Development prospects of bilingualism in contemporary Belarusian society

The author considers the current state of Russian-Belarusian bilingualism in the Republic of Belarus, which today is unbalanced with the historical dominance of the Russian language in all significant areas of Belarusians’ life - in everyday communication, science, public administration, education, office work, and the media. According to the results of the population census conducted in 2019, the national language has acquired an ethno-defining function and is used by a limited number of people, which violates the continuity of generations and contributes to the decline of the national culture. The author states that an increase in the use of the Belarusian language through the implementation of measures that are successfully practiced in bilingual countries will have a beneficial effect on the development of balanced bilingualism in Belarus and serve as a driver for sociocultural and spiritual development of the Belarusian society.