Agitated Petkevich, visibly unsettled, yelled accusingly, "You're fueling nationalism!" while her hands and body showed signs of agitation, stomping vigorously.

In the heart of Belarus, a power struggle between cultural figure Pavel Latushko and government official Natalia Petkevich unfolded in the late 2000s. Latushko, former Minister of Culture, and Petkevich, a deputy head of President Lukashenko's administration, found themselves at odds over issues concerning Belarusian culture and national identity.

Born in Minsk in 1972, Petkevich, whose father hails from Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia, was not a supporter of Belarusian culture or language, according to Latushko. This perspective was evident in Petkevich's decisions to ban celebrations of significant cultural anniversaries, such as the anniversary of Ryhor Baradulin, and the honoring of memory of Vasily Bykov.

Their first major conflict arose over the opening program of the Slavic Bazaar in 2009, with Latushko suggesting the use of Belarusian writers for the event, a proposal that Petkevich opposed. This marked the "beginning of the war" between the two, as Latushko recalled.

One specific instance of their disagreement was over the production of the play "Translations" by British playwright Brian Friel. Petkevich replaced the original English script with Russian and Belarusian versions, causing tension.

In addition, Petkevich hindered the mentioning of the Radziwills, a prominent Belarusian family, on road signs leading to Nesvizh Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and ordered the removal of signs that mentioned the family overnight at her request.

Their conflicts escalated further when Petkevich threatened to dismiss Latushko over a play production and even banned an Israeli representative from performing at the "Slavonic Bazaar", citing nationality as the reason. These incidents led to several summonses to the Administration for Latushko due to his conflicts with Petkevich.

Despite their differences, Petkevich's return to the power vertical was seen as a good decision by Latushko, who believed that Petkevich may have changed and could now support independence, albeit without a national affiliation. However, Latushko's latest information suggests that Petkevich is a statists who believes statehood and independence can exist without roots, history, culture, and language.

In handling the "pseudo-elections" and now dealing with the social sphere, Petkevich has shown her abilities as a capable administrator, according to Latushko. Yet, the cultural figure's criticisms of Petkevich's stance on Belarusian culture and national identity continue to resonate, highlighting the ongoing debate over the country's identity.

Agitated Petkevich, visibly unsettled, yelled accusingly, "You're fueling nationalism!" while her hands and body showed signs of agitation, stomping vigorously.