The Kremlin’s message, which angered Belarusians, was enough to mention Muravyov’s chorus

“Mikhail Nikolayevich Muravyov was born on October 12, 1796, a prominent Russian military and state figure, the Governor General of the Northwest Region, famous for the repression of the Polish uprising in 1863-1864 in what is now Belarus and Lithuania,” he congratulated to Belarusians on October 12. Account of the Russian Embassy in Belarus on the social network Twitter.

⚫️🟡⚪️ On October 12, 1796, Mikhail Nikolaevich Muravyov-Vilensky was born, a prominent Russian statesman and military leader, Governor General of the Northwest Territory, famous for pacifying the Polish rebellion of 1863-64. on the territory of present-day Belarus and Lithuania. #BOTD pic.twitter.com/XbdZezzFvF

– Russia in Belarus (@RusEmbassyMinsk) October 12, 2020

The message like a mat provoked a storm of reactions. Until now, even supporters of the Belarusian opposition and other critics of Lukashenko, who did not hide their favor or at least a neutral attitude towards the Kremlin, welcomed this message from the Russian embassy with surprise and even with oaths. Such reactions were unexpected, although the message itself is eloquent due to Muravyov’s personality.

Rejection reactions received

Puppy. The murderer. As famous as Mueller in Russia (Heinrich Mueller, the infamous commander of the Nazi German Secret Police (Gestapo)). Shame! How can you befriend Moscow after such records?

Such comments were poured out after the Russian embassy’s registration on Muravyov, recalling his nickname – korikas. The “suppressor of the Polish rebellion” Muravyov is a controversial figure in Belarus. On the one hand, some historians who make no secret of sympathy for the Kremlin, such as the 2017 In Belarus Alexander Bendin, Doctor of History, who published a monograph on the governor-general of Vilnius, praises N. Muravyov as a figure who helped Belarusians to form national self-awareness.

In fact, from 1826, when Muravyov was appointed deputy governor of present-day Vitebsk in Belarus, until 1835, when he was able to work in Belarus as governor of Mogilev, Grodno, according to Bendin, could be called the first “batka” in Belarus. . “Father”) – a title that is often attributed to Lukashenko. Muravyov’s efforts to strengthen the influence of the Russian language, culture, and the Orthodox Church in the country, whose elite peaked despite the divisions of the Republic of Two Nations in the 18th century. At the end of the 19th century, the strong legacy and influence of the Polish language and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania still prevailed.

It was N. Muravyov’s efforts to unite the “Northwest Region”, the so-called territories of the former GDL in present-day Lithuania and Belarus, that helped “the Belarusians to develop their identity.” A. Bendin has even actively proposed to build the same monument in Belarus, as since the 19th century. pab. until 1915 he was in Vilnius, at the head of the current presidency.

According to his contemporaries, Vilnius residents hated this last monument and secretly smeared it with grease and valerian at night, which is why Vilnius wandering dogs constantly rubbed the monument of M. Muravjov and howled at night. Therefore, the monument was later surrounded by a fence and guarded.

“What the Russian rifles could not do, the Russian schools will end,” Muravyov said after suppressing the Polish-Lithuanian uprising of 1830-1831, emphasizing the need to close Vilnius University and reduce the influence of the Catholic Church. However, N. Muravjov received the nickname “korikas” from another, in 1863-1864. During the uprising, when he was appointed Governor General of Vilnius in May 1863, before adopting his policy of Russification, he took particularly harsh measures against the rebels.

And the chorus of Belarusian heroes

For most Belarusians, Muravyov is associated with the famous 1863-1864. insurgency, all the more so since it was not by chance that his role was singled out by the Russian embassy. By order of N. Muravjov, executions of 127 rebels were organized in Vilnius by hanging them in public in Lukiškės Square. Another 9 thousand. Supporters of the uprising were deported to Siberia.

However, the biggest outrage for Belarusians is the execution of N. Muravjov of Kostas Kalinauskas, the leader of an uprising. The Belarusians call their own K. Kalinauskas, a future insurgent in Belarus, better known as Kanstancin Kalinouskis, who originated in the family of the gentry and originally settled in Grodno, a stronghold of the current Belarusian opposition.

The Belarusian opposition and, paradoxically, even the Minsk official recognized K. Kalinauskas as a hero: in November last year, Lukashenko delegated his Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrišenko to the ceremony during the uprising rebellion found on the Gediminas hill, including the solemn funeral of K. Kalinauskas.

According to him, the uprising against the Russian Empire in 1863-1864 is “a page in our common past”, uniting the nations that participated in the rebellion. He said it in a wreath decorated in white, red and white: it is Belarusians dressed in the colors of the Belarusian national flag who are protesting against Lukashenko’s regime.

“Each country has its own image of K. Kalinauskas, but it must not become that historical figure that is exploited for political purposes. On the contrary, it is a page from our common past, which we must respect and which unites us now and in the future, ”said I. Petrišenka at Vilnius Cathedral.

“The events of 1863-1864, which immediately affected the territories of several Eastern European countries, also took place on our land.” Almost all the people to whom we pay tribute today are children of the Belarusian land, associated with their common destiny, “added the Belarusian representative.

Kremlin support is ambiguous

However, the mention of Muravyov in the context of events in Belarus is not accidental. The Lukashenko regime has been trying to maintain power since August 9 and has so far managed to stop all protests by force. In response to the tough stance of Lithuania and Poland, which were among the first to declare Lukashenko a legitimate leader, Belarus adopted intimidation tactics: Lukashenko, who had stepped up the tough rhetoric against Lithuania and Poland, accused both sides of inciting. tensions and even threatening Belarus. Just so there is no war

That is why the Belarusian military forces have been transferred to the border with Lithuania and Poland, where they have participated in joint military exercises with the Russian army in recent months.

The symbolic reminder of Muravyov, who held back Lithuanians and Poles, was just an attempt to further strengthen historical contradictions and to reevaluate the Kremlin’s role in supporting the Lukashenko regime. On the other hand, such symbolism is also eloquent, given Muravyov’s role as governor general on the territory of present-day Belarus: Lukashenko is promised a similar fate, that is, to become even more dependent on the Kremlin or even to be replaced by a deputy sent from Moscow. Governor General.