All Topics  
Belarusians

 
Belarusians

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Belarusians
 
 
  Topics Belarusians Topic Home

Belarusians or Belorussians (previously also spelled Belarussians, Byelorussians and Belorusians) are an East Slavic
East Slavs

The East Slavs are a Slavs, the speakers of East Slavic languages. Formerly the main population of the medieval state of Kievan Rus, by the seventeenth century they evolved into the Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Rusyns peoples....
 ethnic group
Ethnic group

An ethnic group is a group of humans whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage that is real or presumed.Ethnic identity is further marked by the recognition from others of a group's distinctiveness and the recognition of common culture, linguistic, religion, human behaviour or Race traits, real or presumed, as indic...
 who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus
Belarus

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north....
 and form minorities in neighboring Poland
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
 (especially in the former Bialystok province
Bialystok Voivodeship

Bialystok Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland from 1975 to 1998, when it was superseded by Podlaskie Voivodeship....
), Russia
Russia

Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
, Lithuania
Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest....
 and Ukraine
Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south....
. Noticeable numbers have immigrated to the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, Brazil
Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....
 and Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 in the early 20th century. Since the breakup of the USSR several hundred thousand have immigrated to the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
, United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 and Russia
Russia

Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Belarusians'
Start a new discussion about 'Belarusians'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Belarusians or Belorussians (previously also spelled Belarussians, Byelorussians and Belorusians) are an East Slavic
East Slavs

The East Slavs are a Slavs, the speakers of East Slavic languages. Formerly the main population of the medieval state of Kievan Rus, by the seventeenth century they evolved into the Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Rusyns peoples....
 ethnic group
Ethnic group

An ethnic group is a group of humans whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage that is real or presumed.Ethnic identity is further marked by the recognition from others of a group's distinctiveness and the recognition of common culture, linguistic, religion, human behaviour or Race traits, real or presumed, as indic...
 who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus
Belarus

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north....
 and form minorities in neighboring Poland
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
 (especially in the former Bialystok province
Bialystok Voivodeship

Bialystok Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland from 1975 to 1998, when it was superseded by Podlaskie Voivodeship....
), Russia
Russia

Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
, Lithuania
Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest....
 and Ukraine
Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south....
. Noticeable numbers have immigrated to the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, Brazil
Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....
 and Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 in the early 20th century. Since the breakup of the USSR several hundred thousand have immigrated to the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
, United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 and Russia
Russia

Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Belarusian language
Belarusian language

The Belarusian language, or Belorussian is the language of the Belarusians and is spoken in Belarus and abroad, chiefly in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland....
. There are over 8 million people who associate themselves with the Belarusian ethnicity today.

The native language of the territory of Belarus is Belarusian
Belarusian language

The Belarusian language, or Belorussian is the language of the Belarusians and is spoken in Belarus and abroad, chiefly in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland....
; however the majority of Belarusians in Belarus are able to speak Russian
Russian language

Russian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe....
 and often use it as their day-to-day language (especially in Minsk
Minsk

Minsk is the Capital and largest city in Belarus, situated on the Svislach River and Nemiga rivers. Minsk is also a headquarters of the Commonwealth of Independent States ....
 and other large cities).

The prefix Bela- translates into "White" so these people were sometimes called White Russia
White Russia

"White Russia " is a name that has historically been applied to various regions in Eastern Europe, most often to that which roughly corresponds to present-day Belarus....
ns (though not to be confused with the political group of White Russians that opposed the Bolshevik
Bolshevik

Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists were a faction of the Marxism Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the 2nd Congress of the RSDLP in 1903 and ultimately became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union....
s during the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War

The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed and the Bolshevik party assumed power in Saint Petersburg....
). This name was in use in the West
West

West is most commonly a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points....
 for some time in history, together with White Ruthenes, White Ruthenians
Ruthenia

Ruthenia is a geographic and culturo-ethnic name applied to the parts of Eastern Europe populated by Eastern Slavic peoples, as well as to the past Russian states that existed in these territories....
 and similar forms. Using the term "White Russians" is misleading as it incorrectly suggests being a subgroup of Russians
Russians

The Russian people are an East Slavs ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries.The English language term Russians is used to refer to the citizens of Russia, regardless of their ethnicity ; in Russian language, the demonym Russian is translated as Rossiyanin ....
 and some Belarusians take offense for it being applied. Belarusians trace their name back to the people of Rus and not to Russians
Russians

The Russian people are an East Slavs ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries.The English language term Russians is used to refer to the citizens of Russia, regardless of their ethnicity ; in Russian language, the demonym Russian is translated as Rossiyanin ....
, who are also descendants of the people of Rus.

The Belarusian people trace their distinct culture to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was an Eastern and Central European state from the 12th /13th century until the 18th century. It was founded by Lithuanians, at the time one of the Lithuanian mythology Baltic tribes, whose initial lands covered Auk?taitija, the eastern part of present day Lithuania....
 and earlier Kievan Rus and the Principality of Polatsk. Most Belarusians are descendants of the East Slav tribes Dregovichs
Dregovichs

The Dregovichs were one of the tribe unions of Early East Slavs, and inhabited the territories down the stream of the Pripyat River and northern parts of the right-bank Dnieper river ....
, Krivich
Krivich

The Krivichi was one of the tribe unions of Early East Slavs between the 6th and the 12th centuries. They inhabited the upper reaches of the Volga, Dnieper, Western Dvina, areas south of the lower reaches of river Velikaya and parts of the Neman River drainage basin....
s and Radimichs. Early East Slavs also mixed with the local Balts
Balts

For the similarly named ethnic group inhabiting northern Pakistani Kashmir, see Balti peopleThe Balts or Baltic peoples , defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European languages family, are descended from a group of Indo-Europeans tribes who settled the area between lower Vistula and upper D...
, especially in the west and north-west of today's Belarus. In 13th-18th centuries Belarusians were mostly known under the name of Rusyns
Rusyns

Rusyns are an Eastern Slavic ethnic group which speak Rusyn language. The group is descended from the minority of Ruthenians who did not adopt the ethnonym Ukrainians to describe their ethnic identity in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries....
 (Ruthenians
Ruthenians

The term Ruthenians is a culturally loaded term and has different meanings according to the context in which it is used. Initially it was the ethnonym used for the Ukrainians people....
) or Litvins (Lithuanians), which refers to the state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was an Eastern and Central European state from the 12th /13th century until the 18th century. It was founded by Lithuanians, at the time one of the Lithuanian mythology Baltic tribes, whose initial lands covered Auk?taitija, the eastern part of present day Lithuania....
 (Litva, Vialikaja Litva) of which the White Ruthenian lands were part of since the 13th-14th centuries and where Ruthenian language
Ruthenian language

Ruthenian is a term used for the Variety of East Slavic language spoken in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and later in the East Slavic territories of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth....
 was the official state language. On the grounds of the dominance of Ruthenian language (which later evolved into modern Belarusian language
Belarusian language

The Belarusian language, or Belorussian is the language of the Belarusians and is spoken in Belarus and abroad, chiefly in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland....
), it is considered that the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was an Eastern and Central European state from the 12th /13th century until the 18th century. It was founded by Lithuanians, at the time one of the Lithuanian mythology Baltic tribes, whose initial lands covered Auk?taitija, the eastern part of present day Lithuania....
 was Belarusian national state when it existed. Another name that was originally commonly used to describe those people was Ruthenians, by the name of the Ruthenian state which the White Russia
White Russia

"White Russia " is a name that has historically been applied to various regions in Eastern Europe, most often to that which roughly corresponds to present-day Belarus....
 area originally belonged to.

After World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
 Belarusians had their own statehood, with varying degrees of independence - first as the short-lived Belarusian National Republic
Belarusian National Republic

The Belarusian People's Republic was an independent Belarusian state, which declared independence in 1918. It is also called the Belarusian National Republic, in order to distinguish it from communist People's Republics, and the current BNR Rada refers to it as Belarusan Democratic Republic....
 under German occupation, then as the Byelorussian SSR
Byelorussian SSR

The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of Republics of the Soviet Union of the Soviet Union. It was one of the four original founding members of the Soviet Union in 1922, together with the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Transcaucasian SFSR and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic....
 from 1919 until 1991, which merged with other republics to become a constituent member of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
 in 1922). Belarus gained full independence with the dissolution of the Soviet Union
History of the Soviet Union (1985-1991)

The Soviet Union's collapse into independent nations began early in 1985. After years of Soviet Armed Forces buildup at the expense of domestic development, economic growth was at a standstill....
 in 1991.

External links

  • [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html CIA World Fact Book 2005]


See also

  • List of Belarusians (ethnic group)
    List of Belarusians (ethnic group)

    This is a list of people who are descended from the Belarusians of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania....
  • Demographics of Belarus
    Demographics of Belarus

    The Demographics of Belarus is about the demographics features of the population of Belarus, including population growth, population density, Ethnic group, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population....
  • Litvins
  • Krivich
    Krivich

    The Krivichi was one of the tribe unions of Early East Slavs between the 6th and the 12th centuries. They inhabited the upper reaches of the Volga, Dnieper, Western Dvina, areas south of the lower reaches of river Velikaya and parts of the Neman River drainage basin....
  • Dregovichs
    Dregovichs

    The Dregovichs were one of the tribe unions of Early East Slavs, and inhabited the territories down the stream of the Pripyat River and northern parts of the right-bank Dnieper river ....
  • Radimichs
    Radimichs

    The Radimichs , were a tribe of Early East Slavs of the last few centuries of the 1st millennium, which inhabited upper east parts of the Dnieper down the Sozh River and its tributaries....
  • History of Belarus
    History of Belarus

    This article describes the history of Belarus. The Belarusians is traced at least as far in time as other East Slavs.After an initial period of independent feudal consolidation, Belarusian lands were incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Rus and Samogitia within the Polish?Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire and eventu...
  • Belarusian language
    Belarusian language

    The Belarusian language, or Belorussian is the language of the Belarusians and is spoken in Belarus and abroad, chiefly in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland....
  • White Ruthenia
  • Black Ruthenia
    Black Ruthenia

    Black Ruthenia, Black Rus or Black Russia are variant conventional term used for a region around Navahrudak , in the western part of contemporary Belarus on the upper reaches of the Neman River....