Cultural protest in Belarus: theatres during the Belarusian revolution (2020)

ABSTRACT

The presidential election on 9 August 2020 sparked a wave of powerful protests across Belarus that continues to this day. Not only ordinary citizens but also representatives of the Belarusian intelligentsia, including theatre actors and directors, have participated in the demonstrations. The article analyzes the factors that caused so many representatives of Belarusian theatres to join the protest. The reasons should be sought in the previous period, best shown by the situation in the Yanka Kupala National Theatre. Over 11 years the artistic director of the ensemble, Mikalai Pinihin, completely changed the face of the theatre, bringing it to European level. Most importantly, thanks to his choices for the theatre’s repertoire, he made it possible to formulate a national idea. When the famous diplomat Pavel Latushka came to the theatre to work as its managing director, the institution had a chance to play a crucial role in shaping the cultural policy of Belarus. However, the authorities prevented these plans: they dismissed Latushka and almost all the actors. Thus the first cultural protest in the history of Belarus, attended by representatives of many other theatres, took place. The protests were large-scale and peaceful.

RÉSUMÉ

Les élections présidentielles du 9 août 2020 au Bélarus ont déclenché une puissante vague de protestations qui est toujours en cours. Des représentants de l'intelligentsia biélorusse, y compris des acteurs de théâtre et des metteurs en scène, ont participé aux manifestations. Cet article analyse les facteurs qui ont poussé les professionnels du théâtre biélorusse à joindre le mouvement de protestation. Leurs motifs s'éclairent à la lumière de l'expérience des années antérieures, ainsi que l'illustre la situation du Théâtre national Yanka Kupala. Depuis 11 ans, le directeur artistique de la troupe, Mikalai Pinikhine, a complètement transformé le théâtre et lui a donné une stature proprement européenne. Plus important encore, son choix de répertoire a rendu possible l'expression d'une certaine idée nationale. La nomination du célèbre diplomate Pavel Latushka au poste de directeur général du théâtre a donné à l'institution la chance d'influencer la politique culturelle du Bélarus. Ces plans ont cependant été contrecarrés par les autorités, qui ont renvoyé Latushka et la plupart des acteurs. C'est ce qui entraîna les premières protestations culturelles de l'histoire du Bélarus, tout aussi massives que pacifiques, qui ont été suivies par plusieurs autres théâtres.

KEYWORDS:

• Belarusian theatre
• Yanka Kupala National Theatre
• cultural protest
• Pavel Latushka
• Mikalai Pinihin

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. “SKVO” is short for Skvortsova.

2. Ianka Kupala, whose real name was Ivаn Lutsеvich (1882–1942), was one of the most significant Belarusian writers of the twentieth century.

3. Viktar Manaeu, born 1958 in Minsk, was an actor of the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theatre from 1980 to 2020. The productions that Pinihin staged shaped Manaeu as an actor and brought him fame; in 2011, he was named People’s Artist of the Republic of Belarus.

4. Pinihin, “Treba stvarats,” 5.

5. See Moskwin, “Kupalauski teatr: 1990–2000”; and Moskwin, “Kupalauski teatr: 2000–2010.”

6. A photograph depicting the production of Pan Tadeusz is available at https://budzma.org/news/premyera-patryyatychnaha-spyektaklya-pan-tadevush-brama-da-volnasci.html. Photographs of The Rape of Europe are available at https://planetabelarus.by/publications/zhizn-roda-radzivillov-i-novogrudchina-xix-veka-uznaem-belorusskuyu-istoriyu-v-teatrakh/.

7. Photographs depicting the production of People of the Marsh are available at https://users.livejournal.com/-nevr-/78225.html.

8. Photographs of the production of The Government Inspector are available at https://www.belta.by/culture/view/neozhidannuju-versiju-klassicheskogo-proizvedenija-revizor-podgotovil-kupalovskij-teatr-286556-2018/.

9. Photographs of the production of Radio “Prudok” are available at http://journalby.com/news/v-belarusi-samoe-slozhnoe-prosnutsya-premera-razdiva-prudok-v-kupalovskom-1206.

10. See Moskwin, “Kupalauski teatr: 2010–2020.” A poster for the production of Tolerance (God of Carnage, dir. M. Pinihin, 27 April 2018) can be found at http://journalby.com/news/tolerantnost-v-kupalovskom-prigovor-ili-provokaciya-1196.

11. Zhdanovich, “Мikalai Pinihin,” 44.

12. “Otkrytoe pis′mo.”

13. “Teatr belorusskoi dramaturgii.”

14. “Kozhny vechar zhyvem.”

15. “Vystupaem za pereschet golosov.”

16. “Latushka: Vazhno postavit′.”

17. “Obrashchenie Pavla Latushko.”

18. Iury Karaeu, born 1966 in Russia, was the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus from 11 June 2019 to 29 October 2020. Since 2020 he has been an inspector in the Hrodna region.

19. Ianovich and Shcherbakov, “Za chto uvolili Pavla Latushko.”

20. Iury Bondar, born 1973, was Minister of Culture of the Republic of Belarus from 2017 to 2020. In November 2020 he was dismissed from this position. Since March 2021 he has been the director of the Republican Institute of Higher Education.

21. See Moskwin, “Białoruski Teatr Państwowy I.”

22. Vol′ha Babkova, born 1961, is a historian and writer. She was the dramaturg and literary manager of the Yanka Kupala National Theatre from 2010 to 2020.

23. Krystsina Drobysh, “Ia podala zaiavlenie ob uvolnenii…,” Facebook post, 19 August 2020, https://www.facebook.com/kristina.kazak.3 (accessed 1 March 2021). Drobysh, born 1990, was an actress of the Yanka Kupala National Theatre from 2013 to 2020. She graduated from the Belarusian State Academy of Art and is one of the most popular actresses of the younger generation.

24. “Kupalovskii otmenil do dekabria.”

25. The Coordination Council for the Transfer of Power is a Belarusian non-governmental body created after a recommendation by the presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaia to facilitate a democratic transfer of power.

26. “Pis′mo akterov teatra Gor′kogo.”

27. Brovach, “‘Nevozmozhno siloi i strakhom.”

28. “Sotrudniki Opernogo teatra.”

29. Mai, “Kolasovtsy podderzhali Pavla Latusko.” Maksim Bahdanovich (1891–1917) was a Belarusian poet whose works (especially the collection Vianok [A wreath], 1913) are considered classics of Belarusian literature. Iakub Kolas, whose real name was Kanstantsin Mitskievich (1882–1956), was one of the most significant Belarusian writers of the twentieth century.

30. Anatol′ Markevich, born 1971, worked for many years in the field of education. Before becoming minister of culture he was as an inspector in the Brest region, representing the president of Belarus.

31. “Lukashenko pobyval na repetitsii.”

32. Kotelovich, “‘Posle togo kak’.”

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andriej Moskwin

Andriej Moskwin is a professor in the Department of Belarusian Studies at the University of Warsaw. He earned his PhD in Polish Literature and PhD hab. in Belarusian Drama and Theatre at the University of Warsaw. His areas of interest include literature, drama, and theatre in central and eastern Europe. He is the editor-in-chief of the journal Theatre Studies in Central and Eastern Europe and head of the Laboratory for Theatre and Drama Studies in Central and Eastern Europe at the University of Warsaw.