Tag Archives | Belarus

Make it Minsk

The capital of Belarus, Minsk, has survived being literally flattened during World War II to rise again in grand Soviet style.

As we end our week of music and joy from Belarus, let’s take a quick sing-out to its capital, a city that boasts wide boulevards, vast public squares and Soviet-era architecture on a grand scale. Though it also carries the weight of its current autocracy, complete with KGB-style secret police, rumors of wire taps and spies, and the constant threat of a government crack-down, Minsk’s musicians, as we see in this video, can certainly sing.

A Super Summer in Belarus

If you want to be hopeful for any summer to come, journey to Belarus with me to to celebrate Kupalle.

One of the most important traditional holidays in Belarus is the summer solstice holiday of Kupalle. The holiday originated as a celebration of fertility in honor a female God named Kupala, which means “She Who Bathes.” It has also more recently become a Christian celebration of both the birthday of John the Baptist and of Saint Ivan Kupala. Whatever one’s religious leaning, Belarusians who celebrate Kupalle — increasingly fewer as Belarus urbanizes — do so, as we see in this video, by flocking to forests, wearing flower garlands, going to saunas or to cold water springs to “bathe,” dancing in karagods (circles around fires) and even jumping over fires. A guaranteed ton of fun.

Your Favorite Band from Belarus

You may already have your favorite Byelorussian psychedelic folk-rock band of all time, just as I have mine. I’d be darned if they’re not the same…PESNIARY!

The beloved band from the nation now known as Belarus first rocketed to fame in 1971 with their first album, Pesnyary (I), in which they vibrantly reinterpreted traditional Byelorussian songs as psychedelic rock anthems. Pesniary rarely ruffled the feathers of the Communist leadership, and the Soviets granted the band reasonable freedom, awarding them the title “People’s Artist” and allowing them to tour the U.S. Missed them in the ’70s? Follow their page and you may catch them today. And don’t they look amazing?

Bring It On, Belarus!

This week in our online class we ventured to the historically polynomous Belarus where we danced in the forests and celebrate Soviet-era mustaches. Let’s learn about a bold and persistent nation that is still struggling to come into its own as an independent country in the post-Cold War world.

Eastern Europe — It’s Complicated

In this, the last post of our season of songs from Eastern Europe, we remind ourselves of the deep complexity of the history of this region and admit we may not be able to make total sense of all its ebbs and flows. A thousand years of intertwining empires. The power of peoples and their iron-clad cultures, the power of “emperors” to force constant change. Take this video: a patriotic Belarusian rap. (If you don’t see the English subtitles make sure to turn on closed captioning.) So much to unpack here. A girl from Belarus rapping (?) on TV, proudly promoting the government of Belarus — known as one of the most autocratic in the region, still employing mechanisms of Soviet-era control — claiming “street cred” as the daughter of a village, professing to be a leader. Where exactly is our hip-hopping rural Belarusian pro-government rapper leading us? Back to the Soviet-era past? Into…the future? .

Back in Belarusian Day With Suzorie

We wrap up our week of exploration in Belarus with a blast from the past — let’s sing with Suzorie.

We Can Also Kupalle

In class we do our best to celebrate Kupalle in a way that would make Belorussians proud. We may not experience all the traditions — forgive us if we don’t protect our houses from witches with sharp nettles and garlands of herbs and birch-tree branches hung on our cows’ horns — but we will bathe in cold water, dance around a bonfire and search for an imaginary flower.