Abstract:
This paper analyses ways of speaking about politics in Russian-language political discourse
by focusing on key cultural terms that describe political relationships and positionality. Data
were collected from articles on Russian-language news sites, and Russian-language comments
on “Facebook.” Analysis shows how “power” is constructed as an identity category through
oppositional codes and metonymic substitution in public political discourse. Agonistic
relationships are political entities reflected in political discourse, and a cornerstone for
constructing and maintaining the status quo among participants in public political discussions.
This analysis shows how discursive oppositions in the Belarusian context are central to the
reproduction of populist rhetoric. In sum, this study advances a cultural mode of thinking about
political events.
