Meaning Of November 7 In Belarus Becomes Clear

This date is not at all about the revolution.

Keeping November 7 as a holiday in Belarus is one of the most underunderstood phenomena in the mass consciousness. It is necessary to admit that over the last years it has been a common practice in our society to snicker at it rather than to think seriously about the reasons. It was usual to attribute such a tradition to either amusing sentimentality towards the Soviet past or ridiculous manipulation of ideological narratives that had no connection with the present. Only a lazy person has not pointed out the absurdity of the situation: to celebrate the anniversary of a bloody revolution in a country where even the most innocent non-violent protest is demonised and ruthlessly persecuted.

It was only after 2020 that the real meaning of the date became clear, and the reason why it has remained a red day on the calendar all these years. It was only after 2020 that it became possible to find harmony and logic in what some had previously considered a meaningless anachronism. Things are finally falling into place.

The thing is that the date of November 7 is not at all about the revolution. It is not about building a new society. And certainly not about communism, not about "factories to the workers, land to the peasants". It is about absolute power and unlimited violence. About the right of force. About Lenin's "hang, by all means hang, so that people can see". About his "to crush the resistance with such cruelty that they will not forget it for several decades". About the Cheka, torture, shooting of hostages and gas attacks against dissenters. About the right to slaughter the family of one's political opponent. And, of course, about "don't look for documents and proofs at the investigation that the accused acted by deed or word against the Soviet power...", which at the new turn of history was transformed into laconic "sometimes there is no time for laws".

So there has never been any absurdity here. On the contrary, there is an amazing integrity and logic of the worldview. Simply the meaning of this date is a little different. In place of Nov. 7 it could well be the birthday of Ivan the Terrible or Genghis Khan, the sense would not change. But the October coup is objectively closer to us historically.

Ihar Iljash, Facebook