References

REFERENCES TO IISEPS AND PROF. MANAEV 

Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus (September 1997)

• I read Manaev’s statements in the press. I like the seriousness and objectivity of this scientist. Indeed, it is time for some people to realize that Lukashenko is not “hypnotizing” his people, and enjoys conscious support of voters. All other methodological approaches and explanations are pure trickery. Also they paid for. Minsk professor’s idea might be paradoxical, but it is in fact true.
  
  

Mieczyslaw Grib, Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus (1994-1996)

• I express my gratitude for IISEPS analytical reports. Information, conclusions, and recommendations contained in these reports have been very helpful in improving the legislation of the Republic of Belarus. I hope to receive such materials in the future. 
  
  

Vladimir Sen'ko, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (1994-1997)  

• We express our sincere appreciation for the IISEPS analytical digests and express hope for further fruitful cooperation with the Institute.

​

Svetlana Goldade, Chairman of the Gomel City Council (1991-1995)​

• I would like to express my gratitude to IISEPS for the analytical reports presented to the Gomel City Council. These reports, as well as the seminar "Economic reforms in post-communist society: regional aspects" organized by the Institute, enabled representatives of city authorities, business, science and the mass media of Gomel to more fully understand and discuss the problems of municipal property and privatization, the formation and use of local budgets, the role of local government in the process of economic reform. I consider IISEPS is one of the few research organizations in Belarus that actively and consistently promotes the principles of free market economy and democracy. I hope that our cooperation will continue and will contribute to the further development of private enterprise in Gomel.

​

Sofia Yudo, Director of the State “Presidential Library of the Republic of Belarus” (1996-2011)  

• The library serves the National Assembly, the Administration of the President, the Council of Ministers, ministries, departments and local authorities. Both monograph and analytical reports by IISEPS are in high among our customers. Those materials are necessary in obtaining the most objective information about the state and development of the society in the Republic of Belarus.
    

Dr. Hans-Georg Wieck, Ambassador, Head of OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus (1997-2001)  

• Fifteen years ago, very little was known in the West about the country and its inhabitants. But today the situation is far different – to a large extent, thanks to research conducted systematically by IISEPS under the direction of Professor Oleg Manaev. Although the Lukashenko regime has created numerous obstacles to the activities of the Institute, IISEPS continues to pursue its mission with admirable zeal. Therefore, despite the authoritarian nature of the regime, Belarus has become an integral part of the international community of free and independent social and political science. I sincerely hope to continue our good cooperation, which began nearly 15 years ago. 
  
  

Vladimir Mackiewicz, Chairman of the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus (1995-2000)  

• The KGB appreciates the results of IISEPS work and expresses confidence in their utility, both for the Committee and to other interested parties. We hope that in the future we will have the pleasure to get acquainted with the intellectual products of the institute. 
  
  

Hans-Peter Furer, Director of Political Affairs of the Council of Europe  

• The Council of Europe co-operation with the IISEPS dates back to 1995. IISEPS Director Prof. Oleg Manaev has made excellent presentations to several public conferences organized by the Council of Europe in Minsk. Thanks, in particular, to the regular sociological polls it conducts, the Institute has very sound knowledge of the evolving situation in Belarus. IISEPS has also an excellent Center for Documentation providing us on a regular basis with laws, decrees and other regulations, over one hundred per year. This invaluable assistance to make sure that the Council of Europe has first-hand information about developments that have relevance to our relations with Belarus. Therefore, we wish the IISEPS successful work for the future.  
  
  

Alexander Yarashuk, Chairman of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions  

• It is difficult to imagine the current social and political processes in the country and its information landscape without IISEPS. Perhaps the greatest achievement in its 20-year-old’s history was the formation of genuine credibility within the public. Such credibility is gained if researchers are free from any conditions and strictly adhere to objectivity in their reflection of the complex processes, taking place in the Belarusian society, regardless of whether those processes concern the authorities or the democratic community. Through its work in very difficult conditions, IISEPS however, was able to form a strong research institution; its name has become a brand of independent sociology. 
  
  

Vsevolod Yanchevskii, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the BPYU (1997-2001)  

• Belarusian Patriotic Youth Union is grateful to IISEPS for its analytic work. We consider the studies conducted by the Institute to be interesting and useful. BPYU expresses interest in further information cooperation with IISEPS. 
  
  

Dzmitry Dashkevich, Chairman of the Young Front  

• Analytic assistance of IISEPS has been an extremely strong support for the Young Front, and for the other youth organizations in developing strategy, finding more effective means of cooperation with society. Analytic report on the youth policy in Belarus, prepared by the Institute, focused on expectations and aspirations of the younger generation of Belarusians – have been a tremendous support in establishing future strategy for the Young Front. 
  
  

Sule Soysal, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the Republic of Belarus (1999-2002)​

• I thank Prof. Manaev for the book “Youth and Civil Society: a Case of Belarus” which contains the results of various researches and public opinion polls conducted by IISEPS in 1998-1999. The analysis of political, economic, social-cultural, and religious-ethnic values of contemporary Belarusian youth, as well as of its public activity presented in the book is extremely important, since the young generation is a significant social resource of society. This book will be really useful for my work.

​

Grigory Vasilevich, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Belarus (1997-2008)  

• Analytical materials of IISEPS are of great interest, especially for those who are engaged in state-building. This kind of research contributes to improvement of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Belarus, and increases its responsibility for the protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens. 
  
  

Vladimir Goncharik, Presidential candidate at the 2001 elections​

• The work of IISEPS is worthy of respect not only of scientists and experts, but also politicians and community leaders. For two decades, the Institute not only professionally studies our society, but constantly and widely acquaints Belarusians with the results of the research. This often causes irritation, even in political opponents. Only few are capable of maintaining scientific integrity in such difficult conditions. I hope that other will follow IISEPS example. 
  
  

Michitaka Hattori, Deputy Director of the Institute for the Study of Russia and CIS Economy (Japan)  

• Congratulations on the anniversary of IISEPS! Many experts around the world who study Belarus, including myself, sincerely appreciate the Institute for its contributions over the past two decades. Despite numerous hardships, IISEPS became one of the most important and influential research institutions in Belarus, and has achieved impressive results in organizing co-operation of experts and civil society in the country and abroad. I am glad that I have developed a fruitful working relationship with the Institute. Special thanks to Professor Manaev and his colleagues for the support given to me in writing the first book in Japan on Belarus, published in 2004. 
  
  

Tatiana Bykova, Chairman of the Council for Development of Business in the Republic of Belarus (1999-2003)​

• On behalf of the Council for Development of business in the Republic of Belarus I express gratitude for the analytical materials provided by IISEPS. Information, conclusions, and recommendations certainly benefit the understanding of the directions and forms of the future development of private enterprise in our country. We hope to continue our cooperation. 
  
  

Alexander Milinkevich, Presidential candidate at the 2006 elections​

• In our authoritarian reality we cannot envy the independent expert organizations such as IISEPS. First, their profession is practically banned. Second, almost everybody is unhappy with results of their research. The regime claims that “they represent the view of pro-Western forces,” while the opposition denounces its own low ratings and the lack of revolutionary mood among the people. However, everybody carefully studies the results of IISEPS polls, and they are constantly quoted. IISEPS has been and remains one of the most authoritative analytical centers, without which one cannot imagine todays public life and public policy in Belarus. 
  
  

Prof. Lev Gudkov, Director of the Levada Center (Russia)  

• Research conducted by IISEPS has been repeatedly published in our journal “Bulletin of Public Opinion.” It is the only center providing reliable professional-quality information on the situation in Belarus. We’re monitoring the situation in Belarus and the changes in public opinion of the Belarusians by following IISEPS data; we rely on IISEPS data in our own analytical developments. 
  
  

Andrew Aleshko, Assistant at the Minsk Diocesan office  

• On behalf of His Eminence, Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus Filaret, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to IISEPS and express the hope that your analytical work will help to maintain peace and harmony in our society. 
  
  

Academician Alexander Wojtowicz, President of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus (1997-2000)​

• For many years, IISEPS provides our society with reliable information based on the results of national surveys of public opinion, and analysis of the socio-economic and political situation in the country. Research conducted by IISEPS is one of rays of light in the realm of policy-mindedness, dull and harmful to the country information and expert uniformity, specially selected and therefore unreliable information or even distorted statistics. I wish the whole IISEPS team to continue your successes: You are conducing work very necessary for the country! 
  
  

George Krol, The United States Ambassador to the Republic of Belarus (2003-2006)​

• Analysis and opinion polls results conducted by IISEPS have been extremely useful to me as a U.S. Ambassador in the Republic of Belarus for an objective understanding of the country. Professor Manaev and his talented team of researchers for over two decades are making a huge contribution to the expansion of knowledge of all those who seek to understand the development and prospects of Belarus. I highly value their professionalism, courage and love of the country. I give credit to their twenty years of service to Belarus and to the international community, and I wish IISEPS many years of new successes. 
  
  

Uladimir Nyaklyayeu, Presidential candidate at the 2010 elections (2010)​

• Belarus is now ill. This illness deepens, penetrates into society more and more. But, as well as with human illnesses, the first and most important step to finally start treatment is to give a correct diagnosis, and to be courageous enough to accept it. Further, during the treatment, you need to constantly understand what is happening in the process of treatment. Unfortunately, Belarus is a patient who is not ready to admit the truth, and tries to isolate itself from that truth and from anyone who speaks up the truth. Only behavior will not make the illness go away as if it never happened. For 20 years IISEPS gave all of us, the society, the correct “diagnosis.” Despite the pressure, despite unwillingness to hear, accusations of fraud and further isolation IISEPS has been step by step telling us about our “disease.” I am sure that is not far off when we will begin to move to new Belarus, where the “disease” is treated, not simply hammered with “drugs”, and then all of the 20-year-old work conducted by IISEPS will become a source of much-needed today treatment. I congratulate you on this date and wish you many more years of prosperity. As always, I wait for the next issue of your publication, without which I, as a politician, cannot imagine my work. 
  
  

Sergei Drozdowski, Office Coordinator for the Rights of People with Disabilities  

• Office on the Rights of People with Disabilities thanks IISEPS for conducting public opinion research on disability issues. For us it was very important to get unattached and unbiased information on attitudes towards people with disabilities. The deciding factor in selecting IISEPS as our partner was its great professional reputation. 
  
  

Prof. Grigory Ioffe, Redford University (USA)​

• IISEPS public opinion polls are rejected by the Belarusian authorities and the opposition, which raises the status of the organization in my eyes. I’m not sure what I would do if it wasn’t for the high quality and comparability of surveys conducted regularly by IISEPS. The results of interviews, regularly published on the website, deserve attention and attempts for interpretation. No other sociological service conducting surveys in Belarus has such an international reputation. 
  
  

Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus (October 2011)​

• Manaev is a fosterling of the West. He lives in Vilnius. I remember his ratings. Manaev’s studies on the eve of the presidential elections predicted the collapse of the President of Belarus. Clear strategy has been built. Manaev got paid, and he clearly built the so-called sociological research, where Lukashenko’s rating decreased. According to him, less than half the population supports me. West had it. But in fact, 79.9% officially supported the Belarusian president. It was honest. With regard to Manaev’s detention, according to the Interior Ministry, he was detained in the Victory Square in Minsk during the operation to prevent drug trafficking. Three hours later he was released.