Genadz Buravkin: Intellectual Forces’ Unification Is Paramount :: Charter'97 :: News

“I assume that intelligentsia, at least most talented and honest part of it, is not only ready to struggle but already does that. Vasil Bykov, Radzim Goretsky, Rygor Baradulin, Nil Gilevich, Sergei Zakonnikov, Anatoly Grytskevich speak through the press, fight for the national idea and country’s future, try to keep people away from wrong decision-making and behavior, such as, for instance, the formation of a weird union state. These people are using their own technique, while the rest of methods must be used by the political parties and youth organizations. Our intelligentsia cannot be blamed for indifference towards the future of Belarus,” – said in an interview to the Charter’s press-center Belarusian poet Genadz Buravkin.

- Officials oftentimes boast of their great care for the country’s spirituality. What’s the real state of it?

- To my regret, there are plenty of problems here. For instance, their attitude to such sacred things as history and language. We have never learnt, nor intend to, our true historic background. Authorities manifest disregard for history both in the parliament, in schools and mass media outlets. So let them not say that they allegedly care much for spirituality. They do speak a lot, saying good words, but I don’t see them doing what they profess, so far. There’s not a single higher educational institution in Belarusian, no objective Belarusian history textbooks, no rise in the printing of Belarusian literature. And so, those who claim that they care for the country’s spirituality, mostly produce an illusion of it. In reality, many of them are even opposed to the very idea of it.

- Is intelligentsia ready for a fight? Or those times when intelligentsia really cared about “nation’s happiness” vanished with Kupala, Bagdanovich, Luchina, Tsetka and Kolas?

- That’s a pretty complex question. I assume that intelligentsia, at least most talented and honest part of it, is not only ready to struggle but already does that. Vasil Bykov, Radzim Goretsky, Rygor Baradulin, Nil Gilevich, Sergei Zakonnikov, Anatoly Grytskevich speak through the press, fight for the national idea and country’s future, try to keep people away from wrong decision-making and behavior, such as, for instance, the formation of a weird union state. These people are using their own technique, while the rest of methods must be used by the political parties and youth organizations. Our intelligentsia cannot be blamed for indifference towards the future of Belarus.

- March 16 will see the Congress of Belarusian intelligentsia. What goals are they pursuing there?

- I would prefer not to say for the rest. However, I myself will definitely engage in it. In my view, the ultimate goal is this – unification of all country’s intellectual forces in their struggle for the better of independent and democratic country. They should put aside their private interests and ensure the existence of the independent Belarusian national state.

- People’s March “For Better Life!” will be held in the country on March 12. Do you think this action is necessary?

- I figure, any expression of thoughts and positions of people is always beneficial for the society, given the society wants to become as unified as possible. So, in my opinion, the People’s March is necessary. Oftentimes we run into unexpected state’s decisions. Take the enormous rise in public utilities tariffs as an example. If we want the government to listen to the people, we got to share our opinion of it first. And everyone picks the form of expressing his opinion on his own. So I personally chose to support the People’s March “For Better Life!”.