Taste for Oppression
Belarus has emerged from communism in a unique manner as an authoritarian regime. The author, who has lived in Belarus for several years, highlights several mechanisms of tyranny, beyond the regime’s ability to control and repress, which should not be underestimated. The book immerses the reader in the depths of the Belarusian countryside, among the kolkhozes and rural communities at the heart of this authoritarian regime under Alexander Lukashenko, and offers vivid descriptions of the everyday life of Belarusians. It sheds light on the reasons why part of the population supports Lukashenko and takes a fresh look at the functioning of what has been called 'the last dictatorship in Europe'.
Ronan Hervouet is Professor of sociology at the University of Bordeaux and a member of the Centre Émile Durkheim. He has previously published a book on Belarus, entitled Datcha Blues. Existences ordinaires et dictature en Biélorussie (Belin, 2009).