Belarus, nationalism in creation - synopsis of a fieldwork study |
This paper is the
work of students, not an authoritative scientific account.
It is an exercise, in which the students were to choose a group of people or an
organization in East / Central Europe and imagine that they were planning to do
anthropological fieldwork in that group/organization. The paper is an exercise
in creating a synopsis (research plan) for this fieldwork. The paper is NOT: (a)
a finished synopsis, which has been approved by our institute, and it is NOT (b)
the intention that this fieldwork will ever be carried out. All synopses are
based on publically available documents (mostly from the Internet), and (in some
cases) on one or two emails received from members of the group/organization (the
latter information has been used with the permission of the author).
<< Due to Danish privacy regulations, names and emails of participants have been deleted. >>
1.Introduction
2. Western and eastern nationalism, definition problem
3. Statement of problem
4. Research questions
5. Background: History of Belarus
6. Two towns - short history and description
7. Literature background
8. Analytical dimension
9. Methods
10. Practical things
11. Ethics
12. Bibliography
Annex 1 - Time plan
Nationalist phenomena, includes the growth of nations and the national state, as well as ethnic identity and community, is vast and ramified. It spills over into any number of cognate subjects: race and racisms, fascism, language development,, political religion, communalism, ethnic conflict, international law, protectionism, minorities, gender, immigration, genocide. The forms that nationalism takes have been kaleidoscopic: religious, conservative, liberal, fascist, communist, cultural, political, protectionist, integrationist, separatist, irredentist, diaspora, pan, etc. [Hutchinson, Smith, 1994]
So, nationalism is indisputably one of the today's most important issues, one of the most modern powerful forces. Especially in the 20th century we can observe it's flourishing an expansion in many various ways (e.g. post colonial one 1960, or 1991 after the collapse of The Soviet Union). Hence, nationalism can be understand in many different ways and senses. It exist in every part of the world but it express different ideas, movements, acts, manifestations, because of the political, historical, psychological etc. context. So for each group, state, minority it has another meaning, although, surely it, as well, consist of the same ideas.
After the collapse of The Soviet Union in 1991, on the world's scene appeared new states, therefore new quality of nationalism. In the Eastern Europe, among many countries, appeared Belarus with it's 10,3 million inhabitants. It was the first time in the history that they were given state and sovereignty.
We choose to study nationalism in Belarus because it is being constructed just every day more and more. During the historical and cultural development the national identity and Belarus language had been lost and now the elite (intellectual leaders(1) ) are trying to revive it. Thus, the case of Belarus is specific and complicated and extremely interesting to do research on.
We are three students, two of anthropology one from Belgium ( Free University of Brussels), and from Poland ( Warsaw University) and one history student from Vilnius University in Lithuania (for practical aspects we would like to underline that the point 5. is mostly written by the student from Vilnius )(2).
It is important to distinguish between two categories of nations and in order to that two categories of nationalism. There are nations, we call them 'old', which acquired national identity and national consciousness before the formulation of the doctrine of nationalism(3). And generally the 'new' ones for whom these two processes developed or in the case of Belarus is developing simultaneously. There are much differences in the way both have been established and used. In the term of Western and Eastern nationalism - western one is a representative of voluntaristic type of nationalism, which regarded nation as a rational association of common laws in a given territory, and was the product of aspirant middle class. By contrast in Central and Eastern Europe, that was an organic, mystical and often authoritarian form of nationalism which emerged, in the absence of a middle class, and was forged and led by intellectuals(4).
As there has been not existing exact definition and description of belarusan nationalism, we would like to give a little overview and specification over what we studied and experienced about it. The rest is obviously waiting for to be discovered. In the terms of previous literature; nationalism in Belarus is in a way positive force in creation of national identity, which is as we already said generally very weak. It's a movement which tries to revive national belarusan culture as well as language. It tries to evoke in people's mind national identity. And last but not least the whole movement is deeply rooted in opposition to the polity led by Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The concept and the ideas of nationalism in Belarus are still in creation. We would like to observe the 'guts' and the 'pillows' of the whole 'construction', which now is being built by the individual people and particular groups.
Then we would like to observe in two belarusan town Lida and Polacak, nationalistic movement, aiming to have deep and different perspective. We would like to investigate the members of nationalistic organizations in order to learn about how the national ideology is being created. Who are the people who express the national ideology, in what way they're doing that. We choose two cities, hence, we expect to observe similarities and differences in the works of different national organizations, situated in different belarusan regions. We would like also to introduce two points of view on the subject. From the individual perspective - what are the motivations of the individual people for joining and working in nationalistic organization. And from the collective perspective - what is the formal ideology on whole nationalistic movement.
The case of Belarus nationalism is extremely interesting for us, as the country have very long history. But somehow as the past time and People living in todays Belarus was under constant of different countries rule, most of them lost their national identity, the lost the language.
1. What are the elements which create the nationalistic feeling for the individuals? What motivates the people to struggle for their nationalistic ideas in every day life?
Nationalism has many components who create it as a ideology but there are individuals who in fact make it real and put it into action . So we would like to reach the perspective of the individual over the national ideology. To discover the personal dimension of feelings and attachment towards the national idea. What are the values to which they contribute, through the history of their lives, and work they do, in order to support nationalistic movement. We will try to discover if any of the theoretical approach influenced their actions and feelings.
2. How nationalists understand and explain existence of belarussian nation?
We would like to find out how nationalists can explain that they are living in an "imagined community". As there are not many expressions of national identity among all Belarusan; like language, national monument, national symbols etc.
3.Observation of expression of the nationalism in Polacak and Lida. What are differences and similarities?
We will try to give a deep description of the 'situation' of the nationalistic movement in Lida and Polacak. We will compare the way they work, how they celebrate, how they are organized, what they publish and who they are (gender, age, social class etc.)
Belarus
Belarus is an ancient Slavonic country situated in the East of Europe. It occupies the
territory of 207,600 sq. km. and is populated by 10.3 million people. Belarus stretches
650 km from the West to the East and 560 km from the North to the South. It has 6
regions, about 4000 rivers and 1 1000 lakes. The largest rivers are the Dnieper, the
Western Dvina, the Nieman, the Bug; the biggest lake is Naroch. Belarus borders on
Russia in the North and the East. On the Ukraine in the southeast, on Poland in the
West and on Latvia and Lithuania in the northwest.The history of the Belarussian nation
has been long and complicated. 862 AD First annalistic news about Polotsk and its
region. The beginning of the Belarusian state. The first written documents of the
Belarussian state go back as far as to 980 AD: 980Annalistic notice about independent
states in Belarus' territory, namely Polotsk and Turov Principalities. 1044-1101
AD.:Prince Vseslav (the Enchanter) Brachislavovich rules in Polotsk. 1067 Minsk is first
mentioned in annals(5).From the 14th till the 16th centuries the territory of modern Belarus
was the centre of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was one of the largest, most powerful
and flourishing states ill medieval Eastern Europe. Being situated on the crossroads of
the commercial routes from the East to the West and from the North to the South.
Belarus was doomed to get into the focus of infinite wars waged by European countries
to control the strategic overland routes. It has been invaded by Russians and Poles,
Germans and Swedes, Danes, French and Ukrainians. After one of such long-lasting
and devastating wars Belarus appeared to have lost half of its population. More
recently, during the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945 Belarus lost 25% of its
inhabitants. It was only recently that Belarus reached its pre-war demographic quantity
of 10 million people.
Forming the Belarussian nation.
Two essential factors influenced the shaping of the separate Belarussian nation: the
Slavisation of Balt population in early middle ages and the domination of the Western
influences in that area. The process has been strengthened since the creation of the
Great Duchy of Lithuania. The negative aspects were the result of the century-long
political and Polish-Russian state rivalry in this area, which last remnants manifested
in the inter-war period. The Belarussian state has finally appeared on the map of
Europe. Its psycho-cultural character has been under the post-colonial influence of the
Russian culture and Russian language(6).
Policy towards Belarussian gentry.
The Belarussian Catholic gentry's activity in the Polish risings against Russian empire,
especially in the1863, was a factor, which determined the Tsarist policy towards that
particular social group. Attempts were made to put an end to the economic domination
of the Catholic Belarussian gentry and to limit their participation in governing the
country, as well as to discriminate their culture. The same time, the Tsarist
administration was striving to enlarge the Russian possession of land and used every
opportunity to reach that goal. Nevertheless , all those attempts did not bring the
expected results. Even though the area of the land owned by Russians and, in fact,
cultivated by Jews increased, the Roman Catholic ownership prevailed on the territory
of all Belarussian provincies(7).Early Belorussian NationalismIt was those memories that
Kastus' Kalinowski (1838-64) tried to evoke in his clandestine newspaper Muzhytskaya
Prawda (Peasants' Truth), which he published to inspire an uprising in solidarity with the
Polish-Lithuanian insurrection against Russia in January 1863. The insurrection failed,
and the Polish territories and people were absorbed directly into the Russian Empire.
Kalinowski, today considered the founding father of Belorussian nationalism, was
hanged in Vilnius. Despite the industrial development that took place in Belorussia
during the 1880s and 1890s, unemployment and poverty were widespread, giving
impetus to large-scale migrations. In the fifty years leading up to the Bolshevik
Revolution, almost 1.5 million persons emigrated from Belorussia to the United States
and to Siberia. Following the defeat of Russia in the Russo-Japanese War and the
Revolution of 1905, strikes and peasant disorders erupted throughout the Russian
Empire; to stem the unrest the tsar granted, and then extended, civil liberties. Russian
authorities were forced to relax their repressive policies on non-Russian ethnic groups,
prompting a national and cultural flowering in Belorussia. The ban on the Belorussian
language (and other nonRussian languages) was lifted, although there were still
restrictions on its use; education was expanded, and peasants began to attend school
for the firsttime; Belorussian writers published classics of modern Belorussian literature;
and the weekly newspaper Nasha Niva (Our Cornfield), published by the Belorussian
Socialist Party, lent the name nashanivism to this period (1906-18) of Belorussian
history. 1917, April 7-9The congress of Belarussian national organisations (in Minsk)
elaborate a programme of national movement, establish the Belarussian national
committee and transfer the executive powers to it(Chairman - R.Skirmunt). A question
of establishment of a Belarussian university as well as national language education in
schools is discussed(8).Anti Soviet conspiracy and partisan struggle in Belarus in 1919-19451919, January 1 Official declaration of the Belarussian Soviet Socialist Republic
(BSSR) with the capital in Minsk and consisting of Vitebsk, Grodno, Minsk, Mogilev
regions and districts of Vilenskaya, Kovenskaya and Smolensk regionsA manifesto on
establishment of an independent Belarussian SSR and its basic state status is
published. A provisional soviet government of workers and soldiers of Byelorussia is
established: 16 commissars and chaired by D.Zhilunovich (Tishka Gartny).A
Belarussian gymnasium is opened in Vil'no.1919, February 2-3 The first all-belarussian
congress of soviets (in Minsk) adopted the 1st Constitution of the Belarussian SSR(9).The
Belarusian peasants party "Green Oak" (GO) and its partisan units were organized in
1919. A year later they were military structured and begun their activity. The most
important goal was to win independence for Belarus and fight the Bolsheviks. The
emphasis was put on anti-Soviet propaganda and military activities. The latter had its
apogee in 1921. Based on the Polish territory , the units of the GO used the frontier and
operate in every districts of the Soviet Belarus. After the Riga Treaty was signed, the
originally favorable attitude of the Polish authorities changed. Poland, taking into
consideration her obligations towards the Soviet Russia, tried to liquidate military anti-Soviet units on her territory, including the GO. The above, as well as the fatigue caused
by the long fight among the rank-and-file partisans, lack of perspective and along with
the legal political organizations fighting for the interests of the Belarus population, were
the reasons of a crisis in the GO units, especially after 1925. trusting the Bolsheviks
promises and false appearances of the Belarus national revival, some of the
commanders crossed the frontier and surrendered to the Communist authorities of the
Soviet Belarus. Most of them were murdered by the GPU(10).Anti-Soviet conspiracy in the
Western BelarusThe opening of the former Soviet states archives to the historians gave
access-thought to a limit degree- to many unknown documents, especially concerning
the post 1939 period. One of such documents concerns 109 conspiracy organizations,
successfully investigated and defeated of the NKVD in the Western Belarus territories.
Information contained in this document explains the name of the organizations, the area
of its activity, internal structures, number of members arrested. The document, along
with some other ones accessible from the archives of the former USSR states
(especially Beralus), enables us to give answers to the question on what NKVD did
know about the Polish conspiracy in the Western Belarus territory. It shows that were
was conspiracy on the Polish territories occupied, and latter -after 17 September 1939-annexed by the USSR(11).Mass deportations of the Poles from the territory of the Western
Belarus 1939In autumn 1939, the Soviet authorities decided to displace the refuges,
who arrived in Western Belarus from the Polish territories under German occupation.
The offered excuse for the action were awful living conditions and shortage of
workplaces. On the basis of Communist Party (Bolshevik) of Belarus decree a special
committee for refugees settlement was created. It task was to make the group of people
from the so-called Western Belarus towns disappear. The effect was deportation of at
least 22471 people to the East in October/November 1939. most of them were Jews,
who on the territory under Soviet occupation looked for refuge from the war operations
or were ruthlessly expelled by Germans from their homes, and forced to cross the
German-Soviet demarcation line. The deportees had been forced to hard labor…
digging peat or cutting down forests(12). Union 1991, August 25 Declaration on the State
independence of Byelorussia adopted by the Supreme Soviet of Byelorussia on July 27,
1990, is given the status of a Constitutional Law. The Supreme Soviet adopts a number
of decisions on political and economic independence of Byelorussia, on departization
of the state bodies and authorities of Byelorussia, of state owned enterprises,
institutions and organizations; on property of the Communist Party of Byelorussia;
activity of the Communist Party of Byelorussia - Communist Party of the Soviet Union
is halted, premises of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, regional
committees, district committees, other institutions that belonged to the party are sealed
and nationalised. The Home Ministry and the State Security Committee of Byelorussia
are transformed from theunion-republican into republican institutions(13).1991, September
19 The Supreme Soviet takes a decision on changes in the name of the country from
the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic into the Republic of Belarus In 1996, Russia
and Belarus signed an agreement to form a "union state" that, without completely
merging the two governments, would strengthen economic, cultural, and political ties.
Additional treaties signed in 1997, 1998, and 1999 included the development of
common customs and taxation, a single currency, a joint defense policy, and other items
designed to integrate the two nations, but progress toward real integration is expected
to be slow, as Russia as insisted on gradual implementation of the union(14). A
referendum held in 1996 increased Lukashenko's power at the expense of parliament
and extended his presidential term by two years (to 2001). A new parliament
subsequently was formed from handpicked members of the old. Lukashenko's
government has been criticized for human-rights abuses, including being responsible
for the disappearance of its political opponents. Parliamentary elections held in 2000,
which were boycotted by the small democratic opposition, preserved Lukashenko's hold
on power. Lukashenko himself was reelected in 2001, in a contest that most observers
regarded as neither free nor fair.
Lida was established around 1180 as a stronghold for the Russian Princess in order to defend from Lithuanians and from The Knights of the Cross(15). In 14th century it was under the rule of Great Lithuanian Duchy, as one of the major towns. In the thirties of 14th century there was built a castle which belonged to the Lithuanian Prince. The stronghold was under the constant attack of The Knights of the Cross and Tartars. It was burnt down by the Swedes in 1710. From the 15th century Lida begins to expand in the economical and demographical way. It was situated on the crossroads of the trade track between Vilnius, Polacak, Nowogrodek and Minsk. Lida at that time had tight economical connections with Polacak. Since 17th century it has always had great Jewish minority (1939 - 40% of town's population was Jewish ) From the 18th century to 20th century it has been going one rule into another (in order - Russian, Polish, Soviet, German). The population of the town changed from 8,626 people(16) in 1887 to reach 20,000 in 1935. As for the industry, at the beginning of the 20th century there were 44 factories. Now, Lida is the center of the Lida district, Hrodna region, with the population of around100,700 (1995). There are here, 22 secondary schools, 7 primary schools, a children's sports school, 3 musical schools, a children's and youth center, 27 pre-school institutions, 32 clubs, 48 libraries, 7 hospitals, 2 medical stations, an ambulance station are situated on the district's territory. Museums include that of history and nature (Berdovka), ethnography (Ditva), Ignat Domeiko museum (Krupovo)(17). There are still preserved many architectural monuments which are expression of cultural and historical belarusan heritage.
Polacak is the most ancient city on Belarusan territory and, one of the most ancient cities of the eastern Slavs. European maps dating from the 10th century already show the Polacak principality as a separate state. The first states of the territory of today's Belarus were the principalities of Polacak and Turau. Ruled from Kiev toward the end of the 10th century, they asserted themselves early on as independent or semi-independent dominions. This was especially true for Polacak. This period of time, when these principalities became independent, can be regarded as the beginnings of Belarus as a nation.The young, fast growing state made close trade ties with German (Hansa) cities, with Scandinavia, neighboring Eastern and Southern principalities. On the Polocak territory under the influence of local cultural views the traditions of Byzantine architecture were revaluated and as a result the outstanding Polotsk architecture school emerged in the 12th century.(18)In 1517 the great Belarusan scholar from Polotcak, Francisc Skaryna published the Bible in the Belarusan language. Thus, the Belarusans became the third nation after Germans and Czechs that had a printed Bible in their native languageToday, Polacak is the center of the Polacak district with the population: 88,000 (1995) There are several factories, metal and chemical industry. Polocak is famous for its many magnificent building of monasteries, churches and museums.
The authors who influenced us mostly to understand the conception of nationalism are Ernest Gellner and Benedict Anderson. Gellner's general statement is: that wasn't nations who invented nationalism but other way round. He also says that nationalism is a political principle which holds that the political and national units should be congruent, that ethnic boundaries shouldn't across with the political ones, that nationalism needs liberty. In Belarus it seems to be in a way like in Gellner''s theory. Nationalists are trying to revive the national identity, so the want to create a nation in the full meaning of that word. But of course the main obstacle to be succeeded is the lack of democracy and a real freedom in Belarus. Gellner also states that high cultures needs protection from the state and each high culture wants a state. Nationalism takes pre-existing cultures and turn them into nations. Nationalism is a kind of manifestation of a deep adjustment in the relationship between polity and culture.
In the Republic of Belarus, the high culture is concerned as the Russian one. Higher educational system is in Russian language, great majority of books is published in Russian. Belarusan national culture is seen as something pejorative, wrong. If one speaks Belarusan language they would call him a 'redneck'. Nationalist, who are mostly well educated people are trying to change that fact, they speak generally in Belarusan language and they are not ashamed about it. But the state in Belarusan case does not support the national culture, the only right according to them is Russian culture. that's why all the processes of nationalisation maybe are so slow. Gellner also underlines that education is the most precious investment of a man now and that modern man is no longer loyal to the monarch but to the culture. Because culture is now necessary shared medium. In Belarus case, a mixture of cultures and the hegemony of Russian culture make that there is nothing to believe in terms of that the belrusan culture is weak., or there is too much variations of it.
Gellner also describes industrial society as the only one which relays on sustained and perpetual growth and expected and continuos improvement. Industrial society remains all the time in progress, making newer and newer innovations, trying to improve all the time. Those are the changes who are the crucial, permanent and constant aspect of industrial society and thus according to Gellner these processes explain existence of nationalism. Industrial society was the fruit of development and mobility. We can say that Belarus just came into the era of what Gellenr calls industrialization. Each year there are new improvements in the country's economy, although is still miles away from being efficient industrial society. As we look at the Minsk, capital which is the most industrialized city in Belarus and we can observe there regular division of labour, we will see that Gellner's theory is coming into action.
The other author, Benedict Anderson, helped us to understand that nationalism is not a movement of ideas which appear suddenly. In his book "Imagined community" he describes and illustrates how nationalism is a long process. He also shows very well the impact of the political and or economical context describing situations from Europe and America. By his various examples about languages, we understand the importance of some parameters during the process of creation, and the fact that these parameters were not the same and either at the same period in different parts of the world. In the case of western Europe he explain the concordance of three parameters. "What made the new communities imaginable was a half-fortuitous, but explosive, interaction between a system of production and productive relation (capitalism), a technology of communication (print) and the fatality of human linguistic diversity." The book-sellers, in the logic of capitalism, wanted to make the best profit and for that, to attract and interest the largest number of their contemporaries. They begin, then, to print in a language that most people can understand, which is the vernacular language. These facts created the possibility of a new form of imagined community because people became aware that they share the same language with millions of people but also that this language differentiate them from their neighbors.
We would like to use this concept of imagined community in our analysis of the Belorusan nationalism.
Within the three research question we posed, the general idea is to observe the creation - construction, and expression of nationalism. Though, the research questions differ from each other by the distance with the subject from analytical point of view.The aim of our first research question, like we already mentioned, is to define the source of the motivation which brings people nationalistic feeling.Gellner explains that nationalism is a result of different previous aspects: a country must be first industrialized and that will create a new social order, new complex division of labour, education, language, state, cultural homogenization, nationalism… and at the end of this chain appears nation. As we are aware of the fact that Belarus doesn't have every condition of Gellner's theory, and maybe it is just in the beginning of this process, we will try to look at the individual; at which stage of this theory are they? We also would like to site Stuart Woolf : " History, language, folklore, territory, culture or religion could all be used to demonstrate the past traditions of a nation, symbolic evidence of its historic continuity and hence its authenticity."(19) Having in mind the Wolf's quotation, we would like to know the importance in individual people's concept of living and working in nationalistic organizations. How these aspects are functioning in their lives and how it influences their actions.
The second research question we constructed on the basis of the Brubaker's concept. Brubaker distinguish two kind of nationalism : the first one, he calls it 'polity-seeking', when nationalists try to find an autonomous national polity in the case of a nation which may be held to lack an adequate polity. The second situation, when a polity may be held to lack an adequate national base, it provoke the 'polity-based' or 'nation-shaping' which is nationalism who try to nationalize an existing polity. This is the case of Belarus. Most of Belarusan population consider themselves like Russian as they speak Russian and recognize the Russian symbols (flag, celebration, etc.) Therefore, our second research question is to see how, in this context, nationalists peoples can consider Belarus like a nation, a community. How can they argue this idea of a shared community if they are a minority thinking that they are not Russian (2%). What is important at this point, and is crucial for our work is the regional identity , the conception of 'tuteshni'. Therefore we site under, some sentences which shows the facts about territorial and historical circumstances of Belarus.
"These areas were extremely underdeveloped economically and culturally. Under tsarist rule, they had lacked nearly completely the educational and cultural facilities that could support a public sphere through which national consciousness could develop and diffuse. The nationalist intelligentsia was tiny and lacked any substantial constituency. The Belarusan and Ukrainian inhabitants were overwhelmingly rural; their concerns were overwhelmingly economic, not national. Their identities were seldom, and then only weakly, articulated in national terms. Some identified themselves simply as tuteshni ("from here"). Others- notably Catholic Belarusan speakers in the area around Wilno (Vilna, Vilnius)- already identified themselves as Poles."
The principal methods we will use during our fieldwork are interviews and participant observations. The period of approximately five months we would like to spend in the field is enough to get to know to the people, their lifestyles, attitudes, and common life.
As for the first research question, in which we intend to study the individual perspective, our fieldwork will be based on discussions, informal conversations and meetings. We have to follow every day life of these people because we want to see how much the nationalistic idea influence they life (going shopping together, maybe eating or preparing food).
As for the second and third research question we have to study everything we get from the organizations and individual people: books, newspapers, leaflets as they are the best expressions of the collective ideologies. We have to watch the television and compare the news from the governmental media with the information we get from the opposition. We have to participate in all happenings, celebrations they organize as well as the all governmental one. We have to participate and be as much active as we can in the common life of the city, so not only what nationalists do but also another official events. We have to visit every church, museum or library we find in Polocak and Lida.
We intend to find as well a key informant, of course the best it would be to live with him, at his house, in order to help us and explain certain 'odds' we might came across. We will as well try to take, longest, deepest interviews with the leaders of the organizations, as they are the most orientated people in that circle.
To sum up our basic methods will be:
- interviews
- observation, participating observation
- formal and informal conversation
- following their every day life
- participating in their meeting, celebrations, happenings, actions they organize
- reading newspapers, as well as the governmental ones, the oppositional newspapers
leaflets, etc
- we try to search for materials in museums, churches, libraries
Nationalistic movement is consider as a weak one in Belarus, as on whole the Belrus population is lacking the national identity. But still there can be found organizations with the strong, charismatic leaders. There are organizations which are formal and you can find names and address of them but there are some which are hidden and they are working silently or under the tag of something else.
So first of all we will go for a pilot study to Minsk, which is the center of nationalistic movement. We will use our personal contacts to get to know to people who works in similar organizations in Lida and Polock. We will try to know if there are any informal ones, and who can be our key informant. We will get in contact with the centers of ZUBR, BNF (BPF), KRAI, TBM, which are consider as the biggest nationalistic organizations in Belarus. But as well there are many organizations which don't have in their title that their nationalist, and that will be the grates part, as mentioned everyone who is supporting in one way or another the Belarus culture (musicians, oppositional journalist, writers, teachers, painters etc..), language, environment and so on in our we would be called nationalist.
One person will go to Polock, and Two people will go Lida, at the same time, but it seems that in Lida we can find larger number of organizations that's why there will be two people. We will stay there approximately 5 months.
Above there are addresses of organizations we already know and we will contact sright away after arriving in Lida and Polacak.
And a little description of the biggest one:
Belarusan Popular Front (BPF) "Adradzennie" [Adradzhennye] and the Party of BPF are a broad cultural movement and a political party, closely integrated, of the newly independent Republic of Belarus, a former republic of the Soviet Union. The organizational committee of the BPF was established in October 1988 by intellectuals such as Vasil Bykau, Mikhas Dubianyetski, Zianon Paznyak and others. "A society that trades a little freedom for a little order will lose both and deserve neither." - that is their motto(20).
- Agendas of Belarusan Popular front in Lida:
Contact - Stanislau Sudnik, Vul.Zarecnaja 5-17, Lida, Haradzienskaja voblast,
Tel. 375 159 627756
vul. Leninskaja 76-32, Lida, Haradzienskaja voblast, Tel.375159 627756
- Agenda of Belarusan Popular front in Polacak:
Conatact: Michas Bautovic, Vul. Puskina 15-13, Polacak, Viciebskaja Voblast
tel. 375 214 48680
- Agenda of The belarusan school Asociation
Contact. Ales Sokal
Vul.tuchaceusskaha 69
Lida, haradzienskaja voblast
Tel. 375 159 335825
- TBM - Towaristwo Bialoruskiej Mowy - Belarusan Language Association in Lida
Contact: Lavon Anacka, Vul. Bahratyjona 6-108, Lida, haradzienskaja voblast,
Tel. 375 159 353342
- Gedimin's Teenegers association
Contact :Artur Hanko, Vul. Kirowa 9-7, Lida, Haradzienskaja voblast
Tel.375 159 325215
- Other organisations in Polacak:
- Associations of Free Literati
Contact: Ales Arkus, Vul. Bahdanovica 9-17, Polacak, Viciebskaja voblast
Tel. 375 214 42 9829
- Historical and cultural club 'Vytoki'
Contact: Mikola Bautovic, Vul. Skaryny 16-18, Polacak, Viciebskaja voblast
Tel. 375 214 4486 80
For a practical reasons we should think about 'little' presents to give to our interviews, it always helps to break the ice.
Because of the current, difficult political situation, people being arrested for nothing etc., we should be really careful on every step of our research. As the people who we will interview are from the opposition block to Lukashenko, we should never told the police what we are talking about with these people. We can't show to the police our materials, because those people can be put into the jail. Unfortunately in the terms of that we should always tell to the officials that we are students of anthropology interested in the history and culture of the region. We can't say that we are interested in nationalism as the police could follow us and them the whole research won't work as nobody would talk to us.
Though, we have to be very honest to our interviewers. Explaining them very carefully, who we are, naming the people from Minsk we know etc. Sometimes, though in the terms of having good contacts with them we have to, in our opinion, be involved with their work, if we can help them somehow, even if we are not agree with the ideas, we should do it. Maybe, then they will start to trust in our good intention and give us more details
As for the mentioned little presents. It is always good to have them, a pack or coffee or box of chocolate, just to be more friendly. And, as well giving presents in the East for little favors is rather good custom, than something else, we should accept it and adjust.
Anderson, Benedict (1996) "L'imaginaire nationale" , Edition La Decouverte, Paris
Belarusskaja encyclopedia (2000) "Iliustrirovanaja chronalogija istorii Belarusi" , Minsk
Brubaker, Rogers (1996) "Nationalism reframed" , Cambridge University Press
Cileiet, Wiaczka (1998) „Garady Belarusi na starych pasztolkach", Minsk, p. 133-142
Dubeneckij, S.F (2000) "Istorja Belarusi" , Minsk
Gellner, Ernest (1983) "Nations and Nationalism" , Blackwell Publishers, Oxford
Gudavicius, E. (1999) "Lietuvos istorija" , Vilnius
Hutchinson, John and Smith, Anthony D. (1994) "Nationalism" , Oxford University Press
Radzik R. (2000) "Miedzy zbiorowoscia etniczna a wspolnota narodowa", Lublin.
Sliwinski M. (1997) "Swiadomosc narodowa mieszkancow Litwy i Bialorusi" in Przeglad Wschodni, t.4, n.3 (15).
Smolicz J. (1987) "Wartosci rdzenne a tozsamosc kulturowa" in Kultura i Spoleczenstwo, n. 1, p. 60-74.
Sosinski, Tadeusz (2001)„Ziemia nowogrodzka -zarys dziejow", Warszawa, p. 153-158
Szacki J. (2001) "Nacjonalizm" in Trudne sasiedztwa, z socjologii konfliktow narodowosciowych, red. A. Jasinska-Kania, Warszawa, p. 27-36.
Woolf, Stuart (1996) "Nationalism in Europe- 1815 to the present" , Routledge, London and New York
Znaniecki, F. (1990) "Wspolczesne Narody" , Warszawa
Znaniecki, F. (1999) "Non-provincial Europe" , London
And also Web-sites :
February - July 2004
February
Arriving in Minsk, doing the pilot study. Staying at friends house or looking for
accommodation, getting information about the accommodation in Lida and Polock.
Orientation in the current political situation. Preparing a list of organizations we would
like to get in contact. Talking in the centers of organizations about the situation in Lida
and Polock. General orientation.
23 Feb We split and head to Polock and Lida. Looking for accommodation, getting in contact with our future interviewers, looking around the city, visiting libraries, churches, museums, casual conversation with accidentally met people. Pilot study. Orientating how are the relations between the people of different organizations, who likes somebody, who is the most important etc. In this time we will meet the people only in cafes, trying to get to know each other more closely.
March
Initial contacts, still. Getting to know the people. Visiting their offices. Getting the basic
data. It's important to be and observe things there in March 23th, when the opposition
celebrated the independence day. We curious about how they celebrate this day, if at
all. We compare the information we had from Minsk with the one we get in the field.
April
As we would know already some people, we will try to be more 'nasty' in a way, that we
expect to take long interviews, trying to go to people's houses. It would be interesting
to see how the nationalist people celebrate eastern if at all.
Going home for eastern, one week
May
Transcribing interviews, trying to analyze them, posing new questions, resuming old
one. In the same time, casual meeting with people, participating observations. Thinking
of people we have to interview for the second or third time. Visiting other members of
field study, one person going to Lida for a week, and then exchange. Exchange of
ideas, impressions. Comparing what we did, etc.
June
We will continue to taking interviews, maybe for the second time with some people, if
we feel that is relevant for our work. In this period we want to focus on analyzing the
leaflets and newspapers of nationalistic organizations. We intend to have a group
discussions, we will ask a few members to meet together with us, in order to see what
they say when they are in a group.
July
We say goodbye to our friends. Last interviews, filing the last gaps of data. Visiting
some people, in order to say thank you
1. Znaniecki F., Wspolczesne Narody, Warszawa, 1990.
2. During our discussions considering nationalism we discovered that we have different opinions and experience on understanding nationalism. We came across a reflexion that nationalism can have various meanings. For some of us it seemed to be more pejorative movement for others more neutral, defensive, as we all have different cultural and historical background and experience.
3. Seton - Watson Hugh, "Old and New nations" in Hutchinson, Smith, 1994, p.134
4. Hans Kohn, "Eastern and Western Nationalism", Hutchinson, Smith, 1994, p. 162
5. E.Gudavicius.Lietuvos istorija.-Vilnius, 1999. P.437
6. Non-provincial Europe.-London, 1999,p.1336
7. Non-provincial Europe.-London, 1999, p.1346
8. S.F.Dubeneckij.Istorja Belarusi.- Minsk, 2000, p.64
9. Belarusskaja encyklopedia/Iliustrirovanaja chronalogija istorii Belarusi.-Minsk, 2000, p.32.
10. Non-provincial Europe.-London, 1999, p.1358.
11. Non-provincial Europe.-London, 1999, p.1352
12. Non-provincial Europe.-London, 1999, p.1363
13. S.F.Dubeneckij.Istorja Belarusi.- Minsk, 2000, p.32
14. S.F.Dubeneckij.Istorja Belarusi.- Minsk, 2000, p.???
15. Tadeusz Sosinski, „Ziemia nowogrodzka -zarys dziejow", Warszawa 2001, p.153 - 158.
16. Wiaczka Cileiet, „Garady Belarusi na starych pasztolkach", Minsk, 1998, p, 133 - 142.
18. op.cit.
19. Woolf, Stuart „Nationalism in Europe „ Routledge, London and New York, 1996, p. 2