November 7, BPN. The anniversary of the 1917 October Revolution remains a public holiday in Belarus because Alaksandr Łukašenka sees it as “a really important and pleasant event,” German historian Alexander Friedman, specializing in the 20th century Eastern European history, told BPN.
“It is evident from Łukašenka’s behavior, manners, and mentality that he belongs to that [Soviet] era,” Friedman said. “The Soviet times represent for him his youth, a very dear time for him. By and large, this is the only era that he understands and is more or less familiar with. That’s why he’s always talking about it.”
Łukašenka’s assessment of the October Revolution “varies from neutral to positive,” while its anniversary is a part of Soviet history for him, the historian said. He also noted that the regime developed “Soviet features” which became even more pronounced with time.
As relations with the West deteriorated, and the influence of Russian propaganda increased, Łukašenka started picking up more historical topics, Friedman noted. The regime’s radicalization and increased violence, especially after the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, resulted in Stalinist rhetoric, he added.
“I would say that so far Belarus has Stalinism without Stalin,” the historian concluded.
The full version of the interview with Alexander Friedman is available in Belarusian and Russian on our website, as well as on Pozіrk. Naviny pra Belarus pages on Telegram and Facebook.
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