Nasha Niva facts for kids
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| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| 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 Belarusian newspapers. It started in 1906 and was brought back in 1991. Nasha Niva became a very important cultural symbol. This was because it published a lot of Belarusian literature and was a leader in Belarusian language journalism. The years before the October Revolution are often called the 'Nasha Niva Period' because of its importance.
Between 1906 and 1915, the newspaper came out every week. From 1991 to 1995, it was published once a month. Then it went back to weekly in 1996, and every two weeks from 1997 to 1999. In 1999, it became a weekly paper again.
Nasha Niva also launched an online version (nn.by) in 1997. By 2017, it was the most visited website in the Belarusian language.
Nasha Niva is known for being free from government influence. It also has a high rating for good journalism. Because it openly disagreed with Alexander Lukashenko's government, the newspaper faced many challenges. It received large fines and was not allowed in state distribution systems. Its editors and journalists faced arrests and questioning.
As of 2020, Jahor Marcinovič was the editor-in-chief. He took over from Andrej Dyńko.
On July 8, 2021, the government blocked the newspaper's website. The editor-in-chief Jahor Marcinovič and editor Andrej Skurko were taken into custody. Their homes and the office were searched. On July 13, the newspaper announced it would stop publishing in Belarus. This was due to increasing pressure from the authorities. Employees were told to move outside Belarus. The editors said they would try to restart the newspaper from outside the country. A new website was launched on July 29, 2021. Its content came from the newspaper's social media and Telegram channel.
On January 27, 2022, the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Belarus called Nasha Niva an 'extremist formation'. On March 15, 2022, Marcinovič and Skurko were sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. This was for an estimated material damage of 10,000 Belarusian rubles (about $3000).
On August 15, 2022, Nasha Niva started a Ukrainian-language Telegram channel. This was to help Ukrainians get fair information about Belarus.
For International Mother Language Day (February 21) in 2023, a version of Nasha Niva was launched online in Łacinka. This is the Belarusian Latin alphabet.
Contents
The Story of Nasha Niva
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Early Years: 1906–1915
Nasha Niva was inspired by Iskra, a political newspaper from 1901. At a meeting in June 1906, Belarusian journalist Anton Łuckevič shared his idea to create a party newspaper. His brother Ivan and Alaksandar Ułasaŭ helped start it. Ułasaŭ was a landowner who became the newspaper's publisher and editor for many years. The name "Nasha Niva" came from a poem by Janka Lučyna. The first issue came out on November 23, 1906. Alaksandar Ułasaŭ became the chief editor from the fifth issue onwards.
In its first three years, the newspaper published many reports, poems, and articles. In 1910 alone, "Nasha Niva" published 666 different letters from 427 people. The paper covered many topics like politics, economy, and culture. Each issue had sections on government news, country life, city life, new Belarusian literature, and more.
The newspaper's main goal was to unite Belarusians as a nation. It was also the first source of information free from government control. The editors also worked to protect and promote Belarusian culture. Many groups, like farming initiatives and youth clubs, used the newspaper to share their activities. In 1911, about 3,000 copies were printed. Until October 1912, the newspaper was printed in both Cyrillic and Latin scripts. From October 24, 1912, it switched completely to the Cyrillic alphabet. A year's subscription cost 5 roubles.
The newspaper's support for national interests led to problems with Russian censorship. Even a discussion about farming in 1907 was called 'rebellious'. The editor, Alaksandar Ułasaŭ, was tried and put in prison. Sometimes, entire issues were taken away, and editors had to pay fines.
The Editors' Team
The people who wrote for and subscribed to the newspaper became important figures in Belarusian life. For example, Ciška Hartny (whose real name was Źmicier Žyłunovič) became one of the first leaders of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. Branisłaŭ Taraškievič was a political leader and wrote the first printed grammar of the Belarusian language.
Ivan Łuckevič from Minsk was a key person in setting the newspaper's goals. He also started the famous Belarusian Museum in Vilnius. His brother, Anton Łuckevič, helped shape the ideas of 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. From 1912 to 1913, he was the main editor. He focused on historical topics, which were very important to Nasha Niva. Janka Kupała, a famous poet, became the editor in March 1914. He continued until the autumn of 1915, when Vilnius was taken over by Germans.
By early 1909, the editorial team had six full-time employees. These included the Łuckevič brothers, Alaksandar Ułasaŭ, Vacłaŭ Łastoŭski, Janka Kupała, and Jadvihin Š.. Siarhiej Pałujan joined them in the summer of 1909. The team was split into two groups. The Łuckevič brothers and Ułasaŭ made up the 'Upper House'. They worked in a separate room and communicated through notes. Their main goal was to keep the newspaper going. The 'Lower Chamber' did the daily tasks. Their articles were published under different names, and the 'Upper House' could change their decisions. These difficult relationships might have led to Siarhiej Pałujan's death in 1910. Records show that in 1909, the newspaper had readers in places like Prague, Paris, Lviv, and the USA.
Sadly, many of these important figures, including Anton Łuckevič, Alaksandar Ułasaŭ, Branisłaŭ Taraškievič, Źmicier Žyłunovič, and Vacłaŭ Łastoŭski, faced problems during the Soviet repressions in the 1930s.
Promoting the Belarusian Language
In the early 20th century, the Belarusian language was mostly used by farmers. It was not often used by educated people or the upper classes. "Nasha Niva" helped set standards for the Belarusian literary language. It played a big role 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 information to the editor. Many writers from different parts of Belarus contributed articles and literary works. This helped to bring back the literary language by using words and phrases that were common across the country. The newspaper was very important in setting the rules for spelling, grammar, and word formation in modern Belarusian. Jakub Kołas, a famous Belarusian writer, wrote for "Nasha Niva". The newspaper also helped discover the works of Maksim Bahdanovič and Źmitrok Biadula. It published writings by many important thinkers, including Janka Kupała, Anton Łuckevič, Maksim Bahdanovič, and Vacłaŭ Łastoŭski.
Nasha Niva understood that the Belarusian language was not popular in rural areas. To help, it promoted education in Belarusian. It also supported people's right to use their native language in schools and churches.
From 1906 to 1912, issues used both Cyrillic and Latin alphabets at the same time.
Publishing and Influence
The newspaper became a center for intellectual life. It was a meeting point for independent cultural and social projects. Since 1907, the editors also published books. "Nasha Niva" helped coordinate publishing efforts. The yearly Belarusian Calendars were very popular. These almanacs had daily information and literary works. The publishing center also released original books and translations. A funny magazine called 'Krapiva' (Nettles) was published in Vilnia in 1912. The farming section of Nasha Niva grew into its own magazine, 'Sacha' (Wooden Plough), published in Minsk from late 1913.
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 form the first Belarusian theater company. More than 1 million copies of the newspaper were published between 1906 and 1915. The huge amount of work done by "Nasha Niva" has led historians to call early 20th-century Belarusian culture the 'Nasha Niva period'. This shows how much modern culture and society changed during that time.
World War I and Its Impact
In 1914, Nasha Niva could no longer openly criticize the government during wartime. Such opposition could be seen as disloyalty. The newspaper published articles about patriotic actions by ordinary Belarusians. However, its editors did not show support for the Russian military. The Russian army was described as being as foreign as the German one.
When the war started, Nasha Niva issues became half their usual size. From the autumn of 1914, blank spaces appeared on its pages. These were left by government censors. The last issue was published in the summer of 1915. By then, most of the staff had been called to serve in the military.
A Short Revival in 1920
Maksim Harecki tried to bring the newspaper back in Vilnia in 1920. The first issue of the revived Nasha Niva came out on October 28, 1920. It was described as a daily newspaper about society, politics, and literature. From the fourth issue, Viačasłaŭ Znamiaroǔski was the editor-in-chief. In December 1920, the newspaper was banned again, this time by Polish military censors.
Nasha Niva Returns in 1991
The end of the Soviet Union and the rise of the independence movement in Belarus made it possible for the newspaper to return. Journalist Siarhiej Dubaviec relaunched Nasha Niva in Vilnius in May 1991.
The revived newspaper became very special among other Belarusian publications. "Nasha Niva" stopped being so cautious and opened its pages to discussions on many topics. It also published many translations of foreign literature. The paper especially discussed two topics: the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and how Belarus could relate to other nations in the region. In 2000, Siarhiej Dubaviec stepped down, and Andrej Dyńko became the new editor-in-chief.
In 1996, the newspaper's office moved to Minsk, Belarus. The topics covered by "Nasha Niva" changed from literature and culture to political and social issues. In 1999, the newspaper became a weekly again. In 2002, it grew from 12 to 16 pages weekly, and in 2005, to 24 pages. At its busiest, 8,000 copies were printed. Due to government pressure and being blocked from state distribution, "Nasha Niva" changed to a smaller size and increased to 48 pages. The number of copies printed dropped to 2,200.
In 2006, "Nasha Niva" decided to grow its online version. Andrej Skurko led the web department, and Andrej Dyńko became the chief of the paper edition. In the 1990s, work began to create exact copies of the newspaper issues from 1906 to 1915. At the same time, information was gathered to create a dictionary of the language used in those early years of "Nasha Niva".
On July 31, 2023, the European Parliament passed a resolution. It asked the European Commission and its member countries 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 paper was challenged for using the traditional Belarusian spelling (Taraškievica). In 1998, the newspaper won a court case and was allowed to keep using the classical spelling. "Nasha Niva" used the classical spelling until 2008. Then it switched to the spelling taught in schools. This was to 'improve communication between intellectuals and the public'.
In 2005, the authorities banned the newspaper from being sent through the Belarusian postal system. They also blocked it from the official agency that delivered papers to shops. The number of copies printed dropped from 3500 to 2000. In 2006 alone, the publication received four official warnings for not showing its legal address. In fact, four different landlords ended their contracts with the editors without warning. This happened as soon as "Nasha Niva" told the Information Ministry about their agreements.
Between 2006 and 2008, volunteers had to distribute the newspaper. Because of this, the newspaper changed to A4 size. This made it easier to carry in bags and envelopes.
"Nasha Niva" has been taken to court and fined many times. The KGB also searched the newspaper's office and journalists' homes. In 2006, the newspaper's 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 not appropriate'. On April 29, 2006, 300 activists held a rally to support Nasha Niva. Ten people were arrested. In March 2008, the police attacked and arrested journalists Syamyon Pechanko and Andrei Lyankevich. They were reporting from a rally in Minsk. Pechanko was accused of organizing the rally and was held for 15 days.
In 2008, the Belarusian government started to ease media restrictions, following requests from the European Union. By the end of 2008, "Nasha Niva" and "Narodnaya Volya" were allowed back into state subscription and newsstand sales. Soon, "Nasha Niva" switched from black and white to color printing. Its circulation grew to 6000. However, in 2010, almost half of the July print run was taken and destroyed by the government. The censored issue had an article about a Russian TV show that was seen as an attack on the Belarusian president. In December 2010, the KGB searched the editors' office. All office equipment was taken. Searches were also done at Andrej Skurko's apartment.
Challenges in the 2010s
By 2010, the Nasha Niva website became the most popular internet resource in the Belarusian language. According to Google Analytics, in 2017, over 600,000 people visited NN.by each month. More than 7 million pages were viewed. About 84% of visitors were from Belarus, and 49% were from Minsk.
In 2011, Źmicier Pankaviec became the editor of the weekly paper. "Nasha Niva" printed about 8000 copies, with half distributed by subscription. On April 11, 2011, a bombing happened in the Minsk Underground. "Nasha Niva" reported on the events. Later, the Information Ministry accused the publication of making false statements. The editors' office and staff apartments were searched. Journalists were questioned by the general prosecutor's office and the Belarusian security service (KGB). "Nasha Niva" reported that one victim was left at the station until late evening. The authorities said this information was false and harmful. On April 27, 2011, the Ministry of Information started legal action to close "Nasha Niva" and Narodnaya Volya newspapers. International attention led the authorities to close the cases in early June. The Ministry filed claims for administrative offenses against the newspapers. Both investigations ended with fines of 14 million Belarusian roubles for the publications. According to BAJ deputy director Andrej Bastuniec, since 2012, freedom of speech in Belarus remained very low.
In 2012, Andrej Dyńko was banned from traveling abroad. After six official complaints, he was removed from the blacklist.
In 2017, "Nasha Niva" became the third most popular media in Belarus. It also launched Nasha Nina, a web project for female audiences. On March 1, 2017, chief editor Andrej Skurko resigned. His position was taken by Jahor Marcinovič. Skurko remained deputy editor-in-chief. By 2018, the editors' office had 12 journalists. Nasha Niva on paper was published monthly in 3000 copies. One newspaper cost 2.5 Belarusian roubles.
Recent Events: 2020s
The newspaper covered the nationwide protests after the 2020 Belarusian presidential election in detail. On July 8, 2021, the government blocked the newspaper's website. The editor-in-chief Yahor Martsinovich and editor Andrey Skurko were taken into custody. Their homes and the office were searched. Martsinovich was injured during the arrest. A few days later, Martsinovich and Skurko faced criminal charges on July 14. In jail, Skurko, who has a health condition, was left without medication for 13 days. He also became sick with COVID-19.
In November 2021, Nasha Niva's Telegram channel and its social media accounts were declared 'extremist materials'. In January 2022, the KGB declared Nasha Niva an 'extremist formation'. Creating or joining an extremist formation is a crime in Belarus.
Nasha Niva Online
On May 11, 2016, the editors announced that Nasha Niva would focus on its internet version. The paper version would continue monthly. However, fundraising to support the paper edition did not succeed. On June 6, 2018, the editors announced they would stop printing the paper version. They would move completely to the web. According to "Nasha Niva" statistics, in May 2018, its website had 475,000 unique visitors. They read 7.1 million pages. Most of the audience was aged 25–35, and 60% of visitors were male.
In February 2018, the website was attacked by bots. In March 2019, "Nasha Niva" social media accounts were attacked from Belarusian internet addresses. In June 2020, "Nasha Niva" lost its website address nn.by due to a late payment. By law, unpaid website addresses go up for auction the day after payment is due. The newspaper continued at the Nashaniva.by address. The original address was returned on June 30, 2020.
Like many other independent media websites, NN.by was shut down on August 8, 2020. This was when the presidential elections took place in Belarus. During the protests in Minsk, "Nasha Niva" journalist Natalla Łubnieǔskaja was shot with a rubber bullet by the police. Jahor Marcinovič was arrested on August 11 on his way home from a protest. During questioning, he was severely beaten by law enforcement officers.
As of September 9, 2021, Yahor Martsinovich was in prison. He faced criminal charges related to property damage. On January 27, 2022, Nasha Niva was declared 'an extremist formation' by the state Ministry of Internal Affairs. On March 15, 2022, Marcinovič and Skurko were sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. This was for an estimated material damage of 10,000 Belarusian rubles (about $3000). Investigators claimed that in May 2017, they opened offices in Skurko's apartment. However, they paid for electricity as individuals, while Belarusian law requires businesses to pay higher rates.
Editors-in-Chief of Nasha Niva
- Alaksandar Ułasaŭ (founder, editor from 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 won national awards for his investigative 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.
- Gerd Bucerius Press Prize (2007)
- I Love Belarus (2010)
- Andrej Dyńko won first prize in the 'Belarus in Focus' journalist contest (2013).
- Egor Martinovich received the 'Press Freedom' award by Reporters Without Borders (2015).
- Egor Martinovich and Dmitry Pankaviec received the BAJ 'Volnaye Slova' Award (2015).
- Natallia Lubneuskaya received the Free Media Award (2021).
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