Authoritarian regime, potatoes, red-green flag, and Alexievich. How young people from different countries see Belarus and Belarusians

Illustrative photo. Photo: Nasha Niva

Alexander (Sandu), 20 years old, Moldova

When I hear the word "Belarus", the first thing that comes to my mind is tomatoes. No, not tomatoes, but potatoes. Belarus is associated with potatoes for me because you have a lot of them. Unfortunately, I have never been to Belarus, but I know Belarusians – they are warm, pleasant to talk to, ready to help, cheerful, and straightforward. I have a good opinion of Belarusians.

Павялічыць

Belarus is also associated with cleanliness for me – specifically on the streets. I've heard that Minsk is one of the cleanest cities in the world, that it has a metro, and that it's clean and beautiful.

It seems to me that Belarus is mentally somewhere in between West and East, as it has elements of both Western and Eastern cultures. But at the same time, it chooses to preserve old ways of life and has long been considered a country closed to change.

When talking about differences or similarities, Belarusians differ from Moldovans at least in appearance: your people are fairer, their hair is not as black as ours. But in terms of internal qualities, I think hospitality is a trait that unites us: both Moldovans and Belarusians are very hospitable people. I believe we need to build long-term relationships with Belarus.

Anna, 18 years old, Georgia

The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear "Belarus"...

I would like to say – beautiful belts and wonderful culture, but the first thing that unfortunately comes to mind is an authoritarian regime.

And only after that I would say – Svetlana Alexievich. She is my favorite writer, and she is from Belarus.

Павялічыць

She writes documentary prose, and I like how she explains World War II, Chernobyl, and other complex topics.

I also know about the political situation in Belarus and the 2020 protests. You have one president in power for over 30 years, and I also know about Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya – how she fought, how people fought, and that some of them are now in prisons.

I know more about politics, but when it comes to culture, Belarus is an independent country with a deep tradition. I have an idea about the carpets and belts that Belarusians created in the past, about beautiful national costumes and a wonderful heritage.

Many things distinguish us from Belarusians – culture and language are, of course, different. But I see more similarities between us than differences. Both Georgia and Belarus are under pressure from Russia; we share a common Soviet past.

When I look at Belarus, I sometimes fear that a similar situation might happen in Georgia in the future. I see people in emigration, people in prisons, people who no longer have the right to protest, 30 years of a regime – and that's scary. I look and I fear because in 10 years, it could be Georgia.

Nicoletta, 26 years old, Cyprus

The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear "Belarus" is nothing. To be honest, I only knew that such a country as Belarus exists, but I knew nothing more about it.

Павялічыць

I don't know anyone from Belarus. I think that as people, we are undoubtedly similar, but there are also differences. For example, we – Mediterranean people – are loud, while Belarusians, it seems to me, are calm, quiet. In my opinion, Belarusians are more similar to Lithuanians, Poles, or Ukrainians.

Tigran, 21 years old, Armenia

The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear "Belarus" is the Belarusian flag. I imagine the green and red colors and the ornament on the left side. I had heard about Belarus before, including President Lukashenka.

Павялічыць

I also remember watching "Eurovision" in 2014, and I remember the song Cheesecake, sung by a Belarusian artist. I really liked that song, and that's the only thing I remember about Belarus.

When it comes to how I perceive Belarus, for me it is more an Eastern country than a Western one, partly due to its geographical location and close relations with Russia. I have never met Belarusians, but I think they are kind.

I assume we are united by our post-Soviet experience, although the culture, of course, differs.

Delia, 18 years old, Romania

The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear "Belarus" is communism. Someone once explained to me that even if Belarus talks about democracy, in reality, it's still a communist regime.

Павялічыць

I have met Belarusians and can say that they are very intelligent and kind. In my opinion, we have much in common – the conditions in which we grew up and were raised. Romania was also once a communist country, and in this, we are similar to Belarus.

Romania became democratic only in 1989. Before that, we had, if one can say so, a "hidden" society: people met in secret to fight the system.

People were also not allowed to visit churches; many were beaten and imprisoned just for being believers. The intelligentsia was also exterminated. I think Belarusians have a similar historical memory.

Antek, 21 years old, Poland

The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear "Belarus" is Lukashenka and political problems. That's the first association.

I have met many Belarusians, but I can't say I know Belarus well. It seems to me that Belarusian culture is similar to Polish – especially family traditions. I love art, and what I see in pictures from a Polish village seems similar to Belarusian ones. And I like that.

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