Hienadź Sahanovič. Anarchy and pro-authoritativenessof Belarusian historians

The author tries to comprehend the changes taking place with Belarusian historians under the authoritarian regime of Lukashenka. If you start from Thomas Kuhn’s model of “scientific community” one should admit that the community of Belarusian historians does not exist. Nothing binds their fragmented small groups in one community – there is neither a common organization nor principles nor communication. The historians found themselves in a complete parcelization. After the introductions of Soviet-type dictate ideology in Belarus (2003) historiography functions as an administrative apparatus and undergoes to increasing politicization, whereas scientific standards are falling rapidly. At the same time, blind obedience to power promises a career and prospects to loyal historians. The “dissidents” are being consistently removed from public institutions and cooperation with western scientific centers is considered sedition. The author has a strong conviction that comeback to common European standards and practices of scientific creativity can start only with the democratization of the country.