Russian Speakers In Belarus: What's The Number?

Russian is one of the two official languages of Belarus, alongside Belarusian. While the majority of Belarusians can speak Russian, the number of people who use it in their day-to-day lives is unclear. One source suggests that around 10% of the population (roughly one million people) use Belarusian in their daily lives, while another source states that 70.2% of the population indicated they speak Russian at home. Trasianka, a mix of literary Belarusian and Russian, is the most frequently used variation in rural areas.

Russian is the most widely spoken language in Belarus

The prevalence of Russian in Belarus can be attributed to several historical factors. After the Partitions of Poland and the destruction of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, most ethnic Belarusian lands became part of the Russian Empire. The Russian government began arresting Belarusian officials and church leaders, replacing them with Russians. In 1772, Catherine the Great signed a decree mandating the exclusive use of Russian for sentences, decrees, and orders in the annexed territories. This was followed by another decree in 1773, "On the establishment of local courts," which required the mandatory use of Russian in the judicial system.

During the Soviet era, Russian was declared the language of interethnic communication for the entire Soviet Union in 1934, and it became an obligatory subject in all schools in non-Russian Soviet republics in 1938. After World War II, most educational institutions in Belarus were converted to using the Russian language. In 1995, a controversial referendum initiated by President Alexander Lukashenko resulted in Russian being declared the second official language of Belarus.

While Belarusian is the official language of the country and the mother tongue of 53.2% of the population, its use has declined over time. In 1999, approximately 36.7% of the population spoke Belarusian at home, but this number decreased to 11.9% by 2009. Currently, 29.4% of the population is fluent in Belarusian, while 52.5% can only read and speak it.

In addition to Russian and Belarusian, a mixed language called Trasianka is also commonly spoken in Belarus. It is a combination of literary Belarusian and Russian elements, and it arose when rural Belarusian-speaking migrants began moving into Russian-speaking cities.

Trasianka is a mix of Russian and Belarusian

Trasianka, or Belarusian-Russian Mixed Speech (BRMS), is a blend of Russian and Belarusian. The term Trasianka is derived from the Belarusian word for low-quality fodder—a mixture of hay and straw—and carries a negative connotation. Due to this, scholars have suggested using the term BRMS in academic debates. Trasianka emerged as a result of the socio-demographic changes that took place in Belarus after World War II. The industrialization of the country led to rural-urban migration, with the urban population increasing from 31% in 1959 to 66% in 1990. This migration brought Belarusian, especially dialectal varieties, into towns where Russian was the dominant language. Additionally, ethnic Russians from other parts of the Soviet Union migrated to Belarus and assumed leadership roles, further solidifying Russian's dominance.

The residents of these towns and cities, who previously spoke Belarusian in rural areas, now had to adapt to Russian. This struggle for linguistic accommodation resulted in the emergence of Trasianka, a mix of the two languages. The children of these speakers grew up using this Belarusian-Russian variety, leading to intergenerational transfer.

Linguists have differing opinions on whether Trasianka is a dialect of Belarusian or Russian. Some scholars claim it is a variety of Belarusian, while others suggest it might develop into a regional dialect of Russian. However, among laypeople, opinions vary, with some considering it a mix of the two languages.

Trasianka is often stigmatized and viewed as a sign of bad taste or a source of mockery. It has been associated with uneducated people and considered an indicator of a poor education level. However, this perception is not accurate, as Trasianka is used by people from different educational backgrounds and age groups. It is widespread among Belarusians and is used alongside the standard language, which is usually Russian.

The use of Trasianka has also been influenced by factors such as interlocutors, conversation place, and topic. Among young Belarusians, the relative weight of Trasianka use decreases in favor of Russian.

Russian became the second official language of Belarus in 1995

Belarus has a long history of linguistic evolution, with the earliest known documents from ethnic Belarusian territories dating back to the 12th century. The country's official languages are Belarusian and Russian, with Belarusian being the native language. However, Russian is the most widely spoken language in the country due to its dominance in media, education, and other areas of public life. This dominance is a result of the Soviet period and post-Soviet era developments.

In 1991, Belarus gained independence, and the language known as Byelorussian or Belorussian became known as Belarusian or Belarusan. After independence, the Belarusian language enjoyed a period of revival, and it was the sole official language of the country. However, this changed in 1995.

In 1995, a controversial referendum was held, in which 88.3% of participants supported granting equal status to the Russian language. This referendum, initiated by President Alexander Lukashenko, altered the language landscape in Belarus significantly. The revised language law named Russian as the second official language alongside Belarusian.

The referendum had far-reaching consequences. It ended the policy of discrimination in favour of Belarusian and allowed for the use of either Russian or Belarusian in all substantial domains of public life. Given the long-standing dominance of Russian in Belarus, this legal "equality" resulted in the almost exclusive use of Russian in public life, except for a few niches.

The public use of Belarusian outside the spheres of education and culture became symbolic of an oppositional attitude towards the Lukashenko regime. This perception was reinforced by some disrespectful statements made by Lukashenko about the Belarusian language.

Despite the formal equal status of Russian and Belarusian, Russian is the primary language used by the Belarusian government. Cases of discrimination against the Belarusian language are not uncommon, and authorities only occasionally make minor concessions to demands for a wider use of Belarusian.

The number of Belarusian speakers in the country has been declining. According to the 1999 census, 36.7% of citizens with Belarusian nationality declared Belarusian as their native language, while a 2009 survey showed this number had decreased to 11.9%. Additionally, the use of Belarusian at home has also declined. In 1999, 41.3% of Belarusians declared Belarusian as their home language, compared to 26.1% in 2009.

The situation for the Belarusian language is challenging, and it faces marginalisation in terms of usage. Approximately 95% of Belarusian state operations are conducted in Russian, and the language is largely absent from education, state media, and government affairs.

Belarusian is the mother tongue of 53.2% of the population

The Belarusian language has a long and complex history. It is one of the two official languages of Belarus, alongside Russian. It is also spoken in some parts of Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine by Belarusian minorities in those countries.

The language has its roots in the East Slavic language family, descending from Old East Slavic. In the 13th and 14th centuries, texts written in Old Belarusian began to emerge, marking the beginning of a distinct Belarusian linguistic tradition. Over time, Belarusian was influenced by other languages, including Russian and Polish, and its usage varied depending on the social and political context.

During the 19th century, Belarusian was primarily spoken by the peasant class and was not widely used in education or official contexts. However, a Belarusian revival began towards the end of that century, fueled in part by a desire to protest Russian and Polish influences. This revival continued into the early 20th century, with efforts to record and formalize the grammar of the language.

After World War II, the use of Belarusian declined again as the region underwent "Soviet unification," which made Russian the principal form of communication. Russian was introduced as a mandatory subject in all schools and became the dominant language in media, education, and other areas of public life.

Despite these challenges, Belarusian has remained an important part of the country's cultural heritage. According to the 2009 Belarus Census, Belarusian is the mother tongue of 53.2% of the population. However, the number of people speaking Belarusian at home has decreased over time. In 1999, approximately 36.7% of the population spoke Belarusian at home, while the 2009 survey indicated that this number had dropped to 11.9%.

Today, there are efforts to revive and promote the use of Belarusian. Some language support groups are working to increase literacy and encourage its use in various domains of public life. While Russian may be the dominant language in many aspects of daily life, there is a growing recognition of the importance of preserving and celebrating the Belarusian language as a vital part of the country's cultural identity.

Russian is the language spoken at home by 69.8% of Belarusians

The dominance of Russian in Belarus is a result of its history and the post-Soviet era. Russian is one of the two official languages of Belarus, along with Belarusian. However, due to its prevalence in media, education, and other areas of public life, Russian is the de facto most widely spoken language in the country. This dominance began during the Soviet period, when Russian was the principal form of communication, and continued after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when Russian was reinstated as an official language following a referendum in 1995.

The use of Belarusian has declined over the years, with fewer people speaking it at home. In 1999, approximately 36.7% of the population spoke Belarusian at home, according to the first Belarusian census. This number decreased to 11.9% in the 2009 survey.

In addition to the two official languages, several minority languages are spoken in Belarus, including Polish, Eastern Yiddish, and Ukrainian. One notable minority language is Trasianka, a mix of literary Belarusian and Russian that is spoken rapidly. Trasianka emerged when rural Belarusian-speaking migrants began moving into Russian-speaking cities, and it is now the most frequently used variation of Belarusian in rural areas.

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