Alexander Lukashenko defines Belarusians as ‘Russians with a quality mark’

During the VIII International Festival of Ethnocultural Traditions, ‘Call of Polesia’, in Laskowicze, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko made several controversial statements regarding national identity and history.

Lukashenko described Belarusians as ‘Russians with a quality mark,’ noting that while some in Moscow may take offense, he views it as a historical fact. He further claimed that the Belarusian nation has absorbed traditions and customs from various regions, including Israel, the East, Europe, and Kyivan Rus. He identified the Polesia region as the geographic homeland of the entire Slavic world.

The President has ordered that these historical theses be detailed in the exhibitions of the new National Museum currently under construction in Minsk. Observers note that these remarks reflect a broader effort by the Minsk administration to align Belarusian identity within a framework that supports the Minsk-Moscow axis, potentially diminishing distinct national sovereignty in favor of a shared historical narrative with Russia.