Do the Russians need to know Belarusian in order to survive in the country, and how do they feel about it - they asked the Russians, you won’t believe it.
IRINA
writer, journalist
“THE TRASYANKA HAS ITS OWN BEAUTY: IT TURNS OUT OF AN EXTRAORDINARY LIVING SPEECH”
I have been living in Belarus for 7 years now and I have noticed that it is usually the norm when a person speaks Russian and is answered in Belarusian, and vice versa. In my opinion, in a country with two state languages, this situation is quite harmonious and does not bother anyone. The languages are related, so a lot of things are intuitively clear to me, and if I don’t know the meaning of a particularly tricky word, then I don’t hesitate to ask or look into the dictionary.
The Belarusian language is very melodic, melodious, I really like the construction of phrases. I can say a few phrases in Belarusian, but the trasyanka is addictive. By the way, it has its own charm: it turns out to be an extremely lively speech. It is easier for me to write in Belarusian than to speak, but I understand almost one hundred percent by ear.
As in any language, Belarusian has its own non-equivalent vocabulary - charming capacious words. They delight me, some of them have been registered in my speech forever. However, I easily borrow words from any Slavic languages, since I studied Czech and Bulgarian at school.
I think if a person who has received citizenship in Belarus knows at least one state language, that is enough. For the majority, speech skills are still not the main thing, they are required for people of certain professions. It doesn't matter if the baker or carpenter knows any language: they don't chat - they work.
What worries me more is that Belarusians are abandoning their folk instruments: pipes, pity and ocarinas. For example, in Minsk there is only one class in a single music school where these instruments can be mastered. The situation is deplorable with folk dances, but I find the Belarusian dance insanely beautiful. Perhaps someone will argue with me, but culture is not limited to movoy, potato pancakes and vyshyvanka.
TATYANA
student
"Can I speak Russian?"
I moved to Belarus in 2011. A few months before that, I had already been to Minsk and immediately fell in love with this city! At the new school, a teacher of the Belarusian language became my class teacher. It is thanks to her that I fell in love with MOV. I remember that at the very first lesson we were asked to open the links, and I sit and do not blow my mustache. Marina Vladimirovna asks: “Tazzyana, dze your sshitak?” - and I smile, blink my eyes and whisper: “Can I speak Russian?”
Over time, my vocabulary grew, I was even entrusted with hosting an evening of the Belarusian language. I approached this event very responsibly. It was interesting to study language. Sometimes I even asked my friends to speak to me in Belarusian.
For me, the combination of “dz”, fricative sounds, was not new, since I am from the Bryansk region, and this is an area on the border with Belarus. The intonation was unusual. She is like a wave. Belarusians seem to sing sentences without paying attention to punctuation. Closer to the point, the intonation, instead of going down, suddenly tends to go up. But over time, this barrier has been erased. Now, when I visit Russia, it is unusual for me to hear in speech the clarity of the rise and fall of tone.
I am ashamed that I do not speak Belarusian well enough. But I will definitely fix it! Now I am studying at the Faculty of Philology, and Belarusian begins with us from the next semester.
ILYA
sound engineer and sound designer
“THE LANGUAGE IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND MELODIOUS. It's a pity that it's gradually going out of use "
I have been to Belarus many times, I plan to move to you in the near future. I've never experienced any language barrier issues here. True, I did not immediately begin to understand the announcer in public transport, some signs and signs. But I quickly got used to it, got the hang of it. Now I more or less speak the Belarusian language: I understand well, but there is no conversational practice. I can read it, but my accent is terrible. I would really like to learn Belarusian, this language is so beautiful and melodic. It is a pity that he is gradually disappearing from everyday life.
I believe that every citizen of the country should speak their native language. It is not necessary to use it in everyday speech, this is everyone's business, but it is important to know at least minimally. It seems to me that one of the problems is that in addition to the purely Belarusian language, you have trasyanka and tarashkevitsa. Sometimes the same word can have several spellings: scyag - scyag, Minsk - Mensk. As I understand it, the oppositionists use tarashkevitsa, which causes a lot of controversy.
I think that the language should first of all be perceived as a means of communication, therefore I have a positive attitude towards bilingualism in Belarus. After all, it is thanks to this that we understand each other. If it is convenient for someone to speak Russian - please, kali pa-Belarusian - taxama kali weasel.
VICTORIA
student
"bilingualism does not allow the development of a language conflict"
I moved to Belarus in 2010 and had great difficulty in Belarusian lessons at school, as I had to learn the language from scratch. Now I speak a little language, I can understand what people say. Of course, you need to respect the traditions and customs of the country in which you live. But since I do not encounter a language barrier here, I am not going to go deep into the study of the Belarusian language. Although I like Belarusian for its melodiousness and some simplicity in spelling. However, compared to Russian, it has fewer synonyms, so at school I did not always have enough words when writing essays.
I believe that the presence of two state languages in Belarus unites people and does not allow the development of a language conflict. But at the same time, it saddens me that very few Belarusians speak their native language.
A photo: from the personal archive of heroes.
Who learns the Belarusian language in Moscow, said Anton Somin, a teacher of Belarusian language courses in the Russian capital.
On February 1, free classes for those wishing to learn one of the ten languages of the CIS countries started in Moscow. The project is called "School of languages of neighbors". As part of it, Muscovites will learn Azerbaijani, Armenian, Belarusian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Moldovan, Uzbek, Tajik, Turkmen and Ukrainian languages.
“The first lessons went even better than I expected. We read simple Belarusian words and learned how to say hello. It is very pleasant that people living in Moscow want to learn the Belarusian language, come to the courses, listen, write down, try to adopt the Belarusian pronunciation. I must say, this is impressive,” Anton Somin, a teacher of Belarusian language courses within the framework of the Moscow project “School of Neighbors' Language,” shared with Radio Liberty.
“For the most part, people came who had never used the Belarusian language - in fact, with a zero level. But in the majority - Belarusian roots. Which, however, was the reason for the desire to learn the Belarusian language. Someone has been to Belarus as a child, once visited their grandfathers. One student mentioned that he was very fond of the Hedgehog magazine, which was published in the Belarusian language. As an exception, I can mention two students who are linguists, study Slavic languages and, accordingly, know something in Belarusian,” explains Anton Somin, who himself is a sociolinguist by education and profession.
Anton Somin expands the Belarusian language through singing. For example, he sang the Russian song "Old Maple" in Belarusian at the Festival of Languages in Moscow.
The students who came to learn the Belarusian language were mostly not guided by practical goals:
“Someone wants to learn about the culture of Belarus through the Belarusian language. Some want to get closer to their roots. Someone wants to learn a language they once liked. For example, among my students, there is a chief accountant - a woman of about 50 years old, who has no connection with Belarus, but wants the Belarusian language not to disappear and contributes to this matter. At the same time, there is a young man who is going to translate poems from Belarusian into Russian, and there are also several linguists.”
Anton Somin notes that his listeners do not have a negative attitude towards the nuances of the Belarusian pronunciation - zekannya and tsekannya, which often reveal a Belarusian, even if he speaks Russian. Moreover, students are not afraid to “get infected” with such a pronunciation:
“Even if they wished to adopt the Belarusian pronunciation, they would not succeed. At least right away. The phonetics of a foreign language is very difficult to learn. But I noted that for the students of the courses, the sound of the Belarusian language is something very pleasant, for someone connected with childhood. During the break, the students said among themselves that the Belarusian language sounds very soft, very beautiful, and it is a pity that it is not possible to pronounce it the way it should be. I cannot speak for all Russians, but for my students the Belarusian language has only positive emotions.”
It is believed that it is more difficult for a Russian to understand the Belarusian language than for a Belarusian to understand Ukrainian. A Belarusian will speak Czech or Polish faster than a Russian, because from birth we have experience in using at least two Slavic languages. But despite this, the teacher spoke only Belarusian at the first lessons. He was pleased with the result, he says.
“During the first day of classes, I immediately switched to the Belarusian language and explained everything in Belarusian. And it seems that there were no problems with understanding, or almost none. Of course, there were unfamiliar words. And they were asked again. Therefore, it is possible to understand, but a little difficult.
Soon, the Moscow publishing house "Live Language" will publish a textbook written by Anton Somin for self-study of the Belarusian language - "Belarusian language. Self-instruction manual for Russian speakers.
“This is not the first textbook for Russian speakers. But they are few. My manual differs in that it contains not only the official standard of the language, but also the classical version - "tarashkevitsa".
Anton Somino is convinced that the demand for the allowance will be both in Russia and in Belarus:
“My friends asked me to send them the manuscripts of the book so that they could start learning Belarusian. After that, we receive feedback from people who did not make it to the courses. My feeling is that there will be demand. At least there are those who want to teach. And this number is not limited to the students of my courses.”
The courses will last four months. After their completion, Anton Somin intends to tell students about the Mova tsi Kava courses, which are held weekly in Moscow coffee houses in the form of discussions and discussions - for those who can already speak the Belarusian language.
I learning belarusian language. What will the compilation of a personal dictionary give me?
A personal dictionary is a list of words you want to learn, with translation into Belarusian language.
You can make one big list of words for all occasions or create several lists (dictionaries) by topic, so that you can learn them later.
For example, a list of words that you need when visiting a restaurant (or a bank, or for sports, etc.)
It is important that you have the opportunity to build a dictionary of only those phrases and expressions that you need to learn.
You don't waste time and effort learning words you don't need.
How to make a list of words (my dictionary)?
Just enter a word in the left field and in a few seconds you will see its translation into Belarusian language.
Attention! There is a search of several values until the program selects the most appropriate translation of your word.
It may take a few seconds to select the correct translation. Don't be scared!
Moreover, if you suddenly do not like this translation, you can enter your own!
After saving the dictionary, for each word added to it, a card will appear in which you can enter your comment and even your photo for this word, which will make the learning process more varied and interesting, and at the same time, thanks to this, more productive!
How many dictionaries (lists of words) can you make?
How many you want! It all depends on how you feel comfortable learn words- one large dictionary or several small ones devoted to different topics.
Why make a dictionary?
You make a list of words translated into Belarusian language so that later on our website you can check your knowledge of these words online.
The very process of compiling a dictionary already contributes to its memorization.
And then you pass tests on it on our website.
Tests can be taken both from Russian to the target language, and vice versa.
If you entered the wrong word translation value, then our site will tell you the correct one and even show a picture. So there is a high probability that next time you will not forget it.
Thanks to this, the testing process itself becomes quite funny and even reckless, because then you are still waiting for the results of statistical processing.
And all this is completely free!
The Belarusian language (Belarusian language) is part of the group of East Slavic languages.
State language of the Republic of Belarus. It is spoken by about seven million people.
In Belarus, there is also such a phenomenon as "trasyanka". This is a spoken language, which represents the existence of various intermediate forms between Belarusian,
We are clearly at fault here. Because we never express ourselves properly, you know? The problem is with us ... For what we lose everywhere we are to blame .. You know what the problem is - illiteracy, ignorance (savadsızlıq, avamlıq). That's why everywhere we lose everything that we have ...
Let me explain this to you - We swear at the term "Azerbaijani" for the fact that during the Soviet Union we were called - "Azeris, Azeris" and even "Tatars" .. And even now they call us that. In the Azerbaijani language you can even hear "Azəri" in the Turkish language "Azeri"... A scandal starts because of this... And it was Stalin himself who came up with it, do you know why? Religion .. There were people who underestimated us, humiliated us .. For the fact that we were just Muslims .. Ask from our old people who fought for the USSR .. You can find out many details that you yourself don’t even know ... This is an important thing .. Probably Stalin was a strong leader (I can’t say anything about this), but his attitude towards the Azerbaijani people was unambiguously hypocritical, I know this very well .... And there was no separation from the Turks, I just don’t understand who to say .. You just know we love them so much, you can’t even imagine .. In short, “Azeri” and “Azer (in Russian)” are not the correct usage .. It should be “Azerbaycanlı - Azerbaycanlılar”, “Azərbaycanlı - Azərbaycanlılar”, “Azerbaijani / Azerbaijani - Azerbaijanis "... Why? In fact, real Azerbaijanis have Turkic roots, so there was more Turkification. But we have people who are not Azerbaijani Turks and have other roots. We have more peoples who have long lived and merged with the surrounding people into real Azerbaijani territory. Look, can you ask who you really are? I will say Azerbaijani (Azərbaycanlı), but more precisely, who are you? - I am an Azerbaijani Turk (Azərbaycan türkü). But there are people, for example, Talysh (Talışlar) - here they have not Turkic, but Persian roots .. A huge number of Azerbaijani Turks live in Iran. We call them - Cənubi Azərbaycanlılar or İran Azərbaycanlıları (Southern Azerbaijanis or Iranian Azerbaijanis) In short, we have a very complex ethnogenesis. And can you ask before you what was your name? Just Turk? Is that how it is? And what is an Azerbaijani or just a Turk? How to understand this Yes, this is also our main problem .. For some reason, we didn’t come up with an exact name for ourselves, we always remained as Turks and then took the words Azerbaijani (Azərbaycanlı) as the name of the nation .. And you can even call the Azerbaijani Turk (Azərbaycan türkü). .. I repeat once again: illiteracy, ignorance (savadsızlıq, avamlıq) Maybe because of this all scandals begin ... People do not study or study incorrectly ... I think we must change ourselves first of all .. To understand and evaluate everything correctly and how to eat .. But where? when? It will be unknown... In short, only an Azerbaijani will call us correctly here .. This is most suitable.
For concept:
Türk - Türk - having origin (bir köken). For example, Slavs .. In English it is called - Turkic
Turk - Türk is the name of the nation of Turkey. In English it is called - Turk .. In short, the topic is about the Turks. Here they are called Turks and we are Azerbaijanis .. We are one people, yes .. And not only "we". There are also Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Tatars, Kyrgyz, etc.. We are all one people, but we are not one nation ... Whoever says this is just nonsense ..
Ok, I agree with you about the use of the Belarusian language ...
In Belarus, at the moment, in general, there is no natural Belarusian-speaking environment, observers say. In Minsk, you can spend the whole day and hear the Belarusian language only in transport when stops are announced. The DW correspondent found out if young Belarusians have a chance to learn the Belarusian language and is the school course enough for this?
Schools- Russians and Belarusians
According to the standards of the Ministry of Education, Belarusian-speaking schools are those that have at least one class with teaching in the Belarusian language. As the press secretary of the Ministry of Education Yulia Vysotskaya explained to DW, there are almost half of such schools in Belarus (1419) of the total number of secondary educational institutions (3063) - schools, gymnasiums and lyceums.
The data as of the beginning of the current academic year will be summarized by officials of the department in mid-September. And last year, according to official statistics, 128,566 people studied in Belarusian-speaking schools, and about a million in Russian-speaking ones. Such a difference in the number of students is explained by the fact that there are more schools with teaching in the Belarusian language in rural areas, and there are few students in them.
In everyday life, citizens of the country call Belarusian only those schools where all subjects are taught in Belarusian from the first to the final grade, and where all school staff communicate with children and parents in Belarusian. And only in such schools can one fully master the literary language, linguist Vintsuk Vecherko believes, pointing out that the vast majority of children study in Russian schools.
In addition to statistics for the country as a whole, this is also confirmed by the situation in the capital of two million people: in Minsk there are 5 gymnasiums with the Belarusian language of instruction, in 5 more schools there are separate Belarusian classes in which all subjects are taught in Belarusian. In total, there are 138 such classes in the city. Belarusian classes, Vysotskaya explained, are opened at the request of parents: for this, at least 20 people who want to study in the Belarusian language are required.
Locales and Proportions
The program and methods of teaching the Belarusian language today are practically the same in all types of schools, but students of Russian schools are not given the skills of a living language, pronunciation, thematic vocabulary, says linguist Vecherko. As a result, according to him, those who nevertheless master a living spoken language do it thanks not to school, but to an alternative cultural space - primarily the Internet, rock music and enthusiasts who organize courses, festivals and everything that creates an environment for communication in Belarusian.
Today in Belarus there is a single state standard for textbooks and the number of teaching hours in the subjects studied. So, in the first grade of Russian schools, there are six hours of Russian language and literature a week, and one of Belarusian. In Belarusian - on the contrary. Then the number of hours equalizes. But it does not matter, Vecherko believes, because in Russian schools all subjects except the Belarusian language and literature are taught in Russian, Belarusian is just one of the subjects that can really be mastered at the level of a foreign language.
With the difference, director of the Belarusian Humanitarian Lyceum Vladimir Kolas adds, that learning English or Chinese is promising, because it can be useful in life. And learning Belarusian is unprofitable, unpromising, and sometimes dangerous because of associations with opposition activities. In addition, in Belarusian schools, Vecherko continues, teachers of physics, mathematics or foreign languages often refuse to teach in Belarusian because they were not taught this at the university. Teachers of physical education and labor training, teaching lessons in Belarusian, can be counted on the fingers.
The queue to the Belarusian school was occupied from night
The proportion of students in Russian and Belarusian, according to Vysotskaya, corresponds to the real language situation in the country: although in surveys most of its citizens indicate Belarusian as their native language, in everyday life they speak Russian. This alignment, Kolas notes, is the result of the authorities' support for the historical situation: "It seems that the language policy of the Russian Empire continues, in colonial dependence on which Belarus has been for several centuries."
Meanwhile, the competition for a few Minsk gymnasiums teaching in the Belarusian language is growing year by year, the parents state. In order to enroll children in the 1st grade of the 23rd Minsk gymnasium, parents have been queuing since the night, and last year not everyone could get in, Kristina Vitushko, chairman of the board of trustees and mother of a 13-year-old student of this gymnasium, tells DW.
Context
She explains that, first of all, the gymnasium is obliged to accept children according to universal education, a system that has been preserved since Soviet times, when a certain area of the city was assigned to each school. The building of the gymnasium is old, small, there are only two first grades, and those who simply turned out to be higher on the wish list have an advantage in enrolling in a school.
Why do parents not seek the opening of Belarusian classes?
Igor Palynsky, leader of the rock band Sumarok, chairman of the Polotsk city branch of the Francysk Skaryna Belarusian Language Society, is sure that there is a demand for teaching in the Belarusian language. “This is confirmed by resonant stories when parents sought to open Belarusian-language classes for almost one child. But the problem is that even among those who want their children to study in Belarusian, there are few initiative people,” complains Palynsky.
Kristina Vitushko looks at the situation differently: the opening of Belarusian classes is not a solution to the problem. She explains the advantage of Belarusian schools over Belarusian-speaking classes in Russian schools in this way: “It is not the sign at the gymnasium that is important, but the fact that the nurse, the physical education teacher, other teachers speak Belarusian, that the child will be answered in their native language in the canteen so that there are no stressful barriers in time for extracurricular activities - in a word, to have a comfortable language environment. There is none in Russian schools. "
See also:
Watch video 02:39
World of Tanks from Belarus at Gamescom in Cologne (26.08.2017)
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From Moscow - to Minsk
A series of photographs "Moscow-Minsk" is a long-term project of photographers Sandra Ratkovic and André Fischer. The main task of German photographers is to correctly understand and document the culture in the post-Soviet space.
Photo gallery: Moscow and Minsk through the eyes of German photographers
Time ago
Sandra Ratkowitz and André Fischer became interested in Russia and Belarus three years ago when young photographers were shooting monuments of Soviet architecture in Berlin. "In many places, time seems to have stopped," - shared her impressions in an interview with DW Ratkowitz. A few years later, the photographers decided on a new journey. The architectural monuments of Moscow and Minsk fell into the camera lens.
Photo gallery: Moscow and Minsk through the eyes of German photographers
Militarism in detail
During the two-week trip, the photographers were most struck by the militarism that has penetrated into all spheres of life of Russians and Belarusians. In the photo - a souvenir shop in Moscow.
Photo gallery: Moscow and Minsk through the eyes of German photographers
Two weeks in the capital
“Choosing Moscow as the first leg of the trip was the right decision. After visiting the capital, a desire to see other Russian cities immediately arises. In addition, Moscow has important architectural monuments and the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War,” explained Andre Fischer.
Photo gallery: Moscow and Minsk through the eyes of German photographers
summer walk
Visitors to one of the largest walking areas in the capital - Izmailovsky Park in Moscow.
Photo gallery: Moscow and Minsk through the eyes of German photographers
flowered weapon
“It was very interesting to observe the military and everyday culture in Moscow and Minsk. In Germany, you rarely see a bride and groom who are photographed against the backdrop of the Eternal Flame,” said Sandra Ratkowitz. In the photo - guns in the style of Gzhel and Khokhloma.
Photo gallery: Moscow and Minsk through the eyes of German photographers
Spectacular structures
Photographers describe Moscow as an amazing city: "It attracts with its many historical sites and impressive architecture: old churches, buildings in the style of socialist realism, the Moscow metro."
Photo gallery: Moscow and Minsk through the eyes of German photographers
Next stop - Minsk
Andre Fischer ended up in the Belarusian capital for a reason: "After the language courses at the Linguistic University, I had the opportunity to spend a whole month in Minsk to plunge into the local culture and everyday life. Much in this city resembles Moscow, only in a smaller format."
Photo gallery: Moscow and Minsk through the eyes of German photographers
Tankman's Day
During his stay in Minsk, Andre Fischer came across an unusual performance. Tankman's Day is a professional holiday that has been celebrated annually in Belarus on the second Sunday of September since 1946.
