The National Revival Representation of the United Transitional Cabinet is launching a special marathon dedicated to the topic of Belarusian decolonisation. Throughout the month, the organisation’s Telegram channel will publish short explanations, historical facts, as well as selections of articles, books and films on the subject.
The organisers plan to explain complex decolonisation processes through accessible and practical formats, using examples from the country’s history, culture and contemporary life.
Expert communities in various countries continue to debate whether the Russian Empire constituted a classical colonial system and how the status of the peoples under its rule should be assessed. The issue remains highly relevant not only in the Belarusian and Ukrainian contexts, but also in Polish, Baltic and Central Asian discussions.
National Revival Representative Pavel Barkouski said that the goal of the marathon is not merely theoretical debate, but also a reassessment of concepts imposed on society:
“What is important here is that this format of discussion highlights many things that are not actually natural to our society, even though we have become accustomed to them. For example, the name of the poet Alexander Pushkin, which is given to Belarusian streets and libraries, or the name of Alexander Suvorov, who suppressed the Kościuszko Uprising and whose name is now borne by Belarusian military schools. As a result, we often perceive our own history and culture through someone else’s imposed lens. The idea of carrying out decolonisation is an attempt to find our own path, our own names and events that we can take pride in.”
The marathon materials and related discussions will be available throughout June on the initiative’s official platform.