A book «Belarus: potato and jeans» published in Warsaw :: Charter'97 :: News

A book “Belarus: potato and jeans”, edited in the Warsaw publishing house “Znak” on March 22, now can be found in Polish book stores. The authors of the book - the journalists of the Polish magazine “Tygodnik Powszechny” Malgarzata Nocun and Andrzei Brzeziecki - have interviewed the Belarusian opposition politicians. The interview grew into an interesting novel about a “state in the reconstruction period” that longs for great changes. The destinies of a dozen of the heroes of the modern Belarusian history reflect the destiny of the whole nation.

“In Belarus, jeans became the symbol of freedom. When the opposition was thinking of an equally expressive colour as the Ukrainian orange, they picked the “jeans” colour. But why potato? The “victory” of farm boss Aliaksandar Lukashenka in the presidential election was labeled “the potato victory”. Belarus is a small Soviet Union, where people disappear in unknown circumstances, censorship is on. Why isn’t anyone talking aloud about the victims of Lukashenka’s regime?” - is said in the annotation to the book.