Belarus

{{bronze}}
[[File:Belarus - Location Map (2013) - BLR - UNOCHA.svg|thumb|right|195px|Map of Belarus.]]
{{cquote|Some would argue you don’t have to enter the [museum] to be Back in the BSSR. Streets in the capital are still named after [[Marx]] and [[Engels]]. A statue of [[Vladimir Lenin]] dominates a city centre square. There’s even a bust of Felix Dzerzhinsky, the original Soviet secret policeman and the first statue toppled in Moscow when the Soviet Union finally collapsed in 1991. A metro ride costs 20p. People [[Second-hand smoke|smoke indoors]]. Almost no one has tattoos. This feels like a place that is at least one [[revolution]] behind the rest of us, maybe more.|||Mark Rice-Oxley, ''[[The Guardian]]''.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/09/-sp-belarus-remains-revolution-behind Belarus: 20 years under dictatorship and a revolution behind the rest of Europe]. ''The Guardian.''</ref>}}
{{countrybox|Belarus
|flag = Flag_of_Belarus.svg
|pop =9,408,400	
|GDP =57,708
|GDPPC =6,134
|life =74.6
|dev =0.817	
|dem =2.48
|cor =45
|edu =0.834	
|rel =34
}}

The '''Republic of Belarus''' (Belarusian: Рэспубліка Беларусь), formerly called '''Byelorussia''' or '''Belorussia''' (both intentional Russian misnomers invented in the early 1900s to delegitimize the contemporaneous Belarusian independence movement) and currently known as '''Europe's last dictatorship'''<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/democracy-post/wp/2017/03/25/why-europes-last-dictatorship-keeps-surprising-everyone/ Why Europe's Last Dictatorship Keeps Surprising Everyone]. ''Washington Post.''</ref> is a depressing post-[[Soviet]] country in Eastern [[Europe]] known for its historical status as a doormat for invading armies and its current [[dictatorship]] under [[Alexander Lukashenko]]. Its capital is Minsk, and about 48% of its population is [[Eastern Orthodox]], while 41% are [[atheist]]s. The Belarusians are Slavic. 

Belarus' history is full of invasions. Like, a lot. Despite its size, it is one of the flattest countries on earth, with essentially no natural defenses, making it a desirable target for just about anyone with an eye on expanding into new territory. In the [[Middle Ages]], it was part of a Slavic state called the Kievan Rus until it got attacked by the [[Mongolia|Mongols]]. Then [[Lithuania]] moved in to pick up the pieces, and Belarus had to defend itself from invasions by the Russians who wanted it for themselves. After Lithuania came under the rule of [[Poland]], Belarus was finally seized by [[Russia]] during that country's partition in 1795. The Russian Empire cracked down on the Belarusian nationality, trying to forcibly turn them into Russians. Then [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] launched a destructive invasion, although the Russians managed to fight it off with the help of dysentery and typhus.<ref>[https://slate.com/technology/2012/12/napoleon-march-to-russia-in-1812-typhus-spread-by-lice-was-more-powerful-than-tchaikovskys-cannonfire.html Napoleon Wasn't Defeated by the Russians: Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture gives too much credit to cannons.] by Joe Knight (Dec 11, 20123:47 PM) ''Slate''.</ref><ref>''The Illustrious Dead: The Terrifying Story of How Typhus Killed Napoleon's Greatest Army'' by Stephan Talty (2010) Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0307394050.</ref>

The Belarusians launched several failed revolts against Russian rule until it was invaded by the [[German Empire]] in [[World War I]], shortly after which it formed an ephemeral independent state.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarusian_Democratic_Republic</ref> During the tumultuous [[Russian Civil War]], it was invaded again by Poland from one side and Soviet Russia from the other. It remained divided between them until the outbreak of [[World War II]] when [[Joseph Stalin]] reunited it with help from [[Nazi Germany]]. Stalinist oppression escalated, and Nazi Germany betrayed him and launched a horrifically [[genocide|genocidal]] invasion of their own. Belarus was the hardest-hit Soviet republic and saw most of its cities razed.<ref>Axell, Albert (2002). ''Russia's Heroes, 1941–45''. Carroll & Graf Publishers. p. 247. ISBN 0-7867-1011-X.</ref>

The later Soviet period saw more attempts at cultural hegemony and a slow effort to rebuild Belarus. In 1986, Belarus was invaded again, this time by [[radiation]] from the [[Chornobyl]] [[nuclear power]] disaster in [[Ukraine]]. That disaster, combined with the uncovering of Soviet crimes against them, led the republic to join the other Soviet republics in declaring independence in 1991. The 1994 elections brought in the previously unknown Alexander Lukashenko, who started ruling as an [[authoritarian]] dictator while dismissing the threat of lingering Chornobyl radiation.<ref name="dairy"/> As of 2020, the country is experiencing a major protest movement inspired by disputed election results seen to have been rigged to ensure a sixth term for aging strongman Lukashenko.

==History==
[[File:Полацк. Сафійскі сабор.jpg|thumb|right|215px|Saint Sophia Cathedral in Polack, first built 1044.]]
===Kievan Rus===
Belarus as a concept emerged in the 9<sup>th</sup> century CE under the rule of the loosely-organized Kievan Rus, when the [[Medieval]] Slavic state divided its lands between various local nobles.<ref>[http://countrystudies.us/belarus/4.htm Belarus: Early History]. ''Country Studies.''</ref> Even before that, the Kievan Rus had been more of a collection of allied principalities than a truly centralized state. 

The regional economy was based on primitive shifting agriculture on burned-over forestland, as well as on honey collecting and fur hunting.<ref name="erl">[https://www.britannica.com/place/Belarus/History Belarus Early History]. ''Britannica.''</ref> Eventually, the region's income was supplemented by trade from outside sources, most notably the [[Byzantine Empire]]. Trade relations and eventual marriage ties helped [[Eastern Orthodox]] Christianity spread throughout the region.

Trade also helped early cities emerge in Belarus, like Polack in 862, Brest in 1019, and Minsk in 1067.<ref name="erl"/>

===Mongol invasion===
[[File:Defense Of Ryazan.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Mongol assault on a Slavic fortress.]]
After smashing through the rest of Asia, the Mongol Empire under Ögedei Khan showed up in Eastern Europe in 1235 CE to continue their conquests. The Mongol war in Eastern Europe was particularly devastating to the region, and the Mongols destroyed any city that dared refuse them entry.<ref name="mng">[https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/the-mongols-in-eastern-europe/ The Mongols in Eastern Europe]. ''Lumen Learning.''</ref> The already decentralized Kievan Rus was unprepared to deal with this new threat. The Slavic weakness was only exacerbated when the Mongols stormed around, destroying the cities of the various local rulers. 

Some Slavic rulers accepted the Mongols as overlords and acted as their [[tax]] collectors, a phenomenon particularly common in northern Russia. [[Money]] talks. Kyiv, the Slavic capital, fell to the Mongols in 1239, and the Mongols razed most of the city to the ground and slaughtered its inhabitants.<ref name="mng"/> As they did. Many Belarusian towns were also destroyed and looted during this era of [[chaos]], leaving the region fucked to bits.<ref name="lit">[https://www.britannica.com/place/Belarus/History#ref33453 Belarus: Lithuanian and Polish rule]. ''Britannica.''</ref> 

Ultimately, the Mongol invasion resulted in the once semi-unified eastern Slavic culture group being carved into a series of much smaller principalities unable to resist the overpowering strength of the Mongols. From then on, Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians developed separately and culturally diverged significantly.<ref>Boris Rybakov, ''Kievan Rus' and Russian Princedoms in 12<sup>th</sup> and 13<sup>th</sup> Centuries'', Moscow: Nauka, 1993. ISBN 5-02-009795-0.</ref>

===Catholic rule===
[[File:Мінск. Алтарная частка архікафедральнага сабора.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Inside the Cathedral of the Holy Name, built under Polish rule.]]
The Mongol devastation created a power vacuum in Eastern Europe filled by one of the only states left standing: [[Lithuania]]. Throughout the late 1200s and early 1300s, Lithuania conquered a surprisingly large swathe of Eastern European territory, incorporating most of the Belarusian territory in a manner that was probably peaceful due to Belarus' weakness and desire for protection.<ref>Zaprudnik, Jan (1993). Belarus: At a Crossroads in History. Westview Press. ISBN 0-8133-1794-0.  p. 27</ref> Lithuania was closely allied with [[Poland]], an arrangement which, in the late 1300s, resulted in Lithuania's conversion to [[Catholicism]]. The two allied nations together dominated much of Central and Eastern Europe.

[[File:Нясвіж і Нясвіжскі замак 12.jpg|thumb|left|225px|Lithuanian-built castle near Minsk.]]

By 1386, Poland and Lithuania had become such good pals that they married into each other's dynasties and finally formed a personal union beneath one king.<ref>Rowell, S.C. (2005). "Baltic Europe". In Jones, Michael (ed.). ''The New Cambridge Medieval History'' (Vol. 6). Cambridge University Press. p. 710. ISBN 0-521-36290-3.</ref> The Poles were dominant in this arrangement, but the Lithuanian nobles had important powers to ensure that their "rights" would be protected against the Polish kings. This was successful enough to formalize the 1569 Union of Lublin that created the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth.<ref>{{wpa|Union of Lublin|}}</ref>

[[File:Комплекс Мирского замка.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Polish-built castle in Mir.]]

Under Polish rule, various incentives convinced Belarusian nobles to convert to Catholicism and start speaking Polish, but the peasantry kept their own religion and language.<ref name="pol">[http://countrystudies.us/belarus/5.htm Belorussia, Poland, and Catholicism]. ''Country Studies.''</ref> This arrangement proved acceptable to the Polish overlords since they didn't care much about the backwater Belarusian lands so long as they paid tax. Like Lithuanian, the Belarusian language was relegated to the role of peasant doggerel, but unlike Lithuanian lacked the cachet of being the most archaic extant Indo-European language. Thus, while Lithuanian eventually regained premier status with the backing of tremendous nationalist fervor, Belarusian in Belarus today is somewhere on a level similar to Irish Gaelic in Ireland; the overwhelming majority of the population speaks Russian, and even Belarusian speakers have little use for it in everyday life.

That changed in 1596 with the Union of Brest, which sought to unite Catholic and Orthodox doctrines by creating a "Uniate" church that would follow Orthodox traditions but teach Catholic doctrine.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/event/Union-of-Brest-Litovsk Union of Brest-Litovsk]. ''Britannica.''</ref> The peasantry generally opposed this idea and refused to participate, so authorities persecuted the Orthodox Christians in retaliation for defying a compromise state religion.<ref name="pol"/> Conditions deteriorated, and the Belarusians rose up in rebellion repeatedly as the Uniate church attempted to confiscate property and assets from the Orthodox. This was a contributing factor to the Commonwealth's decline. Once again, history demonstrates that religious intolerance is a bad policy. Over and over again.

===Russian rule===
[[File:Палацава-паркавы комплекс ў Гомелі. Фасад палаца.jpg|thumb|right|225px|Palace of Russian Field Marshal Pyotr Rumyantsev in Gomel.]]

====Forced assimilation====
Polish rule ended abruptly in 1795 when, for 23 years, the state was partitioned between Russia, Prussia, and [[Austria]].<ref>{{wpa|Third Partition of Poland|}}</ref> Poland, by this point, was too weak to fight back.

The Russians attempted to crush Belarusian [[nationalism]] and force them to become Russian. To do this, they implemented policies like enforcing a return to Orthodox Christianity, banning the Belarusian language in schools, banning the Latin alphabet, and even banning the name "Belarus".<ref>{{wpa|History of Belarus#Russian Empire|}}</ref> The Russians also imposed heavy taxes, enforced [[serfdom]], and required military service for ''twenty-five'' years.<ref>[http://countrystudies.us/belarus/6.htm Belarus: The Partitions of Poland]. ''Country Studies.''</ref> At this point, the Belarusians were missing the Poles. Shit.

====Napoleonic invasion====
[[File:National Museum in Poznan - Przejście przez Berezynę.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Napoleon's shattered army at the River Berezina.]]
{{main|Napoleon Bonaparte}}
Belarus was a major battlefield in 1812 as Napoleon attempted to invade Russia with his massive army to punish them for violating their alliance with him. Belarusians participated in guerrilla actions that played their part in bleeding the French conqueror's army as it pressed deeper into Russian land.<ref>{{wpa|Belarusian resistance movement|}}</ref> The Russians also inflicted destruction on Belarus, using scorched-earth tactics while retreating into Russia to deprive the French of supplies and food.<ref>Caulaincourt, Armand-Augustin-Louis (2005), ''With Napoleon in Russia'' (translated by Jean Hanoteau ed.), Mineola, New York: Dover, ISBN 978-0-486-44013-2 p. 9</ref> Unfortunately, this deprived the Belarusian people of resources and food as well. Soldiers from [[Spain]] and [[Portugal]] who had been forced into the French army also tended to desert due to their personal enmity towards Napoleon. They promptly became robbers and highwaymen who terrorized the Belarusian people even more.<ref>Riehn, Richard K. (1991), ''1812: Napoleon's Russian Campaign'' (Paperback ed.), New York: Wiley, ISBN 978-0471543022 p. 170</ref>

After the total failure of Napoleon to win the war despite taking Moscow, the French had to retreat along the same path they had taken. The activities above had already stripped the land bare, meaning the French army was starving. Cossacks and partisan fighters also harassed them on the way out. Winter had also set in, leaving the French exposed and freezing. In Belarus, Napoleon met with his worst defeat of all. In the Battle of Berezina, the Russian armies ambushed the French while crossing the river, inflicting enormous casualties.<ref>{{wpa|Battle of Berezina|}}</ref> Some 25,000 of Napoleon's troops died in that one battle.<ref>[https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/remembering-berezina/3114088 Remembering Berezina]. ''Swiss Info.''</ref> 

The French left a lot of corpses in Belarus, and many of them likely remain. As recently as 2007, the remains of 224 Napoleonic troops emerged near the River Berezina and were reburied at the request of the French government.<ref>[https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/FeaturesEurope/FranceNapoleonic04.htm Remains Found in Belarus]. ''History Files.''</ref>

====Nationalism and rebellion====
[[File:Andriolli.Ludwik Narbutt.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Rebel defeat in the January Uprising.]]
{{cquote|From under the Russian gallows I am writing to you for the last time. It is sad to leave my native land and you, my dear people… As day and night do not reign together, so also true learning does not go together with Russian [[slavery]]. As long as this lies over us, we shall have nothing. There will be no truth, no riches, no learning. They will only drive us like cattle not to our well-being, but to our perdition… Go and fight with the whole people for your human and national rights, for your faith, for your native land. For I say to you from beneath the gallows, my people, you will only then live happily, when no Russian remains over you!|||Kastuś Kalinoŭski, "Letters from Beneath the Gallows", 1864.<ref>[http://www.executedtoday.com/2015/03/22/1864-kastus-kalinouski-belarus-revolutionary/ 1864: Kastus Kalinouski, Belarus revolutionary] ''Executed Today''.</ref>}}
Belarus went largely unrecognized for its role in saving Russia from Napoleon. Despite development from the [[Industrial Revolution]] benefiting Russia, Belarus still suffered from widespread unemployment and poverty as these benefits left it behind.<ref name="nat">[http://countrystudies.us/belarus/7.htm Early Belorussian Nationalism]. ''Country Studies.''</ref> Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians left the region for either other parts of Russia or even the [[United States]]. 

Kastuś Kalinoŭski started covertly publishing ''Mużyckaja prauda'' (Commoner's truth) in 1862-1863, one of the first newspapers in Belarusian, arguing for the need to liberate Belarus and the other nationalities of the old Commonwealth from Russian rule.<ref>{{wpa|Konstanty Kalinowski|}}</ref> His writings helped inspire the 1863 uprising against Russia, one of the largest pre-revolutionary Russia ever faced.<ref>{{wpa|January Uprising|}}</ref> Mass public executions and deportations to [[Siberia]] eventually forced the rebels to give up their hopes of liberation. Kalinoŭski himself was hanged after writing one last call for revolution against Russia.

Although failed, the events inspired other nationalist sentiments against Russia, particularly in the tumultuous years following Russia's military defeat against [[Japan]] in 1905.<ref name="nat"/> More peasant uprisings from Belarus were also violently suppressed. The political activity also increased, noted by the formation of the Belarusian [[Socialist]] Party and its publication of more covert pamphlets.

===WWI German invasion===
[[File:German Troops in Minsk after the occupation, WWI (29377100626).jpg|thumb|right|275px|German troops occupy Minsk, 1918.]]
{{main|World War I}}
Belarus was also one of the worst impacted parts of Europe during World War I. Russian forces clamped down fiercely on it with [[martial law]] and [[conscription]], as it could not afford disloyalty from one of its main frontiers against the [[German Empire]].<ref name="wwi">[http://countrystudies.us/belarus/8.htm Belarus: World War and Revolution]. ''Country Studies.''</ref> Minorities in Belarus, particularly the [[Jews]], suffered during this period; Russia also forcibly deported minorities into the Russian interior or outright massacred them.<ref>McMeekin, Sean (2017). ''The Russian Revolution: A New History''. London: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-46503-990-6. p. 68.</ref> All of these factors got even worse with the Great Retreat of 1915, in which the Russian army gave up on Poland and started a fighting withdrawal into Belarus using scorched-earth tactics.<ref>{{wpa|Great Retreat (Russian)|}}</ref> The retreat also forced Belarusians out of their homes as they fled from the oncoming German armies.

The Russian government's incompetent [[economic]] policies resulted in high food prices, shortages of goods, and many needless [[death]]s.<ref name="wwi"/> This inspired discontent among all nationalities of the Russian Empire. As the German and Austrian armies advanced through Belarus, they used [[chemical weapons]] and mass bombardments against Russian positions. Their soldiers also committed [[War crimes|atrocities]] like murder and mass [[rape]] against Belarusian civilians.<ref name="wwenc">[https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/belarus Belarus]. ''Encyclopedia of the First World War].''</ref> Very shitty.

Belarusian loyalty toward Russia was always fragile, and the [[Tsar]]ist government's harsh wartime conditions and general stupidity caused matters to break down. The [[February Revolution]] overtook the Russian capital of Petrograd, resulting in the Tsar's overthrow. State control over Belarus dissolved, and many deserting Belarusian soldiers became criminals and bandits.<ref name="wwenc"/> Due to political differences, no Belarusian government could form beyond a handful of local socialist councils. 

After the [[October Revolution]], Vladimir Lenin forced the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, in which Russia surrendered most of Belarus to German occupation. Much of that territory became the German-administered Ober Ost territory, ruled under military occupation.<ref>{{wpa|Ober Ost|}}</ref> The Germans almost ended up being nicer than the Russians, as they encouraged Belarusian nationalism and allowed schools to open.<ref name="wwenc"/> Unfortunately, the defeat and withdrawal of Germany caused more problems.

===Polish-Soviet battleground and partition===
[[File:Miensk, Babrujskaja. Менск, Бабруйская (1920).jpg|thumb|right|235px|Minsk in ruins during the Polish-Soviet War.]]
After the liberation of Poland, it fought to resist the [[Bolshevik]] advance and expand its borders at the expense of Belarus. Belarus became a battleground between the two nations, as both sides fought to control its resources. Meanwhile, the Bolsheviks forcibly dissolved the nascent [[democratic]] Belorussian People's Republic and created the Belarussian Soviet Socialist Republic.<ref name="wwi"/> This was briefly interrupted by the Polish Operation Minsk, which captured Minsk from the Russians in 1919 after heavy fighting.<ref>{{wpa|Operation Minsk|}}</ref> Repeated Bolshevik crackdowns eroded Belarus' tolerance for them, and repeated attempts to rise against the Soviets were met with overwhelming brutality from the Reds.<ref name="wwenc"/> 

[[File:Biaroza prison2.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Ruins of Polish-built Bereza-Kartuska concentration camp.]]

The war ended in a stalemate over Belarus, with the territory partitioning between Russia and Poland. Minsk became the capital of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became a founding member of the [[Soviet Union]]. 

In Poland, the Belarusians were briefly able to experience living in a semi-free society before the Poles cracked down again in 1924. Under the excuse of fighting [[communism]], Polish authorities shut down Belarusian schools and banned publications in the Belarusian language.<ref name="polii">[http://countrystudies.us/belarus/9.htm Belarus: Belorussian Territory under Poland]. ''Country Studies.''</ref> Belarus just couldn't catch a fucking break. The whole part of Belarus became just a breadbasket for the rest of Poland, and anyone who wasn't farming was unemployed and shit out of luck. In 1926, Poland became a dictatorship under Marshal Józef Pilsudski, and Belarusians who protested were arrested or killed.<ref name="polii"/> Poland went so far as to open the Bereza-Kartuska facility in Byaroza to house Belarusian political prisoners. Conditions deteriorated to the point where it's now considered a [[concentration camp]].<ref>Misiuk, Andrzej (2007). "Police and Policing Under the Second Polish Republic, 1918–39". ''Policing Interwar Europe: Continuity, Change and Crisis, 1918–40''. Palgrave Macmillan UK. pp. 159–171. ISBN 978-0-230-59986-4.</ref> Poland also unilaterally withdrew from the [[League of Nations]] mandate on protecting minorities just so that they could exclude Belarusians from institutions. 

Belarus also suffered greatly under the rule of Joseph Stalin, experiencing political repression, purges, and famine. Stalin also resumed Russia's policy of trying to forcibly assimilate Belarusian people into becoming Russian, although his methods tended to be more murderous.<ref>Marples, David (1999). ''Belarus: A Denationalized Nation''. Routledge. p. 5. ISBN 90-5702-343-1.</ref>

===World War II===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1976-127-15A, Minsk, erhängte Widerstandskämpfer.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Belarusian resistance fighter hanged by the Nazis as a warning.]]
{{main|World War II}}
Russia occupied the rest of Belarus after [[Nazi Germany]] invaded Poland and split it with Russia according to the Molotov-Ribbentrop agreement. Ignorant of, or disbelieving the existence of, mass persecutions under Stalin, most Belarusians welcomed the Red Army only to be hit with a face full of oppression.<ref name="wwii">[http://countrystudies.us/belarus/10.htm Belarus: World War II]. ''Country Studies.''</ref> Stalin became even more brutal in his efforts to remodel the political culture of western Belarus. He deported some 300,000 into gulags between September 1939 and June 1941.

When the Nazis invaded in June 1941, the Belarusians greeted ''them'' as liberators, hoping the Nazis would be better than the Soviets. Instead, it soon became clear that the Nazis intended to destroy the Belarusian race to fill the land with Germans. The [[Holocaust]] was horrifically brutal and destructive in Belarus, as it was the closest part of the Soviet Union to the border with Nazi Germany and was thus one of the places they occupied for the longest. The Nazis killed one in five citizens of Belarus and 90% of its Jewish community.<ref name="holbela">[https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/resistance-during-holocaust/holocaust-belarus The Holocaust in Belarus]. ''Facing History.''</ref> 

Belarus was also a hotbed of resistance activity against the Germans. By the end of 1941, about 12,000 people, grouped into 230 partisan units, were fighting the Germans.<ref name="resis">[https://jamestown.org/program/the-partisan-movements-in-belarus-during-world-war-ii-part-one/ The Partisan Movements in Belarus During World War II (Part One)]. ''Jamestown Foundation.''</ref> That number increased to about 374,000 by 1944. Sadly, the country paid heavily for it. During the three years of occupation and resistance warfare, Belarus endured enormous devastation from [[guerrilla warfare]], retaliatory burnings of entire villages by the Germans, mass executions of the Jewish population, and two movements of the front lines through the country.<ref name="holbela"/> 

In 1946, after the Nazis had lost, Belarus was still called "the most devastated territory in the world."<ref>[https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt130jm7w Belorussia: Under Soviet Rule, 1917--1957]. JSTOR.</ref>

===Soviet rule===
====Cultural persecution====
After reoccupying Belarus, Stalin decided to have his revenge on the republic since many of its citizens had tried to collaborate with the enemy. He ordered sweeping purges and mass deportations of those who had spent the war in slave labor and prison camps in Germany and who had become "ideologically contaminated", in Stalin's view. The Soviets also persecuted anyone accused of feeling Belarusian nationalism.<ref name="stal">[http://countrystudies.us/belarus/11.htm Belarus: Stalin and Russification]. ''Country Studies.''</ref> Stalin then set about implementing an intensified policy of "Russification". He purged Belarusians from government positions and filled them with Russians, then suppressed Belarusian culture and banned the language from institutions and schools. Basically the same old depressing-ass story.

The persecution continued under [[Nikita Khrushchev]], who infamously stated "The sooner we all start speaking Russian, the faster we shall build communism."<ref name="stal"/> Resistance to the program was met with arrests and official harassment.  

====Chornobyl disaster====
[[File:Belarus Ukraine exclusion zone border.jpeg|thumb|right|215px|Border between the Ukraine exclusion zone and the Belarus exclusion zone.]]
{{main|Chernobyl}}
{{cquote|The Nazis took three years to destroy 619 Belarusian villages during the Second World War; Chernobyl made 485 villages uninhabitable in hours.|||Michael Harris, ''Dissent Magazine.''<ref name="dissi">[https://www.dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/the-politicization-of-chernobyl-in-belarus The Politicization of Chernobyl in Belarus]. ''Dissent Magazine.''</ref>}}
In 1986, Belarus was hit by another disaster thanks to the Soviet authorities. The [[nuclear power]] plant that exploded thanks to Soviet incompetence did so in the far north of Ukraine, a scant six miles south of Belarus' southern border.<ref name="chern">[https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/belarus-chernobyl-radiation-contamination Exploring Chernobyl’s Imprint on Neighboring Belarus]. ''Atlas Obscura.''</ref> 70% of the fallout from the disaster blew north into Belarus, contaminating at least one-fifth of its best farmland.<ref name="cbbc">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4485003.stm Belarus cursed by Chernobyl]. ''BBC News.''</ref> Significant contamination was found in two-thirds of Belarus' land, containing vast numbers of people.<ref name="chern"/> Hundreds of thousands of them had to be evacuated. 

Even worse was and is the Soviet regime's response to the crisis. Authorities told Belarusians to carry on as usual, and [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] downplayed the issue for weeks.<ref name="cnnch">[https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/12/opinions/vitali-shkliarov-belarus-covid-19-chernobyl/index.html In Belarus, Covid-19 is a modern-day Chernobyl]. ''CNN.''</ref> Even then, government recognition of the disaster came under intense international scrutiny and involved as little response as possible. Schools and businesses stayed open despite the deadly threat of radioactive dust.

The consequences of the disaster lingered for a long time and still haunt Belarus. Food in the republic became extremely expensive since it had to be checked for contamination, and lingering radiation caused birth problems and [[cancer]]s.<ref name="cbbc"/>

====Finding mass graves====
[[File:Kurapaty 1989 meeting.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Anti-Soviet rally near the Kurapaty mass graves.]]
When [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] became premier of the Soviet Union and began his ''perestroika'' openness policy, he probably never imagined the problems it would cause in Belarus. First, the full extent of the Chornobyl disaster became apparent to the people, inspiring much higher levels of political consciousness from people who abruptly realized that government incompetence has consequences.<ref name="pera">[http://countrystudies.us/belarus/12.htm Belarus: Perestroika]. ''Country Studies.''</ref>

Then Belarusians found a bunch of literal dead bodies.

In 1988, Belarusian historians discovered a series of mass graves outside Minsk in a site called Kurapaty containing an estimated 250,000 corpses.<ref>{{wpa|Kurapaty|}}</ref> It didn't take long for people to realize that these graves were filled with the victims of Joseph Stalin, who had been led into the woods near Minsk and shot in droves. This discovery fueled anti-government sentiments, culminating in a rally of 10,000 people that had to be dispersed by riot police.<ref name="pera"/> These events inspired the formation of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF), a political organization calling for independence from the Soviet Union.

====Independence====
[[File:RIAN archive 848095 Signing the Agreement to eliminate the USSR and establish the Commonwealth of Independent States.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Signing the Belovezha Accords in Belarus.]]
Unfortunately, even literal fucking dead bodies couldn't quite break the inertia of political apathy. It also didn't help that the year 1990 saw the Belarus Supreme Soviet get filled with even more crusty communist conservatives who were instinctively hostile to any hints of reform. The vast majority of the Belarusian population also voted to keep the Soviet Union in the March 1990 referendum on preserving the Soviet Union.

It was ultimately the Russian example that got things moving. Under the charismatic leadership of Russian [[Boris Yeltsin]], the Russian SSR voted to establish its sovereignty in 1990, meaning that it would place its own interests above the Soviet Union's. Belarus reluctantly followed suit two weeks later, if only to ensure that they would be on the winning side of history.<ref name="pera"/> 

A worker's strike movement in 1991 also broke the pall of political stagnation. The demands were mostly economic, calling for higher wages and cancellation of a new sales tax, but they broke Belarus' reputation as the Soviet republic most successfully stomped into silence.<ref name="pera"/>  

Following the August 1991 [[coup]] by communist hardliners against Gorby and rapid declarations of independence by [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]], and Ukraine, the Supreme Soviet in Minsk followed suit after seeing that all the nails were in the USSR's coffin.<ref name="indp">[http://countrystudies.us/belarus/13.htm Independent Belarus]. ''Country Studies.''</ref> The Supreme Soviet then forced the resignation of its own chairman, Mikalay Dzyemyantsyey, for siding with the coup leaders and replaced him with his deputy, Stanislaw Shushkyevich.<ref name="indp"/> 

It was in Belarus itself that leaders from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus signed the Belovezha Accords that dissolved the Soviet Union.<ref>{{wpa|Belovezha Accords|}}</ref>

===Lukashenko regime===
[[File:Unveiling of the Rzhev Memorial to the Soviet Soldier 06 podium (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|175px|Alexander Lukashenko, dictator dipshit.]]
{{cquote|The two of us [Lukashenko and Putin] are co-aggressors, the most harmful and toxic people on this planet. We have only one dispute: Who is the bigger one? That’s all.|||Lukashenko in 2022 during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in which Belarus acted as a doormat<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/12/30/putin-isolated-russia-ukraine-war/ Putin, unaccustomed to losing, is increasingly isolated as war falters: A new gulf is emerging between the president and much of the country’s elite] by Catherine Belton (December 30, 2022) ''The Washington Post''.</ref>}}
The first leaders of the newly independent Belarus were ''ridiculously'' corrupt, leading to widespread discontent. As a result, the 1994 elections for the presidency of Belarus saw the dark horse candidate [[Alexander Lukashenko]] take power. While portraying himself as a nationalist and corruption fighter, he locked the republic in the past by retaining much of the old Soviet power structure. He transformed Belarus into his personal fiefdom by imprisoning or otherwise suppressing most of his potential rivals and maintaining firm state control of the economy and the [[media]].<ref name="luki">[https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/europes-last-dictator-the-rise-and-possible-fall-of-alexander-lukashenko/ Europe’s last dictator: The rise and (possible) fall of Alyaksandr Lukashenka]. ''Atlantic Council.''</ref> By 2020, Western media often referred to him as "Europe's last dictator".<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/will-belarus-protests-topple-europe-s-last-dictator-alexander-lukashenko-ncna1237472 "Will Belarus protests topple Europe's last dictator, Alexander Lukashenko?"] by Alesia Rudnik, NBC News, 2020 August 20</ref><ref>[https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/05/25/why-belarus-is-called-europes-last-dictatorship "Why Belarus is called Europe’s last dictatorship"], Economist, 2021 May 25</ref> Oh, and he has a terrible [[porno]] mustache, ''and'' a [[secret police]] force called the KGB. No, really.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belarus-election-lukashenko/belarusian-leader-lukashenko-replaces-heads-of-kgb-and-security-council-belta-idUSKBN25U17Y Belarusian leader Lukashenko replaces heads of KGB and security council: Belta]. ''Reuters.''</ref>

[[File:ZS82 loudspeaker vehicle playing loud music during protests in Minsk.jpg|thumb|left|265px|Military show of force during the 2020 protests.]]

By halting economic reforms, Lukashenko ensured Belarus would remain a Soviet-style economy. Such an economy could not develop much, and the real surprise was that it lasted. The main reason behind it was support from [[Russia]], which propped up its Slavic brother by purchasing the cheaply made junk products from Belarus in the same way any rich country buys cheap junk from other places.<ref name="luki"/> Russia also provides cheap [[oil]] and natural gas to keep Belarus powered.

Inspired by a poor economy and the increasing evidence that Lukashenko has rigged elections to stay in power, a significant protest movement against him emerged in 2020 under the leadership of opposition figure {{wpl|Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya}} who joined politics after Lukashenko had her husband jailed for blogging.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53637365 Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko under fire]. ''BBC News.''</ref> Predictably, Lukashenko responded by unleashing vicious violence against the protesters,<ref>[https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/08/belarus-election-protests-police-crackdown/ "Belarus: Police unleash appalling violence on peaceful protesters], Amnesty International, 2020 August 10</ref> which resulted in sanctions from the [[EU]], [[UK]], and [[US]]. Predictably, Lukashenko clung to power with the help of an expert at violently suppressing the opposition, [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref>[https://www.ft.com/content/d4242169-e90f-4765-8047-675aa3cf162e "Violent crackdown fails to silence Belarus protesters"] by James Shotter, Financial Times, 2020 December 2</ref>

[[File:20190526 191723 Универсам "Центральный" Minsk May 2019.jpg|thumb|right|185px|Medical supplies in Minsk]]

Oh, and Lukashenko responded to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] by doing nothing, claiming that it was just a "[[psychosis]]" curable by [[vodka]] or a trip to the [[sauna]].<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/europe/alexander-lukashenko-coronavirus-infection-intl/index.html Belarus President dismissed Covid-19 as 'psychosis.' Now he says he caught it]. ''CNN.''</ref> Then the dumb bastard caught it. Get fucked, Luka.

In May 2021, Lukashenko made additional headlines around the world when he dared to actually ''hijack'' a commercial {{wpl|Ryanair}} flight (by falsely telling the pilots that there was a bomb on the plane and having a military fighter jet "escort" the flight to the airport in Minsk) just to arrest an exiled opposition blogger and activist, {{wpl|Roman Protasevich}}.<ref>[https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/05/belarus-lukashenko-hijack-plane-precedent-dictators/618971/ "Other Regimes Will Hijack Planes Too"] by Anne Applebaum, Atlantic, 2021 May 24</ref> The EU and UK immediately responded by banning Belarusian airlines from European skies and telling EU airlines not to fly over Belarus, as well as agreeing to new sanctions.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57236489 "EU agrees new Belarus sanctions after plane arrest"], BBC, 2021 May 25</ref> The US has indicated that it is following suit with sanctions.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/28/us-reimpose-sanctions-belarus-after-forced-diversion-ryanair-flight/ U.S. to reimpose sanctions on Belarus after forced diversion of Ryanair flight] by Amy B. Wang (May 28, 2021 at 6:58 p.m. PDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref>

==Government and politics==
[[File:Belarus 3898 - House of Government (4185209317).jpg|thumb|right|325px|Belarus' National Assembly in Minsk, still with a statue of [[Lenin]].]]

===Rubber stamp legislature===
Except for the new office of the president, Belarus' political structure has remained almost unchanged since the Soviet days. Legislative power is theoretically vested in the bicameral National Assembly of Belarus, the direct descendant of the Supreme Soviet. In reality, the body has almost no authority due to the overwhelming power of the presidency, to the point where it doesn't even have any real say in state spending.<ref>{{wpa|National Assembly of Belarus|}}</ref> The parliament has also been dominated by Lukashenko loyalists since the very beginning. Belarusian MPs have initiated only a handful of laws over the last twenty years, and the body has never rejected a draft law submitted by the president.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170726041131/http://belarusdigest.com/story/why-does-europe-engage-belaruss-rubber-stamp-parliament-26896 Why Does Europe Engage With Belarus's Rubber Stamp Parliament?] ''Belarus Digest.''</ref> In fact, not a single member of parliament has ever publicly criticized Lukashenko.

===Unjust judiciary===
The judicial system in Belarus also works hard to maintain the Lukashenko dictatorship thanks to his long term as president allowing him to stuff it with yes-men. As president Lukashenko also has the power to arbitrarily dismiss judges, directly control the finances of the court system, and put political pressure on individual judges.<ref name="depc">[http://www.forjournalists.belarusinfocus.info/page_judicial_system Judicial Sytem]. ''Belarus in Focus.''</ref> All in all, there is no judicial independence in Belarus whatsoever. 

These consequences are keenly felt whenever political opposition to Lukashenko dares arise. Courts like to order people to appear before them on terse notice and then jail them for failing to comply.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/b4959e1edc5535508799f00022db30a0 Belarusian authorities crank up pressure on opposition]. ''Associated Press.''</ref> Courts ignore or enable state violence against protesters. Lawyers in Belarus who dare represent opposition figures face strict persecution from the judiciary, being threatened with arbitrary disbarment, being given only a moment's notice for their cases, or being found in contempt and arrested for no good reason.<ref>[https://www.rferl.org/a/lawyers-in-belarus-face-disbarment-arrest-just-for-representing-opponents-of-lukashenka/30898088.html Lawyers In Belarus Face Disbarment, Arrest Just For Representing Opponents Of Lukashenka]. ''Radio Free Europe.''</ref>

===Fraudulent elections===
[[File:Sviatlana Cichanowskaja Vitebsk 02.jpg|thumb|right|250px|
Legitimate President
 Doomed pro-democracy candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in 2020.]]
The United States [[Republican Party]] members might want to look to Belarus to see what fraudulent elections look like. In the 2020 elections, opposition poll monitors and volunteer poll workers across Belarus reported systemic physical threats, firings, intimidation, and falsified documents, all levied by the government to ensure that the vote came out in Lukashenko's favor.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/international-news-ap-top-news-europe-72e43a8b9e4c56362d4c1d6393bd54fb Belarus poll workers describe fraud in Aug. 9 election]. ''Associated Press.''</ref> Government authorities also spent the weeks before the elections having major opposition members arrested and then arresting or brutalizing the many protesters who emerged in outrage.<ref>[https://www.euronews.com/2020/07/23/who-is-making-sure-belarus-presidential-election-is-free-and-fair Who is making sure Belarus' presidential election is free and fair?] ''Euro News.''</ref> The Central Election Commission is in Lukashenko's pocket, as is the state media, and the only foreign election observers were from [[Russia]], [[Azerbaijan]], and a few similarly authoritarian regimes.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/09/world/europe/belarus-election-lukashenko.html Belarus Says Longtime Leader Is Re-elected in Vote Critics Call Rigged]. ''New York Times.''</ref> It's no surprise that Lukashenko was reported by the Central Election Commission to have won a ridiculous 80% vote. Fucking please. 

The United States and the [[European Union]] denounced the election results as fraudulent and refused to recognize Lukashenko as a legitimate leader.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2020/09/23/916000965/belarus-president-is-secretly-inaugurated-weeks-after-disputed-election Belarus President Is Secretly Inaugurated Weeks After Disputed Election]. ''NPR.''</ref> The usual suspects, [[Vladimir Putin]]<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belarus-election/battling-protests-lukashenko-says-putin-agreed-to-help-security-of-belarus-idUSKCN25B0E0 Battling protests, Lukashenko says Putin agreed to help security of Belarus]. ''Reuters.''</ref> and [[Xi Jinping]]<ref>[http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-08/10/c_139279630.htm Xi congratulates Lukashenko on re-election as Belarusian president]. ''Xinhua Net.''</ref> congratulated Lukashenko on winning the election, which meant successfully rigging it. Shitheads gotta stick together. 

This wasn't the first time, of course. All previous elections involving Lukashenko were similarly rigged amid atmospheres of state persecution.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/08/17/why-belarus-rigged-election-matters-america-and-world-column/5600972002/ Why a stolen election in Belarus matters to America and the world]. ''USA Today.''</ref>

===KGB===
[[File:KGB Belarus crest.svg|thumb|right|175px|Emblem of the Belarus KGB.]]
The State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus (Belarusian: Камітэт дзяржаўнай бяспекі, КДБ Russian: Комитет государственной безопасности, КГБ) is more frequently known as the KGB, from the Russian name (as Russian and Belarusian are both official languages of the Republic of Belarus). Back in the BSSR! Really. It's one of the few intelligence agencies in the world that kept its Soviet-era name after the downfall of the Soviet Union. It's a relic in more ways than one. The murderous Felix Dzerzhinsky, who founded the Cheka and carried out a state terror campaign during the [[Russian Civil War]], was born in Belarus and is considered a symbol of the nation by Lukashenko.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/20/opinion/lukashenkos-belarus.html Lukashenko's Belarus]. ''New York Times.''</ref> A bust of Dzerzhinsky even sits outside the KGB headquarters in Minsk.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/comment/belarus-kgb-free-theatre-travel/ I often relive my scrape with the Belarus KGB]. ''The Telegraph.''</ref>

The KGB is Belarus' primary intelligence agency. It maintains a "[[terrorist]]" watch list to name and target notable political opponents, especially those who campaign for democracy.<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-19/belarus-kgb-puts-social-media-channel-creators-on-terrorist-list Belarus KGB Puts Social-Media Channel Creators on Terrorist List]. ''Bloomberg.''</ref> The KGB plays a key role in suppressing protest movements. KGB agents often detain and [[Torture|harshly interrogate]] activists, even going so far as to use blackmail to make people rat on other activists.<ref name="kgb">[https://belarusdigest.com/story/the-belarusian-kgb-recruiting-from-civil-society/ The Belarusian KGB: recruiting from civil society]. ''Belarus Digest.''</ref> For instance, activist Nasta Daškievič confessed that she had been forced to sign a cooperation agreement in 2011 in exchange for the [[freedom]] of her husband, Zmitser Daškievič, a former political prisoner.<ref name="kgb"/> It's an old Soviet tactic, but it seems to work. 

Another activist, Maria Kolesnikova, said she was detained by KGB agents who put a bag over her head and threatened to shoot her if she didn't flee the country.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/maria-kolesnikova-opposition-belarus-kgb-protests-lukashenko-b421495.html Maria Kolesnikova: Opposition leader says Belarus KGB put a bag over her head and threatened to kill her]. ''Independent.''</ref>

The KGB remains a favorite of Lukashenko, who, in August 2020, handed out medals to 300 KGB members for "impeccable service" in shutting down protests.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/18/lukashenko-awards-medals-belarus-riot-police-kgb Belarus president hints at fresh repression to keep grip on power]. ''The Guardian.''</ref>

===Anti-Western conspiracy theories===
Lukashenko's core supporters tend to rely on [[conspiracy theories]] to justify their continued backing of him. Lukashenko has spent almost his entire reign blaming the democratic [[Western world|West]] for everything bad in Belarus, including its economic decline.<ref>[https://www.voanews.com/europe/belarus-president-vows-destroy-opposition Belarus President Vows to Destroy Opposition]. ''Voice of America.''</ref> Belarusians interviewed by ''Euro News'' also expressed fear that Belarus would be contaminated by Western cultural values, leading to "[[transsexual]]s marching with their hands clasped in central Minsk."<ref>[https://www.euronews.com/2020/09/11/tricks-truants-and-transsexuals-lukashenko-loyalists-hit-out-over-belarus-protests- 'Tricks, truants and transsexuals': Lukashenko loyalists hit out over Belarus protests]. ''Euro News.''</ref> (Oh no! Not that!)

This only intensified amid the 2020 unrest over the rigged election. Amid anti-Lukashenko protests, Belarus's foreign minister, Vladimir Makei, accused western countries of attempting to sow "chaos and [[anarchy]]" in the backwater republic by criticizing Lukashenko.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/27/belarus-accuses-western-nations-of-sowing-chaos-and-anarchy Belarus accuses western nations of sowing 'chaos and anarchy']. ''The Guardian.''</ref> Apparently, poor 'Lil Luka has such thin skin that any mean words about him throw a whole country into chaos. Who knew? What a bitch.

===Flag controversy===
[[File:2020 Belarusian protests — Minsk, 16 August p0024.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Protests in Minsk, 2020.]]
Belarus' current flag is heavily based on the old Belarusian SSR flag imposed on it in 1951.<ref name="bflag">[https://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/2015/06/flag-of-belarus/ Flag of Belarus]. ''Flag Institute.''</ref> The design on the left of the flags is based on woven cloth designs on traditional women's garments. The green is supposed to [[irony|represent freedom]].<ref name="bflag"/> Before the Soviet flag, Belarus had a simple white design with a red horizontal bar through the middle. This was the flag of Belarus on no less than three separate occasions: 1918-1921 (BPR, Belarusian People's Republic; 'till 1939, it was used by Belarusian nationalists, even by Commies, in the Western part of Belarus annexed by Poland), 1941-1944 (nationalists under Nazis with no real power though) and 1991-1995 (post-Soviet Belarus).<ref name="bflag"/>

Protesters against Lukashenko adopted the traditional flag of Belarus since one of Lukashenko's first acts upon assuming power was to rig a referendum and have the old flag replaced.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/22/how-the-two-flags-of-belarus-became-symbols-of-confrontation How the two flags of Belarus became symbols of confrontation]. ''The Guardian.''</ref> The current flag has become the symbol of the Lukashenko regime more than anything else, carrying the stigma of the regime's brutality and torture tactics.

<center><gallery widths=200px heights=150px>
File:Flag of Belarus (1918, 1991–1995).svg|The traditional flag of Belarus.
File:Flag of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (1951–1991).svg|Belarusian SSR flag, from 1951.
File:Flag of Belarus (1995–2012).svg|Current Belarusian flag.
</gallery></center>

==Radiation problems and denialism==
{{main|Denialism}}
[[File:Bulls-breeding.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Don't worry about the strontium-90. It just makes the meat and milk taste better.]]
{{cquote|There is no danger. How can you be afraid of radiation?|||Nikolai Chubenok, dairy farmer for the Milkavita corporation, 2016.<ref name="dairy">[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chernobyl-radiation-belarus-farm-produce-milk-high-level-radiation/ Belarus ignoring risks of farming near Chernobyl?]. ''CBS News.''</ref>}}
Belarus, to this day, feels the lingering effects of the [[Chornobyl]] catastrophe. 70% of the fallout from the disaster blew into Belarus, contaminating a vast amount of its territory.<ref name="cbbc"/> Even today, some 2,000,000 Belarussians, including 800,000 children, live in contaminated areas.<ref name="dissi"/> At least 100,000 people live on land with a radiation level 1,480 times greater than the level typically found on a [[nuclear bomb]] test site.<ref name="dissi"/> Between 1990 and 2000, cases of thyroid [[cancer]] in Belarusian adolescents increased by 1,600 percent.<ref name="dissi"/> Not good.

And yet the Lukashenko regime dismissed the radiation threat in much the same way they ignored [[COVID-19]]. Lukashenko, himself a former collective farm manager, issued an order in 2005 that put most of Belarus' radioactive farmland back into use by state-owned farms.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/22/world/europe/belarus-resumes-farming-in-chernobyl-radiation-zone.html Belarus Resumes Farming in Chernobyl Radiation Zone]. ''New York Times.''</ref> At the time, cattle could be slaughtered for beef, but it was still too dangerous to drink their [[milk]]. Prominent Belarusian research scientist Dr. Yuri Bandazhevsky criticized the move as irresponsible, but he was forced to leave the country after being prosecuted.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/04/17/nuclear-exile-chernobyl-30th-anniversary/82896510/ Exiled scientist: 'Chernobyl is not finished, it has only just begun']. ''USA Today.''</ref> 

Not too many years later, the government authorized the sale and production of dairy products, including milk and [[cheese]]. In 2016, the ''Associated Press'' tested milk samples from Belarus and found them to contain dangerous levels of the radioactive isotope strontium-90.<ref name="dairy"/> The state-run Milkavita dairy company promptly sued the ''Associated Press'' because the story hurt the company's reputation. Belarus' Supreme Court ruled in their favor and demanded that the ''Associated Press'' disavow the story.<ref>[https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-associated-press-radioactivity-milk-milkavita-chernobyl/28374060.html Belarusian High Court Orders AP Reporter To Disavow Radioactive-Milk Story]. ''Radio Free Europe.''</ref> Utterly fucking insane.

==Human rights==
[[File:Задержания 25 марта 2017.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Cops haul away a protester in Minsk.]]

===Freedom of expression and assembly===
Belarus hosts one of the worst free speech environments in the world as a monstrously authoritarian regime. Freedom House regularly condemns Belarus as a nation that routinely arrests journalists for arbitrary reasons and forces independent media organizations to operate as renegades.<ref>[https://humanrightshouse.org/articles/belarus-recognized-as-one-of-the-worst-countries-in-terms-of-freedom-of-speech/ Belarus recognized as one of the worst countries in terms of freedom of speech]. ''Human Rights House Foundation.''</ref> 

Formalized by a 2008 law, the government has a total state monopoly over information about political, social, and economic affairs.<ref name="fhouse">[https://freedomhouse.org/country/belarus/freedom-world/2020 Belarus]. ''Freedom House.''</ref> Independent journalists are frequently persecuted under a variety of national laws. Belarus' criminal code, for instance, contains much language defending the "honor and dignity" of government officials.<ref name="fhouse"/> As if 'Lil Luka had either of those things. The government seems to have a special hatred for independent journalists. They frequently come under attack by police forces with rubber bullets and beatings, usually having their equipment smashed too.<ref>[https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/08/belarus-journalists-under-attack/ Belarus: Attacks on journalists mount amid protest crackdown]. ''Amnesty International.''</ref>

The government also controls the only [[internet]] provider in the country to ensure [[censorship]] and restrict access to information. Even schools and universities are subject to intense political pressure to toe the government line or face fines and prosecutions.<ref name="fhouse"/> Protests are also illegal unless they happen with government consent. The government rarely gives consent. In fact, the government frequently likens protest actions to "terrorism" and threatens lethal force.<ref>[https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-interior-minister-threatens-use-of-weapons-as-strongman-lukashenka-calls-protests-terrorist-threat/30917600.html Belarus's Interior Minister Hints At Use Of Lethal Force As Lukashenka Likens Protests To A 'Terrorist' Threat]. ''Radio Free Europe.''</ref>

===Police brutality and torture===
{{main|1=Police brutality|3=Torture}}
[[File:Акрэсціна. Збіты пасля затрымання 11 жніўня 2020.jpg|thumb|right|215px|Wounds left by police torture.]]
Belarusian police have committed horrific acts of violence while suppressing protests and political opposition. Police forces meet protests in riot gear and use tear gas and stun grenades to disperse people while also arresting thousands to be tried and subjected to heavy fines or imprisonment.<ref>[https://www.rferl.org/a/belarusian-police-detain-dozens-of-protesters/30951057.html More Than 1,200 Detained In Belarus As Protesters Face Tear Gas, Stun Grenades]. ''Radio Free Europe.''</ref> That's only the usual violence, though. Police crimes have escalated significantly after the 2020 anti-Luka protests.

In November 2020, police responded to protests in Minsk by sending masked thugs to abduct people, resulting in at least one man being beaten to death.<ref>[https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-threatens-sanctions-as-belarusian-reportedly-beaten-to-death-by-security-forces/30945612.html EU Threatens Sanctions As Belarusian Reportedly Beaten To Death By Security Forces]. ''Radio Free Europe.''</ref> Random abductions in Minsk continued, including a case where a student was dragged into a van for using a cell phone and then had his nose broken before being threatened with rape by truncheon to reveal his phone password.<ref name="hrwii">[https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/09/21/police-abuse-continues-belarus Police Abuse Continues in Belarus]. ''Human Rights Watch.''</ref> Another young man asked officers not to beat him due to having recently undergone surgery, only to have the officers strip him to find the stitches and then punch him there until the wound reopened.<ref name="hrwii"/>

In prisons, Belarusian authorities have inflicted many horrible torture methods on political prisoners, including beatings, prolonged stress positions, electric shocks, and even rape.<ref name="hrwi">[https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/09/15/belarus-systematic-beatings-torture-protesters Belarus: Systematic Beatings, Torture of Protesters]. ''Human Rights Watch.''</ref> Abuse-related injuries included broken bones, cracked teeth, skin wounds, electrical burns, brain injuries, and kidney damage.

===Mass surveillance===
[[File:2020 Belarusian protests — Minsk, 23 August p0007.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Minsk protesters try to fight back against Lukashenko.]]
Belarus is a surveillance security state. Government-owned telecommunications companies eavesdrop on email or phone conversations, track the locations of activists, or seize private information to prosecute or blackmail people.<ref>[https://www.theverge.com/2016/7/6/12107092/belarus-surveillance-encryption-amnesty-international Mass surveillance makes encryption 'essential' for activists in Belarus]. ''The Verge.''</ref> People in Belarus are now afraid to use phone or email services because the government could be watching everything they say for signs of dissent. National law ensures that this user data is maintained for at least five years and can be accessed at will. 

The System of Operative Investigative Measures (SORM) is the backbone of the surveillance state, first developed by Russia and now used in Belarus to collect pretty much all telecommunications data in the country.<ref>[https://naviny.belsat.eu/en/news/belarus-as-surveillance-state-right-to-privacy-at-risk-amnesty-international/ Belarus as surveillance state. Right to privacy at risk – Amnesty International]. ''Belsat EU.''</ref> SORM gives authorities direct remote-control access to all user communications and associated data. By law, all telecom systems in Belarus must be compatible with SORM.

Activists are trying to fight back with help from US-based anti-[[censorship]] non-profits. This effort was destroyed when [[Donald Trump]] arbitrarily cut funding to the program despite ongoing crackdowns in 2020.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/democracy-activists-stranded-after-trump-admin-pulls-funding-anti-censorship-n1243563 Democracy activists stranded after Trump admin pulls funding for anti-censorship tools]. ''NBC.''</ref> Again, shitheads gotta stick together. 

===Persecution of Roma===
The [[Roma]] are a significant minority in Belarus but face intense persecution under the Lukashenko regime. Belarusian cops across the country like to round up hundreds of Roma and subject them to beatings, race-based insults, and intimidation without levying any charges.<ref>[https://www.fidh.org/en/region/europe-central-asia/belarus/belarus-mass-roundups-of-roma-people-must-be-investigated Belarus: Mass Roundups of Roma People Must Be Investigated]. ''International Federation for Human Rights''.</ref> Authorities frequently and without evidence suspect Roma of violating laws against "minor hooliganism" based upon [[racist]] preconceptions.

===LGBT rights===
[[LGBT]] activists, though often shunned by [[homophobic]] and [[transphobic]] people, have joined the movement against Lukashenko.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/belarus-protests-lgbt/hope-is-thin-as-gay-activists-join-belarus-protests-for-change-idUSL5N2GL3CK Hope is thin as gay activists join Belarus protests for change]. ''Reuters.''</ref> [[Discrimination]] is often extreme in Belarus on a societal level, and Lukashenko's government has traditionally maintained the pretense that LGBT issues don't exist. LGBT legal rights in Belarus are among the worst in Europe. [[Gay marriage]] is unrecognized, gay adoption is illegal, and [[conversion therapy]] is legal.<ref>[https://www.equaldex.com/region/belarus LGBT Rights in Belarus]. ''Equaldex.''</ref> Employers can also legally discriminate against LGBT individuals. The only nice thing is that homosexuality was decriminalized in 1994. However, the country's general attitude is still summed up by Lukashenko's pithy 2012 quote, "It's better to be a dictator than gay." All in all, Luka is a truly ''wonderful'' guy.<ref>[https://crd.org/2020/04/06/lgbti-rights-in-belarus-rights-groups-worry-their-country-is-on-the-same-path-as-russia/ LGBTI+ Rights in Belarus: Rights Groups Worry their Country is on the Same Path as Russia]. ''Civil Rights Defenders.''</ref>

==Gallery==
<center><gallery widths=225px heights=225px>
File:View of Minsk (180819) 04.jpg|Minsk, the depressing Soviet-style capital.
File:Potato pancakes.jpg|Belarusian potato pancakes.
File:Strusta - Majak - Brasłauski rajon - 6.jpg|Lake Strusta in Vitebsk region.
File:Children's creative team.jpg|Girls celebrate spring in Belarus.
File:Theatre opera&ballet, Minsk.JPG|Minsk Opera and Ballet Theatre.
File:RIAN archive 1047080 Work of "Kamenyuki" frontier post on Belarus border with Poland.jpg|Soldiers patrol the border with Poland.
</gallery></center>

==See also==
*[[Estonia]]
*[[Latvia]]
*[[Lithuania]]
*[[Ukraine]]
*[[Russia]]

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufRLYllmwUE Why does Belarus Exist?] a short video by ''History Matters'' on [[Youtube]].
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArWeoIK3Idc BBC: Exclusive Lukashenko interview] (Nov 21, 2021) — in which Lukashenko says in referring to NGOs, "We'll massacre all the scum that you have been financing. … If we haven't liquidated them already, we'll do so in the near future." (13:30 - 14:09)

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}
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[[Category:Anti-Western]]
[[Category:Authoritarian regimes]]
[[Category:Crimes against humanity]]
[[Category:Environment]]
[[Category:European countries]]
[[Category:Government incompetence]]

Categories: Anti-Western, Authoritarian regimes, Crimes against humanity, Environment, European countries, Government incompetence