Lyavon Barshchewski
{{Short description|Belarusian translator and politician}}
{{expand Belarusian|date=February 2024|topic=bio}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Lyavon Barshchewski
| image = 2008.06.16. Lawon Barszczeuski Fot M Kubik.JPG
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Лявон Баршчэўскі
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|3|24}}
| birth_place = Polotsk
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Belarusian
| native_name_lang = ISO 639-1,'be'
| other_names =
| occupation = Philologist, politician
| education = Minsk State Linguistic University
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}
Lyavon Barshchewski ({{langx|be|Лявон Баршчэўскі}}) (born March 4, 1958) is a Belarusian philologist and opposition politician.
He was a deputy to the Supreme Soviet of Belarus from 1990 to 1996. He is a member of PEN International. From 2007–2009 he was head of the BPF Party, succeeded by Alaksiej Janukievich.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110706053632/http://91.149.157.125/rubrics/english/2009/09/07/ic_articles_259_164364/ "Belarusian Popular Front elects new chairman"]
Early life
Barshchewski was born on March 4, 1958, in Polotsk, then part of the Byelorussian SSR.{{cite book |title=Кто есть кто в Беларуси |date=2001 |publisher=Мэджик Бук |isbn=978-985-6544-16-6 |page=37 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/%D0%9A%D1%82%D0%BE_%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C_%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%BE_%D0%B2_%D0%91%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%83%D1%81/VR8hAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%D0%9B%D1%8F%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BD+%D0%91%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%89%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9+%224+%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B0+1958+%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B0%22&dq=%D0%9B%D1%8F%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BD+%D0%91%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%89%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9+%224+%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B0+1958+%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B0%22&printsec=frontcover |access-date=1 April 2025 |language=ru}} In 1980 he graduated from Minsk State Linguistic University, majoring in German and English, and in 1989 he obtained his Candidate of Philological Sciences from his alma mater.{{cite book |title=Kto jest kim w Białorusi |date=2000 |publisher=Podlaski Instytut Wydawniczy |isbn=978-83-913780-0-7 |page=38 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Kto_jest_kim_w_Bia%C5%82orusi/D0MXAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%D0%9B%D1%8F%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BD+%D0%9F%D1%8F%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%96%D1%87+%D0%91%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%88%D1%87%D1%8D%D1%9E%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%96+%221989%22&dq=%D0%9B%D1%8F%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BD+%D0%9F%D1%8F%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%96%D1%87+%D0%91%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%88%D1%87%D1%8D%D1%9E%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%96+%221989%22&printsec=frontcover |access-date=1 April 2025 |language=pl}}
Political career
Since 1995 he has been deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front "Revival", and was from 1996 to 1999 chairman of the party before parts of the party split in late 1999.{{cite news |title=Анкета Свабоды: Лявон Баршчэўскі |url=https://archive.today/20190821122719/https://www.svaboda.org/a/1989293.html#selection-2937.0-2991.30 |access-date=1 April 2025 |work=Svaboda |date=26 March 2010}}
From 2007 to 2009 he was head of the BPF Party, an opposition party. He was elected as a compromisor to prevent a split in the party and a supporter of cooperation with Alexander Milinkevich.{{cite news |title=Białoruś: najważniejsza partia opozycyjna ma nowego szefa |url=https://wyborcza.pl/7,75399,4745482.html |access-date=1 April 2025 |work=Wyborcza |date=10 December 2007}} However, ultimately, in 2009 after leaving as head of the party he criticized the Belarusian Popular Front that supported Milinkevich as aligning too closely with Alexander Lukashenko and that it was not a genuine opposition force.{{cite news |title=BBC Russian - В мире - Белорусская оппозиция создала правый блок |url=https://www.bbc.com/russian/lg/international/2009/10/091027_minsk_opposition_new?ysclid=m8xxqeioe65515299 |access-date=1 April 2025 |work=BBC |date=27 October 2009 |language=ru}} In a 2010 interview, he defined his political viewpoints as wanting Belarus to start becoming more Belarusian, maintaining a civilized relationship with Russia, and cooperating with the European Union if the EU's economic pragmatism does not interfere in Belarus's development. In 2011, he left the party alongside many other prominent members, saying that the party was no longer an opposition force, it had removed promising young members in leadership, and that the party had supported people in leadership with little support.{{cite news |title=Барщевский: Не могу, чтобы действия этой Партии БНФ проецировались на меня {{!}} Новости Беларуси {{!}} euroradio.fm |url=https://euroradio.fm/ru/report/barshchevskiy-ne-mogu-chtoby-deystviya-etoy-partii-bnf-proecirovalis-na-menya-8390 |access-date=1 April 2025 |work=Euro Radio |date=11 February 2011 |language=ru}}
External links
- [https://culture.pl/en/article/the-white-red-white-banner-of-polish-belarusian-literature The White-Red-White Banner of Polish-Belarusian Literature], a Culture.pl article on Barshchewski's anthology of Belarusian poetry Nie Chyliłem Czoła przed Mocą (I Did Not Bow Before Might)
References
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