Belarus, a middle-sized nation with more than a thousand years of history, is not well known beyond periodic media headlines. Modern scholarly and popular literature covers only fragments from Belarus's long history and current geopolitical, social, and cultural issues. Belarusian history in this book differs in many aspects from history and myths created by Russian scholars and propagated worldwide. The author argues for the existence of a Western-Ruthenian (Belarusian-Ukrainian) civilization as a sub-civilization of Western civilization and thus different from Eurasian civilization. With original, detailed. and critical views on Belarusian history from the ninth century to the present, it explores the latest information about Belarusian society regarding mentality, identity, religion, current elites, the Revolution of Hope 2020. It then analyzes the future prospects of Belarus based on an assessment of modern trends in human societal and political development. It provides detailed analysis of current activities of Belarusian national and ruling elites and their ideologies vis-a-vis the building of a nation-state.
Peter Murzionak is president of the Belarusian Institute of Arts and Sciences, Canada.
Preface Prologue "Was, Worth, Will Be" Maps A Gallery of Prominent Belarusians Whose Contributions Supported Nation-Building PART I. The History of Belarusian Statehood From Ethnos to a Nation (Belarusians in the Ninth to Nineteenth Centuries) Belarusian Statehood in the Twentieth Century PART II. The Place of Belarusians Among Civilizations Belarusian-Ukrainian/Western-Ruthenian Civilization Belarusians and Ukrainians Belong to Western Civilization PART III. Characteristics of the Modern Belarusian Nation The Conditions for Nation-building in Belarus in the Twentieth Century General Information about Modern Belarus National Identity and Language The Mentality of Belarusian Society (Belarusianess) Church and Nation PART IV. Belarus: In Search of Its Own Way Theoretical Models of the Belarusian National State Construction Under the "Patronage of Russia" "Belarus to Europe" Neutrality by Form and Content and Europeanism by Spirit Belarusian Elites and Nation-building Today Revolution of Hope Epilogue Appendix A: Princes of Polatsk Appendix B: Borders of Regions with a Majority Belarusian Population Appendix C: Changes in Territory and Population of Modern Belarus Appendix D: Periods of Nation-building in Modern Belarus Appendix E: Belarusian Olympians Rank First in Summer Games among the Countries of the Former USSR Bibliography About the Author
