Taking into account that Russian is the language of over 70% of Belarussians while Belarussian is the language of just 11%....if a majority of Russian speakers want closer ties to the Russian Federation, that would be the road to follow. Perhaps Russian speaking Belarussian should be more aware about their identity, they are a different nation with a culture different than the Belarussian language. The Russian speaking nation of Belarus has to weak up. Why should they lose hours studying in a language (Belarassian) that only 11% of Belarussians themselves speak as their usual language...and nobody else in the rest of the World. Instead, they could use that time to learn English, German or Chinese. So the Government´s obsession with "belarussification" is a handicap for growth and for the future of Russian speaking belarussians. Why should they lose so many hours learning a language that nobody else in the rest ot the World speaks, or even has heard about? Better use that time to learn English, German or Chinese.

correction: "has to wake up"

Enrique, May I ask you about your affiliation with Belarus? It seems that you have none, yet you're full of your own ideas what language is better for this country. As a native Belarusian, I would refrain myself from any suggestions, though I can assure you that having our own language is essential for completing the Belarusian efforts in its identity and sovereignty. The Russian language was a foreign language for people of Western Belarus before they have been annexed to their Eastern Belarusians in 1939 - Polish, Lithuanian and Yiddish were other main languages after Belarusian. Russian became a language of central control from Moscow and industrialised cities during the Soviet era. To say that nobody else in the World speaks Belarusian is as bad as to say that there is no need for any other cultures and their languages, for example, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Catalan or Galician among others. The Belarusian pre-Soviet culture was based on its language, it's about time to revive it.

Just follow the trail of money.... of Belarussian opposition. According to US data, Belarussian economy is the only one that managed to avoid the traumas of "transition" imposed on other east European countries. In Russia, the experiment with neoliberal capitalism has cost millions of lives due to poverty, disease and alcoholism. Belarussian exports are strong, and there is no need to import food. Employment is near 100%. While the country did not "enjoy" the era of oligarch and their penchant for smashing expensive cars, what exactly is the country behind in? In following the statistics, as mentioned all Western, it is really curious that the oppositon seem to make a case for a non existant case. So, the only thing the opposition has is to stir up the nationalistic issues, from the language to history. Not unlike Ukraine. It is curious that data on the fate of other neighbors in EU in NATO never reaches the country. Look at the painfull experience of Romania and Bulgaria? The opposition is arrogant, as all manipulators are; they are convinced that Belorussian case will be the one of prosperity, and that the horrors in Bulgaria, Romania and pretty much Hungary can be avoided byt their superior intelligence. On the other hand, common folks are not that naive. They know exactly what prosperity and happiness EU and NATO brought to their neighborhood.

Svyatlana, I understand you because I am from Galicia, and here the language of over 80% of the old people is Galician while only about 25% of the young people speak Galician...a majority of the city dwellers and young people speak Spanish. For example, my grandparents spoke in Galician while I speak in Spanish. On average, about 50% of the people in my Autonomous Community of Galicia speak in Galician language, and Galicia is part of Spain. Language is not a motive not to consider Galicia as part of Spain. Languages change, and the reality is that in a decade probably a majority of the people in Galicia will speak in Spanish as it is already happening in the largest cities like Vigo and A Coruña, while in villages still a majority speak in Galician language. So, probably, even if Belarussian is tought in schools, its time is over in History, the same way as Gaelic is almost lost as a live language in Ireland (the Gaeltatch is just a kind of "reservation" without relevance now) or Basque in two of the three provinces of the Basque Country. The truth is that now an overwhelming majority of Belarussians speak Russian as their mother language, their everyday language, while "belarussian" is used just in a symbolic way. Many people will repeat a couple of sentences in "belarussian" and then returning to speak in "russian" with friends in the office and in the pub....

The best reference to know what is the use of a language are commercial adds. If private commercials (TV, newspapers) in Belarus are done in Russian that says everything... The private economy, which interest are consumers tell us the reality. If companies think that to sell something they have to use commercials in Russian in Belarus (instead than using commercials in belorussian) that answers us what is in the minds of the people.

Enrique, There is no 'danger' in Belarus that Russian language will be wiped out any time soon. It will probably exist along side of Belarusian as many people prefer to communicate in Russian. During the Soviet time it was awfully 'uncool' to speak even with a Belarusian accent, the eloquence of your speech in Russian determined your social and intellectual status in society, and nobody wanted to be branded as "kolkhoznik" (collective farmer labourer or rural). The reason why more and more Belarusians are in favour of their own language now is rather tragic: Kuropaty ( Belarusian equivalent of Katyn). Google if you wish to know more. Bianca, A few weeks ago I watched the Lukashenko's interview for one of the American channels. When asked "What is your best wish for the people of your country?" he replied simply and without hesitation: " I want them to smile, always". But there are plenty of those in Belarus who would rather smile at the money symbols together with the Russian oligarch-esque crowd. Some are 'fighting' for democratic values, some for their own. If Lukashenko increases decibels in his " We don't want to look at the West and East and wait for their crumbles", the opposition may be dispersed or assimilated into the government.