"I've been living in Poland for five years, and I've never encountered 'sperdalai' – every day I see something different here."
Alexander Chigir reacted on Facebook to the resonant article of "Nasha Niva" "I don't want to hear "go to Ukraine" just because I talk to my parents on the phone in Russian." Belarusians share why they are returning from Poland." He talks about his experience of living in Poland.
I've been living in Poland for five years now, and I've never encountered "sperdolay" or any form of xenophobia. I don't rule out that such cases happen, but in my personal experience, there hasn't even been a hint of it.
The Poles I've had to deal with are people who are extremely open to the world and respectful of representatives of other nationalities. I can only say good things about the inspectors from MOPS, the police, doctors, nurses...
My neighbor has been helping my family completely selflessly for years now, and the vast majority of people here are like that.
I'm in my neighborhood group on Facebook - a few days ago there was a message hinting that Ukrainians "should stay in their own country, since the fighting isn't everywhere."
Out of ten comments - ten condemned this position, and some users noted that the author was acting in the interests of Putin in Poland. This is a very telling marker of public sentiment.
Of course, there are complex topics - from Volhynia to cases of antisocial behavior by individual migrants, both Ukrainian and Belarusian. There are communication difficulties, as in any multinational space. But these problems are not even close to being comparable to the "Jewish question" in the USSR or the attitude that deep Belarusian society often demonstrates towards foreigners and neighboring peoples.
Inflaming the topic of ethnic hatred in the form of "sperdolay" is not an accident, but part of a hybrid attack. The goal is to drive a wedge between people, create distrust, and incite conflicts where they don't exist. This is technology, not the reality of everyday life.
Judging by my Facebook feed, these narratives are being promoted by the same people. I don't know what drives them - their own stupidity, vanity, or the demands of an employer...
Here in Poland, I see something different every day: mutual respect, willingness to help, and the ability to show solidarity - qualities that, I hope, no propaganda will be able to undermine.
Comments
Польшча - найлепшая краіна для эміграцыі з Беларусі. Калі вы не маскаль у душы канешне ;)
Добрых, прыстойных палякаў шмат, можна жыць у іх атачэнні і не мець праблем. Але ёсць і іншыя, і трэба быць пільным. Я ўжо не кажу пра прыхаваныя настроі.