Belarus: At A Crossroads In History (Westview Series on the Post-Soviet Republics) [Paperback]

Jan Zaprudnik (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0813317940 | ISBN-13: 978-0813317946 | Publication Date: August 17, 1993

Belarus—sometimes called “the Western Gate of the Soviet Union”—has been placed by history between powerful states to the east and west. Soldiers of Muscovy and Poland, of Napoleon and Hitler, and of Alexander I and Stalin have all left their mark. Its territory has been laid claim to by both the Russians and the Poles, and religious and political echoes of their challenges continue to be heard. In this timely volume, Jan Zaprudnik—himself a native Belarusan—paints a vivid picture of the complex past of Belarus (formerly known as Belorussia), paving the way for his analysis of the challenges facing the newly independent republic.In recent years Belarus has been less visible to the world than the Baltic republics to the north or Ukraine to the south, yet this multiethnic republic has undergone a significant demographic, social, cultural, and political evolution since 1956. A proclamation of state sovereignty in July 1990 combined with the accelerated fragmentation of the Soviet Union to push Belarus along the uncertain road to independence—a process that culminated with a declaration of full independence in August 1991.Although perestroika contributed to a dramatic rise in national consciousness among the people of Belarus, the new nation-state is notable for in its quest for interethnic coexistence and for peaceful solutions to the problems brought about by independence.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Belarus (formerly Belorussia) is the western-most republic in the Commonwealth of Independent States, with stronger historical ties to Europe than to Moscow, according to this new survey. It has a long history of outside government, from Poland and Lithuania, and a tradition of ethnic coexistence; these traits are reemerging after the breakup of the USSR. Zaprudnik, formerly an analyst at Radio Liberty, devotes four chapters of his survey to the history of Belarus (to 1985) and four to the conditions and prospects of the new state, covering the national and language revival, politics, economics, and foreign relations. Throughout, he is harshly critical of the Soviet government and its "ethnocidal" policies in Belarus. His bibliography is replete with specialized, non-English, sources. Not much is available in English on Belarus, and this book is a good beginning for nonspecialists.
- Marcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., New York
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Jan Zaprudnik, a historian by training, spent thirty-seven years with Radio Liberty as a commentator on Soviet and international politics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 278 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press (August 17, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813317940
• ISBN-13: 978-0813317946
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,981,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #63 in Books > History > Asia > Belarus

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quite interesting, February 18, 2000

By 

David Landt - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belarus: At A Crossroads In History (Westview Series on the Post-Soviet Republics) (Paperback)

Jan does a good job in outlining the course of events that occurred over a long period of time. My main complaint about his work is that he maintains a focus on the intelligentsia to a point where I as a reader felt that there was a large void left to be filled. Nevertheless, this book is filled with interesting tidbits that will well feed a historical mind. Even though he quite clearly writes as a patriot and does little to explain the current clamboring for Belarus to reunite with the Russians, he manages to maintain something of a level hand through the course of the book in regards to the Lithuanians, Ukrainians and Poles. Especially towards the end, he provides some insightful analysis into the current mood of the country, though his economic analysis is, at best, limited. Should Mr. Zaprudnik ever choose to extend his writings on this rather interesting country, I would like to see him write more on the trends of society at large, for I think he would provide a very intriguing insight into a rather obscure field.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating book about a people who eschew their nation., November 22, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Belarus: At A Crossroads In History (Westview Series on the Post-Soviet Republics) (Paperback)

Jan Zaprudnik poignantly records what was and what might have been in his beloved Belarus. He writes from a nationalist point of view about a country which finds it hard to be nationalistic, currently preferring a wider slavic entity in wishing to unite with Russia. The book attempts to unify a shifting geography and disparate history of Lithuanians, Russians and Belarusians into that of a single nation. The result is as incohesive as modern Belarus. Therein may lie its genius or dearth.