Myths and truth about Belarus. The myth about quality Belarusian products
Perhaps this is the story of the most successful PR campaign in the post-Soviet space. Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine abound in small shops under the signs of “Belarusian Products”.
Such retail outlets are also popular in Russia, where products from Belarus are still unrivaled. Although the notorious quality of these products has long been a myth. But, probably, the most enduring myth in the countries of the former USSR.
The birth of a legend: almost true
In 1996-1997, Alexander Lukashenko really wanted to become president of Russia. He could not do this through direct elections, and therefore he was preparing to get into the Kremlin through the mechanism of uniting Belarus and Russia into the Union State. In the meantime, relevant agreements were being prepared in Moscow and Minsk, Lukashenko himself traveled around Russian regions. In reality, he was campaigning for elections, but formally he was “establishing direct economic ties.”
During these trips, Lukashenko made a huge number of public appearances - and with a sparkle in his eyes he talked about how good it was to live in Belarus under his leadership. How the factories work, how the fields grow (kolkhozes and state farms were carefully preserved by Lukashenko), and how people are provided with everything they need. Provincial Russia, exhausted by the “dashing 90s,” listened to it like a fairy tale.
And then several coincided important points. By that time, Russia's own food industry, still Soviet-style, had almost stopped working - and a huge amount of imported products poured onto the market. But businessmen of the 90s acted on the principle of “buy low, sell high.” Nobody paid much attention to quality, and the stores turned out to be filled with beautiful-looking, but completely inedible slag: sausages made from surrogates and soybeans, cheeses made from palm oil, etc.
The Belarusian president, being by nature a brilliant PR man, immediately caught it all. After which he began to tell me that in Belarus all the products produced are absolutely natural, since they are produced only from local, own raw materials, and besides, according to Soviet GOST standards - that is, they can be eaten!
At that moment it was really so, only Lukashenko was silent about the reasons. In the 90s, the Republic of Belarus simply did not have the money to buy imported products - that’s why they had to eat their own. Having come to power in 1994, Lukashenko stopped privatization and greatly tightened the conditions for private business. But he retained collective and state farms. As a result, throughout the 90s, old Soviet enterprises with old equipment continued to operate in the republic - there was simply no money for new lines, and there was no private business to build new factories. At the same time, there were no problems with raw materials: they were regularly supplied by preserved state and collective farms as part of government procurement.
Alexander Lukashenko with his son Nikolai harvests potatoes on the territory of the Drozdy residence, August 16, 2015. Photo: president.gov.by
It is clear that throughout this entire technological chain, Soviet GOST standards were preserved: firstly, there was no reason to change them, and secondly, the famous Belarusian conscientiousness had an effect. At that moment (mid and late 90s), Belarusian products were actually actively sold in Russia - and were willingly bought by Russians who were already yearning for quality food. In addition, thanks to huge government subsidies for the agricultural sector and the very low incomes of Belarusian villagers, Made in Belarus products were very cheap. A good price/quality combination contributed to the fact that legends about “Belarusian products” spread very quickly.
The fashion for Belarusian products has also spread to Ukraine and even Kazakhstan. But the “Belarusian Products” stores did not always actually have products from Belarusian factories...
How things have changed
The turning point came at the beginning of the 2000s. The Belarusian government now has money, which it has invested in the technical re-equipment of food industry enterprises. In Russia and Ukraine, approximately the same thing happened, only there businessmen took over technical re-equipment. There was no fundamental difference - in the sense that everyone purchased approximately the same production lines, usually French or German.P
In essence, after this it was impossible to talk about any “special quality” of Belarusian products. If they won in the 2000s, it was only due to higher quality primary raw materials. But soon things didn’t work out with that either. On the one hand, Alexander Lukashenko, seeing that Belarusian products have become good source foreign exchange earnings into the country, began to stimulate their production and export in every possible way. But on the other hand, the peculiarity of the Belarusian economic model affected it - strict state control over prices.
And the peculiarity of the Belarusian ruble is its tendency to devaluation. A situation arose when the government prohibited manufacturers from raising prices, but they had to purchase not only domestic, but also imported raw materials. And due to the depreciation of the ruble, expenses for it grew. Then they began to skimp on quality. For example, it is more active to add palm oil to cheeses, milk, and other dairy products, and soy and starch to sausages.
Around the same time, the “Soviet GOSTs” disappeared: Belarus switched to its own system of standards (STB), which did not have much in common with its Soviet predecessor. And in any case, standards for production workers have always been a rather general concept. Specific factories have always been guided not by them, but by the so-called “ technical specifications"(TU) - these are exactly what are indicated on the labels of Belarusian products. But specific specifications are allowed to vary within fairly wide limits, which is readily used in Belarus.
In the second half of the 2000s, a new problem came: prices inside Belarus, despite state regulation, approached the level in Moscow, and inexpensive, but much higher quality products from Poland and Lithuania poured into the country. At first, people transported them privately, fortunately, the border was close (the Minsk-Vilnius bus is what Minsk residents themselves jokingly call a suburban bus; it runs every 20 minutes). And then European products went to Belarusian stores (albeit at rather high prices).
In response, Belarusian producers asked the government for “measures to support exports” (read: tax exemption) and began to even more energetically exploit myths in the post-Soviet space about the “Soviet” quality of Belarusian sausage, dairy products or sweets. This allowed us to maintain both demand and a fairly high price tag.
Today's day
Just the other day in Kyiv, in one of the stores on the shelf, I saw condensed milk in bags nearby - from Belarus and my own Ukrainian one. Exactly identical packages, same fat content and composition, but the price is exactly twice as different. I specially bought to try the Ukrainian one - and did not find the slightest difference from the usual Belarusian one. But that's not the point. All Belarusian condensed milk sold in Ukraine is made in Rogachev (Gomel region). I walked to the nearest store “Belarusian Products”, there was the same picture: Rogachev milk, Gomel cheeses. In Russia the picture is the same. One may get the impression that in Belarus the Gomel region is the absolute leader in the production of milk.
But that's not true. It’s just that Belarusians themselves try not to buy products from the Gomel region. Because after the Chernobyl disaster, most of the radioactive fallout fell there. But agriculture needs to be developed - and it is Gomel products that are actively exported. Moreover, the last few years, by order of Lukashenko, are again beginning to be used for Agriculture lands that were taken out of agricultural use in the late 1980s due to high pollution density - more than 40 Curie per square meter. km.
Now, thanks to natural decay, measurements record 26-27 Curies per square meter. km. According to Belarusian legislation, these lands have become suitable for limited use in agriculture.
Belarusian officials don't like to talk about it, but in practice, milk and meat from radiation-contaminated areas are mixed with clean raw materials to “dilute” radiation levels to an acceptable level. And then these raw materials are processed for export. How many people in Russia or Ukraine will look for that Rogachev on the map?... Today Belarus is in third place in the world in the export of dry whey, in third place in the export of butter, in fourth place in cheese. The country exports a third more meat and twice as much milk and dairy products than during Soviet times.
At the same time, however, more than 90% of Belarusian food exports go to Russia, and a significant share of the remainder goes to Ukraine. Europeans do not buy Belarusian products. Lukashenko likes to say that “they don’t let us in so that we don’t create competition, this is a political decision.” In fact, in Europe, Belarusian products usually simply do not pass quality checks. But, for example, sea fish and other seafood from the Brest enterprise “Santa Bremor” are exported to Europe with a bang: the quality is all right there.
Production at the Santa Bremor plant. Photo: Dmitry Brushko, TUT.BY
Finally, a few more theses that, unfortunately, destroy the myth about the especially high quality of Belarusian products:
They contain a lot of GMOs. Genetically modified organisms are no less common in Belarus than in any European or Asian country. Moreover, their creation is purposefully financed from the budget of the Union State of Russia and Belarus (Union Genome program). There is actually nothing bad about this, but, as they say, “there is no need to lie.”
Belarusian products have many environmental problems. “Belarus has preserved collective farms and, in general, the Soviet structure of agriculture - and along with them all the shortcomings of Soviet agricultural technologies,” says Vladimir Konyushkin, a researcher at one of the agricultural institutes of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus. - This is the uncontrolled use of antibiotics and pesticides, excessive use of mineral fertilizers. Belarus is one of the world leaders in the production of potassium chloride, which is distributed to its farms at very low prices.”
Belarusian products are actively counterfeited. I can’t speak for Ukraine, but in Russia local enterprises are regularly caught putting on labels with non-existent addresses of enterprises in Belarus, or selling their products under the “Belarusian” brand by weight.
In Minsk it is very difficult to buy local high-quality hard cheese - with a ripening period of at least six months (for comparison: most Lithuanian hard cheeses ripen from one to three years). 99% of cheeses in Belarus are prepared using accelerated technology, with ripening in 2-4 months, so that they can be exported faster.
World standards set the consumption of 10-12 liters of milk to produce 1 kg of mature cheese. But in Belarus an average of 7-8 liters per kilogram is consumed. Only the “food industry” really doesn’t like to discuss this topic. Just like the fact that in 2013, African swine fever wiped out 2/3 of the Belarusian pig population. And until now, the ASF virus is regularly detected in Belarusian meat.
Facts about Belarus that will shock foreigners. And many Belarusians too.
Usually, foreigners in their own country and city are shown the sights and told standard facts from the guidebook. On The Question website, readers share interesting and incredible facts about Russia that can surprise a foreigner. For example: the area of Russia is larger than the area of Pluto. The Village Belarus has made a selection of facts about our country that you can use
However, if your foreigner is completely dense and has not heard anything about Belarus, be sure to provide him with a pack of relevant facts. Viber, World of Tanks, MSQRD and Flo were made in Belarus; Belarus is a leader in potato production, alcohol consumption and the number of prisoners per capita; Alexander Lukashenko is called the last dictator of Europe and he has been in power for almost 25 years; in Belarus, on Lake Sho, there is the geographical center of Europe (one of several, depending on how you count); Belarus is home to half the world's population of a bird called the Aquatic Warbler.
In Belarus it is impossible to live on the amount you are supposed to live on
The subsistence budget (the amount that, in theory, should be enough to live on) is 199 rubles 32 kopecks (a nice figure of $99.99 at the current exchange rate). For this money you can buy about 25 kilos of sausages, or 200 loaves of bread, or about 60 kilos of apples, or about 900 of the largest chicken eggs, or 145 liters of 95 gasoline. For pensioners, the cost of living budget is even smaller: 153 rubles, and the minimum age pension is 191 rubles.
Concert may be banned in Belarus for low artistic level
In Belarus, concerts of individual performers or musical groups are constantly banned because their artistic level does not reach the high standards of socially oriented Belarus. A certain commission studies the creativity of the guest performers in advance and then decides whether to issue permission for the concert or not. A couple of popular Russian rappers with obscene rhymes have already passed by Belarus, but at the same time, concerts of chanson performers who glorify prison-camp romance and the criminal lifestyle are freely taking place.
In Belarus you can be taken to the police station for silence
In Belarus, anything can become a reason to take you to the police station. He clapped his hands in the square - welcome to the “funnel”, just remained silent in the square - welcome to the paddy wagon. Once in Slonim, the police tied up guys who were sledding down the mountain: they took them away because they announced their “unauthorized mass action” on the Internet. It is noteworthy that in Slonim they produced fruit and berry wine “Slonim Fun”, on the label of which children were drawn sledding.
Minsk is one of the largest cities, and Belarus is one of the largest countries in Europe
Traditionally, Belarus is considered abroad as “a small country somewhere near Russia.” Meanwhile, Belarus ranks 13th in terms of area in Europe out of fifty countries. Of course, we are far from France, Germany or Ukraine. But some Denmark, Switzerland or the Netherlands - generally like the Minsk region. The entire Baltic states with Belgium or Bulgaria with Hungary would fit on the territory of Belarus. And in terms of population, Minsk is in 10th place in Europe. We really big country and a large capital.
There is Russia inside Belarus
And we’re not just talking about the 43rd communications center of the Russian Navy near Vileika or the town of Kletsk-2 with the Volga radar station near Gantsevichi, where Russian military personnel serve. There is a real Russian exclave inside Belarus: part of the territory of another country. And this is very rare even by world standards. Once upon a time there were more enclaves and exclaves both in the world and in Belarus. For example, in the BSSR there was a piece of the Lithuanian USSR. Now only Russian land remains in Belarus: in the Dobrush district of the Gomel region there are the villages of Sankovo and Medvezhye, administratively belonging to the Bryansk region of Russia. True, not a log from the huts remains from the villages themselves - now it is almost 5 square kilometers of land, overgrown with weeds and contaminated by Chernobyl radiation. But we can still say: Belarus has surrounded Russia.
Belarus used to be called Lithuania
Not even every Belarusian will immediately understand how it happened that the name Lithuania (Grand Duchy of Lithuania), which several hundred years ago extended to the territory of present-day Belarus and many other lands around, suddenly went to the region of Zhmud (Zemaitija), which during the Grand Duchy of Lithuania occupied well if tenth part. It is almost as difficult to explain to a foreigner how it happened that Rus' began not in Russia, but on the territory of present-day Ukraine. Be that as it may, the first capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was our Novogrudok, and office work was conducted in the Old Belarusian language. Some of the faithful young people still claim that he is a Litvin and that in fact it is correct to call Belarus Lithuania, and the current Lithuanian Republic - Samogitia or Samogitia.
Four Nobel laureates were born in Belarus
The world only knows about Svetlana Alexievich (2015 Nobel laureate in literature), but in fact, the Belarusian land has given the world four times as many laureates. In 1971, the prize in economics was given to the American Simon Kuznets, who was born in Pinsk and was originally called Semyon. It was he who introduced the term “gross national product” into economics. In 1978, the Peace Prize was awarded to Menachem Begin, born in Brest. Begin became prime minister of Israel and received a Nobel Prize along with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat for signing the Camp David Accords. In 1994, the Nobel Peace Prize (for his contribution to a peaceful settlement in the Middle East) was awarded to Shimon Peres, whom we will talk about below and who was not yet president at that time. In 2000, a native of Vitebsk, Zhores Alferov, received a prize in physics for his development of semiconductor heterostructures. At least six other Nobel Prize laureates are children or grandchildren of immigrants from Belarus. But Svetlana Alexievich was not born on the territory of Belarus.
In Belarus, electronics factories make rags
During the Soviet years, many high-tech factories, including defense ones, were created in the Belarusian SSR. But conversion, diversification, crises, conference calls, integration, consolidations and the struggle for survival have led to the fact that many of them are now doing things that are far from high technology. During the Soviet years, the factories produced equipment for submarines and spaceships, but for the sake of conspiracy they assigned innocent names to these factories. And now in Belarus it’s exactly the opposite: as if to confuse foreign spies, innocent things are produced in military factories. In some places, the production of electronics has been preserved, but both foreigners and Belarusians may be surprised by the “export-oriented cleaning rags” that are made at the Belit TV factory (Postavy), toy dump trucks from BelAZ (Zhodino), canning machines from MTZ (Minsk ), folding chairs from the Izmeritel military radio plant (Novopolotsk), ear tags for tagging cattle from the Tsvetotron electronics plant (Brest), glass containers from the Coral picture tube plant (Gomel), and so on. On the other hand, there are opposite examples that show the partisan nature of the Belarusian heavy and high-tech industry. The enemy will not pass (because he will not find)! For example, in the urban village of Kokhanovo in the Vitebsk region, where only four thousand people live (the same as several high-rise buildings in a metropolitan microdistrict), two excavator manufacturing plants operate at once.
Tractor "Belarus" is painted on Vietnamese money
Until 1987, only Belarus tractors were supplied to Vietnam. They have proven themselves to be excellent, which is why the 200 dong banknote, which came out in the same year, shows the MTZ-50 model. The banknote is officially still in circulation, although it is very rare: at the current exchange rate it corresponds to approximately 2 Belarusian kopecks. At auctions, banknotes in good condition You can buy it for a dollar or two.
Low-cost airlines do not fly to Belarus
More precisely, not quite like that. Until 2011, we had our own low-cost airline, Gomelavia, and now, of all the European low-cost airlines, only the Spanish Vueling from Barcelona flies to us, charging an atypical price tag for low-cost airlines of 95 euros (however, the same Vueling flies to Kiev for 85 euros). UTair also flies from Moscow, the cheapest ticket will cost 39 euros - the same price as a ticket in a reserved seat carriage. In general, you can fly at relatively low prices, but well-known low-cost airlines do not fly to us and, as the aviation authorities assure, have not even made any proposals to open a flight.
There are more swamps in Belarus than in North America
Belarusians know, but it may be strange to foreigners, that Belarus and the swamp are like Degas and ballerinas. According to the 1958 Atlas of the BSSR, wetlands occupied 34% of the country's territory, and swamps themselves - 21.7% of the territory^; There were 7,066 swamps in the country. Reclamation was doing its job, and by 2002 (data from the National Atlas of Belarus) only 11.4% of the territory remained under swamps. The combined area of the country's ten largest marshes is 3,116 square kilometers - more than Luxembourg and Andorra combined. The area of the Olmansky Bogs reserve alone (942 square kilometers) is like three Minsks, and 8 times larger than the area of cranberry bogs in all of North America.
Belarus is the birthplace of “three and a half” Israeli presidents
Indeed, three full-fledged Israeli presidents and one interim president were born in Belarus. This is the first president of the country, Chaim Weizmann (born in the village of Motol near Ivanovo), acting. president Kadish Luz (after the death of the second president, born in Bobruisk), third president Zalman Shazar (born in the village of Mir) and ninth president Shimon Peres (born in the village of Vishnevo near Volozhin). Until 2014, Belarus led in the number of Israeli presidents. But now we have parity: the current, tenth president of the country is the third of those born on Jewish soil.
The world's largest cars are made in Belarus
In 2004, the German company Liebherr introduced the T282B mining dump truck, which became the highest lifting truck in the world: 363 metric tons, or 400 so-called “short” tons (these units are used in quarry developments in the USA). Over the next few years, four more dump trucks with the same payload capacity appeared: the Canadian Terex MT6300AC, the American Caterpillar 797F, the Belarusian BelAZ-75601 and the Chinese Xuzhou XCMG DE400. And in September 2013, Zhodino automakers showed the BelAZ-75710 model with a nominal load capacity of 450 metric tons (500 “short” tons). In January 2014, he set a world record by transporting 503.5 metric tons of cargo (555 “short” tons) across the test site. BelAZ can transport 12 standard low-cost Boeing 737-800s if they are crushed into powder.
Euro banknotes are made from Belarusian flax
This became known back in 2003: the Belarusian Flax Association exports so-called short fiber - low-class waste that is generated during the production of fabrics. They don’t even make bags from such waste, but they turned out to be just right for European banknotes: Belgium, where banknotes are printed, purchased this waste for $220 per ton, while high-quality flax costs 2–3 thousand dollars per ton. The Borisov flax warehouse earned one and a half million dollars in a year from this waste for European banknotes.
The bra was invented by a Belarusian woman
The prototype of the bra was known back in ancient Greece and Rome. Several people, among others, claim to be the author of the modern bra: the French women Hermine Cadolle and Gauche Saro, the Germans Christina Hardt and Sigmund Lindauer, the Americans Mary Phelps Jacob and Ida Rosenthal. This latter migrated to the United States from the Belarusian village of Rakov in the Volozhin region - then her name was Itel Koganovich. The company of Ida and her husband William Maidenform, founded in 1922, developed standard bra volumes depending on the volume and fullness of the chest, adjustable clasps and other lingerie details that are familiar today. it is believed that it was Rosenthal who invented the bra in his modern form. The company still exists, and in Rakov back in 2013 they promised to erect a monument to the bra.
In Belarus, the police drive tractors
Yes, he does. Not all of them, of course, but only those that are involved in evacuating cars from the streets. There are tow tractors in other countries, but perhaps only here they were painted in traffic police blue and white colors, with the proud word “Police” on them and equipped with flashing lights. And in some places, police tractors were equipped with blades for clearing snow from roads. A policeman next to such a “patrol” tractor is an excellent reason for foreigners to say that Belarus is so backward that even policemen drive tractors.
You can travel further from Belarus by train than from the rest of Europe
Maybe in Belarus everything is not very good with low-cost airlines, but there are no problems with cheap and long-distance trains. The longest regular railway route from Western Europe like this: Nice - Moscow is 3,352 kilometers. And you can travel even further from Belarus: train No. 104 Brest - Novosibirsk is as much as 4,391 kilometers. The longest route inside Belarus itself stretched for 876 kilometers. We say: Belarus is one of largest countries Europe.
And the longest railway passenger route in the world is Moscow - Pyongyang (trailer car to the Vladivostok train): 10,314 kilometers, the journey takes eight and a half days.
IKEA furniture is made in Belarus, but there are no IKEA brand stores
What is not in Belarus company store IKEA, not so strange. IKEA has 418 stores in 49 countries and does not have storefronts in many countries, including Europe. For example, in Estonia. But what makes the situation surprising is the fact that there are several factories operating in Belarus that produce furniture commissioned by IKEA. Two of them are in the Mogilev free economic zone.
It's difficult to play cities in Belarus
This fact will mean little to a foreigner, but it may surprise the Belarusians themselves: in Belarus there is not a single city or town whose name in Russian begins with the letter A. If you are a fan of playing cities, know: cities and towns starting with C, Y, E, Yu and Ya are not there either (but there is one village in Ya).
IMAGES: 1 - 10kilogramm.ru, 2 - dancingastronaut.com, 3 - zampolit-ru, 4 - yaklass.by, 5 - wikimapia.org, 6 - history-belarus.by, 7, 8 - belit.by, 9 - Ebay.com, 10 - origo.hu, 11, 12 - bahna.land, 13 - drive2.ru, 14, 15 - samoylova-olga.ru, 16 - salvabrani.com, 17 - knl-1983.livejournal.com, 18 - train-photo.ru, 19 - wikipedia.org, 20 - aquatek-filips.livejournal.com
“In Belarus, products are cheap and of high quality” - such a myth is firmly stuck in the heads of Russians. Some even changed their place of residence, moving from raging, tasteless Russia to Father’s quiet haven.
I can’t argue with the quality, but is everything really that cheap? With this question, I headed to a regular supermarket...
The zeros on the price tags rippled, sausage sticks dangled. We divided the price by 300 and sang “Verasy.”
And here is the first fakap. Maasdam cheese, completely ordinary - ours, and not from the EU (Russophobic organization, banned in Russia) costs almost 900 rubles per kilogram! How is that? Where is the vaunted cheapness?
The Lithuanian competitor is also not very accessible, it is even more expensive:
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And the Muscovites shuddered and retreated away, towards the herring. Snot hung to the ground, the soul asked for women and vodka.
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One hundred Russian rubles for Mathias! It's the same as ours, right? And really, what's with the vodka?
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On average - 250 rubles per bottle. I don’t drink and I don’t know how much we have. Smoke better ganjubas.
Meat aisles confirmed fears: prices in Belarus are at the level of the Russian average and slightly inferior to Moscow. Alas, there is no food paradise on earth, except for Macedonia and Ecuador...
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Hence the prices for products that imply the presence of meat, but in reality do not. Otherwise I can’t explain the unexpected price of 200 rubles/kg:
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And here it is:
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It’s about the same as here, chickens are a little cheaper:
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On the adjacent shelves, unborn children of parents chopped up and packed in body bags are sold. A terrible sight, and the prices are Russian. However, in Thailand all this is exactly 2 times more expensive...
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The famous Belarusian cows share the waste products of their vital activity, without focusing on their Russian colleagues. Dumping with might and main, taking into account skinny wallets local residents. You can really save money on milk here. Belarusian blogger Fixin writes ““save”,” apparently in the local language.
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Cottage cheese - a little over 30 rubles per pack, ours is more than one and a half times more expensive, and it’s complete crap. I have been buying cottage cheese by weight at the market for a long time now.
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Daily bread - 25 rubles on average.
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I haven’t found my favorite Ochakovsky kvass, Lidsky is in use here. I wonder if you can drink it?
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Gentlemen prefer beer! Almost all of it is bottled right in the proud republic. 40-50r/bottle.
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If anyone is interested in pasta and candy, divide by 300 yourself, my eyes are already cross. Lukashenko! If you do not fulfill the promised denomination, I undertake to write angry posts about you once a month until my fingers are too tired to hit the keyboard.
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Uncooked smoked sausages are cheaper than in Moscow, but about the same as in my Almetyevsk. I once posted a report from Magnit, where security got to the bottom of me.
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Be slimmer! And drink juice, bitches!
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Uff, I’m already tired of wandering among these endless shelves, it’s time to go to Moscow. What can I say about Belarus? Well, scoop, nothing can be done about it. In some ways it’s cozy, in some ways it’s sweet and homely, but it’s a owl and it can’t be any other way. Someday Belarusians will realize, but this will not happen soon. They will eat delicious cottage cheese, wash it down with milk and Lida kvass, gossip about your neighbors. It’s not scary to go down together, especially since there are sausages in bulk right now.
After analyzing the “wants and desires” of the Belarusian government and Belarusian society for quite a long time, you come to some interesting conclusions. That is, you begin to gradually understand that some things are done not out of malice or malicious intent, but out of a categorically incorrect understanding of the current realities of the world around us. People have their own picture of the reality around them, based on which they try to “come to success.” It doesn’t work out; negativity and anger are growing in society. New efforts are made, but again it doesn’t work. Negative emotions are growing.
Today Russia and Belarus differ, first of all, in the internal, emotional mood of society. That is, this does not mean that “everything worked out” in Russia, far from it. But those very “explosive, roof-blowing moods” that our “Western partners” were counting on so much do not exist in Russia. But in Belarus they seem to exist. Moreover, it is they who determine the general political background. For Westerners, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus are practically the same thing. For many Ukrainians and Belarusians, the difference in the socio-economic situation between the Russian Federation and their countries is also not significant. However. However, it is there.
That is, Russians do not run to the Maidan not because they are afraid, but because they do not need it. Not relevant. This is something neither Minsk, nor Kyiv, nor Brussels, nor Washington can understand. That is, there is no flammable/explosive material in Russia for the Maidan. For Ukrainians/Belarusians this is categorically offensive. So it turns out that they have problems, but the Russians don’t? Something like that. That is, in fact, the Russians have problems, but these are completely different problems. The Russians have already gone a couple of levels higher. There are bolder monsters and more interesting Easter eggs...
The main mistake of Belarusians is that for some strange reason they believe that in Russia everything is the same, it’s just that there is a lot of “free” petrodollars as a plus. Hence the difference in living standards. By the way, yes, few people know, but the USA is an old and powerful oil producer... Standard Oil is from there, and not from KSA. Americans mine uranium, coal, and much more. But for some reason everyone remembers about iPhones, which are exactly what they make Not in America. Strange, right?
The higher standard of living in Russia compared to many post-Soviet countries is explained precisely by this. The reforms of the economy and finances carried out plus the preservation of sovereignty. So yes: “they won’t catch up with us.” By the way, it was precisely these same “reforms” that Russia persistently imposed on Belarus. About “oligarchs and social justice": when an American bandit was asked by a judge why he didn't do something else, he replied: "There may be other ways to make a living, Your Honor, but I don't know them."
As the saying goes: “The rich you are, the happier you are...” That is, if reforms were carried out according to the “improved Russian model” in the well-fed 0s, the Republic of Belarus would today have a higher standard of living than the Russian Federation.” Rationale: in 2000, the Republic of Belarus was a small, homogeneous country that had preserved its economy from wild privatization with a relatively popular leadership and the absence of internal confrontation between someone and someone else. The economy is of the same type as the Russian one (that is, Russian experience can and should be used), the economy is interesting to Russians and, in fact, is part of the Russian economy.
The Republic of Belarus has neither space, nor the Caucasus, nor a fleet. Russia is ready to help and has helped! Who else had such conditions for reform? Russia carried out the reforms “stupidly and brutally,” but it did. Lukashenko was horrified by the progress of the reforms, but did not notice that as a result, Russia was already on the “other” shore. That is, the smart option is to study and use the experience of Russia, avoiding its mistakes (they are obvious to us today). Lukashenko (and the entire leadership of the Republic of Belarus) decided differently: no reforms! No “gangster privatization”. The decision, of course, is a very wise one... but from a certain moment they began to increase sharply Negative consequences such solutions.
The economy of the Republic of Belarus is becoming more and more unprofitable. The attempt to “stop the hands of the clock” did not lead to any good. By the way, the Republic of Belarus is, to some extent, a model of what would have happened to the USSR if it had not been reformed, but simply tried to be preserved “in a crystal casket.” Bad option.
Hence the following misconception: for some reason Belarusians are sure that Now they have a whole range of possibilities and something needs to be decided... This is not true. The worst thing that Lukashenko (and his entourage) did was that he wasted ten years. The time for reform has been lost, and absolutely irrevocably. Economy of the Republic of Belarus for last years only deteriorated and accumulated debts. If you “open the black box,” you will suddenly discover that everything is not just bad, but very bad.
It will not be possible to deal with these debts “quickly” - the small and poor Belarusian economy will have to pay them off for decades. No, you won’t be able to “write them off” - you are an independent state, you are obliged to pay your debts. That's why everyone thinks that an independent state means, like, we have our own company. And it’s good when the “company” makes a profit, but in in this case- the company is overloaded with debts. The company is bankrupt. A kind of “Polesie Greece”.
No, “changing the vector” will not help here: Ukraine changed the vector radically, but this did not save it from debt. This, by the way, is the most common “Belarusian illusion”: that by “changing your shoes in the air” you can easily part with old debts and problems. The debts that the Republic of Belarus has managed to accumulate up to this point will be forced to be paid by Belarusians in any case. In any. Anyone who claims anything to the contrary is blatantly lying. Belarusians will have to pay “Lukashenko’s debts” endlessly. In any case.
No, this has nothing to do with Russia at all. It will not be possible to leave the “union state” by saddled with debts. The Union State is not the USSR even once, and it was Belarus, not Russia, that took on the debts. In general, attempts to somehow make Russia “to blame” for internal problems Belarus is a common point in Belarusian political discourse. However, the Republic of Belarus is an independent state. It has not submitted to Russia in any way since 1991, and has no responsibility for today’s difficult situation Russia cannot bear Belarus.
This “paradoxical” thinking of Belarusians is absolutely incomprehensible in Russia: people are at the same time proud of their sovereignty and even in small things do not want to listen to the opinion of Russia, but when problems arise, they look to the east with hope... The “nipple” system Not is a normal form of interstate relations and cannot exist for a long time. It will never be “as before”, primarily because Russia is categorically not interested in this.
The conflict between Lukashenko and Putin is interpersonal. This is also one of the characteristic misconceptions in Belarus. Rather, it is inter-elite or interstate: this conflict is a direct consequence of Minsk’s attempts to simultaneously maximize the assistance received from Moscow and the degree of independence from Moscow; it would inevitably arise under any other adequate ruler of Russia. There is very little personal here, rather it’s all “business” - not a single normal head Russian state I would not endlessly tolerate the “art” of my “best ally.”
The problems in relations between Russia and Belarus are interethnic (allegedly Russians do not respect Belarus/Belarusians). Again, a myth, a myth of pure water: there are a whole bunch of problems, but they are interstate. Belarusians are now not one of the peoples of Russia, but inhabitants of their own state. That is, relations are built not within one country, but between two states. The Russians have nothing, for example, against the Japanese, but there are problems that aggravate the relations between official Moscow and official Tokyo. The same thing with Belarus, to avoid this, you need to live in the same state (not with the Japanese, of course). That is, if the Belarusians had “pulled the common burden”, all these questions would not have arisen. But they are only interested in the “common pot”, hence the scandals.
This is another problem in the worldview of Belarusians - they sometimes feel inside Russia, sometimes outside. The most unpleasant thing is that this “location” is determined by the criteria of benefit/disadvantage. That is, if the prices are for hydrocarbons, then they are on the inside; if they “go to war,” then they are strictly on the outside. At the same time, maintaining full confidence that this “childish trick” should work with a bang every time.
Hence the next myth - about Russia’s allegedly insidious plans for the forcible annexation of Belarus (Crimea is cited as an example). Those who argue this way demonstrate complete anti-democracy. From their point of view, there are rulers (who received power from above) and crowds of slaves/herds of sheep that can simply be stolen. How, with such views, the Belarusian elite talks about a certain “European vector” is absolutely incomprehensible; its views are purely Central Asian. By the way, Lukashenko’s fundamental reluctance to work “for the public” in Russia (and his terrible negative rating in the ally country) is explained precisely by this. There are leaders, there is a crowd. And he didn’t give a damn about the Russian people; all his gestures and “bright statements” were addressed to the Kremlin. And now this country is going to Europe...
By the way, this destroys another myth about “EuroBelarus” and “Asian Russia” - somehow it is no longer customary for us to make cardinal decisions without consulting the people. Well, this myth also applies to “Euro-Ukraine” (so as not to get up twice). Ask a Minsk or Kyiv “intellectual” about “where is Europe and where are the Asian steppes,” and the answer will be unequivocal. However, both there and there “European integration” is seen according to the script: but we should not ask the “cotton rednecks” about anything. That is, “Comrade Mauser” is assumed to be the main “European argument” by default.
And as for “forced annexation” - who needs frankly problematic territories on their balance sheet? And the fact that the Republic of Belarus is just such a territory is self-evident. Such “automatic” accession made sense back in the 19th century... Today, in the era of a highly developed economy and mass social insurance, the inclusion of Ukraine, Belarus or Estonia in Russia is bullshit... It’s not profitable, it’s stupidly not profitable.
A striking example is the accession of the GDR to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990. The Germans are still quietly swearing. The “compilation” went very wrong and crazy expensive. As a result, both are dissatisfied. Terribly dissatisfied. It did not work out to make East Germany a continuation of West Germany. Berlin has become a financial shithole...
From here, we can safely destroy two whole Russian-Belarusian myths: unification with the Republic of Belarus will take place quickly, easily and with a bang, it’s worth “talking out” Lukashenko. It won't work. It was easy in 1996. A lot has changed over the next 20 years. Both in the Russian Federation and in the Republic of Belarus. Today, complete unification is hardly realistic (even without any “jumping Litvins in “white” armor”). Two medieval agricultural domains can easily be merged into one. To unite Russia and Belarus today... I don’t know, I don’t know... I don’t believe, to be honest, that this is technically/economically feasible at all. The second myth: supposedly Belarusians want this. No, they receive money under this myth. But they don’t want to, not even once (otherwise we would have united long ago). In fact, they would like to live in the European Union, but with Russian money. The truth is unpleasant and scandalous, so a frank conversation does not and will not work. Just “heroic chants” that, they say, we love Russia very much, but we value our independence...
Regarding the “Western vector”. Firstly, the Germans do not propose that Belarus join the Federal Republic of Germany, either as regions or districts... Secondly, the exotic Belarusian economy is in no way compatible with European standards. Theoretically, it is possible to turn Belarus into something between Latvia and Bulgaria, but why? And what kind of population can feed itself there? And most importantly, the EU has already “eaten up” with new “European members”. Moreover, there is no need for a country whose economy is based on Russian subsidies. The absurdity of such an idea: to integrate the subsidized Russian region into Europe (and from an economic point of view this is exactly the case) is beyond the understanding of only Belarusian economists and politicians.
This, by the way, is another Belarusian myth: it is enough to “accept” European values, and the economy will follow itself. It won't work. Truly I tell you. I checked (like all the “Young Europeans”), and no one was “attached”. Investments, technologies and sales markets are needed.
Well, for starters, there is a myth about a certain “special” moral spirit of the country of Belarus, about its social justice, peacefulness and non-conflict. Sounds nice. However, there was some hint of “social justice” at the moment when the Soviet legacy/Russian subsidies were being eaten away. Ended external Soviet-Russian (imperial!) resource - the vaunted Belarusian “social justice” has ended. Belarus itself was unable to earn any money for “justice,” and therefore the bestial contours of the “Third World” are becoming more and more visible in the country. Socialism is, you know, not only a “moral choice”, but also a lot, a lot of money for the “social sector”.
So Belarus outside the empire is rather not Austria, but closer to Morocco. What we observed before was “an independent Republic of Belarus on imperial grub.” After 2008, this booth curtailed its activities. We saw the face of “true Belarus” quite recently.
Regarding “non-conflict”: A. Lukashenko most actively tried to participate in that same intra-Kyrgyz conflict. For what? Where is the Republic of Belarus and where is Kyrgyzstan? Ambitions, however... The same applies to active voyages to Baku and tough statements on the “internationally recognized” borders of Azerbaijan. For what? Justice, you say? well in ideal world yes, justice, in the current one - this provokes a massacre on the demarcation line in Karabakh. At the suggestion of “peace-loving, non-conflict” Belarus.
Why is he doing this? But out of spite! In spite of damned Moscow! Russia is making monstrous efforts to “plug” this very “Karabakh hole into another dimension.” It’s clear why - in the event of a big war there, Russia will also be affected, as will the entire region. But Alexander Grigorievich is actively shaking the situation. It is clear that in the event of war, no one in Minsk is going to send Belarusian soldiers to the Caucasus. And the corresponding laws have been adopted. Then why rock the boat? And in order to take revenge on Moscow for the undistributed “pocket money”... Here we have “peacefulness”, “alliance”, and “independence” in one bottle...
Belarus, together with Armenia, is a member of the CSTO, but actively works in the interests of Azerbaijan, which is not a member of this organization... By the way, one of the main Belarusian myths collapses here - that quickly changing shoes in the air and receiving money from both sides is extremely profitable: in critical situation for the country (as it is today), Belarusians turned out to be strangers to both Russia and Europe. That is, the country urgently needs help, but no one is in a hurry to help... Even with Ukraine, oddly enough, relations are also very difficult (despite the active “help” of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the fight against “Russian separatists”). That is, Belarusians turned a blind eye to the rise of fascism in Eastern Europe (sponsored by someone!) and thereby spoiled relations with Russia (for Russia, the attitude towards fascism is a marker of one’s own or another’s), but for some reason they did not become one’s own in the West either ...
Thus, the Belarusian elites played, played “big” - putting everything on the line (of course, the bet was not on Russia - our Minsk friends also understand little or little about geopolitics!). And they lost. Now this is already obvious. “Trump” and the collapse of the Kyiv junta are also their losses (they bet on the globalists!). Notice how different there was a reaction to Trump’s victory in Moscow and Minsk (Lukashenko reacted very nervously), allies, you say? Oh well. But what does Moscow have to do with it? Why should Russia pay for their “bad luck”?
From the point of view of the Belarusian elites, the Moscow-Minsk relationship is of the most mythical nature: firstly, Belarus is country No. 1 for Russia and all attention and all resources should be focused only on it, since Russia cannot live without Minsk (the meaning of life of the Russian Federation - the well-being of the “main ally”, Russia is as successful as Lukashenko can sponsor); secondly, the Belarusian leadership can endlessly deceive and expose Moscow - “firstly”, this does not affect in any way. IN Lately these comrades, with horror in their voices, started talking about how the Kremlin was preparing Russians for a conflict with Belarus... (All Russian foreign policy under construction strictly around Belarus). That is, the desire to decisively get the hell out of this endless whirlwind of continuous lies and triple standards is presented as a “provoked conflict” with “the most faithful ally.”
The main problem of Belarus, in the author’s opinion, is, first of all, not too high level elite In Ukraine, these elites had a higher level, but turned out to be corrupt and comprador (the dream of serving the white sahib as the goal of life). But in Belarus there is another problem: people who define the “charged information field” simply do not understand what is happening in Eastern Europe, what the risks are and what policies make sense to pursue (but at the same time they pointedly ignore Russian assessments). Belorussian information space are filled with endless myths, legends and tales (this is typical for the authorities, “neutrals”, and the opposition). Unfortunately, the Republic of Belarus and the Belarusian people are not living in a fairy tale.
There are two polar myths about life in Belarus outside its borders. According to one of them, Belarus is a country of social justice and complete well-being of citizens, according to the second, it is a totalitarian state. Some believe that everything is fine in the fraternal republic (with the economy, salaries and pensions, the security of citizens and the future), others are sure that everything is so terrible (with human rights, the economy, salaries, etc.) that it is easy to live in it impossible.
Minsk looks like a prosperous modern city. Foreign cars on the roads, supermarkets in every district, night lighting in the center, LCD screens with cartoons in the subway. If you believe Russian tourists For those who have recently visited Minsk, the first thing that catches your eye is the cleanliness. The streets are swept by male janitors, and these are mostly not visiting migrant workers, but Belarusians themselves. The pay for this work is good by local standards: a janitor in Minsk receives about $300, while average salary is $500. At the same time, the cost of living in Belarus is less than $100. Let us note that the most expensive “food basket of Belarus” is in Minsk and it costs 162,766 Belarusian rubles, which is approximately 1,700 Russian rubles. It is worth explaining that the same “basket” on average in Russia costs almost twice as much.
“The Minsk residents themselves are clean,” says a Muscovite who recently returned from Minsk, still impressed by the trip. - Once I saw two drunk men walking, dropping a bottle on the asphalt, it broke. But they didn’t leave, but collected all the glass, even though they couldn’t stand on their feet.”
Lukashenko has rightfully gained a reputation as a “strong business executive.” His style of ruling the state often reveals the habits of a collective farm chairman, but many Belarusians like this. One of the main indicators of the well-being of a people’s life is the birth rate. And since 2004 it has been growing in Belarus. Last year, 109,813 children were born there, and this is 1.9 thousand more than in 2008. Now, according to statistics, 2.1 children are born in Belarusian families. Lukashenko recently stated that he intends to increase this figure to 3, supporting young mothers and large families with various social programs.
People feel economically secure and are not afraid to have children. They have the motivation to do this. For example, a young family raising at least two children can take mortgage for 20 years at 5% per annum (which, by Russian standards, is practically nothing). Moreover, if the loan is repaid within 2 years, then it turns out to be essentially interest-free.
In addition, young people have an incentive to study. A young specialist who has recently graduated from a university is provided with housing at the expense of the employer. True, the apartment will become his property only after 10 years, and if he decides to leave the company before this time, then the housing will be taken away.
The Belarusian president himself has a cow. “The cow in my life, and in many of yours, is the soul of the family, she fed everyone. We are people like that,” he once admitted. On his farm, it would seem that everything is fine: houses are being built, children are studying, crops are being harvested, livestock are producing good offspring... “Island of stability” is a formula actively exploited by local ideologists.
There is an opinion that the head of state should not deal with minor economic problems - there will be no time left for “reign”. “The things that are Caesar’s are to Caesar and the things that are God’s to God.” But, if Alexander Grigorievich manages to do everything, then a rhetorical question arises: whose economy is stronger? Lukashenko or Luzhkova? By the way, have you ever met a migrant worker from Belarus in Moscow?
But the head of Belarus is trying to solve not only earthly matters. Not long ago, for example, he changed his date of birth and became one day younger. For a long time It was believed that Lukashenko's birthday was August 30, but in mid-2009 it turned out that the president was born on August 31.
This news provoked another scandal in the republic in the summer of 2010 related to Lukashenko’s personality, and put in an awkward position many who congratulated the president on his birthday in the old style, among them were Victor Yanukovich, Patriarch Kirill And Gennady Zyuganov. However, some other well-known politicians, including Medvedev And Putin, in 2010, Lukashenko was not congratulated on his birthday, which was caused both by the deterioration of relations between countries and presidents, and by the uncertainty about which day Lukashenko should be congratulated. However, on the official website of the President of the Republic of Belarus, Lukashenko’s date of birth is indicated as August 31, 1954. “You understand that I am also a person, I have children, especially the youngest Nikolenka, in whom I dote. He is five years old today, and I am already fifty-five. We were born on the same day, August 31,” Lukashenko said in an interview with the Zavtra newspaper.
Any lamb that strays from the flock greatly annoys the shepherd. So the Belarusian oppositionists are dragged away by the wolf from time to time, even though they are trying to drive them “into a stall.” Here universities and newspapers are closed, rock bands are banned, decrees and laws are issued without any discussion, each more inadequate than the other. For example, there is a decree on administrative liability for misinformation about state system Belarus (from a fine to 2 years in prison). There are a lot of rumors. Many are sure that their telephone conversations are being monitored by the KGB. There are rumors that the authorities purchased Internet jammers from China. How and what is really happening here? One can only guess about this.
It is worth noting that the myth of “prosperous Belarus” is widespread in the former Soviet republics (it occurs even in the Baltic states, although, of course, in much to a lesser extent), while the myth of “dictatorship” is popular in Western countries. The Belarusian paradox is that both “prosperity” and “dictatorship” are very relative here. If we compare Belarus even with its closest Western neighbors (for example, Lithuania), then in terms of development it undoubtedly lags behind, although against the backdrop of social instability in the CIS countries, Belarus seems quite calm and safe place. The situation is approximately the same with the myth of the “last dictatorship in Europe.” In terms of the severity of the regime and the scope of repression, Belarus lags far behind the USSR, not to mention Turkmenistan or North Korea. The repressive machine acts selectively and is directed mainly against those in whom the authorities see a direct threat to themselves.
Every now and then they appear in the press creepy stories about how people who are disliked by the authorities or simply disagree with official opinion disappear or suddenly die. The latest high-profile scandal erupted around the murder of an opposition journalist Oleg Bebenin. The 36-year-old journalist was the creator of the famous opposition website Charter-97, and in the early 90s he headed the independent Belarusian newspaper Name. On September 3, the journalist was found hanged in his dacha. Local law enforcement agencies said that the journalist committed suicide, but his colleagues do not believe this version. The deceased left behind a wife and two children.
Let us remind you that not so long ago. According to a number of observers, the film was shown at the direction of the Russian leadership. The film was viewed in the context of deteriorating relations between the Russian leadership and Lukashenko. In particular, a correspondent for the Spanish newspaper El Pais Pilar Bonet wrote that “the Kremlin used television to insult the Belarusian president and bring serious accusations against him.” A number of other media outlets shared a similar opinion.
Belarusian television viewers were not able to see the film, since it was “cut out” from the broadcast in Belarus. Head of the Directorate of the NTV-Belarus TV channel Sergey Bulatsky refused to answer questions about the reasons for this seizure. However, as a survey conducted by the sociological company Baltic Surveys showed, 40% of Belarusians still watched the film thanks to satellite television and the Internet. Moreover, the majority of respondents consider everything shown in it to be “absolute slander.”
Immediately after the release of the film except official comments Messages from indignant citizens, and not only Belarusian ones, appeared on the Internet. “Over the past 10 years, Belarusians have far surpassed Russia in terms of development of agriculture and non-resource industries. The police there look like police, not bandits. The Belarusian authorities are well versed in practical economics, fulfills election promises and, most importantly, almost does not steal. In that latest form In sports, ours are much further ahead of the Belarusians than they are behind in milk yield. We were about a thousand times ahead if we take relative figures and 50 thousand times if we take absolute figures. And what do you think, in such a difficult situation, could produce a unique creative team NTV? Having received the appropriate task?” asks blogger v_miron in LiveJournal.
Well, it looks like dad is really respected. Or are they still afraid of the bloody tyrant?
Under dictatorship, a strong opposition inevitably appears, a layer of “intellectuals” who do not want to obey and try to remain free. They excite public opinion, not allowing the people to forget the blessed lethargic sleep. Do Belarusians need democratic freedom at all? Or would they prefer to obey, thereby relieving themselves of the burden of responsibility? Our culture is characterized by an absolutely special understanding of the role of the individual. We recognize the right to superpower of sovereigns and rulers. Rulers in all constitutions - from Speransky's draft to the current one - are always endowed with greater powers than all other subjects of power, even the church.
Using a word from the era of Ivan the Terrible - a petition asking for protection from violence must be submitted to the sovereign. That is, power must penetrate into every element of our life. And it must be personalized. The leader is responsible for everything - thanks to over-empowerment. For everything - from programs for the future, the creation of all the rules of life, to the fact that monitors need to be installed in the leader’s apartment so that he can monitor the construction of two thousand new houses. And no one had even the slightest doubt. Everyone knows - yes, he must know why my husband brought such a salary, why my boss is a boor. From macro processes to the flight of a fly, the leader is responsible for everything.
This mentality, which has developed over many centuries, is not so easy to understand. The mentality of the people resembles a clay Babylonian tablet, where under the first, surface layer there was a second one, more secret and older, and their contents may or may not coincide. In order to find out the true essence of the Babylonian document, one had to break the top layer and read what was contained inside. Approximately the same action will have to be carried out, wanting to highlight the main features of the mentality of the people, under which lies hidden true attitude to dad.
And, despite all the information and gas wars that big politicians fiercely wage, little people always remain the same people. Belarusians and Russians continue to be friends. How could it be otherwise? After all, according to surveys, half of Belarusians have relatives living in Russia, and every third person has a close friend on Russian territory. The idea of “three sister cities” - Belarus, Russia and Ukraine - is still alive in people’s minds. Only now they are separated by borders. Moreover, many Russians note that crossing the border of Belarus is easier than entering the territory of the third “sister city” - Ukraine.
