According to UNESCO, the Belarusian language is in a catastrophic state. "It is under the potential threat of extinction" - this is the diagnosis received by the language of the indigenous population of the country, which was even indicated on a symbolic map called "World languages \u200b\u200bin danger". Why is he disappearing? The answer is simple: it is almost never used in everyday communication. A small part of the intelligentsia, part of the conscious youth and old people - these are the main speakers of the language, which was used by millions 50 years ago.
“Nasha Niva” counted five dozen reasons why today's youth do not want to speak Belarusian. To do this, we interviewed about 300 students of the country's main universities ( we talked to someone in person, someone answered on Twitter and other social networks).
We have selected 50 of the most interesting answers: some of them are quite reasonable, others are primitive, but sincere, there are obscure and even offensive ones. But it is these answers that best reflect the "achievements" of the authorities in the development of language culture and national consciousness.
You will not find an explanation in this material - only 50 answers to the question "Why don't you speak Belarusian?" Draw your own conclusions.
1). I don't know Belarusian at all.
2). They haven't taught me since childhood.
3). Nobody speaks to me in Belarusian, here I am the same way.
4). I don’t know enough to be able to easily express myself in it.
five). There is not enough time to study it.
6). I spend a lot of time outside Belarus. The Belarusian language is simply not needed.
7). If I start talking, they won't understand me at work.
8). School, university, family - everything is in Russian.
nine). Despite the fact that the language is beautiful, there is an opinion that only collective farmers speak it. It is unenviable to seem the same in the eyes of society.
ten). I do not fully feel that I am a Belarusian as a representative of the nation.
eleven). My parents never insisted that I take the Belarusian language seriously.
12). Do not know much. I am a perfectionist. Either I'm doing great, or I'm not doing it at all.
thirteen). I have basic knowledge, I can even keep the conversation going. But somehow it's easier for me to communicate in English.
fourteen). There is no need and no sense in this.
fifteen). This language is more suitable for grandparents, but not for young people.
sixteen). There is no patriotism.
17). A communication system in Russian or English has long been established, no matter if it is a shop or an office.
eighteen). I like the Belarusian language, but it is not the leading one for me (acting or living).
19). I like Russian more.
20). At school he was allowed to skip.
21). I'm afraid they'll go to jail.
22). I do not like the sounds "g" and "h".
23). She entered honey and stopped.
24). I'm waiting for Apple to release IOS in Belarusian.
25). I'm embarrassed.
26). I talked for about 2 months. I'm tired of it. Heavy.
27). My parents won't understand me if I suddenly start speaking Belarusian. They have been raising me all my life in Russian, and I’m here for the first time.
28). As soon as we join the EU, so immediately.
29). Today it is the language of the opposition. If you speak Belarusian, then you go against the system.
thirty). I have enough of him in the subway.
31). There is little modern literature, there is nowhere to get knowledge.
32). I do not know! I envy the Ukrainians a little. Austria-Hungary helped them, so they still say in the West. And from us everything has been weathered long ago.
33). Politically insecure language.
34). What will change if I start talking?
35). He's a little funny.
36). It has become artificial today.
37). The language has not taken root in modern society, I personally speak the language of the majority.
38). I don’t recognize Trasyanka as a language, but I don’t know any other way.
39). "Belarusian language" is a Polish anti-Russian project. He has little more than nothing to do with the Belarusian people.
40). It is difficult to speak Belarusian when everything is in Russian.
41). Because there is no one just with.
42). I often use obscene language, but in Belarusian it is not. Seriously, I just don't know.
43) It is difficult to speak your native language, as its use is minimal, and some look at you as an alien.
44). To my shame, I can't normally. I think in Russian.
45). I don’t know very well, but it’s not quite decent to speak half-Russian-half-Belarusian.
46). I don't want to stand out, and practice is not enough.
47). Understand correctly, but somehow from birth I feel more Russian, although I myself am a Belarusian with a Polish surname. Somehow that direction is closer to my liking.
48). We have actually been part of the Russian Empire for 300 years. How can you speak Belarusian in such a situation?
49). It's more comfortable for me.
50). Does anyone need this?
Leave your comment. Let's formulate 50 ways to return life to the Belarusian language!
The Constitution of the Republic proclaims Belarusian and Russian as the state languages \u200b\u200bof Belarus. They have absolutely equal rights and opportunities to walk and exist. De facto, the situation looks somewhat different, and Belarusians often criticize the government for insufficient efforts to develop Belarusian as the language of the titular nation.
The fact is that the Russian language significantly predominates in most spheres of the country's public life. Most of the official documents are published on it, it is accepted as the main one in the media and is even more often heard in the everyday life of the inhabitants of Belarus.
Some statistics and facts
- In its pure form, Belarusian is used only by rural residents in the provinces and the intelligentsia and patriots of the country in cities.
- In regional centers and large villages, Belarusians prefer the so-called trasyanka in everyday speech. Even officials use a mixture of Russian and Belarusian in their reports and speeches.
- In addition to Russian and Belarusian, minority languages \u200b\u200bare adopted in the country - Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Polish.
- Russian received the status of the state language of Belarus in the 1995 referendum, when more than 83% of the population voted for it as the official language.
- Despite the fact that only 15% of the country's residents consider themselves ethnic Russians, more than 80% of the population of the republic use the Russian language in absolutely all spheres of life.
- In secondary specialized and higher educational institutions of Belarus, up to 90% of the teaching volume is conducted in Russian.
- The most popular newspapers and magazines are published in Russian, and out of 1,100 registered print media, the vast majority are published in two languages \u200b\u200bor only in Russian.
Eight higher educational institutions of the republic train specialists in the specialty "Russian philology". 14 out of 18 Belarusian theaters offer their performances in Russian.
History and modernity
The Belarusian language is rooted in the Proto-Slavic and Old Russian languages, which were used by the inhabitants of the region in the VI-XIV centuries. Its formation was influenced by Church Slavonic and Polish dialects of the ancient Radmichi, Dregovichi and Krivichi.
Both state languages \u200b\u200bof Belarus are quite similar to each other and, despite a number of phonetic differences, can be understood by the speakers of any of them. The peculiarity of Belarusian is a large number of preserved archaic Old Slavic words.
According to UNESCO, the Belarusian language is on the verge of extinction, although half a century ago it was actively used by millions of people.
"It is under the potential threat of extinction" - this is the diagnosis from UNESCO received the language of the indigenous population of Belarus, which was even indicated on a symbolic map called "World languages \u200b\u200bin danger".
Why is he disappearing? The answer is simple: it is almost never used in everyday communication. A small part of the intelligentsia, part of the conscious youth and old people are the main speakers of the language, which was used by millions of people 50 years ago.
“Nasha Niva” counted 50 main reasons why today's youth do not want to speak Belarusian. For this, about 300 students of the country's leading universities were interviewed (they talked to someone in person, someone answered on Twitter and other social networks).
The editors chose 50 of the most interesting and most common answers: some of them are quite reasonable, others are primitive, but sincere, there are obscure and even offensive. But it is these answers that best reflect the "achievements" of the authorities in the development of language culture and national consciousness.
We offer 50 options for answering the question "Why don't you speak Belarusian?":
1). I don't know the language at all.
2). They haven't taught me since childhood.
3). Nobody speaks Belarusian to me, so I am the same.
4). I don’t know so well that I could easily express myself in it.
five). I don’t have time to study it.
6). I am a lot outside Belarus. The language is simply not needed.
7). If I start talking, they won't understand me at work.
8). School, university, family - everything is in Russian.
nine). Despite the fact that the language is beautiful, there is an opinion that only collective farmers speak it. It's hard to be the same in the eyes of society.
ten). I do not fully feel that I am a Belarusian as a representative of the nation.
eleven). My parents never insisted that I take Mov seriously.
12). Do not know much. I am a perfectionist. Either I'm doing great, or I'm not doing it at all.
thirteen). I have basic knowledge, I can even keep the conversation going. But somehow it's easier for me to communicate in English.
fourteen). This is unnecessary and meaningless.
fifteen). This language is more suitable for grandparents, but not for young people.
sixteen). There is no patriotism.
17). A communication system in Russian or English has long been established, no matter if it is a shop or an office.
eighteen). I like the language, but it is not the leading one for me (acting or living).
19). I like Russian more.
20). the school was allowed to skip.
21). I'm afraid they'll go to jail.
22). I do not like the sounds "g" and "h".
23). She entered honey and stopped.
24). I'm waiting for Apple to release IOS in Belarusian.
25). I'm embarrassed.
26). I talked for about 2 months. I'm tired of it. Heavy.
27). My parents won't understand me if I suddenly start speaking Belarusian. They have been raising me all my life in Russian, and I’m here for the first time.
28). As soon as we join the EU, so immediately.
29). Today it is the language of the opposition. If you speak Belarusian, then you go against the system.
thirty). I have enough of him in the subway.
31). There is little modern literature, there is nowhere to get knowledge.
32). I do not know! I envy the Ukrainians a little. Austria-Hungary helped them, so they still say in the West. And from us everything has been weathered long ago.
33). Politically insecure language.
34). What will change if I start talking?
35). He's a little funny.
36). It has become artificial today.
37). The language has not taken root in modern society, I personally speak the language of the majority.
38). I don’t recognize Trasyanka as a language, but I don’t know any other way.
39). "Belarusian language" is a Polish anti-Russian project. He has little more than nothing to do with the Belarusian people.
40). It is difficult to speak Belarusian when everything is in Russian.
41). Because there just isn't anyone.
42). I often use obscene language, but in Belarusian it is not. Seriously, I just don't know.
43) It is difficult to speak your native language, as its use is minimal, and some look at you as an alien.
44). To my shame, I can't normally. I think in Russian.
45). I don’t know very well, but it’s not quite decent to speak half-Russian-half-Belarusian.
46). Difficult to stand out and little practice.
47). Understand correctly, but somehow from birth I feel more Russian, although I myself am a Belarusian with a Polish surname. Somehow that direction is closer to my liking.
48). We have actually been part of the Russian Empire for 300 years. How can you speak Belarusian in such a situation?
49). It's more comfortable for me.
50). Does anyone need this?
As they say, draw your own conclusions.
There are two official languages \u200b\u200bin our country. Russian is used by the majority. Belarusian is less in demand for a long number of reasons: you do not like the sound and melody, there is no motivation and desire to learn, shyness, lack of patriotism ... The leader of the Drum Ecstasy group Philip Chmyr adds here a dislike of imposition. The musician believes that the current MOVA propagandists are acting incorrectly, forming a persistent dislike for the Belarusian language. The next issue of Friday's "Informat" tells about the substitution of concepts and the need to take an example from the Ukrainians.
Who is it?
This is a Minsker who grew up in a Russian-speaking environment. Now Philip is a member of the well-known Belarusian group Drum Ecstasy. In his free time from music, he is engaged in advertising. Assuming that the majority of the Belarusian intelligentsia lives on Facebook, two years ago Chmyr provoked its angry seething with one short post. The text was literally the following: Miles of fire-breathing comments quickly grew beneath him. Since then, Philip has not changed his point of view.
- Why don't you speak Belarusian?
I do not know him. This is the only explanation. If I knew the Belarusian language, I would speak it. And I don't even try.
- Were there any inclinations in this direction?
I spoke Belarusian while studying language and literature in the Soviet school. And he was one of the best in the class in this regard. True, I spoke French just as well at school.
You see, I am a citizen of Minsk, I have been active since the seventies. And no one here spoke Belarusian. Even both school teachers of this language communicated with each other in Russian. I spent the summer at writers' dachas, communicating there with the grandchildren of writers. And their grandfathers only spoke Belarusian to each other, and Russian to us. Apparently, they just wanted to convey information in an accessible way that apples cannot be taken [smiles].
- What did you have in your certificate in Belarusian?
For the final exam - five. True, the currently existing Belarusian is not at all similar to the one that we taught at school. In this respect, it is very difficult for me. Look: there was always Chyrvonazornaya street, but suddenly it became Chyrvonazorkavaya. What the fuck, you ask? Or there was always "Not a prytulyatstsa", when suddenly it was "Not a pryhilyatstsa" Newspeak. It seems to me that some words are openly dragged from dialects. Even my "Belarusian" friends say that with Newspeak, too much has begun.
Now the guys promoting the MOV are divided and decide how to tell them correctly. Listen, in order for me to start learning a language, decide between yourself what exactly I should learn. And then maybe I will deal with this issue. Until then, decide your internal affairs.
- The year before last, you wrote on your Facebook: "I hate the Belarusian language, like everything that is imposed on me."
For several hours I painfully chose the wording to exclude the daub. My goal was friends, among whom there are enough fans and propagandists of the Belarusian language. I wanted to hook these guys and show that the methods they are trying to use to promote MOV will lead nowhere.
Let's take as an example the introduction of compulsory religious education in Russia. Many are very worried about this. And I say it's just fine. The effect that compulsory communist education had in the Soviet school cannot be overemphasized. The people who taught Marxism-Leninism received a powerful inoculation and no longer fall into this nonsense. We will never revive any Stalinist moments.
So for religious education you can be completely calm. Merlin Manson, by the way, went to a Catholic school. If at some point you make something obligatory - for example, a religious education - then you will get a persistent (especially when it comes to puberty and protest) rejection of absolute atheists who will not give a damn about this whole topic.
If you want to promote the Belarusian language, do it smartly. We have already passed the forced Belarusianization of Poznyakovo. So my message is very simple: if you impose anything, you will get hatred in return.
- What exactly bothers you?
I don't like the obligation. The country where I live has two official languages. This means that I can choose the one that suits me.
There is a global circus that shows itself very well in the art scene. Look. All art directors, artists and the bulk of the curators are Russian-speaking. They make a description of the project in Russian. Then professional translators translate all this into English and Belarusian. At the same time, the Russian version is hidden. I come and start asking: “Guys, I know you wrote the annotation in Russian. Give it to me, please. " But I get nothing. This is what causes a negative reaction.
This is false. And falsity always infuriates. Here's more about the circus. Bar counter. On the one hand, there are Russian-speaking bartenders, on the other, Russian-speaking visitors. The order is in progress. Visitors among themselves: "Would you like some coffee?" - "Will". - "Dzve kava, kali weasel." Bartenders among themselves: "Of good". - "Make some coffee, please." This circus does not popularize MOVA.
After the publication of my post about the Belarusian language, some familiar businessmen took a pose: "Ah well! Then we will speak with you only in Belarusian ”. This was followed by the Belarusian, as it seemed to them, the text. Then I answered: “Guys, I can speak this Belarusian too. Even better. Do not disgrace yourself, please. " Go to the courses first, and then open your mouth.
By the way, seven years ago my wife was unable to gather a group of six people for such courses. And now young people have a fashion for the Belarusian language. It's good. Interest groups must exist. Just don't force me. I do not want. I simply defend my right to call the Russian language "matchynai movay". Everything is very simple: “matchyna mova” is not necessarily the Belarusian language, it is the language your mother speaks.
There is no need for this substitution of concepts. Because there is so much of that.
Let's say we had a population census. And then the intelligentsia staged a campaign: they say, write in the forms that your language is Belarusian. People do not speak Belarusian every day, but they wrote that they do. And now they link to that data. But this is fake, fake. I do not like it.
- How many people in your environment constantly use the Belarusian language?
One is Lyavon Volsky. And my circle of acquaintances is quite wide. At the same time, I am not talking about the professional Belarusian language. Because I have friends who honestly call themselves professional Belarusians.
More about Lyavon. I always tell him: "I like the way you talk, but I don't fucking understand." When there were seething about my position on the language, the only person who began to switch to Russian in communication with me was Volsky. Lyavon is an intelligent person. And for others, rejection of my position is a pose. Well, the pose is the pose.
- What was the most radical reaction to your performance?
There were calls, there were messages, there was rudeness, there were threats. I took screenshots, I keep. I can put everything out. In general, I love "screenshot", I have a large collection. Nevertheless, I often call the police about improper parking, smoking in public places, fights. This is my civil position. Therefore, I record everything.
They wrote to me something like "If you speak Russian, blow to Russia." But this is ordinary fascism. If a person does not speak Belarusian, one cannot conclude that he does not love his homeland. Again the substitution of concepts. I love my homeland. I'm putting things in order here. I call the police here, make the students throw their cigarette butts into the trash, take them out, extinguish them if the gobies are not extinguished, and throw them away again. To love your homeland is at least not to spoil where you live. We all love to refer to good Germany. And Germany is the order that people establish around themselves. That's all.
At the same time, if we return to the reaction to my post, I remained in the black. On the street, people stopped me and said: "Thank you for your position." The situation is that I, a representative of the Russian-speaking majority, defend the right to speak Russian, receive information in Russian and defend myself against any attacks about the Russian language. And they are.
And again: I am not against the popularization of the language, but it is being carried out incorrectly.
- What is the right way then?
If you make a really fantastic movie, the Russians will immediately translate it, and the Swedes will immediately titrate it. The majority of people will watch the film in Russian after a while. That is, the language will not save cinema. If you write very good books in Belarusian that really deserve interest outside the republic, the same will happen. They will be translated into Russian. Because there is a giant country with a powerful language nearby.
That is, “Belarusian asyaroddze” decides which Belarusian language is the most Belarusian in our country, and then starts recording songs?
Sure. After that, the language can become fashionable. If young people are interested in a language, it should be supported. But don't force. The main thing is to respect each other and not impose anything on anyone.
- Any fashion has its own vulgar excesses ...
That's all that is happening now - this is a vulgar overkill. Let's take a menu of some establishments with Belarusian and English texts. We come to the same Lithuania, where there are absolutely anti-Russian sentiments, but we find signs in Russian there. Why? Because there are a lot of Russian tourists and because you have to earn money.
I have purely professional claims, for example, to the Adnak festival. I call it "Give Mr. ... one more chance." Why do a special language-limited festival? This is ugliness from a professional point of view. And the task of advertising is to sell and make information convenient in order to capture a person.
It's good when the language is used for business. Here is the Khatni kvass. Everything is clear: this is our kvass, Belarusian. Product identification occurs through language. It's drop dead. This is a cool tool. And advertising, for example, Samsung in Belarusian is absolutely incomprehensible to me. It turns out that we limit the distribution of the product only to the Belarusian-speaking audience, which is in the minority. From a professional point of view, this is wrong. It is wrong to use advertising as educational bullshit. Advertising is about selling and promoting. So is the menu. You know, there are cafes in Minsk where I don't order food, because I don't understand what they offer me.
- Is the situation in which in ten years time this interview will be done in Belarusian is real?
For my part, no. Just because I'm lazy. This interview could have taken place in Belarusian in 1993. In 1989 we could speak French as well. But no longer [smiles].
It is as difficult to imagine a nation without its own common language as it is to imagine it without a people. However, I am not talking about language as a universal sign of the uniqueness of a nation. Indeed, several peoples can speak the same language, but also in the same country there can be several variations of one language - dialects. There are examples of countries in which a significant part of the population does not speak the national language. For example, Pakistan, where the national language is Urdu, which is spoken by only 7% of the population. The Swiss, on the other hand, use four languages \u200b\u200bat once: German, French, Italian and Romansh.
As for the Republic of Belarus, in accordance with the Constitution the state languages \u200b\u200bare Belarusian and Russian, moreover, the national language for Belarusians is still traditionally Belarusian, and speaks it well if a quarter of all Belarusians ...
FROM bilingualism problem all residents of the Republic of Belarus are fighting, only some with the fact that he is forced to learn, others - that its value as the national language of Belarus is decreasing. Now our native language “lives” in the classrooms of the Belarusian language, in the lecture halls of philological departments, sometimes on the stage of the theater ... On the street only occasionally one can hear “bulba” instead of potatoes, “dzakuy” instead of thank you, “good Zen” instead of Russian greetings. I respect people who openly speak the Belarusian language, not being ashamed of it, not thinking about what others will think. Unfortunately, I know very few of them, but they are really bright personalities, and this is not only related to the language they speak.
Language is only a means of expressing their character, behavior, only such people dare to call the White Russian language their native language and their national language. The national language must be spoken from all sides, and hearing it, people should not turn around in surprise, and often the reaction is not the most positive.
And in vain ... I would compare a person who speaks the Belarusian language with a foreigner who does not know Russian and who has arrived in Belarus or Russia. When we see a foreigner, we will never be surprised that he speaks English, for example. Why, then, is it a wonder for us to see a Belarusian speaking the Belarusian language? One feels a kind of nonsense. The Pole speaks Polish, the German speaks German, the Russian speaks Russian, and the Belarusian, as usual, distinguished himself! “Speak Belarusian? What for?.."
To date the state encourages the preservation of the Russian language as the main one. On the one hand, this makes it possible to establish relations with neighboring countries, since Russian is one of the interethnic languages, to strengthen relations with Russia. But on the other hand, helping to develop the Russian language, we further aggravate the ethnic position of Belarusians among other peoples. We "kill" our culture for the sake of familiarizing with the traditions of other countries, no matter how terrible it sounds. In the history of Belarus there was a period of both polonization and russification - they did not allow Belarusians to freely use the Belarusian language when they themselves wanted it. Now, when we have freedom of speech and language, we do not speak the language for which our ancestors fought for centuries - we recognize ourselves as a Russian-speaking nation, not noticing the beauty of the Belarusian language. And it's not about beauty ... The main part of our people are those born in the USSR. They are adherents of the Russian language. But it seems that young people who have not had time to experience either Brezhnev or Gorbachev are already able to choose their own language, there are conditions for this, but the majority, trying to join the "gray mass", remain Russian-speaking Belarusians. Psychologists call this the herd feeling, although I would paraphrase it as an incurable “herd syndrome”: following others in language, people will become like others in other things. And even the minority that chooses the Belarusian language for everyday communication does not proceed from patriotic feelings. There is a greater desire to "show off", to show oneself as opposed to the main Russian-speaking "herd". So, and don't patriots exist? This question is extremely controversial. The only thing that is certain is that it’s not for me to give the answer, and it’s not for me to judge the others either. But I think, I am even sure that there are such people. There are only a few of them, but they are amazing. Most of those I know are people of mature age, but of modern views. These are not young people who are trying to find a way to stand out (there are, of course, exceptions too), this highly educated people with their own life position... They immediately evoke respect and trust, and most of all - admiration. All Belarusians should be equal to such people. 
Yes, we are Belarusians, yes, we have a territory, culture, traditions and all the same language, but we do not use it. Language is the most important thing that should unite Belarusians. How do we recognize a Pole? He speaks Polish. How about a Belarusian? Just take our word for it. Language is the main condition of national identity... It turns out that this concept is not peculiar to Belarusians. No matter how loud words the orators throw, no matter how they praise our culture, the national language is the beginning of the formation of a nation. It is as important as a source for a river or a front door for a house. Of course, you can try to get in through the window, but will this be a house?