World Belarusian Culture Day was first celebrated on July 7, 2021, at the initiative of the Belarusian Council for Culture. The day brings together several dates of special significance for Belarus: the birthdays of Yanka Kupala, Jan Czaczot and Marc Chagall, as well as the traditional Kupalle holiday according to the Julian calendar.
“Belarusian culture today is what preserves our nation, our values and our experience from one generation to the next, and what defines us as a unique people. Culture is our security, our progress, our way of thinking and acting. It preserves our identity and our connection to our heritage regardless of where we are, and it is our response to attempts at external influence,” the United Transitional Cabinet wrote.
Culture is present in every sphere of life: from education to the military, from diplomacy to communication with neighbours, from cuisine to the choices we make every day. Only culture, in its broadest sense, is capable of answering the question of who we are.
The State of Belarusian Culture Today Reflects the State of Society
Inside the country, the state does not create sufficient conditions for the full development of the national culture and, on the contrary, often pushes the Belarusian language and culture out of education, the media, public space and everyday life, replacing them with the supposedly “stronger” culture of a neighbouring country. This is a paradox for a nation that formally possesses everything required to be considered independent, yet whose identity has become highly blurred as a result.
Belarusian culture will not disappear overnight. But it may gradually become “unnecessary” if people stop using it, if it is no longer passed on to children, and if it is not supported by Belarusians themselves: readers and audiences, young and old, educators and artists, communities, businesses and the media.
We cannot expect someone stronger, wealthier or more influential to preserve Belarusian culture on our behalf. If it matters to us, we must prove it through our actions.
Culture Lives as Long as It Matters to Us
“Unfortunately, the regimes in Belarus and Russia often understand the importance of culture better than even the democratic community: in their hands, so-called ‘soft power’ becomes a clear form of ‘hard power’. While Belarusian culture continues to face a powerful arsenal of methods aimed at restricting and reshaping it, the well-being of independent culture depends on the unsystematic self-organisation of the cultural community. This weakens not only the richness of the cultural calendar but also our identity, our resilience against external influence and the unity of the nation,” comments Irena Katsialovich, Deputy Representative for National Revival on Cultural Affairs.
How Can You Support Belarusian Culture?
Move from a culture of sympathy to a culture of responsibility. This means taking responsibility for what we consume, what we preserve and what we pass on to future generations. It is important that we ourselves support our culture: use the Belarusian language, read Belarusian authors, listen to Belarusian music, attend Belarusian events, support artists, teach children about Belarusian identity, create new meanings, works and practices, as well as new traditions. This also includes collective financial support, where everyone contributes according to their means.
Belarusian culture is an investment in the future of Belarus.
