Belarusians on Territories of Steppe Ukraine: Peculiarities of Their Cultural Adaptation and Identity Maintenance (After the 2017-2018 Field Materials)

Author

Bosa Liubov

a Ph.D. in History, a senior researcher at the NASU M. Rylskyi IASFE Ukrainian Ethnological Centre Department

Belarusians on Territories of Steppe Ukraine: Peculiarities of Their Cultural Adaptation and Identity Maintenance (After the 2017–2018 Field Materials)

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the life-world* peculiarities of the descendants of the Byelorussian migrants from the Smolensk region to the South of Ukraine at the early XIXth century. Some forms and methods of adaptation of the settlers in a new place and modern strategies of the cultural identity preservation are reproduced through the family legends and personal documents. Also an attempt is made to reveal the specific character of ethno-cultural interaction on these territories and the possibilities of the population selforganization. The carriers of family cultural traditions, as well as some enthusiasts who have succeeded to initiate the creation of an efficient and live museum as an important place for commemorative practices are of a peculiar significance in this movement. The fact that their ancestors come from the Smolensk province, where almost complete assimilation of the Byelorussian population during the XX century has taken place, is of particular importance. Consequently, the elements of the so-called preserved traditions have caused a considerable scientific interest. There is an obvious positive impact on other groups of the local population, who are also involved in joint activities bringing their own cultural experience. It is emphasized that the traditional skills of Byelorussian weavers have been important not only in the process of the community adaptation, but also become a contribution into the immaterial cultural heritage of the region in modern conditions.

Keywords

migrants from the Smolensk region, Byelorussians, adaptation, ethno-cultural interaction, self-organization, immaterial cultural heritage.

References

1. Nesterenko O. (2017) Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Zaporizhzhia Region: Preservation and Popularization. TheZaporozhzhia Regional Studies. Zaporizhzhia, no. 2, pp. 118–125.
2. Novikov A. (2017) The Novikovs: A DocumentedFamily History. Zaporozhye: STATUS, 592 pp.
3. Dobrovolskiy V. (1903) The Smolensk Ethnographic Collection: in Four Parts. Proceedings of the Imperial RussianGeographical Society with Respect to EthnographyDepartment. Saint Petersburg; Moscow, Pt. 4, XVI, 720 pp.
4. Karskiy Ye. (1917) Ethnographic Map of the Belarusian Tribe. Proceedings ofthe Commission for the Study of Tribal Compositionof the Population of Russia (Russian Academy of Sciences). Petrograd, 32 pp.
5. The Story of How Russians Captured Smolensk from Belarusians. URL: http://inbelhist.org/istoriya-o-tom-kak-russkie-zaxvatili-u-b/
6. Troynitskiy N. (ed.) (1904) The First GeneralPopulation Census of the Russian Empire in 1897.Smolensk Province. St. Petersburg: Central Statistical Committee of the Interior, 258 pp.
7. Solovyov Ya. (1855) Agricultural Statisticsof Smolensk Province. Moscow: Tipografiya Aleksandra Semena, 486 pp.
8. Central Statistical Committee of the Interior (1863). The List of Localities. Smolensk Province. St. Petersburg: Issue of the Central Statistical Committee of the Interior according to the 1859 Data, 431 pp.
9. Shynkaruk V. (editorial board’s chair) (2002) The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Philosophy (H. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the NAS of Ukraine). Kyiv: Abrys, 742 pp.