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Belarus: At A Crossroads In History (Westview Series on the Post-Soviet Republics) | 
 enlarge | Author: Jan Zaprudnik
Publisher: Westview Press
Category: Book
Buy New: $32.00
New (10) Used (13) from $14.67
Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 975146
Media: Paperback
Pages: 278
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 0813317940
Dewey Decimal Number: 947.65
EAN: 9780813317946
ASIN: 0813317940
Publication Date: August 16, 1993
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Belarus—sometimes called “the Western Gate of the Soviet Union”—has been placed by history between powerful states to the east and west. Soldiers of Muscovy and Poland, of Napoleon and Hitler, and of Alexander I and Stalin have all left their mark. Its territory has been laid claim to by both the Russians and the Poles, and religious and political echoes of their challenges continue to be heard. In this timely volume, Jan Zaprudnik—himself a native Belarusan—paints a vivid picture of the complex past of Belarus (formerly known as Belorussia), paving the way for his analysis of the challenges facing the newly independent republic.In recent years Belarus has been less visible to the world than the Baltic republics to the north or Ukraine to the south, yet this multiethnic republic has undergone a significant demographic, social, cultural, and political evolution since 1956. A proclamation of state sovereignty in July 1990 combined with the accelerated fragmentation of the Soviet Union to push Belarus along the uncertain road to independence—a process that culminated with a declaration of full independence in August 1991.Although perestroika contributed to a dramatic rise in national consciousness among the people of Belarus, the new nation-state is notable for in its quest for interethnic coexistence and for peaceful solutions to the problems brought about by independence.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Quite interesting February 18, 2000
David Landt (Seattle, WA United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Jan does a good job in outlining the course of events that occurred over a long period of time. My main complaint about his work is that he maintains a focus on the intelligentsia to a point where I as a reader felt that there was a large void left to be filled. Nevertheless, this book is filled with interesting tidbits that will well feed a historical mind. Even though he quite clearly writes as a patriot and does little to explain the current clamboring for Belarus to reunite with the Russians, he manages to maintain something of a level hand through the course of the book in regards to the Lithuanians, Ukrainians and Poles. Especially towards the end, he provides some insightful analysis into the current mood of the country, though his economic analysis is, at best, limited. Should Mr. Zaprudnik ever choose to extend his writings on this rather interesting country, I would like to see him write more on the trends of society at large, for I think he would provide a very intriguing insight into a rather obscure field.
 A fascinating book about a people who eschew their nation. November 22, 1997
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Jan Zaprudnik poignantly records what was and what might have been in his beloved Belarus. He writes from a nationalist point of view about a country which finds it hard to be nationalistic, currently preferring a wider slavic entity in wishing to unite with Russia. The book attempts to unify a shifting geography and disparate history of Lithuanians, Russians and Belarusians into that of a single nation. The result is as incohesive as modern Belarus. Therein may lie its genius or dearth.
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