ABSTRACT
It was compellingly evident to the majority of citizens in Belarus that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaja had won the presidential election on August 9, 2020. Long lines snaked through the streets of Belarus with citizens waiting to add their signatures to get the oppositional candidates on to the ballots – despite the pandemic. The borders of Belarus have fluctuated through modern history, under the rule of various regional powers. After the war, Belarus was rebuilt on an impressive scale, but with Stalin’s militant policy of sovietisation, large numbers of Russians were moved into Belarus, with many occupying top governmental positions. Belarus was becoming increasingly integrated into the global economy, while at the same time dependent on Russia for energy supply. The Belarusian IT sector has long been not only technologically very advanced, but also represented an important share of the economy.
