Review of Belarusian Culture: Literature (September-October '22)
REVIEW OF BELARUSIAN CULTURE: LITERATURE (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER '22)
REVIEW OF BELARUSIAN CULTURE: LITERATURE (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER '22)
REVIEW OF BELARUSIAN CULTURE: LITERATURE (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER '22)
REVIEW OF BELARUSIAN CULTURE: LITERATURE (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER '22)
REVIEW OF BELARUSIAN CULTURE: LITERATURE (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER '22)
REVIEW OF BELARUSIAN CULTURE: LITERATURE (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER '22)
REVIEW OF BELARUSIAN CULTURE: LITERATURE (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER '22)
REVIEW OF BELARUSIAN CULTURE: LITERATURE (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER '22)
REVIEW OF BELARUSIAN CULTURE: LITERATURE (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER '22)
REVIEW OF BELARUSIAN CULTURE: LITERATURE (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER '22)
Comeback: Belarusian literature in search of new identity
The Main Trends of the Season:
Comeback: Belarusian literature in search of new identity
The Main Trends of the Season:
“inside”
  • continuation of physical and symbolic purge of the literary sphere by security forces and ideologists;
  • shrinking of the literary life to the format of flat meetings and zoom conferences while public gatherings are criminalised;
  • vigorous activity of pro-government literary institutions to “turn over a new leaf”;
  • slow for now but steady reactivation of “great Russian culture” in Belarus amid Kremlin’s imperial rhetoric and Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine based on russification ideas;
  • “wallenrodism” - a strategy of collaboration with the regime to preserve national heritage.
“outside”
  • further increase in demand for literature in Belarusian as identity building material, establishment of new publishing houses;
  • consolidation of authors and their readers around new centres of book culture and literary events abroad;
  • increasing importance of pro-Belarusian educational components among "those who left".
The Map of Meanings
The Map of Meanings
The strategic task set before the authors of this review, first of all by themselves, is to comprehend the full range of events in national literature both in Belarus and abroad, giving the picture integrity, at least within the limits of expert analysis. The specified format requires accurate, clear, sharp and provocative evaluations with elements of hype and the ability to explain the essence of things to an audience far from the literary world. Therefore, the review of the autumn events in Belarusian literary life will begin with the situation in Belarus itself.

While outside the processes related to Belarusian writing and book publishing become stronger and more structured, forcing people to choose expressions and rent tuxedos and evening dresses, inside the freaking Armageddon continues, which does not spare emotions, epithets, or extreme metaphors.
Recording in Progress: rules of moving (forward)
Recording in Progress: rules of moving (forward)
The political and economic agenda has significantly worsened the situation of books and their authors in Belarus. The October 6 decree "on the inadmissibility of price increases" affected bookshops and publishing houses, as books were among the goods, the "incorrect" price of which could cause traders’ imprisonment. For some time, bookshops even refused to accept new books for sale.

At the same time, the June 22 decree came into effect, which enacted draconian measures regulating cultural space. The decree required organizers of events, including literary events, to register in the Ministry of Culture register and when planning an event, submit participants and scripts for approval and provide a free seat for a supervising official. But this new decree does not seem to apply to state institutions.

Some readings announced for September and November were cancelled after a phone call. Others were organized by certain companies on the condition that the organizers would not post announcements anywhere. Public readings are now no different from the good old “flat meetings”. In fact, all interactions between creative people inside the country came down to this format. Collecting general statistics or reviewing this activity even to keep it in a drawer for the time being is technically impossible today. Therefore, documenting these events privately (diary entries, photo-, audio- and video archives) is a good idea for winter evenings for "those who stayed". A relatively new and well-tested during the coronavirus option for literature is online: zoom parties, video lectures, video interviews and podcasts (all these are actively used, for example, by the Belarusian Collegium, as well as other communities or book bloggers who stay in Belarus). In November, the online School for Young Writers started. In a word, what was streamed remains.
Collaboration: Not Just Business
Collaboration: Not Just Business
The continuation of symbolic and physical purge of the literary sphere is a steady trend, or rather a flaming disaster of the season. In October, the books “Homeland” by Uładzimir Arłoŭ and Pavieł Tatarnikaŭ and “The Ballad of a Little Tugboat”, a Belarusian translation of a children’s poem by Joseph Brodsky, were deemed extremist. Both books, it seems, for white-red-white elements in the illustrations. Images of Natalla Arsieńnieva, Łarysa Hienijuš, the Łuckievič brothers and other Belarusian national heroes disappeared from the territory near Anatol Bieły’s private museum in Staryja Darohi after a call from a propagandist. Dismissals and contract terminations of "unreliable" employees in state cultural institutions do not stop. The Academy of Sciences, including its humanitarian institutes, was raided and searched in early November.

You will laugh through your tears, but there are still "meetings with the beautiful" on the scorched field. In October and November, creative meetings were held by Raisa Baravikova (in the “Book Club” - a new bookshop of the pro-government Union of Writers) and Taćciana Siviec (in Maksim Bahdanovič Literary Museum). Leanid Drańko-Majsiuk and Alena Brava were allowed into educational institutions. On September 29, an impressive circle of poets presented Belarusian translations of Chinese poetry in Maksim Bahdanovič Literary Museum. The above mentioned talented authors have demonstrated loyalty to the authorities in exchange for positions or access to the audience before. Now, with their delicate hand, “a new leaf is being turned over”. But a leaf written with lead ink is heavy. Therefore, it can be anticipated that the renewal of the social contract will soon be offered to a larger number of more or less talented creators.

In the structures that are gradually losing fans of the craft (what else can you call people who agree to work as hard as possible for such salaries?) among those who have not (yet) fallen victim to the "purges", the sentiments of “wallenrodism” are popular. The strategy of cooperation with enemy forces to save the homeland was described by Adam Mickievič in the poem "Konrad Wallenrod" as early as 1825 and for almost a century became a scenario of survival for the inhabitants of Lithuania, Poland and Belarus under the Russian rule. This tactic is being quickly recalled in Belarus now.

Today's "wallenrods" from culture set heroic goals for themselves: to preserve documents, archives and other material resources in Belarusian state institutions. And among other things, to organize at least some decent events in free venues (because there is a serious cultural hunger in the country). During the future blamestorming it will be very easy to confuse "wallenrods" with "collaborators". It appears the verdict in each case will be individual.

So, the word "collaboration", beloved by art managers, sparkled with long-forgotten colours when it became known about a new "Cultural Marathon" organized in schools in Minsk and funded by the Russian Federation. This long-standing trend in itself (the invasion of "Russian world" has never stopped in our country) is notable for the fact that the civil society finally saw a problem in it. But the most odious precedent of "collaboration" is, of course, the cultural and patriotic competition "First among equals", which the BSU Lyceum conducts together with the KGB. Among the six nominations there is also a literary one.

Under the pressure of all these circumstances, the academic emigration of Belarusian-centric humanitarians is getting new incentives. Even more so there is a place for good specialists.
The most important events “outside” this autumn
The most important events “outside” this autumn
From September 30 to October 2, the 10th International Congress of Belarusian Studies took place. Responding to the challenges of the times, the Congress updated its format, supplementing research cooperation with presentations of historical and fiction literature. In general, literary life outside the borders of Belarus is becoming noticeably academic, and topics connected with national and local history are becoming the most popular among those interested in books in Belarusian: "Coffee with a Historian" in Belarusian Youth Hub in Warsaw, Beer&History historical club in Bialystok. Another popular genre is children's literature. Belarusians of all generations study.

On October 7, along with Russian and Ukrainian human rights activists, publicist Aleś Bialacki, the imprisoned leader of the “Viasna” human rights centre, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. At the same time, it became known that the author's book was being prepared, the materials for which he managed to send from behind bars. The book is dedicated to the creation of Maksim Bahdanovič Literary Museum in the early 1990s and tells the story of how the employees of the Museum evolved into human rights activists. Someone had to document the protests of 1996, explains the author of the prison notes. And documenting and archiving is just the task for a museum worker.

As expected, the "Night of the Shot Poets" from October 29 to 30 became a significant date in the new Belarusian calendar. Actionism of Źmicier Daškievič (today he is a political prisoner behind bars), who since 2017 organized poetic and musical rallies in Kurapaty on October 29, and the 2017 multimedia project "(Not)shot" (“(Не)расстраляныя”) started the ritual five years ago.

Poetry readings, lectures, street actions were held in more than 20 countries: dozens of Belarusians abroad contributed to honouring the memory of the repressed Belarusian artists.
Modern writers in exile, who took on the mission of being educational mediums, organized and hosted many events of the "Night of the Shot Poets". Literary bloggers and social activists dedicated social media posts to victims of repressions, often using the date as an opportunity to mention how Stalin's terror affected their own family.

At the same time, the formation of a new Belarusian literary canon can be observed. It is noteworthy that out of more than 100 intellectuals who were killed, just the poets became the icons (in the "(Not)shot" project, sacredness is reflected in the number of figures: 12 of them), which once again testifies to the great weight of the poetic word in Belarusian society. It is obvious that Belarusians around the world draw unequivocal parallels between 1937 and current events in their homeland.

And another thing. Without exception, all of the listed "outside" events took place with the active participation of artists from the "inside", regardless of technical obstacles (for example, Lithuania refused to issue visas to the participants of the Congress of Belarusian Studies from Belarus). So the unity of our cultural field, at least in literature, is preserved, despite everything, and this is a noteworthy fact.
Conclusions and Predictions
Conclusions and Predictions
  • The rapid growth of Belarusian literary initiatives abroad risks to reach the glass ceiling soon, because writing and book publishing are subsidised crafts and it is difficult to achieve self-sufficiency. At the same time, it is clear that European funds do not see the support of Belarusian book publishing as a priority, and state resources are surely and perhaps for a long time unavailable to independent projects. A renaissance is impossible without the understanding that investing in Belarusian culture is the matter for Belarusians themselves to ensure a free and secure future.
  • A clear public demand for the creation of a Belarusian national university in exile can be noted (despite the addition of subjects in Belarusian in the new semester, EHU in Vilnius is not perceived as such). The hope is that the demand will finally create its own supply.
  • Existential suspense reigns inside Belarus. For literature and writers, there are preconditions for the repetition of virtually every negative scenario of the last century: bullying, physical oppression, marginalisation with the help of the Russian bayonet, the Russian church, the Russian school with the active participation of the new Mikita Znosaks (a negative character from Janka Kupała’s play “Tutejšyja” who could easily adapt to any new regime). But in fact, in all the public literary formats allowed today, there is sincerity, secret mutual support and Aesopian language, which cannot but instil hope.