How Europeans View Belarus
How interesting is Belarus for Europeans? This was the question held in mind by a group of students of European Affairs in Sciences Po Paris, who have been conducting for already five months a project dedicated to Belarus, ' How interesting is Belarus for Europeans? This was the question held in mind by a group of students of European Affairs in Sciences Po Paris, who have been conducting for already five months a project dedicated to Belarus, 'Бelarus Project'. To find the answer to this question, they have interviewed a good number of young, and not so young, people from Europe and from all over the world. The survey was completed in the first days of 2012 by more than 233 people. 63% of the respondents, aged between 20 and 35 years, were either from Italy, Germany or France. The rest represented citizens from all the other countries of the European Union. As is common, there were some exceptions: some replies arrived from Russia, Peru, Brazil, Egypt and even from Japan. Three simple questions were asked: why is Belarus interesting, why is it not interesting, and what would you like to find out about it. Here is what people replied. Not very surprising was the refrain 'I don’t know anything about Belarus', with some highlights from Great Britain such as 'I can’t place it on a map'. In fact, the general impression was that people know very little about this country. Several stereotypes emerged: vodka and beautiful women were of course present, but cold weather and similarity to Russia were also mentioned. Nevertheless, the most popular answer in all categories was politics, with 20% of all replies. Let’s take a closer look. Question 1: What Do You Think Is So Particular About Belarus That Makes or Can Make People Interested In It? More than 25% of people replied that they did not know what could be interesting about Belarus. Only 3% proposed the opposite argument, stating that Belarus could be interesting because it is mostly unknown abroad. In about 21% of replies, the interest of people was captured by Belarusian politics: among them, concerns about human rights and the death penalty, the international isolation of Belarus ('It has still an iron curtain'), but most of all the Belarusian regime, was described in half of the replies as 'the last dictatorship of Europe'. The majority of Germans were interested in tourism, they asked about language, culture and Belarusian cuisine, but somehow in very general terms. Yet, Grodno (the city) and Belovezhskaya Pushcha (the national park) were mentioned absolutely unambiguously, to our surprise. Some people wrote about Belarusian nature and geography, about the proximity to our sister country, Russia. The latter caught interest due to its influence on the Belarusian economy. Intriguing was that 12% considered interesting the history of Belarus, in particular its Soviet period. Maybe it is high time to build a museum of the Soviet Union in Belarus? Question 2: What Do You Think Makes People Not Interested In Belarus? As expected, the majority wrote that Belarus is not interesting because it is unknown. The reasons, however, varied. So for example the French complained about 'lack of media coverage in international press' and Italians spoke about 'lack of tourism'. Besides those who could not find Belarus on the map, there were some quite extreme answers, expressing a 'lack of knowledge of the very existence of the country'. Another 16% of replies considered Belarus uninteresting because it is unimportant 'either politically or economically'. One third of them described Belarus as nothing special, and one very brave German even went so far to say that Belarus 'is everything but cool'. Our interest was also drawn by the replies that compared Belarus to Russia saying that 'it is almost the same as Russia, but less interesting', or for example that other neighbouring countries (obviously meaning Ukraine) get more attention. Other responses mentioned again the political situation (11%), mainly attributing the low interest for Belarus to isolation and stability (it is boring if nothing happens), and also economic conditions, together with crime and other social factors. Some other replies referred to geographical reasons, characterising Belarus as 'a small, cold country in the middle of nowhere'. Our team hoped that the answer was written by someone who could not locate Belarus on the map, but was ashamed of saying it. Question 3: What Would You Like To Find Out About Belarus? After a bucket of ice-cold water, let’s have a look at what the European neighbours wanted to know about Belarus. Roughly 30% expressed a will to find out about Belarusian culture, from the language to the food and its history. Particularly interesting was the origin of the name of the country 'Belarus' and the difference of the nation compared to Russia. Tourism has also not been forgotten, as someone from Germany asked: 'Will I be able to travel there without knowing a local language?'. Besides the position on the map, there were questions about the Belarusian civil society, economic situation and everyday life of Belarusians. Respondents also wanted to know 'Who are Belarusians?', 'Why do they hate Russians?', 'What relationships do they have with European Union and Russia?' and 'How do they fight for their freedom?' Conclusion It is obvious that people abroad know almost nothing about Belarus. It is quite surprising to hear Europeans saying that Belarus is small and far. But by far the most shocking is the label of a sad and grey country hanging on it. Europeans see Belarus only as an arena for political disputes: the last dictatorship of Europe. Famous Belarusian hospitality and warm-heartedness were not mentioned even once. Nevertheless many replies concerning tourism indicate the desire to get to know the country, its culture and originality. Some 10% wrote: 'What is there interesting about Belarus?' or 'Why should I be interested in this country?'. These questions need to be answered by Belarusians themselves, who should take position on how they should be seen from Europe. By Marta Palombo and Artyom Pugachev. The original version of this article was prepared for the Belarus Project, a blog on Belarus run by Sciences Po students in Paris. Belarus is turning away from the Orthodox Church. That is what statistics presented last week by Lieanid Huliaka, the Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities suggests. Belarusian protestants are the most active churchgoers, while Orthodox Christians are the least active. Only state support allows the Orthodox Church to keep up the appearance that it dominates religious life in Belarus. According to the official statistics 59 percent of Belarusian citizens are Orthodox Christians, while just 12 percent are considered Catholics. But while only 18 percent of Orthodox believers attend mass regularly – every second Catholic does. Indeed, during Christmas 2011, only 254,000 Orthodox Christians attended mass, just 14,000 more than the total number of Catholics who attended. And despite state repression and restrictions, the Protestant communities remain vigorous and numerous in Belarus. Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants A closer look at churches and their communities also casts doubt on the future of Orthodox Christianity in Belarus. There are 1,567 Orthodox Christian communities registered in the country with 1,348 churches, says Huliaka. That does significantly outnumber the 479 communities and 465 churches of the Catholics. But Protestants have 1,025 communities. The leading Protestant denominations – Pentecostals and Baptists – together account for 798 communities. The independent strength of the Protestant communities is truly impressive. While Orthodox and Catholic parishes have support from state authorities, the Protestant communities have to fend for themselves – and even face persecution. In 2006, one Protestant community resorted to mass hunger strikes to defend their church against state confiscation. Young Protestants have been prosecuted for refusal to serve in the army – consciousness objectors demanded to enter social service instead of bearing arms. The state has gone so far as to break up small gatherings of Protestants reading Gospel and singing religious songs. In November 2009, a protestant in Mahilyou province was fined for holding a Thanksgiving Day celebration at his home. The following summer, officials broke up a gathering in a small village in Brest region. In both cases, the organisers had to pay fines for holding unauthorised religious services. The Russian Church in Belarus Today the Orthodox Church, also knows as the Russian Orthodox Church, has massive state support. But the numbers of Orthodox Church members are inflated by the state. To qualify as Orthodox, it is enough to declare one's Orthodox denomination on surveys. In 2008, President Lukashenka stated: 'The Belarusian state considers the Orthodox Church to be the main ideological force of the nation… We never separated ourselves from the church because the state and the church are committed to the same goals.' Nevertheless, the Orthodox Orthodox failed to become a truly national church in Belarus revival in the country. Orthodox institutions in Belarus are a part of the Russian Orthodox Church directed from Moscow. Over time, cooperation with the Belarusian state has brought many material benefits, but has also tarnished the Church's image. In the 1990s, for instance government allowed the Church to earn money through tobacco and alcohol trade. Current attempts to introduce Orthodox religious education into state schools could further undermine its positions. Lukashenka knows how to use Orthodox institutions to satisfy his own ends. As the scholar Valiancin Akudovich has stated: "The Russian Orthodox Church is Moscow's 'fifth column' in Belarus. … [Lukashenka] is constantly balancing his relations with the Russian Orthodox Church. If it displays too much initiative and independence, he 'disciplines' it, and when necessary, he earns political capital on it – both inside the country and in foreign relations.” Indeed, at times the state has lashed out against the Church. In 2007, the deputy head of the presidential administration Anatol Rubinau stated: “Strengthening the influence of the religion means at the same time weakening the influence of the state and state ideology.” Silent Success of the Catholic Church The Catholic Church in Belarus has been cautious in recent decades. It is aware that Moscow is sensitive about Catholic activities in areas that the Russian Orthodox Church considers its own. And yet, the Catholic Church has quietly expanded its influence, establishing parishes in some eastern regions of Belarus that had never witnessed a Catholic presence. An important ingredient of the Catholic Church's success was renouncing the old policy of sending Polish priests to propagate and maintain Catholicism in Belarus. Many in the Polish elite used Catholicism to assimilate Belarusians to Polish culture. Even now some Belarusians call Catholicism 'Polish religion.' However, today most of services in Belarusian Catholic Church are conducted in the Belarusian language. The Orthodox Church uses predominantly Russian. Lukashenka has been eager to work with the Catholic Church and even met with the Pope in Vatican in 2009. Last November, he expressed gratitude for the 'support which the Catholic Church gives us, in particular in the international arena' and added that 'we expect more of the Catholic Church and of the Pope personally to defend our interests, particularly in the West.' These developments reinforce the fact that the Belarusian regime has no serious religious preferences. As Catholic scholar Piotra Rudlouski has noted: 'A state established in the atheistic Soviet past is organically alien to the Church, and vice versa. Therefore, using the church can be only conditional and unsustainable.' A Nation Without Religion But in reality neither the Orthodox, nor the Catholic church exert any considerable impact on people's views. Belarusians generally are not religious. According to a 2009 Gallup survey, Belarus was one of the least religious nations in the world, with only 27 percent of respondents saying that religion played an important part in their everyday life. “I am Orthodox atheist,” summarised once credo of many the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenka. History made many Belarusians sceptical of organised religion. First of all, the country has always been far from global and regional religious centres. It is unclear whether Eastern or Western Christianity came first to Belarus in the 10th century, but Belarus suffered from their confrontation. However, the clash of faiths did not split Belarusians along religious lines – rather, it made them extremely flexible in their beliefs. Even great Belarusian statesmen switched faiths in their lifetime as they found suitable; Duke Vitaut, for example, reconverted between Paganism, Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism. Religion in Belarus is less important than even in neighbouring Russia or the Ukraine. While Ukrainians fill stadiums to hear sermons and clash with each other over religion, Belarusians show almost no interest. Adherence to the Orthodox Church is mostly declarative and could disappear once all denominations obtain equal treatment. Belarusians hardly allot any room for religion in politics either. Politicians have to be cautious about referring to religion. Only general adherence to Christianity is accepted – excessive talk of God are viewed with deep suspicion. Paval Sieviaryniec, the former leader of the Christian Democrats, once preached his religious ideas to some old ladies while serving his sentence in Eastern Belarus. They answered: 'Yes, we know there is God. But we do not believe in Him.'
Orthodox Church is Losing Belarus
