Real Lukashenka Shows Through Remarks About “Workfolk” In “Any Old GDL”

Where does the dictator’s strange reaction to the princes and gentry come from?

It happens that Lukashenka reads some clever and patriotic text written for him about our history, roots, and so on, says the right words (from our point of view). And then he says something impromptu from himself, which in fact characterizes him most sincerely and frankly.

One of these last statements perfectly shows us the true Lukashenka.

“Not to fall behind, as they will grab us with one hand and we will again be workfolk in any old GDL or Rzecz Pospolita.”

The workfolk... in any old... These words, rather eloquent ones, revived the memory that I once wrote about in one of my blogs – about the only time in Lukashenka’s presidential life when he went to the theater – and I was a witness to that. Going forward, I will simply quote:

“It happened in 2002, when, according to the requirements of the moment (during the first “turn to sovereignty”), someone suggested that Lukashenka should take a landmark step and go to the National Theater to see the national play “Prince Vitaut.” By the way, on that occasion, for the first time in decades, the season in the Kupala theatre was opened not by “Paulinka”, but by the premiere of the new play. I did not know anything about the presence of Lukashenka in advance and came to the theater as an ordinary spectator – but in the end I experienced a real catharsis.

The principal character of the country must remain the principal one even in the theater. After the end of the performance, Lukashenka took to the stage and started to explain to the audience why everything had been wrong before, how viciously the princes behaved, as they had not listened to the people, ignored their aspirations, but that we were pursuing a completely different policy, which is popular and for the people. That everything was decided by the majority, not by a handful of people.

I remember how embarrassing it was for artists who were standing on the stage and listening to all that. How alien, pathetic and ridiculous that speech on the stage was. As far as I know, Aliaksandr Lukashenka hasn’t been to the theater since then.”

As far as I think, Lukashenka simply has a natural rejection of all these princes, nobles, “gentle blood.” I will not speculate on what causes this, but, of course, we can recall the circumstances of origin and upbringing. As a result, every time he reads a text about “our historical heritage” – the GDL, he does it through clenched teeth, forcedly. And the real Lukashenka shows through remarks about the “workfolk” in “any old GDL.”

Vital Tsyhankou, Facebook