language, collective memory, exile
"All of Us Are Living in the World of Colonized Languages"
A Belarusian writer Golya z Opolya talks about her debut book, the importance of knowing one's kin and language as a way to resist colonization.
Golya z Opolya (Volha Apolka), a Belarusian writer and blogger. Currently lives in New Zealand, but was born and raised in the village of Gopil/Opol.
Interview, editing: Olga Bubich
Illustrations: Masha Maroz, from Volha Apolka's instagram
Interview, editing: Olga Bubich
Illustrations: Masha Maroz, from Volha Apolka's instagram
Volha Apolka
Writer, blogger
Funky colors resembling a crazy rainbow and photos with the harsh but mysteriosly attractive reality of the Belarusian village so much familair to anyone born in Eastern Europe and so much shocking to any foreigner who has courage to go out of the comfort zone of superficial touristic visit to the capital of Minsk.
For the last several years Belarus - if at all present in international media - has been mentioned as a crowded prison for free thinkers, an ally of Russia or as a state of failed revolution. Nevertheless, as clearly seen from the debut book by the writer who calls herself Golya z Opolya, Belarus is not only about this. Her Belarus is the land of positive hardworking wise women, unique funeral rituals and mova that lives in the dialect of the southern Polesye she is trying hard to preserve.
For the last several years Belarus - if at all present in international media - has been mentioned as a crowded prison for free thinkers, an ally of Russia or as a state of failed revolution. Nevertheless, as clearly seen from the debut book by the writer who calls herself Golya z Opolya, Belarus is not only about this. Her Belarus is the land of positive hardworking wise women, unique funeral rituals and mova that lives in the dialect of the southern Polesye she is trying hard to preserve.
What does Polesye mova mean to you as a child and now – as a woman,
a writer, and a Belarusian living in emigration?
Polesye mova is my identity, if you like! Of course in daily life I speak mostly in Russian or English and do not think in the Opol language but if asked what my mother tongue is I will definitly answer It's Opol! As a child growing in village, I dreamt in this language, even though we spoke in Belarusian at school.
Due to the complicated and long history of the area, for centuries Polesye remained isolated from the rest of today's Belarus and was greatly influenced by Ukrainian. A dialect similar to that of Opol is also spoken in more southern (Ukrainian) part of Polesye. It has rather specific vocabulary as well as the pronounciation of vowels and word endings, that also varies from village to village.
Not many people write in dialects, so, as a writer myself, I think those are unique tools that should not be ignored. Morevoer, through my book I can show how people live in this part of Belarus, what they think and talk about.
Due to the complicated and long history of the area, for centuries Polesye remained isolated from the rest of today's Belarus and was greatly influenced by Ukrainian. A dialect similar to that of Opol is also spoken in more southern (Ukrainian) part of Polesye. It has rather specific vocabulary as well as the pronounciation of vowels and word endings, that also varies from village to village.
Not many people write in dialects, so, as a writer myself, I think those are unique tools that should not be ignored. Morevoer, through my book I can show how people live in this part of Belarus, what they think and talk about.
And what is it? What do they talk about?
In general, the book is dedicated to my Granny, who played a special role in the life of the villagers - they called her a funeral director, that is she made sure that all the funeral rituals were correctly followed by taking care of the deceased in his or her passage into a better world. Apart from helping the relatives with the deceased clothes and nuanced coffin arrangements, Granny was a professional mourner.
Granny did not have her own kids - she was my grandfather's sister and looked after me since my early childhood, after the death of the latter - so we used to spend a lot of time together. I can really say she was my muse. In the book I portray her as an easy-going witty woman who was constantly busy with stuff - a distinctive feature I would extend to all Polesye women. Due to her unique function, she was also very strong and fearless, but at the same time always positive.
So, a large part of my book is dedicated to Polesye funeral traditions and, on the whole, people's attitude to death in our part of the world. And I firmly believe there is a lot we can learn from that today - for example, the connection with one's kin: in Polesye people go to the cemetary to check out the deceased and remembering the stories of those who are not with us any longer is an important element of Belarusian culture code.
I should also add that the book includes photos and artworks by the Belarusian artist Masha Maroz, which, hopefully, helps the readers to immerse a bit deeper into the visual realities of Polesye, revealing the way the traditional can merge with the modern and what may come out of it.
Granny did not have her own kids - she was my grandfather's sister and looked after me since my early childhood, after the death of the latter - so we used to spend a lot of time together. I can really say she was my muse. In the book I portray her as an easy-going witty woman who was constantly busy with stuff - a distinctive feature I would extend to all Polesye women. Due to her unique function, she was also very strong and fearless, but at the same time always positive.
So, a large part of my book is dedicated to Polesye funeral traditions and, on the whole, people's attitude to death in our part of the world. And I firmly believe there is a lot we can learn from that today - for example, the connection with one's kin: in Polesye people go to the cemetary to check out the deceased and remembering the stories of those who are not with us any longer is an important element of Belarusian culture code.
I should also add that the book includes photos and artworks by the Belarusian artist Masha Maroz, which, hopefully, helps the readers to immerse a bit deeper into the visual realities of Polesye, revealing the way the traditional can merge with the modern and what may come out of it.
Speaking about culutre code and observing the situation of silently ongoing colonization of Belarus, do you think that languages can be colonized or forced into exile, like people?
All of us are already living in the world of colonized languages! Speaking about Belarus, I certainly mean the big Russian influence and on the other hand (something that any of us is familar with, regardless of our birthplace) - the impact of English! This is the language we all use whenever we need to pick a language of communication in a new country.
As for books, this area also has a massive colonized effect because usually you want your book to be smart and intelligent and hardly would you be pleased to hear others saying, Oh, look! She even doesn't know how to translate this phrase right!
When I was looking for a translator for my Opol text into English, I at once knew it would not be a classical high English because such a choice would not reflect the way people in my village speak. I needed something to mirror their simple, honest, and direct mova. And I was lucky to find the right person to solve this problem. Unexpectably, in another part of the world - in New Zealand, where I am now based - I encountered Volha Katsiuk, a brilliant Belarusian writer and a person who has special decolonial practice in translation. And when we met, she shared with me a very curious story.
Volha said that once she came across a famous NZ writer whom she gave her English version of text for proofreading, imagining back then that any story should always be written standard English. The next morning this lady called her and said that her husband (a native English speaker) warned her against colonizing texts.
And starting from that day Volha decided to try to keep the stories written by non-natives sounding in their own way, without pretending that their authors speak perfect English - because it was simply not true! No perfect English can express everything what its speakers wants when telling their stories in the native language.
I think all these high standards of perfect English, Russian or any other language come from our fear to be wrong and be called stupid. That has been the case of my village – like when you speak nice Russian you are an educated one, but if you speak Opol mova people will say you are poor and not so smart.
As for books, this area also has a massive colonized effect because usually you want your book to be smart and intelligent and hardly would you be pleased to hear others saying, Oh, look! She even doesn't know how to translate this phrase right!
When I was looking for a translator for my Opol text into English, I at once knew it would not be a classical high English because such a choice would not reflect the way people in my village speak. I needed something to mirror their simple, honest, and direct mova. And I was lucky to find the right person to solve this problem. Unexpectably, in another part of the world - in New Zealand, where I am now based - I encountered Volha Katsiuk, a brilliant Belarusian writer and a person who has special decolonial practice in translation. And when we met, she shared with me a very curious story.
Volha said that once she came across a famous NZ writer whom she gave her English version of text for proofreading, imagining back then that any story should always be written standard English. The next morning this lady called her and said that her husband (a native English speaker) warned her against colonizing texts.
And starting from that day Volha decided to try to keep the stories written by non-natives sounding in their own way, without pretending that their authors speak perfect English - because it was simply not true! No perfect English can express everything what its speakers wants when telling their stories in the native language.
I think all these high standards of perfect English, Russian or any other language come from our fear to be wrong and be called stupid. That has been the case of my village – like when you speak nice Russian you are an educated one, but if you speak Opol mova people will say you are poor and not so smart.
Opol is a town in Ivanovsky district, Brest region, Belarus with the population of 440 people (as of 2019).
It is a part of a larger area - Polesia/Polesye, a natural (geographic) and historical region in Eastern Europe within the bigger East European Plain, including part of Eastern Poland and the Belarus–Ukraine border region.
It is a part of a larger area - Polesia/Polesye, a natural (geographic) and historical region in Eastern Europe within the bigger East European Plain, including part of Eastern Poland and the Belarus–Ukraine border region.
What can artists (in a broad sense) do to take care of their mother tongues? Do you think you have succeeded in completing this mission?
I think that first of all we should stop being afraid of imperfections and mistakes! Especially when we work in our own micro languages or dialects. But true and honest story doesn't need perfection and can be real only if you try to be yourself without any masks.
Translating micro languages/dialects into perfect English colonizes us as writers and completely changes stories we tell. I believe that by writing my book in the Opol language and having specific decolonized approach in translating it I try to show people some other examples of how books and texts can look like. And I want to show the beauty of such texts!
Translating micro languages/dialects into perfect English colonizes us as writers and completely changes stories we tell. I believe that by writing my book in the Opol language and having specific decolonized approach in translating it I try to show people some other examples of how books and texts can look like. And I want to show the beauty of such texts!
Magni Ducatus Lithuaniae, or simply the Radziwiłł map, is a Latin map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania created under the tutelage of Mikołaj Krzysztof "the Orphan" Radziwiłł.
The map was likely first published in 1603 but no surviving copy is known. It is the first time Polesia/Polesye is present as a geographical name.
The map was likely first published in 1603 but no surviving copy is known. It is the first time Polesia/Polesye is present as a geographical name.
Recently I have read a book called Я прыду за табой у аўгусце (in Belarusian, I'll Come to Pick you Up in August) by Камила Цень/Camila Tzen and this story is also written in some kind of daily spoken language - a mixed Belarusian/Russian/Trasianka, the language people actually speak in their real life. And it is only through such a language that one is able to understand the unique atmosphere and feel the main character.
Of course, the writer could have done it in Russian or Belarusian but it would have completely changed the image and distorted the locals' uniqueness! It would look as if she were trying to improve them rather then showing their real faces and telling a true story of their life.
Of course, the writer could have done it in Russian or Belarusian but it would have completely changed the image and distorted the locals' uniqueness! It would look as if she were trying to improve them rather then showing their real faces and telling a true story of their life.
Your book is in two languages but how do you define the readership of such a personal, if not to say a niche story (I am saying this keeping in mind how many times I have heard the question Oh, Belarus, where is it?)
Are you ready for surprises?
Yes, I am! And I wrote my book in two languages on purpose! I want as many people as possible to learn where Belarus is! Also I want them to know about our unique Palesse region and its own culture.
Sometimes when I tell stories about my village abroad, people are shocked and intrigued but always curious because they hear in my stories something completely different and new for them! I want to try to colonize them with Palesse culture! Ha-ha! Why not?
Sometimes when I tell stories about my village abroad, people are shocked and intrigued but always curious because they hear in my stories something completely different and new for them! I want to try to colonize them with Palesse culture! Ha-ha! Why not?
Now that the book is finally published and you have just presented it in Warsaw, will you also have a book launch… in New Zealand?
For the last few years, the topics of colonized culturies and languages have been raised not only in Belarusian community but around the world, too. And I have a feeling that we are just starting this long journey. And yes, I have in mind an idea to organise my book presentation in NZ but haven't planned it that much yet.
I think to raise interest to my topic in New Zealand is not so hard because they have their own - rather similar experience - of the colonized language and culture and attempts to learn to get back to their roots. But if we speak about the whole world, of course the situation differs. We are still very much colonized by big empires that continue dictating their fashion.
I hope my book will be one of these first revolutionary birds which might open the discussion not only around different cultures but also about decolonization of the modern world.
I think to raise interest to my topic in New Zealand is not so hard because they have their own - rather similar experience - of the colonized language and culture and attempts to learn to get back to their roots. But if we speak about the whole world, of course the situation differs. We are still very much colonized by big empires that continue dictating their fashion.
I hope my book will be one of these first revolutionary birds which might open the discussion not only around different cultures but also about decolonization of the modern world.
Should you see an alien, what three things you would tell him/her/them/it about Belarusian Polesye that would give them a better understanding of what this unque region is about?
For me Belarusian Polesye is a unique part of Belarus with its own culture and spirit! The best way to feel it is to go there! Ha-ha! But if I need to describe it in words, I would say that there you will find simple and honest people who do not hide behind masks, and are very open to each other. I would also add that Polesye is a magical land where even nature seems to talk and support you!