Thanks in advance :)
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aliza_tvito — 13 years ago(November 05, 2012 11:33 AM)
Etymology
The name Belarus corresponds literally with the term White Rus'. There are several claims to the origin of the name White Rus'.[24] An ethno-religious theory suggests that the name used to describe the part of old Ruthenian lands within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that had been populated mostly by early Christianized Slavs, as opposed to Black Ruthenia, which was predominantly inhabited by pagan Balts.[25] An alternate explanation for the name comments on the white clothing worn by the local Slavic population.[24][26] A third theory suggests that the old Rus' lands that were not conquered by the Tatars (i.e., Polatsk, Vitsiebsk and Mahilyow) had been referred to as "white". Other sources claim that before 1267, the land not conquered by the Mongols was considered "White Rus' ".[24] A fourth theory suggests that before when Belarus was just starting out, there were a lot of White Cranes inhabiting the country. Some of the cranes even made nests on the roofs of houses. In 2008, historian Ales Bely defended his PhD thesis, Localization of the Choronym of White Rus' in the European Written and Map Sources of the 13th to mid-18th centuries,[27] which demonstrated that White Rus' originally referred to the area of the Novgorod Republic conquered by the Grand Duchy of Moscow in 1478; in terms of present-day geography, this translates to Eastern Belarus and areas acquired via the westward expansion of Russia during the Livonian War in the 17th century
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belorussia
Listen to your enemy, for God is talking -
emmaclarke781 — 13 years ago(November 05, 2012 01:22 PM)
Ahh, thanks. I thought it had something to do with the Russian Civil War, between the Reds and the Whites. Why did you delete all your messages? They were good
history is a battle fought by a great evil,struggling to crush a small kernel of human kindness -
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maxim-pilipets — 13 years ago(February 08, 2013 10:16 AM)
dont confuse.
"white russians" has two different meanings:
-Belorussians
-Soldiers of Russian Empire army who didn`t support 1917 revolution and fought against communists in civil war in early 1920-th
These two terms do not correspond to each other.
It is like "Georgia" which also has two separate meanings:
-a state in USA
-a Caucasian country -
herroberg — 13 years ago(March 12, 2013 02:04 PM)
In Swedish Belarus is named Vitryssland, which means White-Russia, and Belarusians, Vitryssar(White-Russians) and Belarusian is Vitryska, White-Russian.
I think it's the same in Norway, Denmark and Netherlands. Hvit/Hvid/Wit-Russland/Rusland.
This doesn't really add much to the question, I just wanted to add some info on the topic. -
TimeTravel_7 — 12 years ago(September 19, 2013 10:52 AM)
Belyj means white. Belarus is literary Whiterussia.
http://www.imdb.com/list/g41XE9AVM7k/ -
kuruyad — 10 years ago(May 01, 2015 09:34 PM)
Russland = Land of the Rus =/= Rossiya
Rossiya is mistakenly known as Russia in any number of languages, does NOT in fact refer to ethnic Russkiye or "Russians" in name; furthermore, many of Rossiya's citizen are non-Russians, and many many Russians are not from Rossiya or citizens thereof
For further confusion, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, often misnamed Russia in WW2 materials, comprised BOTH Belarus and Rossiya (among many other nations), which BOTH had significant populations of BOTH ethnic Russians and other ethnicities the only common Russian thread in the Union was that it used the Russian language as the pre-existing regional common tongue (national majorities within their respective republics had their own state languages, but used Russian for inter-republic affairs, military service, business with the capital, etc.)
Stalin, for example, was Georgian, as was Beria; Kruschev was Ukrainian, Dzerzhinsky was Polish, Mikoyan was Armenian etc etc etc.
Btw Moskva/Moscow was the Union capital, but NOT the capital of the 'Russian Empire' a convenient central hub chosen as the Union Government seat for a well-represented multiethnic confederacy, not a pillar of colonial dominion by its mostly Russian residents. who, as the residents of the most populous republic, had the disproportionally LOWEST degree of per capita representation in it. -
belarus2578 — 12 years ago(January 30, 2014 11:58 AM)
Actually it is not correct and quite offensive stereotype of western nations about Belarusians, but it exists. As it was reported to You by other users, the key is etymology. Belarusians were called Belarusians by Russian empress Katherine II after the occupation of Belarus by Russian Empire in 1795. The purpose of giving such name was to assimilate Belarusians into Russians. The same history was with Ukraine. It was called Malarussia (Small Russia).
But, fortunately, empire plans of Russia were ruined in 1991. Both Ukraine and Belarus restored their independence. But the name of the country was transformed from Belarussia (White Russia) into Belarus (has no literal translation, but sounds similar to White Ruthenia) in 19th century. Before the Russian Occupation we called ourselves Litviny (you translate this word in English as Ruthenians). Now we use the name Belarus because of historical conflict with Lithuanians (they also consider themselves as descendants of Ruthenians). It is quite difficult and long story, but I hope that You have catched the key idea.
With the best wishes, (Ihar Ciareanka), Belarusian medical student.
P.S. You should never call a Belarusian as a Russian. It would be as offensive, as calling an Irish man as an English one. -
belarus2578 — 12 years ago(March 09, 2014 02:58 PM)
Russian is the second official language in Belarus, so, please, don't teach me Russian)))
Litviny are not lithuanians. Lithuanians were known as zhemajty ( in Belarusian) or zhmudziny ( in Belarusian). But nowadays there is a propaganda in Lithuania, which is trying to say that lithuanians were litviny. Ruthenians is mostly used for the south of Belarus only and for the Ukraine.
P.S. If you are lithuanian, I beg your pardon. Because our historians have different points of view. -
valkas02 — 11 years ago(May 10, 2014 01:51 PM)
Just to give some perspective: belarus2578 explains ideas, held by so-called Litvinism - movement of historical revisionism, which postulates that Grand Duchity of Lithuania (one of largest medieval European states that partialy covered teritorries of present-day Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Poland, etc.) was inherently not Baltic, but Slavic. It claims that ancestors of present-dy Belarussians were the original Lithuanians (Litvins in slavic), while present-day Lithuanians are descendants of Samogotians - western Baltic tribe, which, according to Litvinists, "stole" their history and presented themselves as Lithuanians in recent centuries. Largely based on circumstantial evidence, Litvinism dismisses most of period documentation as forged and holds victimization of Belarussians as its major leitmotif.
While more akin to conspiracy theory than historical movement and not supported by academic historians, Litvinism nevertheless plays important part in development of Belarussian national identity, which, I think, should be regarded as somewhat positive thing. -
slay-er — 11 years ago(April 15, 2014 06:58 AM)
Both Ukraine and Belarus restored their independence.
Restored? There was never such country as Belarus. Belarus was created by commutists.
P.S. You should never call a Belarusian as a Russian. It would be as offensive, as calling an Irish man as an English one.
Most people in Belarus are ethnic Russians and even more that are culturally Russians i.e. speak Russian at home. So it would depend on a person if he found it offensive or not.