Ideologist: Life is hard

Euroradio has found out what is a Belarusian ideologist’s workday is like and how they are helping Belarusians survive the crisis.


Do Belarusian ideologists have to work more during the crisis? Evidently, the time is not easy for these people. It is almost impossible to phone executive committees’ ideology departments. Many of them simply do not answer the phone.


Euroradio did not manage to talk to the ideologist of the enterprise “Aquadiv” because … he had no phone in his office!


The ideology department of Svetlahorsk District Executive Committee found out what we wanted and replied: “Well…” – then they put the phone down. And they did not pick up the phone anymore.


We managed to catch the ideologist of “Worsted Factory” near the exit when she was leaving for “a festive event”.


"It is our daily work”, - said the ideologist of “Worsted”, - “we have to explain the current situation to people and well as normative documents adopted in the state, etc.”

 

An ideologist of the City Executive Committee who asked not to reveal his name, informed Euroradio about the things they told.


Ideologist: "We talk to people everyday. I meet people when I leave home and on my way to work. When I leave work… I constantly talk to people at work. I describe everything the way I comprehend it”.


Euroradio: "What do you tell them?"


Ideologist: "I tell them what I tell them. Life is complicated, that’s what I tell them. It is not always wonderful for everyone… There are problems everywhere, all over the globe”.


Euroradio has found out that one of ideologists’ principles nowadays is talking as little as possible.


"As they say, talking is silver but silence is gold! What can you do today? Can you come out and say: “People, it is a temporary situation…?” You have to understand what you should say at first. But it is not that easy nowadays.


I would not hurry in any case – I would not tell them not to buy or not to do certain things… Human psychology is like this - you tell them: “Do not buy!”, - and they go and buy. If you tell them: “Buy”, - you take the responsibility for it. They may tell you later: “You told us to buy and it was not necessary!”.


Minsk and provincial ideologists work the same way. Our ideology is known to everyone, noted the chief ideology department of Minsk City Executive Committee:


"We work the way we have always done. We work with the populations in working collectives and according to their places of residence”.

 
Euroradio: "What do you tell them?"
"You can hear it on TV. The President described the situation yesterday and a conference had taken place before it”.


What is an ideologist’s working day like? “I can receive people anytime”, - said a district ideologist who asked to be anonymous.


“There are reception days like everywhere; we went to the district council yesterday. So telling that I simply wait for people to come is not right. There are days when we visit certain inhabited localities. It means live conversations. My schedule is indicated on the doorplate but I can receive people on any day and at any time if they need it”.

Euroradio asked him if he believed that the crises would be over soon and our interviewee replied: “I do!” – and advised watching TV more.

"I am a patriot. I have been to many places but I always come back to Belarus because you can find peace of mind and fun here. No matter how difficult the situation is. I can even shed a sentimental tear.
If somebody wants to say that it is bad here, I always advise them to watch TV more attentively for at least a couple of days”.