.
Vyshyvanka, Belarusian character and memory of the war
Belarus, having declared its independence, clearly did not follow the path of creating an ethno-national state. Or rather, already during the presidency of Alexander Lukashenko, she abandoned this path. There are, of course, individual actions today to promote the signs and symbols of national identity to the masses. And they have government support.
There are also nice human actions among them. For example,
babies born on the eve of Independence Day were given gifts this year with the meaning: “Padars don’t wear embroidered shirts” - in Belarusian, this is how the recent action is called.
Starting from June 15, newborns were given embroidered vests with traditional Belarusian ornaments.
Many signs play the role of a talisman, so they handed miracle clothes to parents in different regions of the country of kids.
But for people it is rather exotic.
Another thing is historical memory, the memory of a long-standing war, sacred to Belarusians - without it one cannot imagine the Belarusian character today.
When you admire the modern city of Vitebsk, you can’t even imagine that after the liberation of the city by the Soviet troops there was no city in this place ... Of the 180 thousand people of its pre-war population, ... 118 people remained. More than 90 percent of the housing stock has been destroyed...
The American allies are said to have sent a commission to assess the damage. And, having visited the ruins of Vitebsk, they said: dead, they say, this is a city and there is no such force that could bring it back to life ... That's when not only a savvy guide tells you about all this, but also many citizens, including very young, then you understand something important, real, important about the city and the townspeople.
Memorial in honor of Soviet soldiers, partisans and underground workers of the Vitebsk region. Photo: Flickr/tjabeljan
“And be sure to go to the Three Bayonets!..” My friend Ivan, an artist from a Vitebsk walker, a young bartender and many other people have been advising for three days that in Vitebsk you should definitely see
. "Three Bayonets" is a memorial complex in honor of Soviet soldiers, partisans and underground fighters of the Vitebsk region, built back in Soviet times, and now replenished with old military equipment and turned into an open-air museum park.
Late Sunday evening is not the best time to visit such places. But, one has only to climb the stairs with the embankment crowded with beer rows, as you can see: there are people here even at night.
Illuminating the military equipment with a flashlight, a late family with children examines the park ... Teenagers with bicycles stand for a long time near the eternal flame. Young guys roam, serious conversations are talking...
Here is such a strange city - Vitebsk.
Like it or not, the facts are stubborn things - the vast majority of Belarusians speak Russian. This was confirmed by the republican census conducted in 2009. 60% of the country's inhabitants called the Belarusian language their native language. But only 23% of the population use it as a colloquial language in whole or in part. In Minsk, these figures look even tougher - 35% and 6%, respectively.
And here is how ordinary Belarusians answered the question about their native language:
A completely logical question arises: Why do Belarusians in a country called Belarus speak Russian, and not Belarusian? What is it connected with? Is it bad or good? Do the Belarusians themselves need the Belarusian language?
And these questions are far from idle and not cut off from life, because the well-known linguist Vladimir Ivanovich Dal, who lived in the 19th century, noted:
"... The verbal speech of a person is a visible, tangible connection, an allied link between the body and the spirit: without words there is no conscious thought..."
In addition, it depends on the answers to these questions: will we be able to unite into a single community called the “Belarusian nation”, or will we remain a kind of conglomerate of people who do not understand who they are.
Different answers to the same question
Version number 1: they don’t speak because the Belarusian language is oppressed by Russian
The topic of the destruction of the Belarusian language to “racist imperialisms”, “damned maskals” is the most popular among the nationally “faithful” citizens:
Pavel Stsyatsko, doctor of philological sciences:
“At the Balshavitian empire, like the tsarist, the racist shavinists strove for the born, strangled Belarusian language - that language, which Adam Mickiewicz called the greatest and richest of all Slavic languages. Нашая мова тут знішчалася найбольш «кваліфікавана», по-езуіцку: на словах абвяшчалася яе свабоднае развіцё і функцыяванне, а ў рэчаіснасці рабілася ўсё наадварот — з мэтай ператварыць беларускую мову ў дыялект расейскай і канчаткова знішчыць яе як выразніка адмысловага народа, яго духоўнасці і культуры ."
Such banners are not uncommon at the speeches of the Belarusian opposition. Photo: nn.by
Mikalai Krukowski, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences:
«Увядзенне сёння дзяржаўнага статусу і для рускай мовы, як зроблена пасля рэферэндуму 1995 года, з’явілася вынікам не толькі трагічнай памылкі не самай разумнай часткі беларускага народа і ганебна-здрадніцкай пасіўнасці яго рускамоўнай інтэлігенцыі, але і свядомым злачынствам з боку ўлад. Апошнія свядома паставілі сабе за мэту ўключэнне Беларусі як правінцыйнай губерні ў склад Расійскай Федэрацыі, тым самым стаўшы на шлях адкрытай дзяржаўнай і нацыянальнай здрады, бо тое прывядзе у перспектыве не толькі да гібелі беларускай нацыянальнай культуры, але і да знішчэнню суверэнітэту Рэспублікі Беларусь у цэлым. The status of the Russian language is the language of the Belarusian people, the yago of culture and the yago independent dzarzhaўnasts.
We recommend you read the article: Version #2
The Bolsheviks had a somewhat different version.
One of the most active organizers of the 1st All-Belarusian Congress (December 1917), Yevsevy Kancher, in Smolny (the headquarters of the Bolshevik government) had a direct conversation with Lunacharsky before the congress (the firstpeople's commissar of education RSFSR), the content of which was as follows:
"LUNACHARSKY. Do the Belarusian people understand the language in which Belarusian leaders speak with greetings and declarations?
KANCHER. Does not understand.
LUNACHARSKII. Do Belarusians have their own language to nationalize schools and institutions?
KANCHER. The Belarusian national movement, led by the Belarusian Great Rada, has developed a Belarusian language, different from Russian and folk Belarusian, but very close to Polish. Among the people, among teachers and Belarusians of eastern orientation, this language is absolutely not popular. The Belarusian Regional Committee believes that an autonomous Belarus can exist with the language it knows and recognizes as its own. As for the national language, it will be created by the people as soon as the need for it becomes clear.
LUNACHARSKII. Therefore, the school and institutions are not nationalized?
KANCHER. Schools and institutions can switch to the Belarusian language for years, as the language is created. But they can just as well strengthen the Russian language, if the people so desire.
There are also other versions, we will consider them in our next articles.
But even so, it is already clear that the question is ambiguous. Some argue that language is being destroyed. At the same time, the emphasis is on linguistic genocide by Russians. The linguistic and cultural desert, which the Poles arranged for us in the Commonwealth and in Western Belarus under Jozef Pilsudski, if it is mentioned, then somehow in passing.
And others say that the problem lies elsewhere - that a single language for the entire Belarusian people has not yet been formed, and the variant of the language developed by the nation-builders does not take root among the people. But here it remains by default:and why did it take to instill a certain language in Belarusians? What preceded this?
Let's begin to gradually unravel this complicated tangle of contradictions.
What does linguistics say?
According to a number of authors, the linguistic situation in Belarus, as well as Belarusian sociolinguistics in general, is one of the little-studied areas of Belarusian studies, but nevertheless, it is not a secret for specialists that linguistically Belarusian and Russian are two closely related languages.
True, sometimes other opinions are expressed. A.E. Taras writes in one of his books:
“Only an ignorant person who knows nothing about linguistics can say, for example, that the Belarusian and Russian languages are practically twins. Lexically, the coincidence of Belarusian and Russian does not exceed 25-30% ... while Belarusian vocabulary coincides with the Polish language by 60-70%. A Belarusian without an interpreter understands Polish, Slovak, Ukrainian, but a Russian without an interpreter does not understand Belarusian speech, just like any other Slavic language.”
But here, firstly, the very formulation of the question is ignorant, since in linguistics there cannot be two languages, “like twins” similar to each other (then these will be forms of the same language), and comparisons of two languages for their differences or similarities cannot start with vocabulary (first of all, the grammatical structure is compared).
Secondly, as mentioned above, the Belarusian and Russian languages are not just related languages, but closely related (morphology, the basis of the language, testifies to this too clearly). For those who are interested in this topic in more detail, we recommend reading Vladimir Tulinov’s book “My Language is My Friend” (Belarus. Bilingualism. Pros and Cons), where the author argues in detail and thoroughly with Taras, Goldenkov and Deruzhinsky on the topic of linguistic features of the Belarusian and Russian languages, and shows the flawed logic of opponents.
Since we are talking about vocabulary, for clarity, we present a table where everyone can compare which language is closer.
That is, one of the reasons is the kinship, the similarity of the two languages. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, the outstanding Slavic scholar, philologist, ethnographer and paleographer E.F. Karsky in his works showed that the Belarusian language is a form (one of many) of the Old Russian language, which once broke up into various dialect languages of the East Slavic group.
It is important to note that it is not an easy task for linguists to trace how this Old Russian language “split” into its various branches. And today not every philologist can clearly distinguish: where is the dialect, where is the dialect, and where is the original language directly.
The Old Belarusian dialect is very close to the ordinary Old Russian language. Don't believe? Here is the title page of Symon Budny's "Catechism" (1562) A very important reason
Another, in our opinion, very important reason, which for some reason different nationalists do not pay attention to, is the incessant wars of conquest that came from Western civilization. The wars were catastrophic for the inhabitants of the Belarusian lands, as they were fought not only for plunder, but also for extermination. Accordingly, speakers of the local language were periodically exterminated in large numbers. Here are just a few examples (not all!):
Northern War (1700 - 1721). Military operations from the very beginning unfolded on the territory of Belarus. In 1700-1702. it was occupied by Swedish troops. In the spring of 1705, Peter 1 sent his army to Poland, which drove out the Swedish troops on its way. In the winter of 1705-1706. The Swedes went on the offensive again. In December 1707, Charles XII with an army of 45 thousand people began his campaign through Belarus to Moscow. In January 1708, Swedish troops occupied Grodno, Smorgon in February, and Mogilev in July. In the occupied territories, the Swedes burned cities and villages, robbed the population, and committed robbery.
From the first days of the war, the Belarusian people offered stubborn resistance to the Swedish invaders. Peasants hid or destroyed bread and livestock, went into the forests to join the partisans. Many fierce battles took place on the territory of Belarus. So, for example, on September 28, 1708, near the village of Lesnoy, Russian troops under the command of Peter I in a fierce battle defeated the Levengaupt corps, which was coming from the Baltic to help King Charles.
Ultimately, the Northern War ended with the victory of the Russian state, but for Belarus it brought a lot of misfortune. Brest, Grodno, Minsk, Vitebsk and especially Mogilev were destroyed. The urban population has decreased by 30-70%.
Patriotic War of 1812.From the first days of the Patriotic War of 1812, the territory of Belarus became the scene of hostilities. A significant part of the population of Belarus, believing the promises of Napoleon to revive the Grand Duchy of Lithuania on the lands occupied by his army, took the side of the French. Many, supporting the Russian army, went to the partisans. For the first time, it was during the Patriotic War of 1812 that the partisan movement became massive.
Short in terms of its terms, the war was nevertheless cruel. Fierce battles and battles once again took place on the land of Belarus, for example, near Klyastitsy or on the Berezina near Borisov. The war brought great suffering to the Belarusian people. Vitebsk, Polotsk, Minsk, Grodno and many other cities and villages were looted and mostly burned. Many people perished, died of starvation and disease. The places of battles and battles were littered with the corpses of people and horses, which were not removed by anyone. As a result of the war, the area under crops and the number of livestock were reduced by almost half.
The war cost the Belarusians a million people - every fourth.
Great Patriotic War (1941 - 1945).Here, unnecessary comments are not needed - this war, the whole burden of the struggle against German fascism, just like other peoples of the Soviet Union, the Belarusian people bore on their shoulders. 2 million 250 thousand Belarusians paid with their lives the dear price of Victory in the Great Patriotic War...
Conclusion:
Today we have presented statistics on the language predominantly spoken by Belarusians, and considered two possible reasons why such a language situation has developed in our country.Firstly, this is that both Russian and Belarusian languages are equally native for Belarusians and in some cases it is very difficult to distinguish from each other.Secondly, carriers of a peculiar Belarusian dialect, were periodically exterminated in numerous destructive wars caused by the aggressive expansion of the West.
That is, the claims of the nationalists that the “damned Muscovites” are to blame for everything are too banal and primitive. They do not carry any constructive, but only divide Belarusians into “right” and “wrong” citizens.
And many in our country are not against the Belarusian culture and language, but against such divisions. Does anyone prevent someone from writing various texts in the Belarusian language - scientific, artistic, philosophical, religious - so that more and more people are imbued with Belarusian culture and join it? The answer is obvious.
And the root of the problem is not that someone forbids speaking or oppresses the Belarusian language, but the desire to find another reason to drive a wedge into relations between Russia and Belarus. In this sense, the example of Ukraine is very indicative, where the question of “Language” was raised in a similar way.
It is clear that it is easier to blame others for everything, but this is not something on which to build the Belarusian national idea, which should unite the people. What the nationalists offer at the current stage are ideas that divide, sow enmity and hatred. Today we objectively need other ideas, more powerful and creative, which are able to unite. And not only within the framework of one nation, country or union, but of all mankind.
It is for such Ideas that the future lies, and small-town chauvinism should remain in the past.
We recommend you read the article:
Sources and literature:
1. Vladimir Dal. Explanatory dictionary of the living Great Russian language: T. 1 .;
2. Anyamenne: from the chronicle of the development of the Belarusian language. - Vilnya: 2000;
3. Evsevy Kancher. From the history of the Civil War in Belarus in 1917–1920.
4. Taras A. Anatomy of hatred, Russian-Polish conflicts in the 18th-20th centuries;
5. Vladimir Tulinov. My tongue is my friend. (Belarus. Bilingualism. For and against);
6. Tokarevsky A.V. History of military art.
Our country has two official languages. Russian is used by the majority. Belarusian is less in demand for a long number of reasons: they don’t like the sound and melody, there is no motivation and desire to learn, embarrassment, lack of patriotism ... The leader of the Drum Ecstasy group, Philip Chmyr, adds here a dislike for imposition. The musician believes that the current promoters of "mova" are acting incorrectly, forming a persistent hostility to the Belarusian language. The next issue of the Friday "Neformat" talks about the substitution of concepts and the need to take an example from the Ukrainians.
Who is it?
This is a Minsker who grew up in a Russian-speaking environment. Now Philip is a member of the well-known Belarusian group Drum Ecstasy. In his free time from music, he works in advertising. Assuming that the majority of the Belarusian intelligentsia lives on Facebook, two years ago Chmyr provoked their angry seething with one short post. The text was literally as follows: Beneath him, miles of fire-breathing commentaries quickly grew. Over the past time, Philip has not changed his point of view.
- Why don't you speak Belarusian?
I do not know him. This is the only explanation. If I knew the Belarusian language, I would speak it. And I don't even try.
- Were there any inclinations in this direction?
I spoke Belarusian while studying language and literature in a Soviet school. And was one of the best in the class in this respect. True, I spoke French just as well at school.
You see, I am a Minsker, I have been active since the seventies. And none of us spoke Belarusian. Even both school teachers of this language communicated with each other in Russian. I spent the summer at writers' dachas, talking there with the grandchildren of writers. And their grandfathers only spoke Belarusian to each other, and Russian to us. Apparently, they just wanted to convey the information in an accessible way that you can’t take apples [smiles].
- What did you have in the certificate in Belarusian?
On the final exam - five. True, the current Belarusian is not at all like the one we learned at school. In this regard, it is very difficult for me. Look: there was always Chyrvonazornaya Street, but suddenly it became Chyrvonazorkaya Street. What the hell, you ask? Or it was always “Don’t pry”, when suddenly it became “Don’t pry”. Newspeak. It seems to me that some words are frankly dragged from dialects. Even my "Belarusian" friends say that newspeak has gone too far.
Now the guys promoting the "mova" are divided and decide how to speak correctly to them. Listen, in order for me to start learning a language, decide among yourselves what exactly I should learn. And then maybe I'll deal with this issue. In the meantime, take care of your internal affairs.
- The year before last, you wrote on your Facebook: “I hate the Belarusian language, like everything that is being imposed on me.”
For several hours I painfully selected the wording in order to eliminate the daub. My goal was friends, among whom there are enough admirers and propagandists of the Belarusian language. I wanted to hook these guys up and show them that the way they're trying to promote the language is going nowhere.
Let's take as an example the introduction of compulsory religious education in Russia. Many people are very worried about this. And I say it's just great. The effect that compulsory communist education had in the Soviet school can hardly be overestimated. People who studied Marxism-Leninism received a powerful inoculation and no longer fall into this nonsense. We will never revive some Stalinist moments.
So for religious education, you can be completely calm. Merlin Manson, by the way, went to a Catholic school. If at a certain point you make something mandatory - say, religious education - you will get a strong (especially when it comes to puberty and protest) rejection of absolute atheists who will not care about this whole topic.
If you want to promote the Belarusian language, do it smartly. We have already gone through forced Poznyakov Belarusianization. So my message is very simple: if you impose anything, you will get hatred in return.
- What specifically annoys you?
I don't like binding. The country where I live has two official languages. So I can choose the one that suits me.
There is a global circus that performs very well in the art scene. See. All art directors, artists and most of the curators are Russian-speaking. They make a description of the project in Russian. Then professional translators translate it all into English and Belarusian. The Russian version is hidden. I come and start asking: “Guys, I know you wrote the annotation in Russian. Give it to me, please." But I don't get anything. This is what causes the backlash.
This is false. And falsehood always infuriates. Here's more about the circus. Bar counter. On one side are Russian-speaking bartenders, on the other - Russian-speaking visitors. An order is in progress. Visitors among themselves: "Would you like some coffee?" - "Will". - "Dzve kavy, kali weasel." Bartenders among themselves: "Of good". - "Coffee, please." This circus does not promote "mova".
After the publication of my post about the Belarusian language, some familiar businessmen took a pose: "Ah well! Then we will only talk to you in Belarusian.” Then followed the Belarusian, as it seemed to them, text. Then I answered: “Guys, I can speak this Belarusian too. Even better. Please don't embarrass yourself." First go to the courses, and then open your mouth.
By the way, seven years ago my wife was unable to gather a group of six people for such courses. And now young people have a fashion for the Belarusian language. This is good. Interest groups must exist. Just don't make me. I don't want. I'm just defending my right to call the Russian language "matchynai movai". It's very simple: "matchyna mova" is not necessarily the Belarusian language, it is the language your mother speaks.
There is no need for this substitution of concepts. Because there is so much of it.
Let's say we had a census. And then the intelligentsia launched a campaign: they say, write on the forms that your language is Belarusian. People do not speak Belarusian every day, but they wrote as if they did. And now refer to that data. But it's fake, it's fake. I do not like it.
- How many people in your environment constantly use the Belarusian language?
One is Lavon Volsky. And my circle of acquaintances is quite wide. At the same time, I am not talking about the professional Belarusian language. Because I have friends who honestly call themselves professional Belarusians.
More about Lavon. I always tell him "I like the way you talk, but I don't understand anything." When there were turbulences about my position on the language, the only person who began to switch to Russian in communication with me was Volsky. Lavon is an intelligent person. And for others, rejection of my position is a pose. Well pose so pose.
- The most radical reaction to that performance of yours?
There were calls, there were messages, there was rudeness, there were threats. I took screenshots and keep them. I can post everything. I generally like to “screenshot”, I have a large collection. Still, I often call the police about illegal parking, smoking in public places, fights. This is my civic position. So I record everything.
They wrote to me something like "If you speak Russian - blow to Russia." But this is just plain fascism. If a person does not speak Belarusian, one cannot conclude that he does not love his homeland. Another change of concepts. I love my homeland. I'm tidying up here. I call the police here, make students throw cigarette butts in the trash, get them out, extinguish them if the bulls are not extinguished, and throw them out again. To love your homeland is at least not to spoil where you live. Here we all like to refer to good Germany. And Germany is the order that people themselves establish around themselves. That's all.
At the same time, if we return to the reaction to my post, I remained in the black. On the street people stopped me and said: "Thank you for your position." The situation is that I, a representative of the Russian-speaking majority, defend the right to speak Russian, receive information in Russian and defend myself against some kind of attacks about the Russian language. And they are.
And again: I am not against the popularization of the language, but it is carried out incorrectly.
- How will be correct?
If you make a really fantastic movie, the Russians will immediately translate it, and the Swedes will immediately subtitle it. The main part of the people will watch the film in Russian after a while. That is, cinema will not save the language. If you write very good books in Belarusian that will really deserve interest outside the republic, the same thing will happen. They will be translated into Russian. Because there is a giant country with a powerful language nearby.
That is, “Belarusian asyaroddze” decides which Belarusian language is the most Belarusian in our country, and then begins to record songs?
Of course. After that, the language can become fashionable. If the language is of interest to young people, it must be supported. But don't force it. The main thing is to respect each other and not impose anything on anyone.
- Any fashion has its vulgar searches ...
Everything that is happening now is a vulgar bust. Let's take the menu of some establishments with Belarusian and English texts. We come to the same Lithuania, where there are absolutely anti-Russian sentiments, but we find signs in Russian there. Why? Because there are a lot of Russian tourists and because you have to earn money.
I have purely professional claims, for example, to the Adnak festival. I call it "Give Mr.. well, one more chance." Why make a special festival limited by language? This is ugly from a professional point of view. And the task of advertising is to sell and make information convenient in order to capture a person.
Well, when the language is used in the case. Here is the Khatni kvass. Everything is clear: this is our kvass, Belarusian. Product identification occurs through language. It's drop dead. This is an awesome tool. And advertising, for example, Samsung in Belarusian is absolutely incomprehensible to me. It turns out that we limit the distribution of the product only to the Belarusian-speaking audience, which is in the minority. From a professional point of view, this is wrong. It is wrong to use advertising as educational bullshit. Advertising is sales and promotion. As is the menu. You know, there are cafes in Minsk where I don’t order food, because I don’t understand what they offer me.
- Is the situation in which in ten years this interview will be done in Belarusian real?
From my side, no. Just because I'm lazy. This interview could have taken place in Belarusian in 1993. In 1989 we could also speak French. But not anymore [smiles].
According to UNESCO, the Belarusian language is on the verge of extinction, although half a century ago it was actively used by millions of people.
"Potentially endangered" - this is the diagnosis from UNESCO that the language of the indigenous population of Belarus received, which was even indicated on a symbolic map called "World Languages in Danger".
Why does he disappear? The answer is simple: they are almost never used in everyday communication. A small proportion of the intelligentsia, part of the conscious youth and the elderly - these are the main native speakers of the language, which was used by millions of people 50 years ago.
Nasha Niva counted 50 main reasons why today's youth do not want to speak Belarusian. To do this, about 300 students from the country's leading universities were interviewed (with someone they talked personally, someone answered on Twitter and other social networks).
The editors have chosen 50 of the most interesting and most common answers: some of them are quite reasonable, others are primitive, but sincere, some are obscure and even offensive. But it is these answers that best reflect the "achievements" of the authorities in the development of linguistic culture and national consciousness.
We offer 50 answers to the question “Why don’t you speak Belarusian?”:
one). I don't know the language at all.
2). They haven't been taught since childhood.
3). No one speaks Belarusian to me, so I do the same.
four). I don't know well enough to be able to speak it easily.
5). I don't have time to study it.
6). I am outside of Belarus a lot. Language is simply not needed.
7). If I start talking, they won't understand me at work.
eight). School, university, family - everything is in Russian.
9). Despite the fact that the language is beautiful, there is an opinion that only collective farmers speak it. It's hard to be the same in the eyes of society.
ten). I do not fully feel like a Belarusian as a representative of the nation.
eleven). My parents never insisted that I take the move seriously.
12). Do not know much. I am a perfectionist. Either I do great, or I don't do it at all.
13). I have basic knowledge, I can even keep up the conversation. But somehow I find it easier to communicate in English.
fourteen). This is neither necessary nor meaningful.
fifteen). This language is more suitable for grandparents, but not for young people.
16). There is no patriotism.
17). A system of communication in Russian or English has been established for a long time, no matter what it is - a store or an office.
eighteen). I like the language, but it is not leading (active or alive) for me.
19). I like Russian better.
twenty). school was allowed to skip him.
21). I'm afraid they will.
22). I do not like the sounds "g" and "h".
23). Has entered honey and has ceased.
24). I'm waiting for Apple to release IOS in Belarusian.
25). I'm shy.
26). I talked for about 2 months. Tired. Hard.
27). My parents won't understand me if I suddenly start speaking Belarusian. They have been educating me all my life in Russian, and I am here “in the language of the first”.
28). As soon as we enter the EU - so immediately.
29). Today it is the language of the opposition. If you speak Belarusian, then you are going against the system.
thirty). I have enough of it in the subway.
31). There is little modern literature, there is nowhere to draw knowledge from.
32). Don't know! I envy Ukrainians a little. Austria-Hungary helped them, as they still say in the West. And all of us have been weathered for a long time.
33). Politically unsafe language.
34). What will change if I start talking?
35). He's a little funny.
36). Today it has become artificial.
37). The language has not taken root in modern society, I personally speak the language of the majority.
38). I don’t recognize Trasyanka for language, but I don’t know how to do it differently.
39). "Belarusian language" is a Polish anti-Russian project. He has little more than nothing to do with the Belarusian people.
40). It is difficult to speak Belarusian when everything around is in Russian.
41). Because there is simply no one.
42). I often use obscene language, but there is none in Belarusian. Seriously, I just don't know.
43). It is difficult to speak your native language, as its use is minimal, and some look at you like an alien.
44). To my shame, I can't. I think in Russian.
45). I don’t know well, but speaking half-Russian-half-Belarusian is not entirely decent.
46). It is difficult to stand out and there is little practice.
47). Understand correctly, but somehow from birth I feel more Russian, although I myself am a Belarusian with a Polish surname. Somehow I like that direction.
48). We have actually been part of the Russian Empire for 300 years. How can one speak Belarusian in such a situation?
49). It's more comfortable for me.
fifty). Does anyone need it?
As they say, draw your own conclusions.
