Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the newly formed independent nations have celebrated their diversity in a variety of ways. After years of living under an authoritarian, Moscow-centered government, Russia and the 11 other loosely allied countries can now learn about their distinctive heritages and show off their uniqueness. In some cases, this freedom has meant a difficult struggle with the Soviet past and a proud pre-Soviet heritage. In this lesson, you will learn about the struggle that Belarusians and Central Asians are experiencing in expressing their national identities, especially following years of being Russified in the twentieth century.

During the Soviet era, students in Belarus learned little Belarusian, being told that it was a peasant language. Instead, they learned Russian. Today there is a call by a growing number of Belarusians for their fellow citizens to learn Belarusian and better understand their national identity. These individuals feel that by speaking Belarusian, they can better express their nationality. Read about this identity struggle in the following article:

in the article by Jeremy Bransten, "Students seek revival of language and national consciousness".

Do you believe that by continuing to speak Russian, the majority of Belarusians are continuing to be "provincials in a larger empire," instead of realizing their place as citizens of a unique state?

What are some of the disadvantages of speaking Belarusian?
This article is also interesting because of the comments made about larger regional identities in Belarus.

Do you consider Belarus more European or more Russian?
Why is this distinction important to the people in the article?

For further reading about the connection between the Belarusian language and national identity, see the following article by Alexandra Goujon:
"Language, nationalism, and populism in Belarus."

Next, read about the emerging cultural and national identity of Kazakhs, which has come about since the collapse of the Soviet Union. In this Slate article titled "Who am I? Russian identity in post-Soviet Kazakhstan" writer Jessica P. Hayden describes the uncomfortable position of an ethnic-Russian who remains in Kazakhstan but feels "rootless" because of the sense of national identity which is rapidly changing around her.