Go to the A Belarus Miscellany Topic List Go to the Belarusian Language section Go to the news articles about the Belarusian language section Go to The Belarusian language Society (BLS) section
Search the A Belarus Miscellany Web site
"About 50 people took part in the demonstration, which had been sanctioned by the city government. They were holding placards 'Speak Belarusian!,' 'Higher Education in Belarusian!' and 'Stop Russianization!' The demonstrators were also collecting signatures to a petition that a National University be established, as well as donations for the BLS. Students from Secondary School No. 180 demanded instruction in Belarusian."
"The BLS plans to stage a similar demonstration in late August."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 129; Wednesday, June 30, 1999; 12:20 p.m.
" 'That is why we are confident that in the 21st century the Belarusian language will have the same status as the Czech language in Prague, Serbian in Belgrade, and Russian in Moscow,' continued Mr. Trusov."
"In his opinion, the society's first ten years were 'years of struggle for the Belarusian language' and may be divided into the Soviet period (1989-1991), the period of national rebirth (1991-1996) and, finally, the period after the November 1996 referendum, 'when counter-reformers reared their heads and tried to destroy everything Belarusian.' "
"People's Poet of Belarus Nil Gilevich, who was the first chairman of the BLS, expressed hope that despite repression the Belarusian language would survive and will be the basis for the country's independence. Participants in the ceremony received a message of greetings from Zenon Poznyak, chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front."
"Those present expressed their best wishes to the Rev. Vladislav Zavalnyuk of the Church of Sts. Simon and Helena on his 50th birthday and the 25th anniversary of his priesthood."
"A gala concert followed the rally."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 121; Monday, June 28, 1999; 6:20 p.m.
"According to BLS Chairman Oleg Trusov, the Muslims were the first to resume services in Belarusian. Adherents of various forms of Christianity followed their lead."
"Mr. Trusov thanked the Rev. Vladislav Zavalnyuk of Minsk's Church of Sts. Simon and Helena for his contribution into the process. Mr. Trusov described the priest as an 'outstanding figure of the national rebirth' and follower of the late Dean Yan Matusevich (the country's first Christian priest to resume services in Belarusian). In the late 1980s and early 1990s, according to Mr. Trusov, Zavalnyuk led the movement aiming to restore the Church of Sts. Simon and Helena, which served as a film studio at the time."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 121; Monday, June 28, 1999; 6:20 p.m.
"In the first seven years of its existence, the BLS was headed by well-known poet Nil Gilevich. Another poet, Gennady Buravkin, was at the head of the society from 1997 to 1999. Not long ago well-known historian Oleg Trusov was elected to lead the BLS. The organization has ten commissions including those on language culture, orthography, toponymy, linguistic values, the visual and sound components of the social environment, education, and terminology."
"Prominent Belarusian cultural figures such as Yanka Bryl, Vasil Bykov, Adam Maldis, Maksim Tank, and Yury Khodyko among others contributed to the activities of the society. Over its ten years of existence, the society has done considerable work on the revival of the national language in the sphere of state government, public activities and cultural life, participated in the drafting of the law 'On Languages in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic' in 1990, the organization of control over the observance of the law, and in the working out of the State Program for the Development of Belarusian and Other National Languages in the Republic of Belarus in 1991. The BLS' newspaper, Nasha Slova, has been published for over nine years now."
"The society has held a number of scholarly conferences on problems concerning the Belarusian language, and over 30 so-called Kupala meetings with the participation of prominent representatives of Belarusian-speaking cultural circles. In the last two years, the BLS staged 21 demonstrations in Minsk to protest discrimination against the Belarusian language, to display support for the newspaper Nasha Niva and the Belarusian Humanities Lyceum, and to press for the establishment of a Belarusian-language National University. The society has documented over 120 irregularities in the national census campaign of February, 1999."
"At present the BLS continues gathering evidence of violations of linguistic rights and providing support for Belarusian-language education."
"A prayer service for the Belarusian language was held in the Catholic Church of Saint Simon and Saint Helena in Minsk on the afternoon of June 27. A similar service is to be held in the Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Ghost in the evening."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 116; Sunday, June 27, 1999; 5:50 p.m.
"The head of the Orthodox Church in Belarus has thus honored BLS Chairman Oleg Trusov's request. The metropolitan has authorized services in two Orthodox churches in the Belarusian capital on June 27 [1999], the anniversary date. In addition, the Metropolitan has sent his blessings to all eparchies in Belarus. That is why the local cells of the BLS have the opportunity to organize similar services."
"As a BelaPAN correspondent was told at the BLS office in Minsk, the services will include the Prayer for the Belarusian Language which was written by Mariya Zayats, a tenth-grade student in a Minsk secondary school, last year. In the prayer, the girl calls on 'almighty God to do so that we, children of Belarus, will never abandon our Belarusian language and, on the contrary, love it with all our hearts.' "
"The student asks God 'to send to the Belarusian people his servants who would lead our people to a better lot, to conscientious service to the Fatherland by their righteous life.' "
Source: BelaPAN, No. 93; Tuesday, June 22, 1999; 3:20 p.m.
"While being in Poland on a private visit, Mr. Neklyayev told reporters on June 20 [1999] that he would not return to Belarus. Earlier, Mr. Neklyayev severely criticized the government's policy regarding the Belarusian language, history, and culture in an article published in the newspaper Narodnaya Volya. Much of his criticism was directed against Vladimir Zametalin, the deputy prime minister responsible for education and culture."
"Mr. Neklyayev's decision is evidence 'of the authorities' new attack on Belarus' liberal intellectuals and those people who tried to cooperate with the regime to a certain degree,' Mr. Trusov said. 'Mr. Neklyayev has not let himself overstep the border after which a simple treason begin, not cooperation. That is why I regard his decision as a fact of civil courage proving that it is difficult for a Belarusian-language poet and writer to live and work in our country.' In the opinion of Mr. Trusov, Neklyayev made the only right decision in his situation -- Neklyayev was informed by a friend that the authorities were preparing a provocation against him -- and avoided being pilloried by the authorities, which Mr. Trusov believes wanted to ultimately intimidate Belarusian intellectuals. Mr. Trusov said that Neklyayev's move might force President Aleksandr Lukashenko to sack Zametalin and start pseudo-Belarusification."
"Mr. Trusov pointed out that the BWU would have to hold a convention to elect a new chairperson in order to survive. If Neklyayev is not replaced, the authorities may suppress the BWU, Mr. Trusov said. According to him, the BWU leadership faces a moral choice: either to wait until Neklyayev offers his resignation or elect a new chairperson and expel Neklyayev from the BWU."
"Olga Ipatova, BWU deputy chairwoman, said that she had not yet taken any attitude toward what had happened."
" 'Irrespective of subsequent developments, we should preserve the Union of Writers as an important element in establishing our national identity,' she said."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 93; Tuesday, June 22, 1999; 3:20 p.m.
Follow link to Article: Belarusian Language Society Sends Best Wishes to Vasil Bykov on His Birthday
"The letter says that the Belarusian language was almost extinct by the beginning of the 1990s: it was ousted from schools, governmental agencies, enterprises, and institutions. The Belarusian language was a target of humiliation and elimination under the guise of the consolidation of nations, says the letter."
"After the adoption of the law 'On Languages in the Byelorussian SSR' in 1990, Belarusian was upgraded to the level of a state language. In 1991, the government authorized a state program aimed at developing the Belarusian and other national languages in Belarus."
"The government has paid little attention to the development of the Belarusian language in the last few years, says the letter. Pupils studying in the classes with instruction in Belarusian have been transferred to classes with instruction in Russian, and people speaking Belarusian are subject to discrimination."
"The BLS asks the prime minister to make his own assessment of the status of the Belarusian language in the country. It is also interested to learn about the destiny of the government's 1991 language development program and asks the prime minister to explain why the Council of Ministers' entrance door plate has the inscription in Russian only."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 80; Friday, June 18, 1999; 3:10 p.m.
"According to a BLS statement, the society's branches are advised to send their local executive authorities letters proposing specific measures to create a Belarusian-language environment. Similar letters will be sent to Prime Minister Sergei Ling and Vladimir Yermoshin, chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee."
"The BLS also protests against Russianization in Belarusian schools. Just like in the Soviet era, the statement says, many officials avoid using their native tongue, while those who try to speak Belarusian become subject to pressure."
"In the opinion of the authors, a considerable increase in the number of BLS members after the organization's last convention shows that Belarusians feel resentment about the way their native tongue is treated."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 52; Friday, June 11, 1999; 7:20 p.m.
Go to the A Belarus Miscellany Topic List Go to the Belarusian Language section Go to the news articles about the Belarusian language section Go to The Belarusian language Society (BLS) section
Search the A Belarus Miscellany Web site
Original content and overall form ®1996-2004 by
Peter Kasaty : All Rights
Reserved. Last Updated: 1999/12/11
Quoted Text, Graphics, Links, and Linked Content belong to their respective owners.