“Why I don’t want to speak Belarusian.” Dialogue about fashion and vulgar excesses

There are two official languages ​​in our country. Russian is used by the majority. Belarusian is less in demand for a long series of reasons: I 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 of imposition. The musician believes that the current propagandists of the “Mova” are acting incorrectly, forming a persistent hostility towards the Belarusian language. The next issue of Friday's Neformat talks about the substitution of concepts and the need to follow the example of the Ukrainians.

Who is this?

This is a Minsk resident who grew up in a Russian-speaking environment. Now Philip is a member of the well-known Belarusian group Drum Ecstasy. In his spare time from music, he works in advertising. If we assume that the majority of the Belarusian intelligentsia lives on Facebook, two years ago Chmyr provoked its angry seething with one short post. The text was literally as follows: Kilometers of fire-breathing comments quickly grew under him. 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 he was one of the best in the class in this regard. True, I spoke French just as well at school.

You see, I’m a Minsk resident, I’ve been active since the seventies. And no one here spoke Belarusian. Even both school teachers of this language communicated with each other in Russian. I spent the summer at writers' dachas, where I talked with the grandchildren of writers. And their grandfathers only spoke Belarusian to each other, and Russian to us. Apparently, they just wanted to clearly convey the information that you can’t take apples [smiles].

- What did you have in your Belarusian certificate?

On the final exam - five. True, the current Belarusian language is not at all similar to the one we studied at school. In this regard, it is very difficult for me. Look: there was always Chyrvonazornaya Street, but suddenly it became Chyrvonazorkavaya. What the hell, you ask? Or it was always “Don’t be lazy,” when suddenly it became “Don’t be lazy.” Newspeak. It seems to me that some words are frankly pulled from dialects. Even my “Belarusian” friends say that newspeak has gone overboard.

Now the guys promoting the “language” are divided and are deciding how to speak to them correctly. Listen, in order for me to start learning the language, decide among yourselves what exactly I should study. And then maybe I’ll take up this issue. In the meantime, resolve your internal affairs.

- The year before last you wrote on your Facebook: “I hate the Belarusian language, like everything that is imposed on me.”

I spent several hours painstakingly selecting the wording to avoid any confusion. My goal was friends, among whom there are many fans and promoters of the Belarusian language. I wanted to hook these guys and show that the methods they are trying to promote “mov” will lead nowhere.

Let's take the introduction of compulsory religious education in Russia as an example. Many people are very worried about this. And I say that this is just wonderful. The effect that compulsory communist education had in Soviet schools is difficult to overestimate. People who studied Marxism-Leninism received a powerful inoculation and no longer fall into this nonsense. We will never revive any Stalinist moments.

So you can be completely calm about religious education. Marilyn Manson, by the way, studied at a Catholic school. If at a certain point you make something mandatory - say, religious education - you will receive persistent (especially if we are talking about the period of 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 Poznyakiv Belarusianization. So my message is very simple: if you force anything, you will get hate back.

- What exactly bothers you?

I don't like commitment. The country where I live has two official languages. This means I can choose the one that is convenient for me.

There is a global circus that works very well in the art community. Look. All art directors, artists and the majority of curators are Russian-speaking. They write a description of the project in Russian. Then professional translators translate all this into English and Belarusian. The Russian version is hidden. I come and start asking: “Guys, I know you wrote the summary in Russian. Give it to me, please." But I don't get anything. This is what causes a negative reaction.

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 are Russian-speaking visitors. An order is in progress. Visitors among themselves: "Would you like some coffee?" - "Will". - “Dzve kava, kali laska.” Bartenders among themselves: "Of good". - “Make some coffee, please.” This circus does not popularize the language.

After the publication of my post about the Belarusian language, some businessmen I knew struck a pose: "Ah well! Then we will speak to you only in Belarusian.” What followed was a Belarusian text, as it seemed to them. Then I answered: “Guys, I can speak this Belarusian too. Even better. Please don’t embarrass yourself.” First, take a course, 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 are in vogue for the Belarusian language. This is good. Interest groups must exist. Just don't force me. I don't want. I am simply defending my right to call the Russian language “matchynay movai”. It’s very simple: “Matchyna Mova” is not necessarily the Belarusian language, it’s the language your mother speaks.

There is no need for this substitution of concepts. Because there is already so much of this.

Let's say we had a population census. And then the intelligentsia staged a campaign: they say, write on the forms that your language is Belarusian. People don’t speak Belarusian every day, but they wrote that they do. And now they refer to that data. But this is falsification, fake. I do not like it.

- How many people around you constantly use the Belarusian language?

One is Lyavon 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 the uproar arose over my position on language, the only person who began to switch to Russian in communication with me was Volsky. Lyavon is an intelligent person. And for others, rejection of my position is a posture. Well, the pose is just that.

- What was the most radical reaction to that speech of yours?

There were calls, there were messages, there was rudeness, there were threats. I took screenshots and keep them. I can lay out everything. In general, I like to “screenshot”; I have a large collection. Still, I often call the police about illegal parking, smoking in public places, and fights. This is my civic position. That's why I record everything.

They wrote to me something like “If you speak Russian, go to Russia.” But this is ordinary fascism. If a person does not speak Belarusian, one cannot conclude that he does not love his homeland. Substitution of concepts again. I love my homeland. I'm putting things in order here. Here I call the police, force students to throw cigarette butts in the trash, take them out, extinguish them if the bulls are not extinguished, and throw them away again. Loving your homeland means, at a minimum, not trashing where you live. We all like to refer to good Germany. And Germany is an 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 from any attacks regarding the Russian language. But they exist.

And again: I am not against the popularization of the language, but it is being carried out incorrectly.

- How will be correct?

If you make a truly fantastic movie, the Russians will immediately translate it, and the Swedes will immediately caption it. The majority of 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 really deserve interest outside the republic, the same thing will happen. They will be translated into Russian. Because nearby there is a giant country with a powerful language.

That is, “Belaruskamoўnae asyarodze” decides which Belarusian language in our country is the most Belarusian, and then begins to record songs?

Certainly. After this, the language can become fashionable. If young people are interested in the language, we need to support it. But don't force it. The main thing is to respect each other and not force anything on anyone.

- Any fashion has its vulgar excesses...

Everything that is happening now is a vulgar overkill. 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 there in Russian. Why? Because there are a lot of Russian tourists and because we need to earn money.

I have purely professional complaints, for example, about the Adnak festival. I call it "Give the s--- one more chance." Why make a special festival limited to language? This is an ugliness from a professional point of view. And the task of advertising is to sell and make information convenient in order to capture a person.

It's good when language is used to the point. Here is the Khatni kvass. Everything is clear: this is our kvass, Belarusian. Product identification occurs through language. This is awesome. This is a cool tool. And advertising, for example, Samsung in Belarusian is absolutely incomprehensible to me. It turns out that we are limiting 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 about 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’re offering me.

- Is the situation in which in ten years this interview will be done in Belarusian realistic?

From my side - no. Just because I'm lazy. This interview could have taken place in Belarusian in 1993. In 1989 we could have spoken French. But not anymore [smiles].

How do our youth feel about their native language and why don’t they speak it?

February 21 is International Mother Language Day. For Belarus, this is a rather “sick” holiday, because only a few people speak the country’s native language. Therefore, it is, alas, impossible to say that Blue-Eyed has two official languages: reality shows the opposite.

I speak...

I speak only Russian, because everyone in my family speaks Russian, and Belarusian is not used in any areas of my life.

Often afterThat's itI pray in Russian language,where am Iyeah I've already heard iti s samaga dyavalues. Matzi, granny, sister,Other relatives- he cleared everything upі pa-rusku. And anyў yes Belarusian language'I'm inIlasyaWell doneuzrosce. I love BelarusianI do it very often, yesIvaIt's late hour. Yesand BelarusianŞykh syabrI don't have it. Who knows, maybe fecesi-nebudz zusI’ll switch to the language.

RI am sorry for the Belarusian woman, because I feel the internal support. Kali went to the language, then adchula, INTOgrown upconflict is lost.

AND

I speak Russian, because... my close circle (relatives, friends) speak Russian. He studied at a Russian-language school.

I speak Russian. But if the situation requires it, I communicate freely in Belarusian.

We grow up in a Russian-speaking environment and absorb what our family and society give us. My family is Russian-speaking, and so is society. My school teacher instilled in me an interest in literature and culture. Thanks to her, I changed my attitude towards the Belarusian language, became more interested in Belarusian culture, and when the time came to enter the university, the choice fell on the Belarusian department of the Faculty of Philology (at the time of admission this was especially interesting for me).

I speak Russian, because the school was Russian-language, the kindergarten too, my parents speak Russian, everyone I know. I only know a couple of people who speak Belarusian... I respect it, it’s a beautiful language, but, alas, I don’t speak it fluently myself.

I speak exclusively Russian, since my parents speak Russian, the school is Russian-speaking, and those around me speak Russian. It’s so common to communicate.

I immediately pray to the Belarusian language, but I will turn off the racial language. Let’s turn to Belarusian, because at some point I understand that I’m begging like a stranger. Don’t pavazhyuchy, pavazhyuchy yourself.

As we see, the reason why young boys and girls choose the Russian language to communicate is... its dominance. Family, school - everywhere the language of Pushkin and Dostoevsky sounds predominantly, leaving the language of Kupala and Karatkevich an “honorable” second place.

I would like to pay special attention to the school, where minimal linguistic equality should reign. Moreover, it recently became known that. Do young people think that our educational institutions pay equal attention to learning both languages?

Elizaveta, university student (18 years old)

Everything is taught the same way, but I was lucky with the Belarusian language: the classes were informative, rich and interesting, which helped me pass the CT in Belarusian above 90 points. I cannot say the same about teaching the Russian language.

Ekaterina, aspiring journalist (20 years old)

I'm glad it's adolcava. At my school I learned a lot of skills (Russian language and literature) in Belarusian language.

Nadine, aspiring journalist (20 years old)

Peravaga, of course, addaezza ruskai. I fly with the utmost knowledge of the accounting and technical skills of the Belarusian language.

ANDGor, wood carving master (27 years old)

Yes, basic knowledge is provided in the same amount.

Anna, Belarusian language teacher (27 years old)

I will give only one example (in my opinion, the most significant) from my school practice. One day, after teaching a lesson on the Belarusian language, 5th grade students came up to me with the words: “You know, we didn’t even think that the Belarusian language is so sweet and jumpy, that it’s not a kalkhoz language” - “You didn’t know this at the pachatkova school.” ? - “And in the pachat school, instead of Belarusian language and reading, we had classy gadgets.”

Veronica, housewife (27 years old)

Definitely not the same. The Russian language is given preference in school. All subjects were in Russian, except for the history of Belarus. The situation simply needs to be corrected!

Daria, artist-craftsman (26 years old)

No, more attention is paid to Russian. Almost all subjects were taught in Russian, the teachers were all Russian-speaking. I heard Belarusian only in Belarusian lessons.

Mikhail, programmer (23 years old)

Of course, the situation in educational settings is not normal. Both the school and the university are of paramount importance. Tamu chakats, shto moladz raptam, there is no need to make a conspiracy in Belarus – this is an illusion.

If you look at the situation objectively, then the school does not contribute to the introduction of the Belarusian language into the student’s everyday life. Yes, knowledge is laid down, but this is clearly not enough for it to sound loudly on the street.

Here is an example of what happens to the knowledge of the Belarusian language in a person who studied it at school at the level that it is now.

One instead of two

However, blaming educational institutions alone for the fact that Belarusians do not speak Belarusian is stupid. The problem originates much higher - already at least at the stage when the Russian language received equal rights with the Belarusian language.

What if the situation is changed and priority is given to the native language - making Belarusian the only state language?

Elizaveta, university student (18 years old)

I feel bad about this. Let the choice be everyone's! I morally support the Belarusian-speaking population of the country, but with the Russian language there are more opportunities.

Ekaterina, aspiring journalist (20 years old)

Fecesand it’s still like thatAnd if you become more tortured, then I am for Belmova!

Nadine, aspiring journalist (20 years old)

I'm trying to understandsuch a change, kali getathousands of movs.

ANDGor, wood carving master (27 years old)

The state language should be Belarusian. But there is no need to cancel Russian. If we leave one language, I think it will not be entirely correct. Belarusian and Russian nationalities are strongly intertwined and their roots go deep into the past. I believe that both languages ​​have the right to exist in our country.

Anna, Belarusian language teacher (27 years old)

I am not against Belarusian being the only language in the country. But adequately assessing the situation, I understand that this is a utopia.

Veronica, housewife (27 years old)

Ooh, difficult question... I’m probably against one state language, since every person should have a choice. I like that in our country we have the opportunity to express our thoughts in two languages.

Daria, artist-craftsman (26 years old)

I’m against this because I’m used to speaking Russian. My whole family is Russian speaking.

Mikhail, programmer (23 years old)

Of course, I am for the fact that the Belarusian language has become dzyarzhain! Let's solve a lot of problems! What I mean is that the Russian population will have a hard time...

Every year, February 21 makes us think about the “Shakespearean” question: to speak or not to speak? However, already on the 22nd we all begin to prepare for the men's holiday - - and forget about the language problem. On February 24, the turmoil about the upcoming first day of spring begins, and so on ad infinitum...

“If you want to change the world, start with yourself.” A good aphorism that every citizen of Belarus who is concerned about the language situation in the country can take as a guide to action. However, if this idea had appeared among the people who are at the helm and have much more opportunities to speed up the solution to the problem, then already on the next holiday of our native language we would not be ashamed of the fact that we cannot speak.

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” is the diagnosis that the language of the indigenous population of Belarus received from UNESCO, which was even indicated on a symbolic map called “World languages ​​in danger.”

Why is he disappearing? The answer is simple: it is almost never used in everyday communication. A small proportion of the intelligentsia, part of the conscious youth and the elderly are the main 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. For this purpose, about 300 students from leading universities in the country were interviewed (some were interviewed in person, others responded on Twitter and other social networks).

The editors have selected the 50 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 precisely these answers that best reflect the “achievements” of the authorities in the development of linguistic culture and national consciousness.

We offer 50 possible answers to the question “Why don’t you speak Belarusian?”:

1). I don't know the language at all.

2). They didn’t teach me from childhood.

3). Nobody speaks Belarusian to me, so I do the same.

4). I don’t know it well enough to be able to express myself easily in it.

5). I don't have time to study it.

6). I spend a lot of time outside Belarus. Language is simply not needed.

7). If I start talking, they won’t understand me at work.

8). 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.

10). I don’t fully feel like a Belarusian as a representative of the nation.

eleven). My parents never insisted that I take language seriously.

12). Do not know much. I'm a perfectionist. Either I do it perfectly or I don’t do it at all.

13). I have basic knowledge, I can even carry on a conversation. But somehow it’s easier for me to communicate in English.

14). This is neither necessary nor meaningful.

15). This language is more suitable for grandparents, but not for young people.

16). No patriotism.

17). A system of communication in Russian or English has long been established, no matter whether it is a store or an office.

18). I like the language, but it is not leading (acting or living) for me.

19). I like Russian better.

20). He was allowed to skip school.

21). I'm afraid they'll put me in jail.

22). I don't like the sounds "g" and "ch".

23). I entered medical school and stopped.

24). I'm waiting for Apple to release iOS in Belarusian.

25). I'm embarrassed.

26). I talked for about 2 months. Tired of it. Hard.

27). My parents won’t understand me if I suddenly start speaking Belarusian. They have raised me in Russian all my life, but here I am “in Russian.”

28). As soon as we join the EU, it will happen immediately.

29). Today this is the language of the opposition. If you speak Belarusian, it means you are going against the system.

thirty). It’s enough for me even on the subway.

31). There is little modern literature; there is nowhere to get knowledge from.

32). Don't know! I envy Ukrainians a little. Austria-Hungary helped them, that’s what they still say in the West. And everything has been erased from us long ago.

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 as a language, but I don’t know any other way.

39). “Belarusian Language” is a Polish anti-Russian project. He has little more than nothing to do with the Belarusian people.

40). It’s difficult to speak Belarusian when everything around you is in Russian.

41). Because there is simply no one to go with.

42). I often use obscene language, but it doesn’t exist in Belarusian. Seriously, I just don't know.

43).It is difficult to speak your native language as its usage is minimal and some people look at you as if you are an alien.

44). To my shame, I can’t do it normally. I think in Russian.

45). I don’t know it well, and speaking half-Russian and half-Belarusian is not entirely decent.

46). It’s difficult to stand out and there’s 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 closer.

48). We have been virtually part of the Russian Empire for 300 years. How can one speak Belarusian in such a situation?

49). It's more comfortable for me.

50). Does anyone need this?

As they say, draw your own conclusions.

According to UNESCO, the Belarusian language is in a catastrophic state. “Potentially endangered,” was the diagnosis given to the language of the country’s indigenous population, which was even indicated on a symbolic map called “World languages ​​in danger.” Why is he disappearing? The answer is simple: it is almost never used in everyday communication. A small proportion of the intelligentsia, part of the conscious youth and the elderly are the main speakers of the language, which was used by millions 50 years ago.

“Nasha Niva” counted five dozen reasons why today’s youth do not want to speak Belarusian. To do this, we surveyed about 300 students from the country’s main universities ( Some were talked to in person, others responded on Twitter and other social networks).

We have selected the 50 most interesting answers: some of them are quite reasonable, others are primitive but sincere, some are obscure and even offensive. But it is precisely these answers that best reflect the “achievements” of the authorities in the development of linguistic culture and national consciousness.

In this material you will not find explanations - only 50 answers to the question “Why don’t you speak Belarusian?” Draw your own conclusions.

1). I don’t know Belarusian at all.

2). They haven't taught me this since childhood.

3). Nobody speaks Belarusian to me, so I do the same.

4). I don’t know enough to be able to express myself easily in it.

5). There is not enough time to study it.

6). I spend a lot of time outside Belarus. The Belarusian language is simply not needed.

7). If I start talking, they won’t understand me at work.

8). 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 is unenviable to appear the same in the eyes of society.

10). I don’t fully feel like a Belarusian as a representative of the nation.

eleven). My parents never insisted that I take the Belarusian language seriously.

12). Do not know much. I'm a perfectionist. Either I do it perfectly or I don’t do it at all.

13). I have basic knowledge, I can even carry on a conversation. But somehow it’s easier for me to communicate in English.

14). This is neither necessary nor meaningful.

15). This language is more suitable for grandparents, but not for young people.

16). No patriotism.

17). A system of communication in Russian or English has long been established, no matter whether it is a store or an office.

18). I like the Belarusian language, but it is not the leading language for me (active or living).

19). I like Russian better.

20). He was allowed to skip school.

21). I'm afraid they'll put me in jail.

22). I don't like the sounds "g" and "ch".

23). I entered medical school and stopped.

24). I'm waiting for Apple to release iOS in Belarusian.

25). I'm embarrassed.

26). I talked for about 2 months. Tired of it. Hard.

27). My parents won’t understand me if I suddenly start speaking Belarusian. They have raised me in Russian all my life, but here I am “in Russian.”

28). As soon as we join the EU, it will happen immediately.

29). Today this is the language of the opposition. If you speak Belarusian, it means you are going against the system.

thirty). It’s enough for me even on the subway.

31). There is little modern literature; there is nowhere to get knowledge from.

32). Don't know! I envy Ukrainians a little. Austria-Hungary helped them, that’s what they still say in the West. And everything has been erased from us long ago.

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 as a language, but I don’t know any other way.

39). “Belarusian Language” is a Polish anti-Russian project. He has little more than nothing to do with the Belarusian people.

40). It’s difficult to speak Belarusian when everything around you is in Russian.

41). Because it’s not easy with anyone.

42). I often use obscene language, but it doesn’t exist in Belarusian. Seriously, I just don't know.

43).It is difficult to speak your native language, since its use is minimal, and some people look at you as if you were an alien.

44). To my shame, I can’t do it normally. I think in Russian.

45). I don’t know it well, and speaking half-Russian and half-Belarusian is not entirely decent.

46). I don’t want to stand out, and I don’t have enough 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 closer.

48). We have been virtually part of the Russian Empire for 300 years. How can one speak Belarusian in such a situation?

49). It's more comfortable for me.

50). Does anyone need this?

Leave your comment. Let's formulate 50 ways to bring life back to the Belarusian language!

There was a time when our Riga made the same impression on tourists. “Why is nothing written in Russian anywhere - anyway, there is Russian speech all around, and they will answer your question in Russian?” After all, even the menus of restaurants popular among tourists were written only and exclusively in Latvian.

And local residents had to explain to guests about our national characteristics - about the law on the state language and cautious entrepreneurs, and so on, so on...

Now we have these difficulties with translation and excesses, it seems, for the most part, already behind us - graduates of our Russian schools have begun to speak Latvian en masse, regardless of nationality. And foreigners in Riga's bars and restaurants are no longer completely horrified by the Latvian language: the restaurant and hotel business in Latvia has grown to the point of respecting the client, communicating in a language he understands.

In Belarus everything is different. There are officially two official languages ​​here - Belarusian and Russian. Moreover

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 referendum participants 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 in Belarus consider themselves Russian, but two-thirds of residents who speak the Belarusian language choose Russian in the family and in everyday communication. And only 6 percent of Belarusians constantly use the Belarusian language. However, sociological studies and census data provide different figures. But on the streets of Vitebsk, for example, the predominance of Russians immediately catches the eye of visitors.

Experts believe that the language situation in Belarus today resembles that in Ireland.

The country has long been free from political dependence on Great Britain, but English clearly dominates here. And Irish, although considered the state language, is supported only by the efforts of the national intelligentsia.

Lost in translation

In my presence, one of my colleagues asked a Belarusian philology student: does anyone here even speak Belarusian?

Yes, it turns out, say writers, journalists, and representatives of nationally oriented intelligentsia. In rural areas, many people speak, but hardly pure Belarusian.

Rather - depending on the geography of the region - on a local mixture of Belarusian in Russian, Ukrainian or Polish.

And if it’s so easy to address a person on the street in Belarusian, then what? Most likely 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 the weekend, I got into a conversation with a local resident, Ivan. Including about the Belarusian language.

Ivan also tells me that sometimes people reproach him because he is a Belarusian, but for some reason he speaks Russian.

But what good is it for him, when offering a product, to talk to a person in a language that he does not understand at all?..

After all, there are city residents and a lot of tourists on the pedestrian walk. And the Russian language is equally understandable to everyone. My interlocutor’s native language is Belarusian, and in most life situations he speaks Russian. Which is fully confirmed by the statistics.

...and the joy of recognition

By the way, Latvian and Lithuanian speech is also often heard in Vitebsk. In any case, during the three days in the city I happened to meet my compatriots more than once. Vitebsk is still geographically very close to Latvia - it is only 230 km from our Kraslava, and even less from the border.

Cross-border cooperation between Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus is developing, and the Vitebsk region is geographically included in such programs.

The Belarusian holiday Kupala is like our Ligo. Photo: Vasily Fedosenko, Reuters/Scanpix

Latgale and the Vitebsk region have especially much in common.

There are family and friendly ties, the habit of visiting each other or shopping with neighbors is still preserved, and the price difference is large.

Just look at how many cars with Belarusian license plates are parked at the Daugavpils shopping center on weekends! By the way, we were in Vitebsk precisely in those days when journalists writing about tourism from Belarus were visiting Latvia, including Kuldiga and Riga.

Take a look at the Vizit Jurmala Facebook page to see how much fun Belarusians have while learning Latvian on this trip: and the vocabulary is completely different from what they teach at school, but the most suitable for strengthening friendship and cooperation!

Language as a national color

In Vitebsk I met people in national “embroidered shirts” - just on the street, in a crowd of passers-by. Occasionally, but we met. But basically the impression was that the bright signs of Belarusian identity were relegated to the region national color, the kind that is shown mainly at patriotic holidays and to foreign tourists.

We heard the same beautiful Belarusian language - in lively and figurative speech and in song - only once, and in the museum. Thanks to Raisa Gribovich, actress of the Vitebsk National Academic Drama Theater named after Yakub Kolas!

How deliciously she speaks and sings beautifully!

Raisa Gribovich, actress of the National Academic Drama Theater named after Yakub Kolas. Photo: Tatyana Odynya/Russian TVNET

We were lucky enough to listen to her by pure chance. Some important Chinese guests were expected at Repin's Zdravnevo estate near Vitebsk. And while they were driving, Raisa Stepanovna sang wonderfully from the bottom of her heart to the participants of the Vitebsk festival “FotoKrok”.

“Vitebsk residents” or “Vitebsk residents”?

Residents of the city have another linguistic and principled dispute: what should they properly call themselves?

In Minsk, the townspeople are Minsk residents, in Moscow - Muscovites, and in the city of Vitebsk - who?..

There are two variants practiced in colloquial speech - Vitebsk residents and Vitebsk residents. Moreover, both are considered self-determinations to be practically equal. Those who come from several generations of hereditary townspeople are in favor of the “Vitebsk people”.

And they tell, by the way, the following story. When the city of Vitebsk - still under Soviet rule - was preparing to solemnly celebrate its 1000th anniversary, chaste party members considered this very indecent in the “Vitebsk people” fucking"... And they began to intensively introduce the new “Vitebsk residents” into the minds and speech of Vitebsk residents...

So the old-timers consider one of the names to be imposed by philologists-ideologists at the behest of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus. Maybe this is true, or maybe it’s fiction, no one can say for sure.

Embroidered shirts, Belarusian character and memory of the war

Belarus, having declared its independence, clearly did not take 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, today individual actions to promote signs and symbols of national identity to the masses. And they enjoy government support.

There are also attractive promotions among them. For example,

This year, kids born on the eve of Independence Day were given gifts with the meaning: “Padary nemaulatsi vyshyvanka” - this is the name of the recent action in Belarusian.

Starting from June 15, newborns received embroidered vests with traditional Belarusian patterns.

Many signs play the role of a talisman, so miracle clothes were given to parents in different regions of the country for children.

But for people it is rather exotic.

Historical memory is another matter, the memory of a long-standing war, sacred for Belarusians - without it it is impossible to imagine the Belarusian character today.

When you admire the modern city of Vitebsk, you can’t even imagine that after its liberation by Soviet troops there was no city in this place... Of the 180 thousand people of its pre-war population, only 118 people remained. More than 90 percent of the housing stock was destroyed...

It is said that the American allies sent a commission to assess the damage. And, having visited the ruins of Vitebsk, they said: this city is dead, they say, 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 townspeople, including very young, then you understand something important, real, important about the city and its citizens.

Memorial in honor of Soviet soldiers, partisans and underground fighters of the Vitebsk region. Photo: Flickr/tjabeljan

“And be sure to go to the “Three Bayonets”!..” My friend Ivan, an artist from the Vitebsk pedestrian street, a young bartender and many other people have been advising for three days that you should definitely see in Vitebsk

. “Three Bayonets” is a memorial complex in honor of Soviet soldiers, partisans and underground fighters of the Vitebsk region, built in Soviet times, and now replenished with old military equipment and turned into an open-air park museum.

Late Sunday evening is not the best time to visit such places. But, as soon as you climb the stairs with the embankment crowded with beer rows, you see: there are people here even at night.

A late family with children, illuminating the military equipment with a flashlight, inspects the park... Teenagers with bicycles stand for a long time at the eternal flame. Young guys wander around, have serious conversations...

This is such a strange city - Vitebsk.