'Trasianka' to be equalized with Belarusian language during census
People call both the Belarusian and Russian language as the mother tongue. Many point to 'trasianka' (a local name for mixed rural dialects. Jokers ask to mention the Chinese languge as their mother tongue in questioners.
Nastsia is a typical census worker. She is a fourth-year student; her future professions is also associated with statistics. On October 15 she got a sore throat, because the weather in Minsk turned cold yesterday. But she got a bit lucky, as the census constituency she is responsible for is smaller than the ones for her fellow students.
Nastsia: “The polling stations are not the same. For instance, I have to visit 110 hoseholds. Other can find themselves responsible for up to 250 apartments”.
Approximately a half of the people decided to arrive at a polling station. The reaction of the others to the visit of the census worker varied and was not always positive.
Nastsia: “One man whom I called twice by mistake actually buzzed me off. There were also people who would tell me "Bye, bye!" when they heard me saying about the census.
On the first day Nastsia managed to cover 22 flats. She was very impressed that the respondents had no higher education.
When asked about the mother tongue, many people sounded in the same way like Alexander Lukashenka in front of TV cameras on the first day of the census. They would say they spoke both the Russsian and Belarusian languages as well as 'trasianka' at home.
Шмат перапікаў, у тым ліку і Насця, ставяць у анкеце дзве птушачкі, таксама як і гераіня тэлесюжэта, якая хадзіла да прэзідэнта.
Sviatlana Navasiolava, head of census department, told the European Radio for Belarus that it was a mistake to mention two language to the question about the mother tongue.
Sviatlana Navasiolava: “It is a mistake. People are expected to have only one mother tongue. But we will process such answers. There will be a certain percentage of those who mentioned botht the Russian and Belarusian languages as their mother tongue since they insist on it.
In the view of the official, 'trasianka' is an acceptable answer. But it will be treated as the Belarusian language.
The national census began in Belarus on October 14 2009. 38,000 people, including 70 percent of students have been dispatched to annoy Belarus citizens with questions. The European Radio for Belarus asked Nastsia, a philosophy and social science student from the Belarus State University, to share her impressions about the first day of the census.
Nastsia is a typical census worker. She is a fourth-year student; her future professions is also associated with statistics. On October 15 she got a sore throat, because the weather in Minsk turned cold yesterday. But she got a bit lucky, as the census constituency she is responsible for is smaller than the ones for her fellow students.
Nastsia: “The polling stations are not the same. For instance, I have to visit 110 hoseholds. Other can find themselves responsible for up to 250 apartments”.
Approximately a half of the people decided to arrive at a polling station. The reaction of the others to the visit of the census worker varied and was not always positive.
Nastsia: “One man whom I called twice by mistake actually buzzed me off. There were also people who would tell me "Bye, bye!" when they heard me saying about the census.
On the first day Nastsia managed to cover 22 flats. She was very impressed that the respondents had no higher education.
When asked about the mother tongue, many people sounded in the same way like Alexander Lukashenka in front of TV cameras on the first day of the census. They would say they spoke both the Russsian and Belarusian languages as well as 'trasianka' at home.
Шмат перапікаў, у тым ліку і Насця, ставяць у анкеце дзве птушачкі, таксама як і гераіня тэлесюжэта, якая хадзіла да прэзідэнта.
Sviatlana Navasiolava, head of census department, told the European Radio for Belarus that it was a mistake to mention two language to the question about the mother tongue.
Sviatlana Navasiolava: “It is a mistake. People are expected to have only one mother tongue. But we will process such answers. There will be a certain percentage of those who mentioned botht the Russian and Belarusian languages as their mother tongue since they insist on it.
In the view of the official, 'trasianka' is an acceptable answer. But it will be treated as the Belarusian language.
