Solidarity of the Shaken

“This is a much needed and clearly written exploration of the Belarus revolution—the 2020 mass democratic protest against Lukashenka’s regime. The emergence of a community of thousands of citizens capable of efficient networking and solidarity leads the author to tackle a pervasive yet complex problem, namely, how does a new national ‘we’ emerge? Tatiana Shchyttsova illustrates her argument with compelling examples from sociological polls, field work, her own political activism, media, and psychology, and explains the significance of such essential concepts as contingency, political triangulation, sublime, and vulnerability. In exposing the logic of post-electoral political antagonism, the author compellingly demonstrates the role philosophy can play in understanding the transformations of Belarus society vis-à-vis global changes.”
—Elena Trubina, Research Fellow, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC

“Belarus is a nation located in the center of the European continent that nonetheless receives little attention from US and EU politicians and experts since 2022. This neglect highlights the short-sightedness of Western strategic thought. Tatiana Shchyttsova has written a book presenting strong arguments for redirecting global and Western focus back to Belarusian affairs—now at a new level. The author provides answers to questions about who contemporary Belarusians are, what they want, and how they perceive their place in the world. Without understanding these answers, it is impossible to establish a framework for a free and peaceful Europe.”
—Mikhail Minakov, Senior Advisor, Kennan Institute, Wilson Center, Washington, DC

"In this brilliant explication of social and political actions and emotions in Belarus over the past five years, philosopher Tatiana Shchyttsova highlights the importance of collective action against autocratic tyrants. As she writes, the COVID-19 pandemic underscored a longstanding truth: “crises reveal the weaknesses and flaws in social structures, such as malfunctioning institutions, resource shortages, and various forms of social injustice.” The country of Belarus, perched as it is between NATO and EU members Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, north of Ukraine and east of Russia, is a living laboratory where human rights activity thrives in spite of—perhaps indeed to spite—the repressive regime. The future of Belarus will be indicative of the entire region. To read this book is to get a view on the ground, with real human actors, a glimpse of a European future."
—Angela Brintlinger, Professor of Slavic Studies, Ohio State University

"This short but compelling study is a veritable tour de force that dissects and analyzes the Belarus uprising of 2020 in a manner that is both original and ultimately optimistic. Shchyttsova demonstrates that the uprising’s “primary political achievement was the international delegitimization of Lukashenka as the head of state.” She anticipates a path forward beyond ethnic nationalism and shows how, despite brutal repressions, the protests transformed society and exhibited a fundamental faith in humanity. A brilliant book that should be read by everyone interested in the future of both Belarusian and European democracy."
—David R. Marples, University of Alberta, Canada

"Shchyttsova skillfully weds a theoretical framework of a historian of culture and philosophy with extensive uses of interviews, statistics and field studies to provide a judicious assessment of the catalytic 2020 event. The most extensive study of the protests to date, this book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the protests, and the coming of age of a civic society in Belarus."
—Per Anders Rudling, Associate Professor of History, Lund University, Sweden