Unsolved:Litvinism

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Short description: Pseudohistorical theory that Belarusians founded the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the main foundation of the Litvin identity, at its greatest extent on the 13th to 15th centuries.

Litvinism (Belarusian: Ліцвінства, ліцвінізм, літвінства or літвінізм; Lithuanian: litvinizmas; Russian: литвинство or литвинизм) is a fringe pseudohistorical theory, which claims that the real founders of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were Belarusians.[1][2][3] According to this theory, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a Slavic or Belarusian state, the medieval Lithuanians were Belarusians, and modern Lithuania is a consequence of a falsification of history.[4] Litvinism is an attempt by some Belarusians to create an identity, regardless of its truthfulness.[5] Litvinism can also be used in a broader sense to describe a certain area of Belarusian nationalism, consisting of many different interpretations.[6]

Some Litvinists reject their Belarusian national identity[7] and affiliation with the Republic of Belarus,[7] in favor of a reconstructed Baltic Catholic[7] Litvin ("Lithuanian") identity, basing on the history and legacy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. According to national censuses, only a few dozens residents of Belarus state their ethnic identity as Litvin instead of Belarusian.[8]

History

Osip Senkovsky, the founder of Litvinism

According to the Lithuanian author Tomas Baranauskas who claims to have coined the term,[4] "Litvinism" is the synthesis of two different historiographies: the Tsarist Russian, which claimed that the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a Russian state, and the interwar Polish historiography, which deemed the Polonized Lithuanians of eastern Lithuania proper as "Litwins" (i.e. "real Lithuanians"), in contrast to the "Lietuvisy" of the Republic of Lithuania.[4]

Litvinism began following the Partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, due to the Russian Empire's needs to change the old Grand Ducal Lithuanian identity into a new one that better meet the Empire's interests.[6] Professor Osip Senkovsky from St. Petersburg University, originally from the Vilnius Region, collaborated with the Tsarist administration and developed the theory that the Lithuanian state's origin was Slavic and that it was allegedly created by the Ruthenians who had moved westwards due to Mongol attacks.[6] Furthermore, his contemporary, the pseudo-historian I. Kulakovskis, propagated theses that Lithuania was Slavic before the creation of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[6]

After the First World War, Józef Piłsudski's plans to restore Poland-Lithuania were shattered by Lithuanian desires for an independent state, manifested in the nation state of the Republic of Lithuania.[6] For propaganda purposes, theories about how the inhabitants of the Republic of Lithuania are lietuvisai, who were unrelated to the "right" and "historical" Lithuanians, the Litvins.[6] The Polish historian Feliks Karol Koneczny used the terms letuwskije, Letuwa and letuwini to describe the "fake Lithuanians" in his book Polska między Wschodem i Zachodem ("Poland between East and West") and other works.[6] He also wrote about how Vilnius should belong to the Litvins and thus be a Polish-owned city, instead of a lietuvisai one.[6]

Map of Lithuania proper according to Yermalovich

The dissolution of the Soviet Union led to these ideas being taken over by some Belarusian nationalists seeking a national identity.[6] The self-taught Belarusian historian Mikola Yermalovich stated that Lithuania began in the territory between Novogrudok and Minsk, i.e. in modern Belarusian lands, which allegedly occupied parts of modern Lithuania.[6] M. Yermalovich considers Samogitia as the country's sole Baltic territory, while Aukštaitija is an artificially conceived ethnographic region occupying a part of the Belarusian lands.[6] Litvinism's theories were developed even earlier by Pavlas Urbanas in the Belarusian diaspora, who presented his pseudo-scientific theories in his writings "On the National Nature of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Historical Term of Lithuania" (1964), "In the Light of Historical Facts" (1972), "Ethnic belongings of Ancient Litvins" (1994) and "Ancient Litvins. Language, origin, ethnicity".[6] By the end of the 20th century, there were more disseminators of Litvinism's ideas: Vitovt Charopko popularized the concept of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania being a Belarusian state with Belarusian leaders, while Alyaksandr Kraucevich tried proving that the Lithuanian state's old capital and that the city where King Mindaugas had been crowned was Novogrudok.[6]

In recent years, the number of followers of Litvinism in Belarus has been growing, and there is a division into even smaller, often marginal historical and ideological directions.[6]

Litvinism is mostly espoused in books published in Belarus and on the Internet, as well as in English, which target a foreign audience in an attempt to disseminate M. Yermalovich's "discoveries" and the "real" history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[9] However, experts say that Litvinism is not widespread as it is marginal and sometimes associated with pro-Russian ideas.[1] The Belarusian academia is dominated by a variety of ideas, e.g. ancient historians guided by Soviet guidelines and methodology, although there definitely is a number Litvinist scholars.[6]

Identity

The motivation behind some Belarusian cultural activists adopting the Litvin identity is a rejection of the Soviet ideology, the Soviet-imposed Pan-Slavism and simultaneously the Belarusian national identity which the Litvin activists claim to be Soviet-related.[7] The Litvinists underline their closeness to Lithuanians and Poles, viewing the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as a common heritage of the nations that live on its former territory.[7] Previously an idea exclusive to some intellectuals, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1990s, "Litvinism" gained popularity among some Belarusian civilians.[7][8]

Litvinists consider the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as being a joint Baltic and Eastern Slavic state.[citation needed] Litvinists claim this duality due to the significant Russian influence on the state.[10]

Origin

According to some Belarusians, the Belarusians are Slavicized Balts.[8][11] Kirkevich states the Balts once inhabited Bryansk and Smolensk, extending as far as into Oryol and Moscow.[8] The anthropologist Michael Hesch [de] concluded in his research that the inhabitants of Western Belorussia are Slavicized Lithuanians, anthropologically speaking:

"The western Belarusian area was inhabited by Lithuanians. The western Belarusians are certainly largely Russian-speaking Lithuanians."[12][13]

Language

The Belarusian historian Jan Lyalevich, who identifies as Litvin, cited medieval Muscovite sources referring to the "Old Belarusian" language as the "Lithuanian language".[8] He also describes the medieval Litvins as a "proto-nation that existed approximately since the 14th century to the late 19th century, when its remainders, represented by mostly Catholic szlachta and intelligentsia, disappeared".[8]

Some Litvin activists are reported to teach their children altered forms of the Belarusian language considered more traditional and de-russified, or asking that their passport states their Litvin ethnicity.[7] This may also extend to the Belarus , one example of this being the Belarusian historian Jan Lyalevich, who stated in 2017: "Personally, I am still convinced that it is not too late for returning to our state its real name: Lithuania" (Літва in Belarusian).[8]

Assessment

In Belarus

Litvinism does not have a relevant impact on Belarusian politics, with its supporters focusing more on areas such as education.[7] It is opposed by the pro-Russian official ideology of the Lukashenka regime and the pro-European Belarusian opposition.[7]

According to Aleś Čajčyc, the Information Secretary of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic,[14] the Litvinism article on English Wikipedia was written by "Lithuanian marginals".[15]

In Lithuania

Numerous Lithuanian authors view "Litvinism" as potentially dangerous or harmful for the modern Lithuanian state.[1]

In Russia

Tomas Baranauskas claims that Litvinism also has some supporters in Russia , although it is much less popular than in Belarus. Some Russian Litvinists refer to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as a Russian state.[4]

Lev Krishtapovich claims that:

In fact, under the guise of Belarusian nationalism, or the so-called Litvinism, a Polish gentry clique stands aimed at transforming Belarus into Poland 's eastern frontiers.[16][17]

By international sources

Litvinism is not supported by notable information sources such as Encyclopædia Britannica, which states that the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was exclusively created by Lithuanians,[18] that Lithuania in the past ruled territories of present-day Belarus[19] and that the Belarusians had no state and no national symbols until 1918.[20] Notable historians such as Arnold J. Toynbee also support the approach that the Lithuanians conquered Ruthenian territories.[21]

See also

  • Coat of arms of Lithuania
  • Belarusian nationalism
  • Belarusian national revival
  • History of Belarus
  • History of Lithuania
  • Belarus–Lithuania relations

References

Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bakaitė, Jurga (27 December 2011). "LRT FAKTAI. Ar lietuviams reikia bijoti baltarusių nacionalinio atgimimo?" (in lt). Lithuanian National Radio and Television. https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/lietuvoje/2/1128520/lrt-faktai-ar-lietuviams-reikia-bijoti-baltarusiu-nacionalinio-atgimimo. 
  2. ↑ Baranauskas, Tomas; Ramanauskas, Algis (16 July 2015). ""Greiti Pietūs": Algis Ramanauskas ir Tomas Baranauskas" (in lt). Žinių radijas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm08Vsa--v8. 
  3. ↑ Baranauskas, Tomas; Baranauskienė, Inga; Ramanauskas, Algis (11 October 2019). "B&R Pristato: Istorikai Inga ir Tomas Baranauskai. LICVINIZMAS 20191010". Bačiulis ir Ramanauskas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrAPFh_fiQ8. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Venckūnas, V. (29 September 2012). "Tomas Baranauskas: Litvinistams svarbiausia turėti gražią istoriją, kuri galėtų sutelkti tautą" (in lt). Bernardinai.lt. https://www.bernardinai.lt/2012-09-29-tomas-baranauskas-litvinistams-svarbiausia-tureti-grazia-istorija-kuri-galetu-sutelkti-tauta/. 
  5. ↑ Sutkus 2020b, p. 3.
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 Sutkus 2020a.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 "Litwinizm – nowe zjawisko na Białorusi [Litvinism - a new phenomenon in Belarus"] (in pl). Kresy.pl. 24 July 2008. https://kresy.pl/wydarzenia/litwinizm-nowe-zjawisko-na-bialorusi-1/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Kirkevich, Ales (29 January 2017). ""Яшчэ не позна вярнуць краіне сапраўднае імя — Літва" ["It is not too late for returning to our state its real name: Lithuania""] (in be). Novy Chas. https://novychas.by/kultura/jaszcze-ne-pozna-vjarnuc-kraine-sapraudnae-imja. 
  9. ↑ "Pramanytos Lietuvos Šmėkla". 10 January 2010. http://www.voruta.lt/pramanytos-lietuvos-smekla/. 
  10. ↑ "Grand duchy of Lithuania". https://www.britannica.com/place/grand-duchy-of-Lithuania. "Influenced greatly by their Russian subjects, the Lithuanians not only reorganized their army, government administration, and legal and financial systems on Russian models but also allowed the Russian nobility to retain its Orthodox religion, its privileges, and its local authority." 
  11. ↑ Dziermant, Alexey (17 October 2010). "Gudai – tai slaviškai kalbantys baltai (I)" (in Lithuanian). Alkas.lt. https://alkas.lt/2010/10/17/734/. 
  12. ↑ Hesch 1933, p. 4.
  13. ↑ Budreckis 1967.
  14. ↑ "Прэзыдыюм – Рада Беларускай Народнай Рэспублікі" (in be). http://www.radabnr.org/prezydyjum/. 
  15. ↑ Čajčyc, Aleś (13 August 2021). "Будзьма беларусамі! » Хобі для эрудытаў: абараняць «Пагоню» ў галоўнай сусветнай энцыклапедыі" (in Belarusian). https://budzma.by/news/khobi-dlya-erudyta-.html. 
  16. ↑ Krishtapovich, Lev (21 November 2016). "Общерусская культура как основа белорусской идентичности" (in ru). Regnum.ru. https://regnum.ru/news/society/2207768.html. 
  17. ↑ Yeliseyeu, Andrei; Laputska, Veranika (2016). "Anti-Belarus disinformation in Russian media: Trends, features, countermeasures". EAST Media Review (1): 11. https://east-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/EAST-Media-Review.pdf. 
  18. ↑ "Lithuania - History" (in en). https://www.britannica.com/place/Lithuania/History#ref37336. 
  19. ↑ "Belarus - Lithuanian and Polish rule" (in en). https://www.britannica.com/place/Belarus/History#ref33453. 
  20. ↑ Smith, Whitney. "Flag of Belarus" (in en). https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Belarus. 
  21. ↑ Toynbee, Arnold Joseph (1948). A Study Of History (Volume II) (Fourth impression ed.). Great Britain: Oxford University Press. p. 172. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.499044/page/n181/mode/2up. Retrieved 4 July 2021. 

Bibliography




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