One More Historian Fired from History Institute

Recently the Belarusian scientists Nina Stuzhynskaia and Hienadz Sahanovich have been fired from the Institute of History as well. In all cases the real reason seems to be that the fired historians tell the truth that is very inconvenient for the present political regime and/or its relations with Russia.

The senior researcher, candidate of historical science Andrei Kishtymau is the leading investigator of the country’s economy in the 19th century and is well-known in Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Russian and the Ukraine. For about five years he hosted at Belarusian TV popular programs dedicated to the history of the country’s economy and Belarusian businessmen. In spring 2005 there was issued the 4th volume of the encyclopedia “History of Belarus”. The preface, the conclusion and the part that describes the economical affairs of Belarus as a part of the Russian Empire were written by Kishtymau.

In his interview to BelaPAN information agency Mr. Kishtymau said that his contract with the institute ended on 30 September, though the scientific research he was busy with was to end on 31 December.

-- However, I was invited to the personnel department and read the order of the director, Aliaksandr Kavalienia, for my firing because of the end of the contract term. I worked in the institute from 1979 and went through all posts from junior assistant to senior researcher… This summer the Institute of History issued the monograph “Historiography of the agrarian history of Belarus. 1861-1917”, where my surname is mentioned with the characteristics that remind of 1937. It is difficult to understand the logics of the author, who calls anti-Soviet my research of the period of monarchical Russia and says my works contain “zoological hatred to the present authorities”. It is impossible to dispute with the author who characterizes my research as “obscene anti-Soviet pasquil”, -- said the scientist.

He also stated he believes that the publication of the monograph that uses the expressions that are far from being scientific and his firing are connected. The institute administration keeps assuring he was fired “because of lack of financing”, despite the fact he was a part-time worker!