Yan Novak-Ezyaransky: Every Year of Independence is a Lottery Win :: Charter'97 :: News

Yan Novak Ezyaransky met with the civil and political figures of the city. He spoke about his perception of Belarus and Belarusians and personal desire to help. He stressed that he’s particularly glad to visit Belarus and is impressed by his conversation with the Belarusian elite. The guest pinpointed that he does not represent interests of USA or Poland, but expresses his personal views instead. However, he’d like to share his own ideas with representatives of the top echelon of US government. With his friend Zbignev Bzhezinsky and representatives of the Polish authorities. With those, who are interested in Belarus. They’ve got to make more active the US and Polish policy regarding Belarus, he says. They need to put Belarus high on the list of the US and Polish priorities. That is the main goal of his personal mission.

Some more quotations by Novak-Ezyaransky:

“There can be no independent Belarusian state if the majority from the Belarusian society don’t identify themselves with it. And if they don’t do at least something to get a free country of their own. The crucial problem is how to revive the national identity feeling in people. You surely have to help yourselves in this matter. This in no wise means that the independent Belarusian state doesn’t have to deepen cooperation with Russia. If Belarusians determine that this is what meets the interests of their sovereign state – even the union with Russia as equally yoked partners – then let it be so. But it is no US or Polish business. We simply have to ensure the existence of freedom of choice in Belarus. Decision-making must reflect the will of the majority of Belarusians.

Belarus gave Poland heroes

Polish policy and Poles’ attitude towards Belarusians weren’t always right. I saw that with my own eyes and it frustrated me a lot. In my mind Poland’s claims to the lands, inhabited for the most part by Belarusians, and their dominion desire were a historical blunder. Belarus gave us many heroes and writers. Tadeush Kostushko was also a Belarusian. His grand-father was Orthodox. Elisa Azheshka, prominent writer, also had Belarusian roots. Krashevsky was Belarusian by origin. And this list can be prolonged. However, Poles never realized that these folks were born on the Belarusian land. Now this problem exists no more.

I don’t notice any desire among the Poles to move the boundary further into the east. Never in my life did I come across a Polish resident who would tell me that Poland must get back Grodno. That’s not the case anymore. Poland is pleased with the border in its present location. We know our chauvinists. But, let me say once again, I never heard any claims to return the lands, currently possessed by Belarus. Poland wants only one thing – safety of borders.

Secondly, many Polis intelligentsia realize that Polish security to a great deal depends on the existence of independent and powerful Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania. For us it is just as important as our membership in NATO.
There exists certain nuance though. Poles are eager to get closer to the eastern neighbours. All their past governments have been pursuing this policy. There have been signed agreements on good-neighbouring relations and cooperation. But that’s on the governmental level. One can’t stop on that.

The process looks more time-consuming and tough on the civil level. How can the stereotypes, which took many years to form, be changed now? Belarusians always considers Poles to be the descendants of their masters in the past. But those prejudices no longer exist in people’s conscience. And we should not reanimate those upsetting realities in the future. Belarusians, Poles and Americans are all interested in good friendly relations.

It is important for Belarus and Ukraine to tend to the West and for the West to accept them. So that Europe’s border doesn’t become Poland’s eastern border. After Poland joins the EU, this will be hard to achieve. It is necessary for Ukrainians and Belarusians not to feel alienated from West. Their eastern border is open. Poland will be obliged to issue visas, making them cheap enough.

Perspectives in the long run

If you want the world to help Belarusians out, let Belarusians help themselves first. Why Americans were so interested in Poland? Because Poland zealously fought for democratisation. Not just for democracy, but rather for gradual democratisation. In other words, they saw what to support there. Poles struggled for democratisation step-by-step: 1956, 1970 and later were new steps upwards towards democracy. The situation never changed in an opposite direction.

However, I cannot recommend you to do what they did. Your conditions are different. Bear in mind that the long-run perspectives are something of tremendous importance. Today our opponents are dictating their conditions on you. Nonetheless, we will keep up doing what we should.

When I ran into a Lenin’s monument in Grodno I wondered whether I was still in the Soviet Union or independent Belarusian state? Wait, hold on for a while. Every year of the independent country’s existence is a lottery win by itself. The longer you retain it, the more will people realize the greatness of this value – a country of their own. Every new year of your country’s life is very important for you, just as for Poland and the United States too.

Always with you in my heart and mind…”