Nasha Niva facts for kids
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| Type | Weekly newspaper |
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| Owner(s) | VPUP Surodzichy |
| Founded | 1906 |
| Language | Belarusian (Taraškievica before 2008) |
| Circulation | over 6,000 |
Nasha Niva (Belarusian: Наша Ніва, romanized: Naša Niva, meaning "Our Field") is one of the oldest newspapers in Belarus. It started way back in 1906 and then began publishing again in 1991.
This newspaper became very important for Belarusian culture. It published many Belarusian stories and poems. It also helped develop Belarusian language journalism. Because of its big role, the years before the October Revolution are sometimes called the 'Nasha Niva Period'.
The newspaper was published weekly from 1906 to 1915. After it was re-established, it came out monthly, then every two weeks, and finally weekly again by 1999.
Nasha Niva also has an online version (nn.by), which started in 1997. By 2017, it became the most popular website in the Belarusian language.
Experts say Nasha Niva does not spread government messages. It is known for its high standards in journalism. The newspaper has often faced problems from the government because it shares different views. Its editors and journalists have been arrested or questioned many times.
In July 2021, the newspaper's website was blocked by the authorities. The editor-in-chief, Yahor Martsinovich, and editor Andrej Skurko were arrested. Their homes and office were searched. A few days later, the newspaper announced it would stop publishing in Belarus due to the pressure. They told their staff to move abroad. The team then launched a new website from outside Belarus later that month.
In January 2022, the government called Nasha Niva an 'extremist group'. This made it very hard for them to operate.
Contents
The Story of Nasha Niva
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Early Years (1906–1915)
The idea for Nasha Niva came from a political newspaper called Iskra. In June 1906, a Belarusian journalist named Anton Łuckevič decided to create a newspaper for his political party. His brother Ivan and a landowner named Alaksandar Ułasaŭ helped him. Ułasaŭ was the newspaper's publisher and editor for many years. The name "Nasha Niva" came from a poem. The first issue was published on November 23, 1906.
In its first three years, the newspaper published many articles, poems, and reports from people all over the country. Nasha Niva covered many topics, including government news, village life, city life, and new Belarusian literature. It also had sections for news from other places, book reviews, and farming tips.
The main goal of the newspaper was to unite the Belarusian people and help Belarus become a stronger nation. It was also the first source of information that was not controlled by the government. The editors wanted to protect and promote Belarusian culture. Many groups, like farmers and young people, used the newspaper to share their ideas. By 1911, about 3,000 copies were printed. Until October 1912, the newspaper was printed using both Cyrillic and Latin alphabets. After that, it only used the Cyrillic alphabet.
The newspaper often faced problems from Russian censorship because it defended Belarusian interests. Even articles about farming were sometimes seen as "rebellious." The editor, Alaksandar Ułasaŭ, was even put in prison. Sometimes, entire issues of the newspaper were taken away, and the editors had to pay fines.
Important People at Nasha Niva
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Many important people in Belarusian politics and culture worked with Nasha Niva. For example, Ciška Hartny, who later became one of the first leaders of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic, was a correspondent. Branisłaŭ Taraškievič, who wrote the first printed grammar of the Belarusian language, also worked there.
Ivan Łuckevič, one of the founders, was a key figure. He also started the famous Belarusian Museum in Vilnius. His brother, Anton Łuckevič, helped create the ideas for the Belarusian Socialist Party. He later became the Prime Minister of the Belarusian People's Republic. Vacłaŭ Łastoŭski, another future Prime Minister, became the newspaper's secretary in 1909. He was in charge of historical topics, which were very important to Nasha Niva. Janka Kupała, a famous poet, became the editor in March 1914. He worked there until the Germans occupied Vilnius in 1915.
By 1909, the office had six full-time employees. They even had subscribers in places like Prague, Paris, Lviv, and the USA. Sadly, many of these important figures later faced difficulties in the 1930s.
Developing the Belarusian Language
In the early 1900s, the Belarusian language was mostly spoken by farmers. Nasha Niva helped make the Belarusian language more common and set standards for how it should be written. It played a big part in creating classic Belarusian literature and developing the idea of Belarusian statehood.
The newspaper had a strong connection with its readers. More than three thousand people sent in information to the editors. This helped the newspaper understand how the language was used across the country. This way, Nasha Niva helped set the rules for spelling, grammar, and word-building in modern Belarusian. Famous writers like Jakub Kołas and Maksim Bahdanovič contributed to Nasha Niva.
Nasha Niva knew that many people in rural areas didn't use Belarusian much. To help, it promoted education in Belarusian. It also fought for people's right to use their native language in schools and churches.
From 1906 to 1912, the newspaper used both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets at the same time.
Publishing More Than Just News
The newspaper became a hub for intellectual life. It helped start many independent cultural and social projects. From 1907, the editors also started publishing books. They were especially known for their annual Belarusian Calendars. These almanacs had daily information and also literary works. They published both original books and translations.
One of Nasha Niva's founders, Ivan Łuckevič, started collecting old items for a future Belarusian National Museum. Most of these items are now in the National History Museum of Lithuania. The newspaper's staff also helped Ihnat Bujnicki create the first Belarusian theater group. Between 1906 and 1915, more than 1 million copies of the newspaper were published. Because of all this work, historians call the early 20th century in Belarusian culture the 'Nasha Niva period'.
World War I and Its Impact
When World War I started in 1914, Nasha Niva could no longer openly criticize the government. Doing so might have been seen as disloyal during wartime. The newspaper published stories about patriotic actions by ordinary Belarusians. However, it did not show support for the Russian military. Both the Russian and German armies were described as foreign.
During the war, Nasha Niva's issues became shorter. From the autumn of 1914, blank spaces appeared on its pages where government censors had removed parts. The last issue was published in the summer of 1915. By then, most of the staff had been called to serve in the military.
Trying to Restart in 1920
The first attempt to bring the newspaper back was made by Maksim Harecki in Vilnia in 1920. The first issue of the revived Nasha Niva came out on October 28, 1920. It was meant to be a daily newspaper about society and literature. But in December 1920, the newspaper was banned again, this time by Polish military censorship.
Return in 1991
When the Soviet Union broke up, and Belarus moved towards independence, Nasha Niva was able to start publishing again. Journalist Siarhiej Dubaviec relaunched it in Vilnius in May 1991.
The revived newspaper became special among other Belarusian publications. Nasha Niva started discussing global topics and published many translated foreign books. It focused on the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and how Belarus could relate to other countries. In 2000, Siarhiej Dubaviec left, and Andrej Dyńko became the new editor-in-chief.
In 1996, the newspaper's office moved to Minsk, Belarus. The topics shifted from literature to politics and social issues. By 1999, it was a weekly newspaper again. Its size and number of pages grew, and at its peak, it printed 8,000 copies. Later, due to government pressure, it changed to a smaller size and printed fewer copies.
In 2006, Nasha Niva decided to focus more on its online version. Andrej Skurko led the web department. Work also began to create digital copies of all the old issues from 1906 to 1915.
In July 2023, the European Parliament asked the European Commission to support Belarusian media outlets, including Nasha Niva.
Facing Government Pressure
Since 1995, and especially in the 2000s, Nasha Niva has faced pressure from the government of Alexander Lukashenko. The newspaper was targeted for using the traditional Belarusian spelling (Taraškievica). In 1998, the newspaper won a court case and was allowed to keep using this spelling. Nasha Niva used this classical spelling until 2008. Then, it switched to the spelling taught in schools to "improve communication" with the public.
In 2005, the authorities stopped the newspaper from being distributed through the postal system and newsstands. This caused the number of copies sold to drop. The newspaper also received warnings for not showing its legal address. This happened because different landlords suddenly ended their contracts with the newspaper.
Between 2006 and 2008, volunteers had to distribute the newspaper. Because of this, it changed to a smaller size (A4) to make it easier to carry.
Nasha Niva has been taken to court and fined many times. The KGB (state security service) has searched the newspaper's office and journalists' homes. In 2006, the Chief Editor, Andrej Dyńko, was arrested and spent 10 days in prison. After his arrest, Minsk authorities said that distributing Nasha Niva in the city was "inappropriate." In April 2006, 300 people protested to support Nasha Niva, and 10 were arrested.
In 2008, the Belarusian government seemed to ease up on media rules. Nasha Niva was allowed back into state distribution. It then started printing in color, and its circulation grew to 6,000. However, in 2010, almost half of one issue was taken and destroyed by the government. This issue had an article about a TV show that criticized the president. In December 2010, the KGB searched the office and took all the equipment. They also searched Andrej Skurko's apartment.
The 2010s
By 2010, the Nasha Niva website became the most popular internet resource in the Belarusian language. In 2017, it had over 600,000 visitors each month. Most visitors were from Belarus.
In 2011, Źmicier Pankaviec became the editor of the weekly paper. Nasha Niva printed around 8,000 copies, with half distributed by subscription. In April 2011, a bombing happened in the Minsk Underground. Nasha Niva covered the event. Later, the government accused the publication of making false statements. The office and staff homes were searched, and journalists were questioned. The government tried to close Nasha Niva and another newspaper, Narodnaya Volya. But international attention made the authorities drop the cases. However, the newspapers were fined.
In 2012, Andrej Dyńko was not allowed to travel abroad for a while.
In 2017, Nasha Niva became the third most popular media in Belarus. It also launched a web project for women called Nasha Nina. On March 1, 2017, Andrej Skurko stepped down as chief editor, and Jahor Marcinovič took his place. By 2018, the office had 12 journalists. The paper version of Nasha Niva was published monthly.
The 2020s
The newspaper reported a lot on the nationwide protests after the 2020 Belarusian presidential election. On July 8, 2021, the government blocked the newspaper's website. The editor-in-chief, Yahor Martsinovich, and editor Andrey Skurko were arrested. Their homes and office were searched. A few days later, Martsinovich and Skurko faced legal issues. While in jail, Skurko, who has diabetes, was left without his medicine for 13 days and caught COVID-19.
In November 2021, Nasha Niva's Telegram channel and social media were declared 'extremist materials'. In January 2022, the KGB called Nasha Niva an 'extremist formation'. Creating or joining such a group is a crime in Belarus.
Online Newspaper Focus
On May 11, 2016, the editors announced that Nasha Niva would focus mainly on its internet version. The paper version would continue monthly. However, efforts to raise money for the paper edition didn't succeed. So, on June 6, 2018, the newspaper announced it would stop printing paper copies and move completely online. In May 2018, its website had 475,000 unique visitors. Most of the audience was between 25 and 35 years old.
In February 2018, the website was attacked by bots. In March 2019, Nasha Niva's social media accounts were attacked from Belarusian internet addresses. In June 2020, Nasha Niva temporarily lost its website address (nn.by) because of a payment delay. The newspaper continued using a different address (Nashaniva.by) until the original one was restored.
Like many other independent media websites, nn.by was shut down on August 8, 2020, during the presidential elections in Belarus. During protests in Minsk, Nasha Niva journalist Natalla Łubnieǔskaja was shot by the police with a rubber bullet. Jahor Marcinovič was arrested on August 11 and was badly beaten by police officers during questioning.
As of September 9, 2021, Yahor Martsinovich was in prison and faced legal issues. In January 2022, Nasha Niva was declared an 'extremist formation'. In March 2022, Marcinovič and Skurko were sentenced to prison. Investigators claimed they had caused financial damage by paying for electricity as individuals instead of as a company.
Editors in Chief
- Alaksandar Ułasaŭ (founder, editor 1906–1912)
- Vacłaŭ Łastoŭski (1912–1913)
- Janka Kupała (1914–1915)
- Siarhiej Dubaviec (1991–1999)
- Andrej Dyńko (2000–2006)
- Andrej Skurko (2006–2017)
- Jahor Marcinovič (Martsinovich), who has won awards for his journalism, became chief editor in 2017.
Awards and Recognition
- Chief editor Andrej Dyńko received the International Award "Freedom of Speech" and the Lorenzo Natali Prize in 2006.
- Nasha Niva received the Gerd Bucerius Press Prize in 2007.
- It also received the I Love Belarus award in 2010.
- Andrej Dyńko won first prize in the 'Belarus in Focus' journalist contest in 2013.
- Egor Martinovich received the 'Press Freedom' award from Reporters Without Borders in 2015.
- Egor Martinovich and Dmitry Pankaviec received the BAJ 'Volnaye Slova' Award in 2015.
- Natallia Lubneuskaya received the Free Media Award in 2021.
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