While Belarus still maintains features from its socialist history as part of the Soviet Union, it lost other socialist features during and after the USSR’s collapse. Many of them believe that the Belarusian regime shares their ideology. Siarhei Bohdan is an associate analyst at the Ostrogorski Centre. Now, almost all Belarusians work on short-term contracts – often concluded over a very short term. With no significant strikes or other forms of industrial action, Belarus may be a paradise for any investor shrewd enough to cut a deal with Lukashenka. Some write about socialism in Belarus, and others call Lukashenka “a spontaneous socialist” or even a social democrat. Have Belarusians Always Used the Cyrillic Alphabet? You have successfully subscribed to the newsletter, https://belarusdigest.com/story/the-european-myth-of-belarusian-socialism/. Many Russians come to Belarus to use its growing gambling industry. Sex tourism in Belarus is, of course, not as flourishing as in Ukraine. Internet images have shown many of the demonstrators waving the anti-Communist red and white flag used by the Byelorussian Central Council, which collaborated with German Nazi occupiers from 1943 until 1944. Of course, not all of them were profitable. Unlike the other former Soviet republics, Belarus preserved socialist symbols and statues throughout the country. Parker points out that the first thing Lukashenko did upon election was double the minimum wage. From 5000 to 2000 BC, Bandkeramik cultures predominated. The winning design was a hammer and sickle on top of a globe in rays of the sun, surrounded by a wreath of grain and under a five-pointed star, with the inscription "proletarians of the world, unite!" Some write about socialism in Belarus, and others call Lukashenka “a spontaneous socialist” or even a social democrat. Tikanovskaya became the main opposition candidate after his arrest. The Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic exists as a government in exile since then. In autumn of 1919, Nikolai Yudenich's advance on Petrograd was checked, whilst in the far north the Evgeny Miller's army was pushed into the Arctic. Today, Ukrainian fascists are openly lending their support to the Belarusian opposition movement. In the majority of cases (85 per cent) Belarusians themselves use them for holding weddings or other celebrations. In Belarus, 70% of workers are employed by the state, according to The Heritage Foundation’s 2020 Index of Economic Freedom. An interview with Dmitry Kosmachev, a member of the Minsk Socialist Circle, about the situation in Belarus, the current protests, and where they may lead. This allows the employer to fire them without explanation after the contract expires. This transforms the country into a kind of sweatshop, common in the developing world with cheap and docile labour force, minimal regulations and full freedom of action for employers. In 2007, the European Union suspended its trade preferences for Belarus for violations of trade unions' rights – effectively introducing economic sanctions for the first time. Is inequality a serious problem in Belarus? No one can be certain of job security. In fact, opportunism is the only suitable term to denote the current Belarusian system. Stephen Shenfield: In the 1990s I made visits to five of the new post-Soviet republics – Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan. Are Belarusians fundamentally rural Orthodox Christians? According to the director of the tourist company BelarusTurService Hennadzi Leushyn, about 80 per cent of tourists come from Russia. Yet, there was not a single serious ideological project undertaken by the Belarusian government abroad. We have continued publishing articles on workers.org, along with a weekly PDF of what would have been the printed version. In the past, the European Left has also expressed solidarity with the Belarusian government on a national level in some European countries and in Germany. It will be the most high-profile sporting event in the country’s sovereign history. No, but that doesn’t mean it is not a victim of western imperialism, both right now as we speak and since the dissolution of the USSR. Interestingly, nationals of only 19 states can enter Belarus without visas (however, there are specific regulations for each state). To put it in a comparative perspective, the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius — a relatively small city with the population of 540,000 — alone annually attracts more than 1.5 million tourists. While Belarus still maintains features from its socialist history as part of the Soviet Union, it lost other socialist features during and after the USSR’s collapse. Anti-imperialists and revolutionaries inside the U.S. must oppose any U.S. involvement in other countries’ affairs. None of the regime's key figures, such as Uladzimir Makey or Mikhail Myasnikovich, display any socialist sentiments. Now that the amendments are in force only residents of the countries with no Belarusian consulates can apply for visas after they arrive at Minsk-2 airport. Independence from the USSR This kind of service is available for tourists in most hotels as well as in a number of special clubs. Eastern Europe Belarus / Belarussian Soviet Socialist Republic The history of Belarus is tied closely to that of Lithuania and Poland. The people have some legitimate grievances against Lukashenko, especially regarding his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These states are the following: For the rest of the world Belarusian visas are quite costly. The Socialist International calls on its members around the world to demand the immediate release of Mikalai Statkevich and others jailed these past days. Later, the ILO repeatedly defined Belarus as a grave violator of trade unions' rights, but to no avail. And from time to time the police crackdown on networks of the sex business. For socialism and genuine democracy! Belarus is the legal successor of the Byelorussian SSR and in its Constitution it states, "Laws, decrees and other acts which were applied in the territory of the Republic of Belarus prior to the entry into force of the present Constitution shall apply in the particular parts thereof that are not contrary to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus." Belarusian Social Democrat Anatol Sidarevic pointed out that “Lukashenka with his rhetoric has been and, may be still, considered almost a Socialist.” Belarusian journalists and activists express similar views. They further complicated the visa procedure. It lies on the crossroads of major international roots from Germany and Poland to Russia and from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on his reelection Aug. 9. In 1917, Vladimir Lenin and Anatoly Lunacharsky held a competition to create a Soviet emblem. Belarus: Mass opposition continues to defy repression by Lukashenko's regime. Their president has been in power for more than 25 years, ever since the Soviet Union fell, and his prior job was managing a socialist collective farm. Several years ago Alexander Lukashenka demanded that Belarus should become a popular destination for tourists from around the world who would bring in lots of hard currency. Belarus has been able to stall a lot of privatization that completely dissolved what socialist mode of production did exist in the late USSR. That said, Belarus has a very mixed economy. Perhaps Belarus is not capitalist, but it is certainly not socialist. This year, the ILO put Belarus on the “long” and “short” list of states violating rights of trade unions. Socialism requires workers power, and there is no such thing in Belarus. Edit. Only 15 per cent of visitors of all the agro-manors in 2011 were from abroad. Belarus’s government has its contradictions. Lukashenka's Regime: Neither Left, Nor Right, and Nor Centre. By Otis Grotewohl posted on August 17, 2020. In 2014 Belarus will host the ice hockey World Championship. The workers must take control of the urgently-needed resources, which are created by their own labor, as part of an international struggle to take power and build socialism. Unlike the other former Soviet Republics, Belarus displays symbolism of the former Soviet Union (USSR). For that reason, it is pointless to talk about any kind of Socialism or even a left-wing ideology of the Belarusian regime. But in fact the Soviet-looking facade of the Belarusian regime is deceptive. In the book “The Last Soviet Republic: Alexander Lukashenko’s Belarus,” author Stewart Parker argues that Lukashenko’s mass popularity and electoral success derive from his tight connection with the former Soviet Union. A special commission confirmed these violations of workers' rights. To benefit from this event the government should liberalise the tourist industry and free creativity of entrepreneurs from bureaucratic bondage. An interview with Dmitry Kosmachev, a member of the Minsk Socialist Circle, about the situation in Belarus, the current protests, and where they may lead. The Belarusian democracy movement erupted after Lukashenko claimed 80 percent of the vote over 10 percent for Tichanovskaya. 50.8 per cent of all personnel of Belarusian enterprises except for those employed by small business. 100 Years Later: Some Lessons of the Great Bolshevik Revolution, Fascist violence and the form of the state, No fascist coup! While the Belarusian authorities are talking about the prospects of sex tourism, the inflow of foreign tourists in general remains low. 10 member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (excluding Turkmenistan). Their absolute numbers were very small, varying between 2,000 and 3,000. According to Parker, “Lukashenko’s positive opinion of the USSR, as well as the preservation of Soviet national holidays and a rejection of nationalism, have all found favor with the older generation.”. What are socialist perspectives on Belarus? Because of the uncontrolled border with Russia it is difficult to assess the exact number of tourists that come to Belarus, but the estimate for 2011 is around 750,000. The Belarusian regime is a self-interested opportunistic authoritarianism which has no stable ideological preferences. After that his ministers began to implement various state projects to boost the attractiveness of Belarus for incoming tourists. 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