She Is a Byelo, Too: Olga Korbut and The Struggle for Belarusian Identity

• In Event: Belarus I: Elusive Identities — Then and Now

Abstract

Olga Korbut, a gymnast from Soviet Belarus, stunned the world with her performance at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Korbut won three gold medals there, but they were radiant smiles and the breathtaking difficulty of her routine that made her a global celebrity. Following her Olympic success, Korbut had numerous exhibitions worldwide, where she represented the Soviet Union. Her trips to the US had an unexpected development for Soviet officials: local Belarusian emigree activists started to fight against misrepresenting Korbut as "Russian" and to send the message that the Belarusians are a distinct nationality. Even more unexpected were the voices from the Soviet side where some Belarusian journalists insisted on Korbut's Belarusianness. This development shows how Belarusian activists on both sides of the Iron Curtain shared the same fight for Belarusian visibility and its recognition as a separate identity.

Author

• Timur Mukhamatulin, U of Alberta (Canada)