Search results

1

‘Coat Thieves’ and Bandits? Belarusian Counter-Memory of the ‘Cursed Soldiers’

100%

Dobrosielski P., Jaskułowski K., Majewski P.

Acta Poloniae Historica

|

2023

|

vol. 128

45-65

EN

In the article, we analyse attitudes of representatives of the Belarusian minority in Poland towards the armed anti-communist underground operating in the Podlasie region after 1944 (the so-called ‘cursed soldiers’). Drawing on semi-structured interviews with various Belarusian actors, as well as on observations made during field research in the Podlasie region in June 2021, we are able to illustrate a clash between official commemorative practices and the local and communicative memory of the Belarusians. We analyse the role played by the collective memory of the underground among the Belarusian minority in Podlasie against the backdrop of the hegemonic politics of memory that glorifies the ‘cursed soldiers’ as national heroes. The analysis of counter-hegemonic memory accounts and their relation to dominant narratives uncovers the emotions generated by the hegemonic politics of memory among representatives of the Belarusian minority, who generally regard it as depreciating their experience and evoking a sense of endangerment. We show that Belarusian memory is perceived as incompatible with the ideological assumptions of the hegemonic Polish memory; therefore, we want to give voice to the marginalised representatives of the Belarusian minority. However, the Belarusian minority should not be perceived as a homogenous group – our analysis points to the fact that various actors various actors negotiate the hegemonic politics of memory in various ways when faced with the pressure of assimilation.

2

Od internacjonalnej do własnej historii – mniejszość białoruska w Polsce

100%

Śleszyński W.

Acta Baltico-Slavica

|

2017

|

vol. 41

EN

From international history to one’s own history – Belorusian minority in PolandAfter World War II the Belarusians who did not leave Poland could gain upward mobility only if they avoided displaying their national and cultural distinctiveness. Belarusians made a political choice which coincided with a vision of history and thus accepted a historical narrative spread by communist circles. The narrative constructed by the Belarusian minority was consistent with the officially proclaimed state ideological narrative. It contained mostly the history of the Communist Party of Western Belarus and described a difficult situation of Belarus in the Second Polish Republic and during World War II (especially the Great Patriotic War).The Belarusian community made first attempts to rebuild the current vision of the world in 1980–1981. Students tried to create an alternative historical narrative that contradicted the communist one. However, it was a gradual collapse of the communist system that became an impetus for more active development of the Belarusian minority in Poland, and consequently, the creation of its own national vision of history. The Belarusian heritage has been based on the Belarusian People's Republic and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and not, as it was in the Soviet Socialist Republic of Belarus or after 1994, on the Republic of Belarus and the victory in the Great Patriotic War. Od internacjonalnej do własnej historii – mniejszość białoruska w PolscePozostała w Polsce po II wojnie światowej społeczność białoruska uzyskała możliwość awansu społecznego pod warunkiem nieeksponowania swojej narodowej i kulturowej odrębności. Białorusini, dokonując wyboru politycznego, pokrywającego się z wyborem wizji historii, akceptowali obraz dziejów prezentowany przez środowiska komunistyczne. Konstruowany przez mniejszość białoruską przekaz historyczny zgodny był z oficjalnie głoszonym państwowym przekazem ideologicznym. Dominowały treści o historii Komunistycznej Partii Zachodniej Białorusi, o trudnej sytuacji białoruskiej w II RP i w latach II wojny światowej, ale z naciskiem położonym jedynie na okres Wielkiej Wojny Ojczyźnianej.Pierwsze próby przebudowy dotychczasowej wizji świata przez społeczność białoruską zostały podjęte w latach 1980–1981. Zwłaszcza środowiska studenckie próbowały stworzyć alternatywę dla dotychczasowego skomunizowanego, białoruskiego przekazu historycznego. Jednak dopiero stopniowy upadek systemu komunistycznego stał się impulsem do coraz bardziej aktywnego rozwoju mniejszości białoruskiej w Polsce, a co za tym idzie także kreowania własnej, narodowej wizji dziejów. Fundamentem, na którym budowana była pamięć o dziedzictwie, stało się odwoływanie się do Białoruskiej Republiki Ludowej i Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego, a nie, jak to miało miejsce w Białoruskiej Socjalistycznej Republice Sowieckiej czy po 1994 r. w Republice Białoruś, zwycięstwa w Wielkiej Wojnie Ojczyźnianej.

3

Legal Regulations and the National Identity of Members of the Belarusian Minority in Poland

100%

Budyta-Budzyńska M.

Zoon Politikon

|

2018

|

issue 9 Special Issue

91-111

EN

In the article I address Polish-Belarusian relations in the Białystok region in the second decade of the 21st century - twelve years since the adoption of an Act on national and ethnic minorities and regional language. I discuss changes brought about by the new legislation, how they are assessed by leaders of the minority group, and the possible impact of the bill on the sense of national identity among Belarusians in Poland. In the second part of the article, I describe the main conflict between the Polish majority and the Belarusian minority, which concerns the memory and commemoration of the so-called damned soldiers, and of one of them in particular: Romuald Rajs, alias “Bury”.

4

Podlaska wielokulturowość i związane z nią problemy językowe mniejszości narodowych

75%

Sadanowicz E.

Pogranicze. Studia Społeczne

|

2017

|

vol. 32

EN

The region of Podlasie is amongst the most diverse and multicultural parts of Poland and since the early Middle Ages it has been under the influence of Polish, Ruthenian and Lithuanian cultures. Waves of East Slavic settlers came from south – Volyn and Polesia as well as from north east – Volkovysk and Grodno area. The biggest population of East Slavic minority in Podlasie lives in the eastern part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, namely Hajnówka, Bielsk and Siemiatycze Counties and is predominantly of Orthodox faith. The language situation in this area is of great complexity and there are considerable differences of ideas and opinions amongst scholars. The language spoken in the communities in the northern part of the region (to the north of the Narew river) is considered to be the East Slavic dialect based on Belarusian and the one spoken to the south of the Narew river is of Ukrainian origin or at least has Ukrainian features. Language and the sense of national identity are closely linked, and both problems has been widely discussed in Podlasie for decades. Nowadays, the most important and urgent question is how to preserve and promote the dialects.

Refine search results

1 Acta Baltico-Slavica

1 Acta Poloniae Historica

1 Pogranicze. Studia Społeczne

1 Zoon Politikon

1 Budyta-Budzyńska M.

1 Dobrosielski P.

1 Jaskułowski K.

1 Majewski P.

1 Sadanowicz E.

1 Śleszyński W.

1 2023

1 2018

2 2017

‘Coat Thieves’ and Bandits? Belarusian Counter-Memory of the ‘Cursed Soldiers’

Od internacjonalnej do własnej historii – mniejszość białoruska w Polsce

Legal Regulations and the National Identity of Members of the Belarusian Minority in Poland

Podlaska wielokulturowość i związane z nią problemy językowe mniejszości narodowych