Soft Belarusization: (Re)building of Identity or “Border Reinforcement”?
Soft Belarusization: (Re)building of Identity or “Border Reinforcement”?
Author(s): Ivan PosokhinSubject(s): Political history, Eastern Slavic Languages, Government/Political systems, Nationalism Studies, Politics of History/Memory, Politics and Identity
Published by: Instytut Slawistyki Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: Belarus; soft Belarusization; identity; boundaries; discourse;
Summary/Abstract: The paper focuses on shifts in official discourse in Belarus since 2014, after the Ukrainian events, that are labelled “soft Belarusization”. This new approach can be interpreted as an attempt to support nationally oriented identity practices and as an attempt to establish more visible political and cultural boundaries between Belarus and the “Russian world”. Firstly, this paper elaborates on the specifics of Belarusian identity and presents the historical and political background of the ongoing events. Secondly, several manifestations of soft Belarusization processes are analysed, such as changes in Belarusian authorities’ rhetoric, their changing attitude towards the Belarusian language and unofficial state symbols and previously officially disregarded historical events and personalities, steps towards the creation of new symbols, and new relationships between official and “alternative” discourses.
Journal: Colloquia Humanistica
- Issue Year: 2019
- Issue No: 8
- Page Range: 57-78
- Page Count: 22
- Language: English