Belarus Bans George Orwell’s Renowned Novel 1984

In what is supposed to be the latest assault on freedom of choice by the bordering Russian nation, Belarus has banned George Orwell’s famous dystopian novel “1984” in the entire country. “1984” is a highly popular novel by the celebrated British author George Orwell, who also wrote the hugely popular “Animal Farm.” As is confirmed by the Belarusian media outlets, Belarusian publishing authorities have instructed publishers countrywide to withdraw Orwell’s “1984” from bookshelves and sales. The order has come into force by May 19th. The book was available in English and Russian-language versions on bookstalls, as well as available in some online bookstores too.

The reason for banning Orwell’s anti-utopian novel is its sharp and stark presentation of a totalitarian society, in which the author shows how an individual’s freedom and dignity are stripped by totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. The Belarusian media regulatory authority has even detained a publisher named Andrey Yanushkevich and a bookstore employee Nasta Karnatskaya searching their store and apartment. The state security force has found and confiscated over 200 copies of the book.

Publishers Sacked By the Belarusian Authorities for Selling “1984”

Andrey Yanushkevich’s publishing house has republished the novel in the Belarusian language in 2020 and 2021, notwithstanding the current situation of war in Ukraine with Russia and Belarus’s support of Russia in this ongoing conflict. Due to this, the Yanushkevich publishing house and the owner’s home were raided by the state police of Belarus, and both Andrey and his colleague were detained. After this incident, another publishing house by the name of Knigavka has its doors also closed.

George Orwell’s famous novel, as is believed by many today, is a very contrasting image of what Russia is doing today. Set in fictional continental superstates of Oceania, Eastasia, and Eurasia, the book describes how a totalitarian government dictates news and the history of the country according to the chartered requirements of the ruling party.

Apart from its real-life resembling Russia, the novel also starkly resembles the political situation in Belarus. The country’s self-proclaimed President Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has been in power since the establishment of Presidential office in 1994 in Belarus, has been accused of managing the country through totalitarian rule. Under his presidency, there has been little to no state-level development on human resources and ever-increasing surveillance of media and publishing houses in the country.

President Lukashenko has also recently signed amendments in the country’s law which forbade any resistance fighter to fight alongside Ukraine in the current Ukraine-Russia war with a death penalty. The president has seen fierce criticism of these moves in which renowned figures of the country, such as Belarus’s celebrated poet Serhiy Prylutsky has called him a “dictator of the first-class level.” One thing is quite sure in these circumstances: The Russian and Belarusian governments are much-resembling the dystopia of “1984” where Vladimir Putin is the Big Brother, and his puppets as the feared “thought-police.”