Editing Pyotr Masherov (section)

=== Russification ===
Among the most significant controversies regarding Masherov's rule and legacy is what role he played in the [[Russification of Belarus]], with particular attention being paid to the decline of Belarusian-language education and respective increase of Russian-language teaching. While both those who view him as having perpetuated Russification and those who oppose such a view agree that he was not a supporter of [[Russian nationalism]], those with a more critical view note that his rule was marked by increased centralisation of power and the growth of the Russian language in Belarusian society. Belarusian journalist and pro-democratic politician [[Siarhei Navumchyk]] has credited this growth to Masherov's status as a "sincere communist" who believed in cultural integration, and notes that while he does not lack responsibility for advancing Russification, the process began under [[Kirill Mazurov]]. More critically, journalist {{ill|Vital Cyhankoŭ|be|Віталь Аляксеевіч Цыганкоў}} has described Masherov as being "first place" among republican-level leaders in advancing Russification. Conversely, Cyhankoŭ also notes that Masherov worked to protect and strengthen the position of Belarusian-language literature within the Soviet Union.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Soŭs |first=Hanna |date=10 February 2018 |title=Стагодзьдзе Машэрава: народны герой ці выканаўца волі Крамля |trans-title=Century of Mašeraŭ: People's Hero or Executor of the Kremlin's Will? |url=https://www.svaboda.org/a/29027599.html |access-date=4 March 2024 |work=[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] |language=be}}</ref>

Historian Natalya Chernyshova, while presenting Masherov's decision to limit Belarusian-language education in a critical light, has argued that his background as a part of the peasantry influenced him to switch from Belarusian to Russian, reflecting his status as "the ultimate model of upward social mobility" in Belarus.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chernyshova |first=Natalya |date=Summer 2023 |title=Between Soviet and Ethnic: Cultural Policies and National Identity Building in Soviet Belarus under Petr Masherau, 1965-80 |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/904385 |journal=Kritika: Explorations in Russian & Eurasian History |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=551–552 |doi=10.1353/kri.2023.a904385 |via=Project MUSE}}</ref> Similarly to Cyhankoŭ, Chernyshova notes the divergences between Masherov's positions on education and on literature, noting his support for the {{ill|Union of Belarusian Writers|be|Саюз беларускіх пісьменнікаў}} and his efforts to have writers [[Yanka Kupala]], [[Yakub Kolas]], and [[Maksim Bahdanovič]] publicly memorialised at what he felt was significant political risk. Dissident writer [[Aliaksei Karpiuk]], who was expelled from the Communist Party for his criticism of local officials, similarly credited Masherov with restoring his party membership and fighting the central Soviet government's targeting of both Karpiuk himself and fellow writer [[Vasil Bykaŭ]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chernyshova |first=Natalya |date=Summer 2023 |title=Between Soviet and Ethnic: Cultural Policies and National Identity Building in Soviet Belarus under Petr Masherau, 1965-80 |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/904385 |journal=Kritika: Explorations in Russian & Eurasian History |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=554–557 |doi=10.1353/kri.2023.a904385 |via=Project MUSE}}</ref>