ceres country profile - belarus

7/30/2019 CERES Country Profile - Belarus

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Country in a Box:

Republic of BelarusRespublika Belarus`

A Teachers Guide

Compiled by the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European StudiesEdmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown Universityhttp://ceres.georgetown.edu

The National Library in Minsk, Belarus
http://www.ceres.georgetown.edu/http://www.ceres.georgetown.edu/


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Belarus in a Box: Table of Contents

Facts at a Glance 3-6

History of Belarus 7-9

Timeline of Major Events in Modern Belarusian History 10

Culture of Belarus 11-13

Folklore: The Fox and the Crane 14

Additional Resources 15

Strusta Lake in the Vitebsk Province, Belarus


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Belarus: Facts at a Glance_______Text and map taken directly from Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook: BelarusAvailable at:https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html

Country Name:Belarus

Capital:Minsk

Background: After seven decades as aconstituent republic of the USSR, Belarusattained its independence in 1991. It hasretained closer political and economic ties toRussia than any of the other former Sovietrepublics. Belarus and Russia signed a treatyon a two-state union on 8 December 1999

envisioning greater political and economicintegration. Although Belarus agreed to aframework to carry out the accord, seriousimplementation has yet to take place. Since hiselection in July 1994 as the country's firstpresident, Aleksandr Lukashenko has steadilyconsolidated his power through authoritarianmeans. Government restrictions on freedom ofspeech and the press, peaceful assembly, andreligion remain in place.

Location: Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Area: Total: 207,600 sq km; Country comparison to the world: 86Land: 202,900 sq kmWater: 4,700 sq km

Area - Comparative: Slightly smaller than Kansas

Terrain: Generally flat and contains much marshland

Elevation extremes: Lowest point: Nyoman River 90 mHighest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m

Natural Resources: Timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite,dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

Environment - Current Issues: Soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the countrycontaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.htmlhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.htmlhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.htmlhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html


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The Belarusian Ruble1ruble Banknote: Front -Belarusian National Academy

of science in Minsk. Back - Denomination in figures

100-ruble Banknote: Front - Republican Trade Unions'Palace of Culture in Minsk. Back - Sculptural group of thepediment of the Trade Unions' Palace of Culture

1000-ruble Banknote: Front - Sculptural group of thepedimentof the Trade Unions' Palace of Culture. Fragmentof the picture "Portrait of the wife with flowers and fruits"by I.Khrutskyi.

(http://www.nbrb.by/engl/Coinsbanknotes/CommBanknote.asp?id=22)

Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Sergey Gaydukevich]; Republican Party of Labor and Justice[Vasiliy Zadnepryanyy]National Anthem:Name: "My, Bielarusy" (We Belarusians)lyrics/music: Mikhas Klimkovich and Uladzimir Karyzna/Nester Sakalouskinote:music adopted 1955, lyrics adopted 2002; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Belarus kept

the music of its Soviet-era anthem but adopted new lyrics; also known as "Dziarzauny himnRespubliki Bielarus" (State Anthem of the Republic of Belarus)

Economy - Overview: Belarus has seen limited structural reform since 1995, when PresidentLukashenko launched the country on the path of "market socialism." In keeping with this policy,Lukashenko re-imposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates andexpanded the state's right to intervene inthe management of private enterprises.Since 2005, the government has re-nationalized a number of privatecompanies. In addition, businesses have

been subjected to pressure by central andlocal governments, including arbitrarychanges in regulations, numerous rigorousinspections, retroactive application of newbusiness regulations, and arrests of"disruptive" businessmen and factoryowners. Continued state control overeconomic operations hampers marketentry for businesses, both domestic andforeign. Government statistics indicateGDP growth was strong, surpassing 10%in 2008, despite the roadblocks of a tough,centrally directed economy with a highrate of inflation and a low rate ofunemployment. However, the global crisispushed the country into recession in 2009,and GDP grew only 0.2% for the year.Slumping foreign demand hit theindustrial sector hard. Minsk hasdepended on a standby-agreement with theIMF to assist with balance of paymentsshortfalls. In line with IMF conditions, in2009, Belarus devalued the ruble morethan 40% and tightened some fiscal andmonetary policies. On 1 January 2010, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus launched a customsunion, with unified trade regulations and customs codes still under negotiation. In late January,Russia and Belarus amended their 2007 oil supply agreement. The new terms raised prices forabove quota purchases, increasing Belarus' current account deficit. GDP grew 4.8% in 2010, inpart, on the strength of renewed export growth. In December 2010, Belarus, Russia and


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Kazakhstan signed an agreement to form a Common Economic Space and Russia removed allBelarusian oil duties.

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $150.4 billion (2013 est.); Country comparison to theworld:63

GDP - Real Growth Rate: 2.1% (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world:139

GDP - Per Capita (PPP): $16,100 (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world:85GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 9.4%

Industry: 44.6%Services: 46% (2010 est.)

Labor Force: 5 million (2009); Country comparison to the world: 75

Agriculture - Products: Grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk

Industries: Metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions,synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators

Current Account Balance: -$4.245 billion (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world:163Exports - Commodities: Machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals,textiles, foodstuffs

Exports - Partners: Russia 35.4%, Netherlands 16.4%, Ukraine 12.1%, Latvia 7.1% (2012)

ImportsPartners: Russia 59.4%, Germany 5.9%, China 5.1%, Ukraine 5% (2012)

Debt - External: $25.04 billion (31 December 2010 est.); Country comparison to the world: 67

Exchange Rates: Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar - 8,950.7 (2013 est.)

Military Service Age and Obligation: 18-27 years of age for compulsory military service;conscript service obligation is 12-18 months, depending on academic qualifications; 17 year oldsare eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified asmilitary personnel (2012)Military expenditures: 1.2% of GDP (2012); Country comparison to the world:85
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2001rank.html?countryname=Belarus&countrycode=bo&regionCode=eur&rank=63#bohttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2003rank.html?countryname=Belarus&countrycode=bo&regionCode=eur&rank=139#bohttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html?countryname=Belarus&countrycode=bo&regionCode=eur&rank=85#bohttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2187rank.html?countryname=Belarus&countrycode=bo&regionCode=eur&rank=163#bohttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2034rank.html?countryname=Belarus&countrycode=bo&regionCode=eur&rank=85#bohttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2034rank.html?countryname=Belarus&countrycode=bo&regionCode=eur&rank=85#bohttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2187rank.html?countryname=Belarus&countrycode=bo&regionCode=eur&rank=163#bohttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html?countryname=Belarus&countrycode=bo&regionCode=eur&rank=85#bohttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2003rank.html?countryname=Belarus&countrycode=bo&regionCode=eur&rank=139#bohttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2001rank.html?countryname=Belarus&countrycode=bo&regionCode=eur&rank=63#bo


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The City of PolatskPolotsk was founded in 862 and not only

is it the oldest town in the country, it is one ofthe oldest in the whole Slavic region, makingit a popular tourist attraction in Belarus.

The town is located 250km north ofMinsk in the Vitebsk region of Belarus

In its eventful history the town hasendured Viking incursions from the north,fought against crusaders and had beenoccupied numerous times.

Polotsk became the centre of Christianityduring the first Russian state of Rus. Thetown was a birthplace for the first Belarusiancanonized woman Euphrosyne of Polotsk.

In the 10-13th centuries Polotsk was the

centre of the powerful Polotsk Duchy.In 1307 the town became part of the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania and became self-governing in 1498.

Belarusian first printer and enlightenerFrantsysk Skorina was born here as well.

Ivan the Terrible conquered the town in1563. Polotsk was returned to Lithuania in1578. Two decisive battles of the Napoleonicwars were fought in Polotsk in 1812.

During the early 20th century, the townwas thriving. Occupied by the Nazis in 1941,it was liberated in 1944 by the Soviet Red

Army.Polotsk is one of the most beautiful

towns in Belarus, enjoying an attractiveriverside location on the River WesternDvina.

(http://www.belarus.by/en/travel/belarus-life/polotsk)

History of Belarus_______

Text taken directly from:(http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/59081/Belarus/129466/History?anchor=ref409363 andhttp://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+by0014))

Early Period:Belarus's origins can be traced from the

emergence in the late ninth century A.D. of KievanRus', the first East Slavic state. After the death of itsruler, Prince Yaroslav the Wise, in 1054, KievanRus' split into a number of principalities, eachcentered on a city. One, Polatsk (Polotsk, inRussian), became the nucleus of modern-dayBelarus.

The overthrow of Kiev by the Mongol invasionof 1240 brought about the dissolution of Kievan Rus.Many Belarusian towns were laid waste and becamedependencies of the Golden Horde, the westernportion of the Mongol Empire. Over the next 150years the grand duchy of Lithuania expanded,absorbing much of the Belarusian population. UnderLithuanian rule, however, the conquered regionsretained a large degree of autonomy. Throughout the13th and 14th centuries the Lithuanian state grew,encompassing the city of Smolensk (now in Russia)

and the lands eastward to the neighbourhood ofMoscow and southward to Kiev and the shores of theBlack Sea. During this epoch of Lithuaniandomination, the Belarusian language and nationalitybegan to take shape.

A personal union between the Lithuanian andPolish ruling houses commenced under the Jagiellondynasty in 1386, when the Lithuanian grand dukeJogaila married the Polish queen Jadwiga and, takingthe name Wadysaw II Jagieo, became king ofPoland. Roman Catholicism became the official

religion of the grand duchy of Lithuania, but thepeasantry remained overwhelmingly Orthodox. In1596 the Union of Brest-Litovsk signaled an attemptto unify the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churchesin the Polish-Lithuanian state, combiningacknowledgment of papal supremacy with theOrthodox rites and traditions.


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Russian RuleBy way of the First Partition of Poland in 1772,

Catherine II of Russia acquired the eastern portion ofpresent-day Belarus, including the towns of Vitsyebsk(Russian: Vitebsk), Mahilyow (Mogilyov), and

Homyel (Gomel). The Second Partition (1793) gaveRussia Minsk and the central region, and in 1795 theThird Partition incorporated the remainder into theRussian Empire.

Until the formation of the Belorussian SovietSocialist Republic in 1919, Belarusian history waslargely tied to the course of events in the RussianEmpire and revolutionary Russia. Napoleon I, emperorof France, crossed the region in his advance onMoscow in 1812 and again during his retreat. One ofthe heaviest battles of Napoleons Russian campaign

took place as French troops retreated across theByarezina River.Following the Russian Revolution in 1918, the

Bolsheviks announced the formation of theBelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic on Jan. 1, 1919.The republics territorial integrity was quickly

breached; beginning in April that year, troops of newlyreconstituted Poland advanced eastward to theByarezina River, only to be thrown back again in1920. Hostilities between Russia and Poland endedwith the Treaty of Riga (signed March 18, 1921),which divided the area of Belarus between Poland andSoviet Russia along the lines of the First Partition ofPoland.

The German invasion of the Soviet Union in1941 overran the Belorussian S.S.R., although thegarrison of the Brest fortress made a prolonged andcourageous stand. During the German retreat in 1944,there was heavy fighting in many areas of the republic,with major battles near Vitebsk, Borisov (Belarusian:Barysaw), and Minsk. German occupation and retreatproduced widespread devastation and loss of life: thedeath toll has been estimated at about one-fourth of thepopulation of Soviet Belarus.

The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear powerstation in Ukraine in 1986 contaminated about one-fifth of neighbouring Belarus with long-livedradioactive materials. The contamination necessitated the evacuation of several areas in Belarus,some of which had not been repopulated more than 20 years after the accident.

Lew Sapieha,(1557 - 1633)Born nearVitsebsk,Belarus.He played

an important role in Russo-Polish relationsin the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Hesupported the First False Dmitrii and

actively helped plan and carry out the Polishintervention in Russia. During the reign ofthe Second False Dmitrii, he acted throughhis brother Jan Piotr Sapieha. He took partin the conclusion of the Deu-lino Truce of1618 and directed the compilation of theLithuanian Statute of 1588.

In August 1608, with the knowledgeand approval of Sigis-mund III and LewSapieha, Jan Piotr Sapieha (15691611)brought a 7,000-man army to join theSecond False Dmitrii in Tushino. InSeptember 1608 he commanded the army

besieging the St. Sergius Trinity Monasteryand the detachments attempting to take thevarious towns of the Zamoskovnyi Krai.From early 1609 he led the struggle againstthe Russian peoples movement for national

liberation. In January 1610 he was forced toabandon the siege of the St. Sergius TrinityMonastery. After the Tushino forcesdisbanded, he supported the impostor untilthe latter approached Moscow for thesecond time. Sapieha then aided the Polishgarrison in Moscow, which was besieged bythe first peoples militia. Jan Piotr Sapieha

died in Moscow.(http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Sapieha)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitsebskhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitsebsk


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IndependenceAmid the crisis of central authority in the U.S.S.R. in the

early 1990s, the Belorussian S.S.R. declared sovereignty(July 27, 1990) and independence (Aug. 25, 1991). With thecollapse of Communist Party rule and the dissolution of the

Soviet Union in the wake of the failed coup againstGorbachev, the Belorussian S.S.R. changed its name to theRepublic of Belarus

The new constitution in March 1994 created the officeof president, to which the pro-Russian AlyaksandrLukashenka was elected in July 1994. Legislative electionsfollowed in 1995, but, owing to the strictures of theBelarusian electoral system many members of thelegislature were independents; indeed, the largest votingblock was not a political party per se but a group thatsupported Lukashenka.

In a referendum in November 1996the legitimacy ofwhich was widely disputedLukashenka won approval fora constitutional change that granted him near-absolutepower and extended his five-year term. The parliamentaryopposition sought to impeach Lukashenka and to eliminatethe office of president, but the oppositions efforts were

countered by Lukashenkas signing of the revised

constitution, which closed the Supreme Soviet and created anew legislative body (from which the opposition wasexcluded) with greatly reduced powers.

Widely considered the most repressive regime inEurope, Belarus staged undemocratic elections, suppressedpolitical opposition, and silenced the press. Leaders of thepolitical opposition often agitated from exile, whileantigovernment figures who arose within Belarus wereoccasionally beaten, jailed, or disappearedseized by theauthorities and never heard from again.

Meanwhile, beginning in 2002, Belaruss relations withRussia had deteriorated, partly over the desire of Gazprom,the Russian state-owned natural gas company, to raise theprice of gas exported to Belarus to world levels. Anothersource of discord was Russias military conflict withGeorgia in 2008, as Lukashenka failed to follow Russiaslead in recognizing the independence of the breakawayGeorgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Alyaksandr Hrygorevich Lukashenka

(1954-)Belarusian politician who espoused

communist principles and who becamepresident of the country in 1994.

Lukashenka graduated from theMogilyov Teaching Institute and theBelarusian Agricultural Academy. In themid-1970s he was an instructor in politicalaffairs, and he spent five years in the army.He subsequently held minor posts in theKomsomol (communist youth organization)

and in local party organizations. From 1982through 1990 he held management and partyposts at collective and state farms and at aconstruction materials combine. He waselected to the parliament of the BelorussianS.S.R. in 1990.

In parliament Lukashenka created afaction called Communists for Democracy.He was the only deputy to oppose theDecember 1991 agreement that led to thedissolution of the Soviet Union.

In 1996 he persuaded voters to approvea new constitution that gave him sweepingadditional powers, including the right toprolong his term in office, to rule by decree,and to appoint one-third of the upper houseof parliament.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/351062/Alyaksandr-Hrygorevich-Lukashenka


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Timeline of Major Events in Modern Belarusian History_______

Text taken directly from BBC News. Timeline: Belorus. Available at:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1118391.stm

1921 - The Treaty of Riga divides Belarus between Poland and Soviet Russia.

1922 - The Belarussian SSR becomes founding member of the USSR.

1930s - Belarus suffers from the purges against intellectuals and political opponents ordered byStalin. More than one-hundred thousand people are executed in Belarus.

1941 -Nazi Germany invades during the course of World War II. More than one million peopleare killed during the occupation, including many Jews.

1944 - The Soviet Red Army drives the Germans out of Belarus.

1945 - At the end of the war, much of western Belarus - previously belonging to Poland - isamalgamated into the Soviet Republic.

1960s - A policy of 'Russification' is pushedthrough.

1986 - Belarus is heavily affected by the fall-out from the nuclear explosion at Chernobyl inneighbouring Ukraine. Hundreds of thousands of people receive high radiation doses. Around20% of agricultural land is contaminated and rendered unusable.

1990 - Belarussian becomes the official state language.

1991 - Belarus declares its independence as the Soviet Union breaks up.

1994 - Alexander Lukashenko becomes president.

1996 - Lukashenko increases his powers again, extending his term in office.

2010 - Presidential elections. President Lukashenko declared winner. Opposition and westernobservers allege vote rigging. Mass protests in Minsk are broken up by force, with 600 arrests.

2011 - Explosion hits a busy metro station in Minsk, killing 11. President Lukashenko alleges aplot to destabilize the country.


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The Culture of BelarusBelarusian Cuisine

http://www.belarus.by/en/about-belarus/cuisineDelicious and warming, modern-day Belarusian cuisine is a mix of influences from

neighbouring countries and migrant settlers. For these reasons, youll find that food in Belarus is

quite similar to the cuisines of Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Poland. The European communityhas also contributed much to modern-day food in Belarus. Belarus dishes are typically based onlocal vegetables and cereals, especially: potatoes, beetroot, mushrooms, berries and barley

The following products are popular in Belarus:pork, pork sausages and salami (kolbasy), saltedpork fat milk and dairy products as fresh white cheese (tvorog), sour cream (smetana), fermentedcheese (siyr)Salads are popular in Belarus, in particular: cabbage salad, beetroot salad, cucumbers and garden

radish salad

Soups are a firm favorite in Belarus too. Some of the most

popular are: beetroot soup (borshch), cabbage soup (shchy),chilled soup (khaladnik)

Dishes are usually served with rye bread. Also, Kvas is atraditional drink in Belarus, made from fermenting bread bakedwith wheat, rye orbarley.

Potatoes deserve a special mention as they have formedthe basis of many of the dishes of Belarus for hundreds ofyears. Many traditional Belarusian dishes are potato

based, including: potato dumplings, thick potato pancakes(draniki) and baked grated potato pie (babka). Potatodishes are often stuffed or accompanied with vegetables,mushrooms or meat.

DranikiIngredients: 6 potatoes,1 egg, 2 table spoons flour, 1 onion, salt,pepper, oil1. Peel, wash and grate the potatoes, and peel and chop the onion.Mix potatoes and onion.2. Add the egg, flour and salt, and stir well until it become combined.3. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and add potato mixture with a

table spoon in the form of small flat cakes. Fry draniki on one sidefor about 23 minutes until it has a golden brown crust. Then turn thedraniki over and fry for a further 12 minutes.4. Serve with main dishes and sour cream.

Music http://www.mapsofworld.com/belarus/society-and-culture/music.html

Music of Belarus is blessed with a rich tradition of

Draniki

Shchy

Kvas


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the folk music as well as the religious music. The folk music of Belarus can be traced back to theperiod of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The countries of Canada, United States, Russia, Latvia,Kazakhstan and Ukraine are all under the influence of the music of Belarus.

In the twentieth century however the Soviet control of Belarus limited the music of Belarus to a

large extent since it thought that the nationally oriented music of Belarus is dangerous andsubversive to the Soviet authority. The most extensive exposure of the people of the country wastowards the music of Soviet Russia's pop music even after the independence.

Folk music at Belarus is as old as the 15th century with the skomorokhs belonging to the majorprofession of music. The religious chant known as znamenny is known as the earliest kind ofBelarus music. It was later followed by the church music. Stary Olsa is a modern folk bandwhich is working towards the revival of the old melodies, that are slowly getting lost.

Znameny Chant:

Znamenny chant was the principal chant of the Russian

Orthodox Church for the time Christianity was importedfrom Byzantine to roughly the late seventeenth century.Orthodox is still relatively unknown to Westernaudiences. This aversion is probably reinforced by theinaccessibility of Eastern chant as far as its notation andits system of composition.1

Skomorokh:(itinerant performer)One of a group of medieval Russian actors, who alsoperformed as singers, dancers, and musicians andwho wrote most of the musical and dramatic worksthat they performed. The repertoire of theskomorokhi included comic songs, dramatic scenes,and glumy (social satire), which were performed inmasks and special costumes to the accompanimentof dom-ras, bagpipes, and tambourines. Appearingon streets and squares, the skomorokhi mixed with

the spectators and involved them in their performance. The main hero of their presentations wasa merry, sprightly, and very crafty fellow who frequently operated under the guise of comicsimplemindedness. The skomorokhi came into existence before the mid-11th century. In the 16thand 17th centuries the skomorokhi traveled in groups of 70100 members. They were oftenpersecuted by the church and by civil authorities and were prohibited from performing.2

Literature: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/59081/Belarus/292297/Literature?anchor=ref409414

1 http://www.liturgica.com/html/litEOLitMusDev4.jsp2http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Skomorokh

Znameny Notation

Belarusian Skomorokh as they appearin a 1555 German etching


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Ivan Daminikavich Lutsevich a.k.a.

Yanka Kupala (1882-1942)

The classic writer of Belarusianand world literature, one of thefounders of modern Belarusianliterature and literary Belarusianlanguage, People's Poet of Belarus, thespiritual and moral leader of nationalrebirth in Belarus. A poet, playwright,publicist, translator, and public figure.

Since childhood the future poet hadbeen interested in Belarusian folklore.Maksim Gorki made a strong influenceon Yanka Kupala.

The first poems, sentimental andromantic, were written in Polish (1902),but very soon the poet realised that hisnative Belarusian language was theonly environment in which he couldexpress in the best way his thoughts andaspirations. Writing in Belarusian was avery courageous decision at that time.The Belarusian language was banned,

and book publishing in Belarusian wasimpossible.

(http://archives.gov.by/eng/index.php?id=951386)

Literary activity in Belarus dates to the 11th century. In the 12th century St. Cyril of Turaw,venerated among Orthodox Slavs as the secondSt. Chrysostom, wrote sermons and hymns. Inthe 16th centuryFrancisk Skorina of Polatsk translatedthe Bible into Belarusian and wrote extensive explanatoryintroductions to each book. His editions, produced in

Prague (now in theCzech Republic)in 151719 and inVilnius (Lithuania) in 152225, were the first printedbooks not only in Belarus but in the whole of easternEurope. In the 17th century the Belarusian poetSimeonPolotsky (Symeon of Polatsk) was the first to bringBaroque literary style to Moscow.

Modern Belarusian literature began in the first half ofthe 19th century with the work of Yan Chachot andVincent Dunin-Martsinkyevich, who translated part ofthe Polish poet Adam Mickiewiczs epicMaster

Thaddeusinto Belarusian. Literary classics of the early

20th century include works by the poets MaksimBahdanovich, Ales Harun, Vladimir Zylka, KazimirSvayak, Yanka Kupala, and Yakub Kolas and the prosewriters Zmitrok Byadulya and Maksim Haretski. Many ofthese writers had been contributors to the influentialBelarusian newspaperNasha Niva(Our Field),published in Vilnius during the period 190616.

Most noteworthy of the writers to preserve anddevelop the Belarusian literary tradition in the 1940s and50s are the poets Pimen Panchanka and Arkadi

Kulyashov and the prose writers Yanka Bryl, IvanShamyakin, and Ivan Melezh. Among later 20th-centurywriters, the poets Yawhyeniya Yanishchyts and AlesRazanov and the short-story writer Anatol Sys should benoted. Other well-known writers of the late 20th andearly 21st centuries are Svetlana Alexievich, whoseVoices from Chernobylwas translated into English in2005; Volha Ipatava, a prominent poet and novelist; andthe poet Slavamir Adamovich, whose poemKill thePresident!led to his imprisonment in 199697. Severalprominent Belarusian writers left the country in the late20th and early 21st centuries because of the politicalclimate. They included Bykau and Ales Adamovich, bothwell known for their works on the Soviet-Germanconflict during World War II.

Folklore: A Speckled Hen
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/116479/Saint-John-Chrysostomhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/116479/Saint-John-Chrysostomhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/116479/Saint-John-Chrysostomhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/547314/Francisk-Skorinahttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/149085/Czech-Republichttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/468202/Simeon-Polotskyhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/468202/Simeon-Polotskyhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/468202/Simeon-Polotskyhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/468202/Simeon-Polotskyhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/149085/Czech-Republichttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/547314/Francisk-Skorinahttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/116479/Saint-John-Chrysostom


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From: http://knihi.com/Bielaruskija_narodnyja_kazki/A_Speckled_Hen-en.html

Once upon a time there lived a grandpa and a grandma. They had a speckled hen. The henlaid a lot of eggs under a stove. Grandma collected the eggs into a basin and put it on a shelf. A

mouse ran in waving her tail, the basin fell, the eggs broke.Grandpa starts crying, grandma starts crying, the hen begins to cluck, gates squeak, chipsfly, magpies crack, geese cackle, dogs bark.

A wolf goes:"Grandpa, grandma, why do you cry?""Why don't we cry? Our hen laid a lot of eggs under the stove. Grandma collected the eggs

into the basin and put it on the shelf. The mouse ran in, waving her tail, the basin fell, the eggsbroke."

And the wolf starts howling.A bear goes:"The wolf, why do you howl?"

"Why don't I howl? The hen laid a lot of eggs under the stove for grandpa and grandma.Grandma collected the eggs into the basin and put it on the shelf. The mouse ran in waving hertail, the basin fell, the eggs broke. Grandpa starts crying, grandma starts crying, the hen begins tocluck, gates squeak, chips fly, magpies crack, geese cackle, dogs bark... And I can't bark, so Istart howling."

The bear listened to that story and tore off his tail. Ever since then a bear has lived curtailed.

Select Bibliography of Sources on Belarus

Aleksievich, Svetlana. Voices from Chernobyl. Normal : Dalkey Archive Press, 2005

Bekus, Nelly. Struggle over identity : the official and the alternative "Belarusianness". Budapest; New York : Central European University Press, 2010

Korosteleva, Elena A.; Colin W. Lawson and Rosalind J. Marsh (eds). Contemporary Belarus:between democracy and dictatorship. London; New York: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003

Marples, David. Belarus : a denationalized nation. Amsterdam : Harwood Academic, c1999

Marples, David. Belarus : from Soviet rule to nuclear catastrophe. Houndmills, Basingstoke,Hampshire : Macmillan, 1996

McMillin, Arnold B. Writing in a cold climate : Belarusian literature from the 1970s to thepresent day. London : Maney, 2010

Savchenko, Andrew. Belarus: a perpetual borderland. Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2009


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Silitski, Vitali. Historical dictionary of Belarus. Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 2007

White, Stephen; Elena Korosteleva and John Lwenhardt (eds). Postcommunist Belarus Lanham,MD : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, c2005

ceres country profile - belarus

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