Belarus Digest - News and Analysis of Belarusian Politics, Economy, Human Rights and Myths

Sports and Democracy - Should We Play Along With the Dictator?

admin — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:32:17 +0000

How Decisions are Made in Belarus

yauheni.preiherman — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:15:38 +0000

In less than two weeks, the Secretary of the Security Council Leanid Maltsau has to submit his proposal on the optimisation of the law enforcement agencies ("siloviki"). This follows the Presidential Decree No. 168 aimed at reforming the public administration in Belarus.

This will again raise questions about the role of the “siloviki” and, ultimately, about how the country is governed and who makes the decisions. The obvious easy answer goes that, of course, Alexander Luakshenka does. In the personalistic authoritarianism he indeed makes all important decisions himself. However, it would be an extreme oversimplification to see only Lukashenka behind any single decision or piece of legislation.

Ecomedservice: War Against Private Health Care in Belarus?

darya.firsava — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:33:49 +0000

On 23 April 2013 Belarus witnessed a terrible death. 25-year old Yulia Kubareva passed away after undergoing an unfortunate nose reconstruction surgery at Ecomedservice — one of the largest private medical centres in Belarus.

By now, almost every Belarusian knows about the accident, and the government has launched mass inspections of private medical services providers in Belarus. The Ministry of Health has already revoked seven licences for anaesthesiology and resuscitation services. In addition, the Ministry of Health has appointed a state representative for administering the completely privately owned Ecomedservice.

Friends and Draniki - Belarus Civil Society Digest

admin — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:02:00 +0000

Friends and draniki

"Friends and Draniki" initiative improves economic literacy by means of in-home discussion meetings.

Following civil society protests, Minsk authorities will not build a multipurpose centre "Park Avenue" on the banks of Minsk river Svisloch. Representatives of Belarusian ministries participate in a civil society round table on drug-related issues.

Two journalists arrested in Minsk are causing a protest from the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

Discussions and Campaigns

Four Western Myths about Belarusian Higher Education

Artyom Shraibman — Mon, 13 May 2013 07:44:59 +0000

Belarusian students

The Minister of Education Syarhei Maskevich announced on 3 May 2013 that "Belarusian universities enjoy a high level of autonomy". Considering the fact that Belarus remains the only European state outside of Bologna process precisely because of its lack of academic freedoms, top Belarusian officials may not be completely honest.

However, many myths about Belarusian higher education exist in foreigners’ minds as well. For example, the government neither owns all the universities, nor educates people free of charge. Political expulsions happen only very rarely and usually students can travel abroad without any problems.

Belarus: The Great Patriotic War vs the Second World War

bylina — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:21:39 +0000

tut.by

On 9 May the annual parade took place in Minsk to honour the victory in the Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany. According to today's official statistics during that war every third Belarusian inhabitant died. Nazis killed around 600-800 thousand Jews, 80% of the total Jewish population of Belarus.

Remembering the war which started in 1941, after Germany's attack against the Soviet Union, Belarusian authorities prefer to forget that the Second World War started not in 1941, but in 1939, when Hitler and Stalin were allies.

This year state media reported thousands of people were taking part in celebratory procession on the main street of Minsk including war veterans, members of labour collectives and children. Alexander Lukashenka and his youngest son Mikalay headed the procession.

Young Fashion Labels from Belarus - a New Export Hit?

nadine — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:17:59 +0000

Photo:BelTA

At the end of April, the 6th Belarus Fashion Week took place in Minsk. It may come as a surprise that there is a fashion industry in Belarus, and in fact, this is one of the good news from the country. During the last years, a whole branch of young and excellent fashion labels has emerged in Belarus.

Clothes - the Most Important Good after Food for Belarusians

According to the National Statistic Committee, Belarusians spent 11,6% of their income on clothes, which is the second largest position after food. This proves that there is a whole growing clothes industry. After the economic crisis in 2011, money has reappeared to be spent on the outward appearance. However, buying modern, good quality clothes at affordable prices is very difficult in Belarus. So far, there have been three ways to buy garments in Belarus:

People of the Swamps Fight the Flooding

admin — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:31:30 +0000

This April, the region of Paliessie in southern Belarus experienced annual flood caused by major local rivers. The flood was the largest in decades.

Yet Paliessie is famous not only for floods that turn towns and villages into islands. The region’s population presents a distinct ethnic group within the Belarusian nation. They speak a peculiar dialect and retain many features of traditional lifestyle.

Belarusian protestant communities are very concentrated in the region. Their way of life differs a great deal from that of their Orthodox compatriots. Previously, Paliessie was one of the Jewish centres of Eastern Europe and many famous Jews come from here.

Painful Lessons of Eurasian Integration

darya.firsava — Mon, 06 May 2013 06:09:07 +0000

On 25 April 2013 Tatsiana Matoryna, Director of the Brest Stocking Plant — one of the largest apparel industry companies in the former Soviet Union— blamed sharp decreases in the plant’s sales on Belarus’ economic integration with Russia and Kazakhstan.

The accusation has serious grounds: in 2013, the volume of sales from the plant decreased by about 30% compared to the same period in 2012.

The main reason for this and similar sales drops is competition in which Belarusian goods often lose out. For years, tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade helped Belarusian businesses avoid unwanted competitors on the domestic market. However, the country’s accession to the Customs Union with Russia and Kazakhstan, and Russia’s subsequent accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) deprived Belarusian plants of the usual state protection.

Belarus Wants New Russian Fighter Jets But Without Russian Pilots

siarhei.bohdan — Fri, 03 May 2013 06:58:53 +0000

Last week, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu discussed with Alexander Lukashenka establishment of a Russian air force base in Belarus.

A few days later, Lukashenka dismissed the claims that Russia will have a military base in Belarus. The news came as media of neighbouring countries continue to discuss the significance of Belarus-Russian military drill West-2013 (Zapad-2013) scheduled for autumn.

Belarusian and Russian officials insist that theWest-2013 drill does not threaten anyone, and remind that last year NATO conducted a dozen of drills of different scales in neighbouring countries. Despite various speculations in Belarusian and Western media, little evidence exists to support that is Belarus threatening anyone military, together with Russia or on its own.