Eurovision is too pop and not very euro anyway. Every year the whole Belarus watches its best participant to struggle hard to be among the first from the end.
They say this year we double our chances as there are two Belarusians: Petr Elfimov and Alexander Rybak from Norway.
Rybak was born in Minsk, migrated to Norway with his family at the age of five and has never been in Belarus since then. He may consider himself to be whatsoever: Belarusian, Russian, as that’s the mother tongue of his parents, or Norwegian, it’s a very subjective thing. But I don’t see anything Belarusian about him.
Rybak seems to be open, positive, outright and independent-minded. Belarusians are usually too serious about life, their occupations, their victories and losses. They take themselves too seriously. They live once and need to have everything right. They find suffering to be an integral part of their existence.
Moreover, Rybak is a “product” of a different society. I am not sure he would be able to achieve the same success in Belarus. The only thing Minsk and Oslo could have in common is a wee number of sunny days. So if this Norwegian boy wins (as most bookmakers say) that would be a well-deserved victory of Norway.
… the funny point is: Rybak’s father looks like a twin brother of Belarusian president Lukashenka… 
#1 by Jean-Marie on May 12, 2009 - 5:49 pm
Eurovision is dire, someone please put it out of its misery!
Europe has so much to celebrate culturally, but Eurovision is a complete embarrassment; it only serves to show that sometimes the whole can be much less than the sum of its parts.
#2 by Maryna Rakhlei on May 13, 2009 - 3:36 pm
That’s very true about Eurovision. But it’s a general trend as well: less culture, more fun.
#3 by Katia on May 16, 2009 - 12:18 am
Maryna, frankly speaking, your discription of Belarusians is rather scaring..obviously, you shouldn’t generalize. at least not all Belarusans are “usually too serious about life, their occupations, their victories and losses.. take themselves too seriously… live once and need to have everything right…find suffering to be an integral part of their existence.”
I have lots of Belarusian friends who are as “open, positive, outright and independent-minded” as Rybak is..especially young ppl of his age..
i dunnot argue that Rybak should be treated as a Belarusian..but still he doesn’t lok as a typical Norvegian guy either..let’s say he’s Musician!
and BTW it’s a pity he’ve never been in Belarus since he left it with his parents..hope it’ll change in the nearest future and will know his country of origin form his own experience and not form diverse mass media “products”..
#4 by Maryna Rakhlei on May 17, 2009 - 11:52 am
Katia,
I am really glad you disagree.
I am not going to persuade you that we, Belarusians, are all dumb and ugly. And I wasn’t writing about the elite as they are the same all over the world, only their percentage in the society differs. And sure I was generalising otherwise I wouldn’t be able to write.
The thing I agree with – it’s a topic of the discussion on a Belarusian web-platform. But it’s perfectly annoying to hear how people quote Belarusian TV or their bosses, ministers – the president. Who is independent-minded? Being dead serious about everything. Have you ever thought, why it’s so easy to say who is the head of an official delegation from Belarus/Russia/Ukraine – even at first sight? This developed sense of authority is unbelievable: you are nobody if you don’t have a post.. I always knew I am lucky to have bosses who don’t consider critisism to be sabotage.
And right, musicians. Rybak (my uncle Google says, he is the winner) was taking the contest easily what is never the case with the Belarusians. I am not a Eurovision fan but I read enough to get an impression. All the national contests were scandalous. Participants (sorry, barely known in their own country) angrily commented the choice of the jury.. After Eurovisions they would call a press-conference to announce they were great and people didn’t vote for Belarus for political reasons. Elfimov simply announced: his singing was f*king great but Belarus team failed to make a good show out of his performance.
But, again, I am very glad you disagree