Belarusian society resists Russification – exiled academic

June 19, Pozirk. Belarusian artists resist informational isolation and Russia’s attempts to assimilate them, said exiled culture researcher Pavieł Barkoŭski. 

He made this remark in reply to Pozirk’s question during the online seminar on Russian cultural expansion.

The government has failed in its attempt to isolate the Belarusians from independent information completely despite branding thousands of accounts extremist content, he noted. “Those people who want to obtain information from independent sources still have such an opportunity,” he said.

However, those who do not make an effort to read news from different sources are fully exposed to pro-Russian and pro-Łukašenka propaganda disseminated by state-run Belarusian television, Barkoŭski noted.

Despite the brainwashing, there is still room for optimism, since loyalty and patriotism towards the national culture are preserved at the grassroots level, he added.

He noted that artists are currently focusing on survival, preserving their potential and raising their children as Belarusians, despite attempts by officials to expand control by imposing state ideology on people, militarizing schools and eradicating national discourse.

“But even here, there is resistance at the level of some lower-level officials. It is obvious that some of them want to ensure that national elements of culture and education are not replaced by Russian narratives,” Barkoŭski stressed.

Belarusians are unwilling to change sides and identify themselves as Russians, he concluded.