Belarus/Belarusians: Development of a Nation
How Belarus became Belarus, and how the Belarusians became Belarusian.

How Belarusians as a people, and the country of Belarus as a nation-state, evolved and materialized into current form, in terms of ancestral bloodlines, the Belarusian language, borders, culture, and even how they received their name.

Ancestral Background
Development of Language
Formation of Borders
Etymology (How Name Received)
Culture
Belarus in 2008

Belarusian Ancestral Background:
 

1. 3000 BC – The Proto-Balto-Slavic population (based on speakers of the Proto-Balto-Slavic language) materialized around modern Lithuania.
2. Around 1000 BC, a group splinters from the Proto-Baltic-Slavic people near the shores of the Baltic Sea (centered around modern Lithuania). This group becomes the Slavic people, settling around modern Ukraine. After becoming a distinct people, they begin to spread in all directions.
3. By 750 BC, a group splintered off, migrating west, becoming ancestors to the modern Poles, Czechs and Slovaks, forever being separated and distinct from those that would remain in the original homeland, who would become known as the East Slavs, the predecessors to the modern Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians.
4. 1-200 AD: Dacians (a sub-branch from the ancient Thracians, who inhabited the eastern Balkan peninsula in ancient times) inhabited western Ukraine. They were eventually absorbed by the Slavs in the region, leaving a minor genetic imprint on Ukrainian people.
5. In the 6th century, another group of Slavs would splinter from the original group centered around modern Ukraine, diffused east toward Russia and north toward modern Belarus. This branch would migrate south into the Balkan peninsula, filling the void left by the migrating Germanic peoples, who had evacuated the region for crumbling Roman lands to the west. This Balkan Slavic group would become known as the South Slavs, and would become forever separated and distinct from the East Slavs after groups such as the migrating Magyars (predecessors to modern Hungarians) settled between them.
6. 860 – A Swedish Viking tribe migrated south into modern Kiev (Ukraine), subduing the Slavs in the area, founding the loosely organized Rus Khaganate, the predecessor to the Kievan Rus’ state.
7. By the 10th century, the Rus Khaganate had evolved from a Swedish-ruled state to a purely Slavic nation, known as Kievan Rus. The Swedish Vikings had been completely absorbed into the local populace by this point, adding another trace element to the Ukrainian genetic composition. The Kievan Rus became the premiere Eastern European power, dominating trade routes from Baltic to Black Sea, and from the Khazar Kingdom in the east to the Germanic states to the west.
8. After about 100 years of civil war within the Kievan Rus, the consolidated East Slav state finally fractured into three principle successor states around 1150: Novgorod Republic, Vladimir-Suzdal Principality and the Kingdom of Halych-Volynia. Vladimir-Suzdal and Novgorod would later combine to form the Grand Duchy of Moscow (the predecessor to Russia), and Halych-Volynia would later evolve into Ukraine. Another group of former Kievan Rus Slavs in the northwest portion of the former kingdom would be absorbed into the Kingdom of Lithuania. This group was the predecessor to the modern Belarusians.

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Development of Belarusian Language:
 

1. 3000 BC – The Proto-Balto-Slavic language (branch of Proto-Indo-European) is spoken by Proto-Balto-Slavic group centered around Lithuania.
2. After a split in the Proto-Balto-Slavic nation around 1000 BC, the language of those that migrate east and south evolves into Slavic (thus the origin of Slavic peoples). The language of those that remain in the Baltic region evolves into Baltic.
3. By approximately the 9^th century, the Slavic language in the Kievan Rus kingdom evolves into Old East Slavic. Several dialects of this language develop during existence of Kievan Rus.
4. Kievan Rus splinters into multiple states in the 12^th century due to civil war. The Eastern territories (including Moscow) come under rule of Mongols by 13^th century, creating partition between eastern and western territories of former Kievan Rus state, causing Belarus and Ukrainian languages to develop in isolation from what would become Russian.
5. By 14^th century, Ukraine and Belarus were conquered by Lithuania, further isolating the evolution of their language from the Russian language spoken by East Slavs to the east. This "western" East Slav variation would be known as Ruthenian, which was influenced by Lithuanian and Polish (as Lithuania would join with Poland to form the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 16^th century).
6. After the Polish-Lithuanian Union was formed in 1569, most of Ukraine would be under Polish administration, while Belarus was largely under Lithuanian administration, isolating the two from each other enough to cause a split in the Ruthenian language, beginning the divergence of the Ukrainian and Belarusian languages. Ukrainian assimilated more Polish influence while Belarusian more Lithuanian influence. The two languages were no longer mutually intelligible by the 17^th century.

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Formation of Belarus Borders:
 

1. 860 – A Swedish Viking tribe migrated south into modern Kiev (Ukraine), subduing the Slavs in the area, forming the loosely organized Rus Khaganate, a Swedish-ruled political entity among the East Slavs (predecessors to modern Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians).
2. By the 10th century, the Rus Khaganate had evolved from a Swedish-ruled state to a purely Slavic nation, known as Kievan Rus. The Kievan Rus became the premiere Eastern European power, dominating trade routes from Baltic to Black Sea, and from the Khazar Kingdom in the east to the Germanic states to the west.
3. 1016 – Collapse of Khazar Kingdom as a result of military defeats at the hands of the Kievan Rus. Kievan Rus expanded southward.
4. 1050 – Kumans (aka Kipchaks), a Turkic tribe from central Asia, migrated west, conquering the southern part of modern Ukraine.
5. After about 100 years of civil war within the Kievan Rus, the consolidated East Slav state finally fractured into three principle successor states around 1150: Novgorod Republic, Vladimir-Suzdal Principality and the Kingdom of Halych-Volynia. Vladimir-Suzdal and Novgorod would later combine to form the Grand Duchy of Moscow (the predecessor to Russia), and Halych-Volynia would later evolve into Ukraine. Another group of former Kievan Rus Slavs in the northwest portion of the former kingdom would be absorbed into the Kingdom of Lithuania. This group was the predecessor to the modern Belarusians.
6. 1241 – The Mongol Empire (Golden Horde) conquered the Kipchak/Kuman Empire. The Golden Horde advanced as far as the eastern edges of Austria, submitting Poland and Hungary. They also conquered the Rus principalities. They retreated from their outermost territories when Genghis Khan died, which split the Mongol Empire among his four sons. The western portion that encompassed eastern Europe, including the Rus principalities (Ukraine, Belarus, Russia) is referred to as the Golden Horde. Turkics (Kipchaks) comprised the majority of the constituency in modern Southern Russia, but the Mongols were the ruling class throughout all of modern Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
7. 1307 – Lithuania conquered the Principality of Polotsk (Rus), consisting of northern-central Belarus.
8. 1385 – A merger between Poland and Lithuania formed the Polish-Lithuanian Union. The two kingdoms still operated independently, but formed a defensive alliance against the Germanic Teutonic Knights and Moscow, common threats to both. It included large portions of both modern Belarus and Ukraine.
9. 1569 – Establishment of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This new political entity covered modern Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, large parts of Ukraine and Estonia, and parts of Russia. Poland would be the dominant entity.
10. 1654 – 1657 – Russia gained control over Ukraine from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the Russian-Polish War.
11. 1725 – A weakened and disorganized Poland-Lithuania comes under Russian domination, serving as a client/buffer state.
12. 1772 – First Partition of Poland. Poland became a protectorate of Russia, but its ill-protected western territories were now threatened by Prussia and Austria. Prussia, Austria and Russia agreed to a partition, as Russia realized it did not have the resources to defend entire nation. The bulk of Poland-Lithuania remains intact, but largely under foreign domination. The extreme west of Ukraine was allocated to Austria. Both Austria and Russia would attempt to end Ukrainian culture and language. Most of modern Belarus would end up as part of Russia.
13. By the Third Partition of Poland in 1795, Austria would gain the very southwest corner of modern Belarus, which it would lose to France in 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars. France combined it into the Duchy of Warsaw, the French-ruled Polish puppet regime. All of Belarus was annexed into Russia following the defeat of France in the Napoleonic Wars in 1815.
14. By 1918, Belarus had declared itself as an independent republic. By 1921, Poland captured western part of Ukraine (Galicia), while Russia incorporated the larger part of Ukraine into the newly-formed USSR. Belarus was also regained by Russia, and incorporated into the Soviet Union.
15. In 1939, as part of the Secret Nazi-Soviet Pact, the USSR received Galicia (western Poland), which it took by force, adding it to Ukraine.
16. 1940 –The USSR also partitioned Northern Bukovina and Budjak from Romania, assigning them to Ukraine SSR.
17. 1941 – 1944: Nazi occupation of Ukraine and Belarus. Regained by USSR in 1944.
18. 1990 – Belarus and Ukraine break away as the USSR fell into collapse, forming respective, independent republics. 

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Etymology (How Name Received):

Belarus translates into “White Rus”, making reference to the original, medieval East Slav kingdom of Kievan Rus, the predecessor to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. White was possibly used by Russian Tsars, who saw themselves as the Third Rome (after the Latins and Byzantines), and used the adjective of “white” to differentiate themselves from the Latin and Byzantine Romans. The Tsars wore white robes, and referred to themselves as the Great White Tsar. The Belarus took this name upon themselves at some point during their captivity in Lithuania, in order to differentiate themselves from the Lithuanians.

Belarusian Culture:

Closely tied to Russian, due to strong ethnic link as East Slav peoples, and a lengthy existence under Russian rule. Belarusians were generally allowed to maintain their specific, Rus culture under Poland-Lithuania rule (12th to 18th centuries). With such a long period of separation with other East Slavic peoples (Russians and Ukrainians), their culture took on its own unique flavor. When Belarus came under the rule of the Russians in the late 18th century, their culture was suppressed, as the Russians attempted to "Russianize" the Belarusians.

Belarusian culture has survived, especially now that it has its own nation-state.

Belarus in 2008:

Economy: Initially after the collapse of USSR in 1990, Belarus began taking steps toward democracy and capitalism like other former socialist republics. But since the mid 1990s, Belarus has taken steps back towards socialism and a state-planned economy. It has re-nationalized many private companies, imposed price controls and expanded the state’s right to take over controls of private companies. It has also increased the communist practice of redistributing wealth and income. As a result, foreign investment has been discouraged. Despite this, the economy has exhibited strong growth in recent years, in large part due to heavily discounted oil and natural gas it receives from Russia, as a result of remaining aligned with Russia.
Government: Dictatorship (officially a republic, but dictatorship in reality)
Religion: Eastern Orthodox 80%. Constitution protects freedom of religion, but in reality, due to dictatorial tendencies of the current regime, the state reserves the right to prohibit religious practice deemed harmful.
Demographics: Belarusian 81%, Russian 11% (long part of Russian rule, population redistribution in an attempt to "Russianize", especially during the era of the USSR), Polish 4% (fluctuating borders with Poland throughout history, up through WWII), Ukrainian 2% (closely related, part of USSR together). Population has been in decline in recent years due to low birth rate and net emigration.
Foreign Policy: Leans heavily toward Russia. Highly reliant on Russia politically and economically, as Russia is its largest import and export partner. Recent socialist and dictatorial policies have distanced Belarus from the West and the rest of Europe, causing it to cleave even tighter to Russia.
Population: 9,685,768 (2008)

 

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