Historian: Lukashenka Does Not Understand Society In Which He Lives

Belarus has become one of the poorest countries in Europe for 24 years of his rule.

Why is Belarus the only country where the anniversary of the communist revolution is celebrated at the official level, and what price has the Belarusian society paid for its loyalty to Soviet ideas? Historian Anatol Sidarevich talks about this in his interview to Belsat:

“The communists tried very hard to cancel Dziady and to return the seventh of November. And Lukashenka thus paid them for their support. In addition, do not forget that Lukashenka himself is a Soviet Belarusian (of which he confessed to the editor of the Polish Gazeta Wyborcza, Adam Michnik). And what is the Soviet Belarusian? The history of Soviet Belarus starts with October! But he simply does not understand the society in which he lives. Ask these people who walk the streets: “What is today: a holiday or just a day off?” […]

Belarus has become one of the poorest countries in Europe for 24 years of his presidency. In the 90s, we had equal starting opportunities with Poland, even better ones. There were equal opportunities with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. And now we are lagging behind Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and we are among, if not in the six, then in the nine of the most backward countries of Europe in terms of GDP. But keep in mind that in other backward countries – Kosovo, Bosnia – there were wars like in Ukraine. There was no war in Belarus, but it is one of the poorest countries in Europe.”