Belarusian Culture I: Language(s)

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Brief Description

This interdisciplinary roundtable focuses on language use and discursive practices across diverse cultural, socio-political, and historical contexts in Belarus. Widely seen as the republic where the Soviet policies of Russification were most successful, the country is also unique among the post-Soviet states: after a brief period of national revival in the early 1990s, the Lukashenka regime has favored further Russification, which only intensified after the 2020 protests.

Bringing together scholars representing a variety of thematic and disciplinary perspectives (linguistics, literary and translation studies, political science, and language pedagogy), this roundtable explores the complex dynamic between Belarusian and Russian—two state languages of Belarus—and what may be termed “Belarusian Russian” spoken in the border regions. How are these languages used and for what purposes? What value judgments and stereotypes are attached to them? What is the relationship between language and power? How do pivotal political events (re)shape the linguistic landscape in the country and the diasporas? And why, despite its marginalized status in the titular nation, is Belarusian a language worthy of teaching in North American universities?

Sub Unit

• Linguistics/Language Pedagogy/Translation

Chair

• Jenya Mironava, Harvard U

Roundtable Members

• Maryna Antaniuk-Prouteau, Stanford U

• Anton Dinerstein, Institute of Slavic Studies, PAS (Poland)

• Natasha Kadlec, Harvard U

• Radoslaw Kaleta, U of Warsaw (Poland)

• Curt Woolhiser, Boston College