Belarusian ethnography

The main method of Belarusian ethnography is direct observation; written sources, material monuments, and sociological research methods are also used. Science is closely connected with history, archeology , geography ( ethnogeography arose at the border with it), anthropology , linguistics, folklore, with natural sciences (when studying folk agronomy, meteorology), etc.

Belarusian ethnography stood out as an independent science by the middle of the XIX century. The first information about the tribes living on the territory of Belarus is placed in the annals and other historical monuments of the times of Kievan Rus . The life of Belarusians of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania is reflected in the poem by N. Gusovsky “Song of the Bison” ( 1523 , Krakow , in Latin ), recorded in documents, inventories , sketches of travelers and ambassadors, among them: “ Notes on Moscow Affairs ” by S. Herberstein ( 1549 , Vienna), “On religion, sacrifices, wedding, funeral rites of Ruthenians, Muscovites and Tatars. From the works of various writers ... ”by J. Losicki ( 1582 , Speer, Germany, in Latin).

The accession of Belarus to Russia attracted the attention of the Russian public to the life and culture of Belarusians. Appeared "Description of Krichevsky County ..." by A. Meyer (written in 1786 , published in 1901 ), notes of expeditions to Belarus by academicians I. I. Lepyokhin , V. M. Severgin . Later, the research was carried out by the Russian Academy of Sciences , the Moscow Society of Russian History and Antiquities (“Russian Popular Holidays and Superstitious Rites” by I. M. Snegirev (1837–1839), by N. P. Rumyantsev’s circle. The most complete spiritual culture of Belarusians is presented in the collection “Belarusian Archive” " P.V. Kireyevsky .

Belarus was studied by figures of Polish and Belarusian culture, most of which were grouped around Vilnius University . The life of Belarusians is widely reflected in publications 3. Ya. Dolengi-Khodakovsky , M. Charnovskaya, Ya. Chechot , I. Yaroshevich, R. A. Podberesky , Yu. I. Krashevsky , Ya. Barshevsky , E. P. Tyshkevich , R. S. Zenkevich, V. Syrokomli , as well as A.F. Rypinsky , L. Galombevsky, Z. Petkevich .

A more systematic and targeted collection of ethnographic materials began after the founding ( 1845 ) of the Russian Geographical Society , which had a branch of ethnography. The works of M.O. Bez-Kornilovich , P.M. Shpilevsky , I. Yurkevich, N. Animele were published. The materials collected in the 1840-1850s by A. Kirkor made up two parts of the 3rd volume of the publication Picturesque Russia (Lithuanian Polesie and Belarusian Polesie, 1882). After the uprising of 1863-1864 , ethnographic borders and the national composition of the population of the western provinces of the Russian Empire were intensively studied. In the “Materials for geography and statistics of Russia collected by officers of the General Staff”, among the volumes devoted to Belarus, the Grodno Province by P.O. Bobrovsky ( 1863 ) stands out.

The formation of the Belarusian nation led to the entry into the arena of the scientific activity of local forces. Different sociopolitical convictions of researchers determined their views on Belarus and the Belarusian people. Democratic positions were made by I. I. Nosovich , Yu. F. Krachkovsky , P. P. Chubinsky , M. A. Dmitriev , A. Ya. Vasilieva and others, from the liberal - E. Ivashkevich, I. A. Berman, K. P. Tyshkevich , from the great-power - P. A. Giltebrandt, M. O. Koyalovich , M. Kaminsky, as well as compilers of ethnographic maps R. F. Erkert , F.P. Keppen , conflicting conclusions were made by A.M. Sementovsky , P.A. Bessonov , S.V. Maksimov , I. Eremich.

An important role in intensifying the study of Belarus was played by the Society of Lovers of Natural History, Anthropology and Ethnography, created in 1864 at Moscow University, and the North-West Department of the Russian Geographical Society. In the 1880s and 1890s, rich folklore-ethnographic collections were prepared — E.R. Romanova (Belorussky Sbornik, v. 1–9, 1886–1912), M. Federovsky (The Belarussian People ..., vol. 1— 3, 1897-1903), P.V. Shein ("Materials for the study of the life and language of the Russian population of the North-Western Territory", vols. 1-3, 1887-1902), N. Ya. Nikiforovsky ("Essays on the Vitebsk Belarus" , parts 1–8, 1892–1899; “Essays on common life in Vitebsk Belarus and a description of household items ...”, 1895), descriptions of the material and spiritual culture of M. V. Dovnar-Zapolsky , V. N. Dobrovolsky, A . E Bogdanovich , A. S. Dembovetsky , P. P. Demidovich, E. A. Lyatsky, S. I. Karsky, 3. Radchenko, D. G. Bulgakovsky, F. Verenko, Polish ethnographers Yu. Kolberg , J. Karlovich . 3. Gloger . The activity of the founder of Belarusian philology and folklore, E. F. Karsky, began . The history of Belarusian ethnography was described in 7 sections of the 4th volume ( 1892 ) of the History of Russian Ethnography by A. N. Pypin . The mythological school and borrowing theory that dominated ethnography in the 1860-1870s was replaced by an evolutionary school , the methodology of collecting, studying and publishing materials rose to a new level, more works appeared on the material culture and production activities of the people (A. M. Kharuzin, M.N. Kosich, A.K. Serzhputovsky , I.A. Serbov , P. Sergievsky, etc.). During this period, significant steps were taken in the field of systematization and analysis of collected folklore-ethnographic materials.

After 1917, a new stage in Belarusian ethnography began. Ethnographers participated in the national regionalization and determination of the state borders of the republic. D.N. Anuchin , N.A. Yanchuk, and V.I. Pitcheta , lectured on ethnography and the history of Belarus, were formed at the Belarusian People's University in Moscow ( 1918 ). EF Karsky, Dobrovolsky, Yanchuk, Serzhputovsky actively joined in the organization of ethnographic centers in Belarus. The local history movement was widely developed, the Central Bureau of Local History (1924), the Department of Ethnography (1927) were formed in Inbelkult , active expeditionary work was carried out. He completed the fundamental research “Belarusians” (vols. 1-3, 1903-22) E.F. Karsky, “Belarusian Ethnography in Experiments and Materials” (vols. 1-5, 7, 1926-1930), the works of Serzhputovsky, Serbov , A.A. Shlyubsky, N.I. Lebedeva and others.

Contribution to Belarusian ethnography was made by Polish scholars K. Moshinsky (East Polesie, 1928 ; Folk Culture of the Slavs, 1-2, 1929-1939), C. Petkevich (Rechitsky Polesie, Part 1 - Material Culture, 1928 ; "The spiritual culture of Rechitsa Polesye", 1938 ).

The German invaders destroyed the ethnographic materials accumulated during the Soviet years (more than 70 thousand units of ethnographic descriptions and folklore texts), looted the photo library, card index of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR, and museum funds. After the war, the sector of ethnography and folklore at the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR resumed its activity, and expeditionary and scientific research was launched. After the establishment of the Institute of Art Criticism, Ethnography and Folklore of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR in 1957, scientific research covered almost all aspects of Belarusian ethnography: the origin and ethnic history of Belarusians (M. Ya. Greenblatt), material culture, folk dwelling and crafts ( L. A. Molchanova , Р.. R. Sobolenko, V. S. Purkov, I. N. Braim, V. S. Titov), ​​some features of the life of workers (V. M. Ivanov), the life of peasants under Nazi occupation (A. I. Zalessky) , folk rituals, folk experience ( NM Nikolsky , A. Myaleshka, LI Minko, RV Above lsky, Molchanov), ethno-cultural processes in the city and village (Bondarchik, Brahim, Sobolenko, Gurkov). The works were published: “Belarusian Folk Clothing”, “Belarusian Folk Dwelling”, etc.

• Ethnogenesis of Belarusians
• Ethnic territory of Belarusians
• Local history of Belarus

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