Belarus: Inside Europe's last dictatorship | VPRO Documentary (2015)

Belarus lies between Europe and Russia and is a dictatorship. How is it to live in Belarus, Europe´s last dictatorship? Belarus is located on the main route between Russia and Europe. The focus has always been on Russia, but that seems to be changing. And: more than the half of Belarus was radioactively contaminated by the Chernobyl disaster. How does Belarus and the people living inside a dictatorship deal with this?
In this eight-part travel series the Dutch journalist and author Jelle Brandt Corstius travels through Russia and visits the neighbor countries Latvia, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. What image do the Russians have of their neighbors and vice versa? What are the relations between the powerful Russia and the other former Soviet republics? And how do the countries around Russia treat their Russian inhabitants? A series about propaganda and identity.
Dutch Journalist used to live close to the Belarusian embassy in Moscow. Inside the embassy they used to have small shoe shops. Shoes from Belarus are incredibly popular in Russia. In the Soviet era but still today, they are produced in Belarus. Dutch Journalist Corstius takes a look at the shoe factory and talks to the employees about their country. They are all very positive about their homeland. It is a stable country as they say. That may be true, but it goes hand in hand with a dictatorship, whose beating heart is President Lukashenko´s palace.
After a bomb detonated in the metro in Minsk in 2011, 15 people died. Two people were taken as prisoners and executed two days later. Death penalty still exists in Belarus. A mother of the executed tells us her story and what kind of person her son was, that was made responsible for the attack. Belarus looks like a clean country. This appearance is kept up the hard way. The population has no priority in a regime, where the president is busy with building a new nuclear plant.
Original title: Borderland: Een heldere dictatuur (5/8) produced in 2015
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[@elisekrentzel27]

Great reporting as usual I wish this was with English subtitles. My grandparents escape the fellows in the 1930s to come to America this is sad but brilliance hope for the future

[@mariobranco123]

English subtitles added

[@rogerscottcathey]

Yes, you have to turn on the captions option yourself here. Three dots in upper right corner reveal the option.

[@Eagle_Delta]

Belarus isn't a dictatorship you western puppet let's start calling the USA a dictatorship

[@Reiko9]

@@Eagle_Delta are you fucking dumb. Belarus is a dictatorship. He rigs the elections to go his way and people are blacklisted if they go against him. Does that sound like America? Hell no

[@kythrathesuntamer9715]

@@Reiko9 American democracy is in a concerning state when over half of republicans appear to believe Biden stole the election. That stated we're not quite as bad as Belarus.

[@zorakzoran1]

That poor woman. An evil dictatorship.

[@VelcroKittie]

Fascinating documentary. The older Belarusian people remind of the older Irish people particularly the Irish of rural areas. Striking similarities in their non-verbal communication.

[@wor53lg50]

Id be carefull with that one, depending on what part ya from!! , and being from ireland how the FK would you know what rural belarussian sounds like!!!!!?????. Or you playing the sympathy bot card who's just lost their spudz....

[@planesrift]

It's never going to be the last.

[@sleepyhead6468]

They make it as if Belarus being influenced greatly by Russia is a bad thing. Well these are all due to the events in the cold war. Just like how America influences and captures much of Western Europe, Russia does the same with Belarus. Most Western Europeans grow up immersed in American values and culture. Politically, they are also mostly shaped by American interests. Only difference is that the Slavic peoples lost to the Anglo-Saxons/Germans in the cold war when the Soviet Union collapsed and hence most grow up with the impression that America is the "good" guy while Russia is the "bad" guy.

[@DoctorChained]

It is a bad thing when Lukashenko is kidnapping people on planes and killing/torturing his own people.

[@sleepyhead6468]

@@DoctorChained When countries become poor, there is greater chaos, corruption and lawlessness. It's the same everywhere. If the West had lost to the Soviet Union, there would be huge "human right violations" and corruption in the West too. What I am trying to say is you cannot enforce your values which was derived from your own unique circumstances, onto others. This is especially so when the West has won and becomes even richer and more developed whereas Belarus, being part of the losing side, suffered greatly and took a huge hit. You should let them decide their own fate. Let them forge their own path to development. Once they are more developed, naturally the human condition in those places will become better.

[@DoctorChained]

@@sleepyhead6468 That's not true at all. Look at North Korea, perhaps the poorest country in the world. No chaos. They got their minions under control thanks to oppressive measures that you probably support.

[@sleepyhead6468]

​@@DoctorChained Lol you are so naive and simple minded. The chaos I am referring to is the unpleasantness that comes with being undeveloped. You are obviously too brainwashed. You cannot think objectively and have your own independent mind. I don't think it is right or wrong. I see it as the process of growing. Every single society on earth in its process to achieve development has committed what we would usually class as "bad" things. When Western European countries were developing, so many acts of outrage happened on a large scale. From the hundreds of millions of people massacred across the globe and the treatment of its own people, unimaginable injustice and inhumane acts were committed. Today, some of these things still happen in the West but it has improved greatly as living conditions and development goes up. But now that you guys are past that phase and you are part of the winning team, you impose on the less fortunate and losers of the cold war unrealistic expectations.

[@marlajacques6947]

@@sleepyhead6468 well put imho, I have the similar view of not picking sides and talking about who is good or bad. We each have a personal connection to places on the earth such as, I might feel happy in the Middle East whereas you might feel happy in China despite all their issues. Most people I know in Canada, land of the free are absolutely miserable. There is a continual evolution of societies worldwide and one should develop independent thinking rather than tribalism, or what passes as that these days

[@Zycbank]

Keep satin out, you are on the path 🙏🤙

[@davidboskett5581]

Lukashenko is acting like a typical dictator and his sole interest is not really maintaining the independence of Belarus but keeping his position as its leader and enjoying a lavish lifestyle . He knows his country is totally dependent on Russia ,especially for its energy supply and he cannot make any major foreign policy decisions without the authority of Putin, though he tries to give the allusion that this is not the case when talking to the Belarussian people.

[@scottya2745]

You're delusional, stop watching CNN

[@ConeTheBoss559]

@@scottya2745 I wonder who's delusional here

[@c.rutherford]

3:22 "Oh Yes! I love Belarus! Great government. Everything GOOD. Love the police. They're watching everything. Gotta go...."

[@ОммнриГрошшо]

Its me when i say that i doesnt like gays or migrants in europe xD

[@chobblegobbler2536]

He’s got Stockholm syndrome

[@c.rutherford]

@@chobblegobbler2536 he's not saying nuthin'

[@TheKiyozin]

32:48 Kekw, Considering what is going on this has aged fine like wine.

[@rogerscottcathey]

What year was this produced? Not said in info.

[@vprodocumentary]

Thanks for your comment. This documentary was produced in 2015, we added it to the title and description.

[@rogerscottcathey]

@@vprodocumentary : Thank you kindly. Appreciated. Good as usual.

[@jps0117]

Europe and America: "Long Live Belarus!!! What and Where is Belarus???"

[@OldHeathen1963]

🖕2

[@dexterlacroy4132]

Why am I feeling like I'm playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl?

[@wor53lg50]

The old uns are always the wisest and the sencible'st, and quick'est in the act of getting a profound sense of humour.. Young uns can still learn alot from these old sorts...

[@lucynpasha]

is this Vitebsk, Belarus?

[@arlenehiles2689]

No English sub titles!!!!!!

[@willbygosh4887]

Pootin's Puppet!

[@michaelamoz6053]

2 KINGS AND THE REST OF MARK AND ACTS OF THE MATHEW AND PETER

[@anushkasekkingstad1300]

Hilarious that the military wears even bigger silly hats than they do in Russia.

[@jamisbillson4872]

4.44. Thank God this chap doesn’t see Belarusians are superior. Maybe he has seen how backwards his country is. Do they even still make Lada’s?

[@jamisbillson4872]

Never trust a dictator with a weird shaped head.

[@michaelahern6821]

Pity I don't speak Dutch...

[@gasping4breath]

Жыве Беларусь!

[@OldHeathen1963]

Ukraine 😉

[@marlajacques6947]

I’ll come to Belarus to see for myself. I’m not interested in becoming politically involved in current matters I know almost nothing about. I’m not convinced that all nuclear energy is bad either, looking at France and Germany for instance. It’s almost as if people are surprised that all governments have corruption however large or small and there is always a shadow government installed in some factor. Looking forward to the history, nature, meeting new people, practising Russian, hearing stories from elders and trying Belorussian dishes. Coming from Canada, I’ve lived in a nice neighbourhoods in a few towns my whole life where I have been attacked, robbed, had property destroyed, see homeless in tents everywhere I walk, graffiti, garbage, needles, faeces and my kids have witnessed this too. Natives make it clear they hate us and the political climate here is outrageous

[@c.rutherford]

Are you talking about all that happening in Canada? holey crap. Those don't sound like nice neighborhoods. Most Canadians I've ever heard of don't even lock their doors at night

[@snapdragon6601]

I was wondering the same thing. If you were speaking about the local people being unfriendly in Belarus or Canada...I hope that isn't happening to you in Canada. Canadian people are usually so friendly that they are almost famous for it...

[@marleengevers]

Same in Brussels, Belgium. Tents, lawlessness, what I call "wokeries", ... Been in Minsk a week in 2019. Apart from politics, which I have no opinion on due to lack of knowledge, Minsk is the most beautiful city I've ever been to if you like impressive monuments and buildings.

[@dinab2369]

Created under the careful tutelage of Bernard Henri Levy.

[@WolfgangVonKempelen838]

Who ?

[@philippeplouchart8156]

So when Russia runs out of money and military, after the war in Ukraine, good-bye to Russia from Mali. Mali should be grateful to have tax-payers from France help them for ten years or more. If Mali is such a good place, the people of Mali should have defended themselves from Islam terrorists long ago.

[@earnthis1]

They have multinational corporations in Belarus like McDonalds?? Well, heck life there must be fine....right? I hear Russia has Starbucks. That must mean it's a nice place to live.....right?

[@albertarthurparsnips5141]

As nice as the USA ? Wracked with inter-racial strife, no modern infrastructure to speak of,..hated and loathed by vast swathes of people who don’t ( shock ! horror !,..insert here ),…inhabited by people who arrive in theirs tens of thousands at the prospect of dental that Western Europeans or Australians and Japanese take for granted,…citizens murdered by an unaccountable, Nazi-like police on a daily basis,..innumerable neighbourhoods in which a failed state has established itself,..interfering and invading and meddling in global affairs which are of none of your concern….yes, Amerikkka must be a lovely place to live in.

[@taketimeout2share]

@@albertarthurparsnips5141 Well the real test is do people want to go there. Or do they want to leave? It is a simplistic question, I know, but people in the USA don't look for asylum in Mexico or Canada which is very easy to do. There is racial tension everywhere but its easy to report of it whereas in many places you cant find out about it. In every part of the former USSR there are large numbers of Russians who have been placed there for no other reason than to make sure that Russia can interfere with the very fabric of society in countries that never wanted them there. its a bit worrying to have so many people who have no intention of assimilating who have been placed there for that exact reason. ie keeping Russias hold on countries that want nothing to do with it. But nowhere is perfect, unfortunately.

[@ConeTheBoss559]

@@albertarthurparsnips5141 Russia ain't wracked with interracial strife because the east is aggressively racist and xenophobic lol

[@matthewwhitton5720]

@@ConeTheBoss559 Who on earth are you ? A West Virginian trailer-dweller ? Illiterate wally. On an unmarked map an utterly unread heathen slob of your lamentable sort would be very hard pressed to pop your pizza-smeared digit ( the one you’ve got left ) on a map to barely approximate the location of Belarus. Don’t bother ‘ replying ‘. Savages of your vile sort receive but one response from civilised people. Not two.

[@chobblegobbler2536]

Did this guy really completely cut someone off to hear out a pro Putin “worker” in an attempt at some sort of objectivity. This guy should retire and let his cameraman free lol terrible documentary. Inserts himself like it’s reality tv and tries to falsely equivocate two sides that are not equal.

[@iasnaia-poliana]

I thought European Union was the last dictatorship in Europe. Lucky me!, I've learnt something just by reading the title ;)

[@VelcroKittie]

Nah son, Britain is slowly becoming a Tory dictatorship post Brexit. They were absolute idiots to leave the EU

[@lucynpasha]

Hitler Kaput,

[@olmetothai]

Poutins troll fys

[@yaroslavyurchenko1695]

Последний диктатор Европы

[@mosab7]

Europeans are also bringing their artilleries closer to the Russian border, that's also a valid question

[@WolfgangVonKempelen838]

Americans you mean, they just made a deal with the Polish to station American troops in their country. Europe is a toothless beast captured between Russia & China at one side & the Americans on the other.

[@snapdragon6601]

Maybe people there are just fatalistic due to all the trauma the population must have gone through from 1914 until now and that's why they seem apathetic about the new nuclear reactor.

[@OldHeathen1963]

🤣👍🇺🇸🤨

[@hemananglason9104]

why some one came from holland to belarush and talking bad about founding father's of belarush..??? This guy must be working for third party to harm belarussian security and it's prosperity .

[@martijnoverwater5644]

You are writing according to your intelligence, it is difficult to believe that you managed to turn on KZbin by your own. Jelle Brandt Corstius is a renowned Dutch journalist who made many documentaries about Russia and other Soviet republics. But believe what you want you moron.

[@zoyavselenskaya2256]

Dictatorship of soviet style is the best

[@krishnamurali81]

Lies... Russia is the best...love from India

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

Wrong

[@barrylaflin8425]

Lies BY Russia.

[@foxman1546]

Still think that now that Putin has invaded Ukraine and is threatening nukes.

[@OldHeathen1963]

🖕🤥🤥🤥

[@ComradeNationalist]

​@@louisbeerreviews8964better than urkaine which is honouring ww2 nazis