Belarus has begun the process of “de-Russification” in schools and throughout the nation, local news website BelNovosti informs on Jan. 26. The move by the nation of 10 million people — tightly controlled by President Alexander Lukashenko — is signal that Belarus may be trying to distance itself politically from Russia.

Belarus Education Minister Mikhail Zhuravkov has said

that, considering the large number of Russian-speaking citizens in the country,

the process would be gradual. At the first stage, it includes the teaching of such

two subjects — the history and geography of Belarus — only in the Belarusian

language.