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This is the common opinion
reached by representatives of various Belarusan intellectual movements
and environments during the meeting** in Mariaspring near Göttingen***
(Germany) in February 2010.
We, active persons of the cultural
process in Belarus, are not divided and not turned into enemies by anything
that would appear in Belarusian culture, traditions, language, and mentality.
We realize that the highest
purpose of the modern cultural policy is to form the Belarusian nation
in the conditions of the global world. All divisions between us arise
from other spheres of the public and state arrangement.
Conflicts and tensions in cultures
started to be outlined back in the late 1980s. Sometimes, they had a
social origin when, for example, the national writer Janka Bryl had
to publicly justify why he “eats bread of workers and peasants”.
Sometimes, they were of a propaganda character, when the population
was browbeaten by “totalitarian Belarusization”, and reminded terribly
Belarusization in the 1920s which was ended with the big blood of its
initiators. Sometimes, they were games of “the Royal Household”
that organizationally divided creators into camps of “ours” and
“not ours”. Poets, musicians, and artists were “marked” not
according their talent and cultural competence, but according to their
loyalty or infidelity to the authorities. More often than not, those
who “marked” remained anonymous. Due to all that, the very concepts
of the language, nation, and culture were imprinted by conflict.
Today we admit that this conflict
is over. The historical stages when it was artificially supported, are
over. The Belarusian nation ought to finish the process of its formation
in the face of globalization in order to become its participant, not
a victim. Only united Belarusian culture can do it.
We state that culture should
not be a hostage of politics and that politics is an integrated part
of culture. We understand Belarusization as the contents of the Europeanization
process. To exist between Poland and the Baltic states, on the one hand,
and Russia, on the other hand, as an equal among equals, is only possible
in the most national, cultural, and civilized condition, but not in
the state of something evolutionally lower and non-formed.
Some of us speak Belarusian,
some of us speak Russian. A half of us support the official policy,
a half of us criticize it. Some cooperate with the state structures,
others work in the public sector. However, all these do not influence
at all the way we think, the idea of united culture, based on our deep
love to our Native land – Belarus, and our cares about its future.
The conflicts which dominated
in the sphere of the language, cultures, and nation’s formation for
many years, aimed at decreasing the general level of actual culture.
It started to suffer from provincialism and second-hand-ness, moving
the centers and prototypes of culture in consciousness of active persons
from Belarus to somewhere abroad - to Russia or the West. We are sure
that this secondariness will be overcome together with our returning
to the principle of the culture unity.
We do not want our words to
become an empty declaration - therefore we propose all subjects of culture
in Belarus to join our initiative of the Culture Unity which we have
named the Göttingen process.
Göttingen -2010
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* This text is originally
written in the classical Belarusian
spelling, but it can be distributed in any otherspellings or languages.
** The
Workshop in the format of Organizing Activity Game called
“The Sphere of Culture: the Estimation of the Condition, Prospects
of Development” in the frames of Human Rights theme took place on
8-13 February 2010. In addition to a group of methodologists headed
by Uladzimir Matskevich (Center for Social Innovations - HTA), there
were representatives of public associations: Tatiana Poshevalova, Irina
Sukhij, Alaksandar Karalevič, Valancin Gefter, representatives of the
mass media: Alaksiej Bratačkin, Źmicier Karenka, Siarhiej Makarevič,
Alaksiej Andrejeŭ, Andrej Rasinski, sociologists: Sergei Gotin and
Alaksiej Lastoŭsk³, as well as writers, musicians, and artists: Valancin
Akudovič, Sieviaryn Kviatkoŭski, Jaś
Kałmykoŭ, Michał Aniempadystaŭ, Alaksiej
Łosik, Aleh Chamienka, Hanna Kiślicyna, Siarhiej Dubaviec, Nastaśsia
Chmiel.
*** A town in Lower Saxony
with old university traditions, which produced about fifty winners of
the Nobel prize.
GÖTTINGEN PROCESS
The Culture Calendar
It would have been strange
if, having invited all to the Culture Unity, we had not suggested any
mechanisms which would help everyone who shares these ideas to join
and declare this position.
We have named our first mechanism
– the Culture Calendar. It covers all without exception translators
of culture – the mass media, events, and projects. The aim is to unite
all Belarusian "screens" of translation - from a party in
a rural club to a Belarusian TV-channel, from pages of a mass newspaper
to a private page in the Internet, from a concert at a capital stadium
to personal communication.
Without any intervention in
translators’ sovereignty, we ask everybody to respond to our declaration
with the help of the Culture Calendar. One day all of us, in any form
we might wish, shall recall the active persons of culture who today
are truly recognized as contributors to riches and prosperity of Belarusian
culture, irrespective of what “camp” he or she is said to belong
to. Let this or that day be a birthday of an actual Belarusian creator
and successful manager.
This day, someone will mention
his/her name once; some others will interview him/her, publish a photo
session or an article, make a documentary film, print or show something
from his/her works. Every translator will chose a form he/she likes.
The main thing is that this day the name of an actual creator will sound
with the help of hundreds and thousands of small and big "screens",
and as a result – it will appear on the biggest "screen"
of the Belarusians’ public attention. At last, it will promote the
unification of not only participants of the cultural process, but also
the whole Belarusian nation, around of such clear concepts as "our
cultural hero", "birthday", "an excellent work of
art".
The Culture Calendar is only
a first step, a first practical initiative of the Göttingen process.
If necessary, the information
help is rendered by the Budźma! campaign.
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The Culture Calendar
This list cannot be complete as the vivid
cultural process brings something new all the time and loses something
which has lost its relevancy. We hope you will introduce new names into
this list. The criterion of your selection must be creators’ or managers’
orientation not on Russia or the West, but on Belarus, and, naturally,
the obvious value of the creators, their works and achievements. Our
definitions include the words "unique", "successful",
and "actual".
5 January 1965 - Artur Klinaŭ, artist,
Belarusian cultural hero, founder of the popular images "The City
of the Sun", "Partizan" and others.
13 January 1961 - Hienadź Sahanovič,
founder of the Belarusian Historical Survey magazine, the unique professional
historical edition from Belarus which is read in universities all over
the world.
9 February 1959 - Viktar Šałkievič,
actual Belarusian bard.
13 February 1973 - Andrej Chadanovič,
successful popularizer of Belarusian literature.
21 February 1947 - Michaił Finbierh,
successful manager of musical projects.
24 February 1953 - Alena Adamčyk, creator
of successful photo art projects.
24 February 1935 – Ryhor Baradulin,
classic of Belarusian literature.
9 March 1962 - Henik Łojka, creator
of the unique sculptural plein airs "Sand Legends".
10 March 1940 - Alaksiej Maračkin, artist,
starter of the national cultural revival in the newest history of Belarus.
16 March 1964 - Michał Aniempadystaŭ,
creator of successful cultural projects, the musical "National
Album" and a lot of popular songs.
4 April 1967 - Aleh Chamienka, founder
of the folk-modern style - a new direction in modern music, leader of
the popular group "Palace".
13 April 1960 - Hienadź Macur, master
of Belarusan calligraphy, successful book designer.
14 April - Aryna Viačorka, founder of
the knightly movement in Belarus, manager of successful musical projects
("Music of Lithuania and the Crown", "Music of temples
of Belarus", etc.)
18 April 1976 - Uładzimier Puhač, leader
of the popular group J-Mors.
21 April 1968 - Alaksiej Andrejeŭ, founder
of the magazine "Monologue", successful popularizer of Belarusan
culture in the Russian-language world.
28 April 1986 - Vital Ryžkoŭ, most
successful young Belarusian poet.
15 May 1960 - Kiryła Nasajeŭ, choral
conductor, author of successful musical projects ("Unija",
"Music of Lithuania and the Crown", "Ìiånkà",
etc.)
18 May 1972 - Alaksandr Kulinkovič,
leader of the popular group "Neuro Dubel".
29 May - Śviatłana Zielankoŭskaja,
well-known diva of Belarusian Theater and cinema.
9 June 1958 - Alaksandr Kamock³, actual
Belarusian bard.
18 June 1950 - Valancin Akudovič, actual
Belarusian philosopher, who created a unique image of a Belarusan philosopher
who is understood by the general public.
5 July - Ludmiła Rubleŭskaja, successful
popularizer of Belarusian culture.
17 July 1959 - Barys Piatrovič, first
Belarusian writer who has been acknowledged in Sweden.
20 July 1971 - Źmicier Vajciuškievič,
actual Belarusian bard.
6 August 1957 - Mikałaj Pinihin, founder
of popular Belarusian Theater.
7 August 1932 – Adam Maldzis, successful
popularizer of Belarusian culture.
20 August - Iryna Dubianieckaja, actual
philosopher, the unique woman - doctor of theology in Belarus.
25 August 1953 - Uładzimier Arłoŭ,
most successful popularizer of Belarusian history.
8 September - Hanna Kiślicyna, most
successful popularizer of Belarusian literature.
14 September 1965 - Lavon Volski, founder
of successful musical projects ("NRM", "Krambambula",
etc.)
10 October 1957 - Leanid Drańko-Majsiuk,
most successful popularizer of the Belarusian word.
1 November 1969 - Źmicier Bartosik,
actual Belarusian bard.
15 November 1947 - Anatol Jarmolenka,
leader of the successful group "Siabry".
22 November 1974 - Źmicier Sasnoŭski,
leader of the popular medieval band “Stary Olsa”.
26 November 1961 - Viktar Aśluk, most
successful Belarusian cinema documentalist.
30 November 1971 - Andrej Kudzinienka,
Belarusian cinema director ("Occupation. Mysteries", "Massacre")
5 December - Elena Kazantseva, successful
Belarusian poetess who writes in Russian.
5 December 1947 - Aleś Razanaŭ, founder
of Belarusian poetic avant-garde.
16 December 1955 - Słava Korań, leader
of the popular group "Ulis".
24 December 1967 - Jaŭhien Kałmykoŭ,
producer of the popular group “Lyapis Trubetskoi”.
29 December 1957 - Źmicier Kołas, most
successful popularizer of the world’s intellectual legacy in Belarusian,
translator and publisher.
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