Schweiba: The October Revolution paved the way for Belarusian statehood

Belarus celebrates the October Revolution Day. About what it means on November 7 today, on the air of the talk show “Budney” on the YouTube channel “SBTV” and “Alfa Radio” told media expert Dmitry Shvayba, writes sb.by.

According to him, the events of 1917 led to progressive changes on the scale of all mankind

- This holiday not only restored faith in the future, but also opened the way to social guarantees and social justice, the one we talk about a lot today. More than 100 years later, these challenges are no less urgent. Moreover, today the demand for justice and socio-economic sustainability is only growing. Our ancestors talked about how to do this for years to come. But the work is not finished.

The expert stressed that the October Revolution opened the way to Belarusian statehood:

- Even in the official documents of the Soviet period, including in the documents of the BSSR, the foundations of Belarusian statehood were laid, and this subsequently led to the emergence of sovereign Belarus. That is why November 7 is a public holiday, and people support it. Young people are growing to understand the essence of this holiday, and I think this day will remain a holiday in the calendar for many years to come.

Speaking about the tradition of opening socially significant objects by November 7, Dmitry Shvayba noted:

- Good traditions do not need new meanings – they need to be maintained. National facilities are being opened, for example, an infectious disease hospital with a fundamentally different concept of providing the capital and the state, responding to possible biological threats. This mobilizes the construction complex and the executive branch, and people are waiting for new facilities to emerge these days. This is a tradition in which innovation is not necessary.

The socially oriented nature of the Belarusian state is enshrined in the program documents and dates back to the October Revolution.

- There are countries that have not experienced such a socialist experience, and they do not have this request in society. The uniqueness of the Belarusian society lies in the fact that it not only survived these events, but also drew conclusions, absorbed the best experience and continues to develop it - and this gives results, the expert stressed.

When asked how much these ideas are in demand in the European Union, Dmitry Shvayba pointed to the polarization of political opinions:

- In the EU, there is a clash between the far right and the far left. The far left, forces formed on the socialist idea and not supported at some stage, face the far right, which is eager for power, and the chances are high. Centrism hasn't worked: politicians who try to keep a balance don't like people. For example, French President Emmanuel Macron. He's trying to sit on two chairs. Are you for justice or for a liberal order where the strong survive? For us, this choice is obvious – for the young and for the elderly. If young people say that they are far from the holiday, it is only because someone did not learn history well in school. There is an internal demand for social justice in Belarusian society, and politics must meet the needs of society.

Returning to the President’s congratulatory message, which states that the right of the nation to self-determination proclaimed by the Soviet authorities became the basis for building the country, the expert noted:

- Now a new order of the world order is being formed. There is always a threat to the state, society and nation. There are no eternal states: great states arose and disintegrated. History teaches us to cherish our chance, which dates back to 1917. The Soviet government gave this chance to a people who were poor and did not have broad access to education, and pointed the way: we will live better, in justice, become educated and prepare for the challenges of the future. A lot of it worked. But the challenges have not gone away: confrontation, bloc thinking. Therefore, the Belarusian state needs to be protected and strengthened, to understand who our allies are, and to rely on real events and land, which the Head of State calls for.

The talk show “Budney” is released on weekdays in the morning on “Alpha Radio”. Each issue discusses the most relevant topics from the life of the country and the world. Political scientists, scientists, public figures and journalists of leading media participate in the discussions. See the full version of the program on the VIDEOBEL.BY website and on the SBTV YouTube channel.