Belarus I: Elusive Identities — Then and Now

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

This panel explores how different historical periods have influenced identity formation in the Belarusian and wider Eastern European context, tracing the tensions between how the residents of this borderline region saw themselves and how they have been perceived by others. From early modern religious discourse to Soviet cultural battles and contemporary struggles over memory, these papers examine the discourse of Belarusianness across history, from Early Modern time to recent days.


Mikalauskas examines pre-modern identity, that of Ruthenians in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and in particular their portrayals in 16th-century German texts. Mankouskaya investigates the contested legacy of Simeon of Polotsk, whose shifting religious affiliations highlight the fluidity of self-positioning in response to shifting borders in Early Modern European context. Mukhamatulin’s paper shifts to the Soviet period, exploring how Belarusian activists—both within the USSR and in exile—fought to reclaim Olga Korbut’s international fame, contesting official narratives that subsumed Belarusian identity into Soviet or Russian categories. Finally, Pieczewski examines the deep psychological impact of war, repression, instability and historical trauma that continues to shape Belarusian self-perception while being weaponized by state narratives.


Together, these papers highlight the complexities of identity in the fluid space of what is Belarus today—how it has been claimed, imposed, resisted, and reimagined in response to both internal aspirations and external pressures.

Sub Unit

• Anthropology, Cultural Studies

Chair

• Tomasz Blaszczak, Vytautas Magnus U (Lithuania)

Papers

• Ruthenians of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 17th-Century German Texts: Main Stereotypes - Povilas Mikalauskas, Vytautas Magnus U (Lithuania)

• Simeon of Polotsk: Orthodox? Basilian? Heretic? Religious Affiliation and the Politics of Interpretation - Alesia Mankouskaya, U College London (UK)

• She Is a Byelo, Too: Olga Korbut and The Struggle for Belarusian Identity - Timur Mukhamatulin, U of Alberta (Canada)

• Great Wars, Great Changes, Great Trauma: The Example of Belarus - Andrzej Pieczewski, U of Łódź (Poland)

Discussant

• Tomasz Blaszczak, Vytautas Magnus U (Lithuania)