The regime is actively finishing off what little was still alive in the country. Everything that still offered a breath of fresh air to a society crushed by repression. The banning of the popular brands Honar, Ragna, and LSTR is not merely another step toward erasing Belarusian national identity. It is also an unmistakable response to those who continue to pin their hopes on some form of “normalization.”
To be honest, the almost simultaneous reports about the closure of Honar, Ragna, and LSTR, brands producing clothing and accessories inspired by Belarusian national culture, did not come as a surprise. What was surprising, rather, was that they had managed to continue operating in the country for all these years.
The logic of totalitarianism is simple and ruthless: everything is forbidden unless it has been officially authorized. Now the authorities have turned their attention to clothing manufacturers that promoted Belarusian culture.
Unfortunately, this was entirely predictable. And to make sure no one had any doubts that their liquidation was not a coincidence but part of an ongoing systematic purge, regime propagandists Ryhor Azaronak and Vadzim Hihin openly celebrated the demise of brands beloved by many Belarusians.
“They were shut down because you loved them,” one of them said without hiding his triumph. “We understand everything, and we see everything. These attempts to ask: ‘When will the authorities finally calm down? They are traumatized by 2020. Will there be a thaw?’ You’ll get a thaw over your heads. We will eradicate everything to the very end,” the other mocked.
So what is the outcome? The destruction of clothing and accessories brands will have no effect on the values of hundreds of thousands of Belarusians, nor on their attitude toward the regime and the repression it carries out. It will not make them love the authorities, Hihin and Azaronak, or the products of a state-owned clothing manufacturer any more than before. That is why the propagandists are so enraged, spewing venom with every word. It is anger born of their own impotence. That, however, is of little comfort to the brands that have been ruthlessly destroyed.
But the situation is more complicated than that because the above applies to people whose views have already been formed. The greater challenge concerns the minds of the young, who are now being exposed to the ideology of the “Russian world” from kindergarten onward. It is for them that this battle is being fought. That is the purpose behind the efforts of regime propaganda, which cultural figures have rightly described as “a program for the destruction of everything Belarusian.” This is a long-term strategy, and therefore a dangerous one, because the regime intends to remain in power for at least another decade or two.
The regime is playing the long game. Having lost control over the minds of a significant part of society, it is now shaping the next generations. It has extensive resources, opportunities, and funding at its disposal. It has no intention of giving up and has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to go to extreme lengths.
In light of this, it is worth reflecting on the strategy and tactics of the response. Because no miracle will happen tomorrow. Nor the day after tomorrow. Once again, the propagandists have given a clear answer to those who still hope for some kind of “thaw,” “dialogue,” or other path toward “normalizing” relations with the regime. “You’ll get a thaw over your heads.” What more is needed to correctly identify the coordinates within which Lukashenka’s Belarus exists today? A system the regime clearly intends to preserve for years to come.
They have already had their fill of so-called “thaws” — so-called because it is difficult to describe as such periods during which the regime’s political opponents were still imprisoned, even if in smaller numbers. They have fully understood the consequences of relaxing their grip, even slightly. They will not expose themselves to that risk again. And this determination is not even being concealed; it is being demonstrated aggressively. Precisely because, in their own words, they “see everything.” They understand that without repression they are doomed. Every form of dissent is being eliminated. Every real or even hypothetical threat. The story of Honar, Ragna, and LSTR is yet another confirmation of this.
There will therefore be no rollback. That is the premise from which we should proceed. Repression will continue to spread, wider and deeper, like a cancer. Even after reaching a plateau, it can remain there for a very long time while continuing to expand in different directions.
Understandably, recognizing this does not make things any easier. Fatigue has been building for a long time. Everyone wants, at last, to see light at the end of this seemingly endless tunnel.
People long for change for the better. Time passes, and so does life. How can one not be tempted by false illusions and hopes for a quick resolution? It is not only us. Even Poland’s Office for Foreigners, when refusing international protection to Belarusians, is convinced that six years have already passed since the 2020 election, another election took place in 2025, and therefore “the scale of repression against protesters has clearly been decreasing every year.” Polish officials also find it hard to believe that darkness can last this long, and they have to be persuaded otherwise. For those of us who have experienced these events firsthand, accepting this harsh reality is even more difficult.
Yet reality keeps reminding us of itself. Through new names added to the lists of political prisoners. Through new arrests and criminal cases. Through the cries of Azaronak and Hihin. Through the destruction of everything that matters. Everything the regime considers dangerous or simply unnecessary. They are not about to saw off the legs of the throne they are sitting on. We should proceed from reality, even if it does not correspond to what we wish for. We, too, are facing a long-term struggle.
The opinions and assessments expressed by the author may not reflect the position of the Reform.news editorial team.
