Abstract

In her paper the author analyzes the role of cultural traditions in social transformation of post-Soviet societies. On example of post-socialist transformation of Belarus, she demonstrates the factors that have been dampening and obstruct the post-industrial reforms. Among them specifies the following: the destruction of traditional values through the introduction of modernist political ideology inconsistent with the national culture, political repression against the social groups supporting national religion and cultural traditions, a large-scale urbanization in an agrarian country by totalitarian political practices, establishment of the repressive social institutions responsible for the social alienation and the suppression of civil initiatives. The author shows that the consequences of this transformation became a crisis of morality, disintegration of the family, deficiency of social trust, and collapse of a civil society, able to mobilize for reforms. Annihilation of cultural tradition turned into inability of the modern Belarusian society to find their own civilizational identity in the global world. As a result, the answer to the challenge of globalization was the establishment of an authoritarian state, compensating the lack of civil society and social solidarity.