Belarus Vs. Russia: Who's The Fairest Of Them All?

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It was formerly known as Belorussia or White Russia. The country's name is closely related to the term Belaya Rus', or White Rus'. While 'Bela' does mean white, Rus is a different geographical and political term from Russia. Rus, also known as Ruthenia, refers to the Eastern Slavic lands that now mostly belong to Belarus and Ukraine.

The origin of the name Belarus has several theories. One theory suggests that the name used to describe the part of old Ruthenian lands within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that had been populated mostly by early Christianized Slavs, as opposed to Black Ruthenia, which was predominantly inhabited by pagan Balts. Another theory suggests that the name comments on the white clothing worn by the local Slavic population. A third theory suggests that the old Rus' lands that were not conquered by the Tatars (Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Mogilev) were referred to as White Rus'. A fourth theory suggests that the colour white was associated with the west, and Belarus was the western part of Rus' in the 9th to 13th centuries.

Belarus was formerly known as Belorussia or White Russia

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, was formerly known as Belorussia or White Russia. The country is landlocked in Eastern Europe, with Russia to its east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarusians share a distinct ethnic identity and language, but they never enjoyed unity and political sovereignty, except during a brief period in 1918.

The name Belarus is closely related to the term Belaya Rus, meaning White Rus. There are several theories about the origin of the name White Rus. One theory suggests that it was used to describe the part of old Ruthenian lands within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that had been populated mostly by early Christianized Slavs, as opposed to Black Ruthenia, which was predominantly inhabited by pagan Balts. Another theory suggests that the local Slavic population wore white clothing. A third theory suggests that the old Rus lands that were not conquered by the Tatars (Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Mogilev) were referred to as White Rus. A fourth theory suggests that the colour white was associated with the west, and Belarus was the western part of Rus in the 9th to 13th centuries.

The term Belorussia first rose during the days of the Russian Empire, and the Russian Tsar was usually styled "the Tsar of All the Russias", asserting that the territories and peoples were all Russian. After the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the term White Russia caused some confusion as it was also the name of the military force that opposed the Bolsheviks. During the period of the Byelorussian SSR, the term Byelorussia was embraced as part of a national consciousness. The term Byelorussia was used officially until 1991, when the country gained independence.

The name Belarus means 'White Rus'

The name Belarus means White Rus. While Bela does mean white, Rus is a different geographical and political term than Russia. Rus, also known as Ruthenia, refers to the Eastern Slavic lands that nowadays belong mostly to Belarus and Ukraine.

The origin of the name White Rus has several theories. One ethno-religious theory suggests that the name was used to describe the part of old Ruthenian lands within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that had been populated mostly by Slavs who had been Christianized early, as opposed to Black Ruthenia, which was predominantly inhabited by pagan Balts. Another explanation for the name comments on the white clothing the local Slavic population wears. A third theory suggests that the old Rus' lands that were not conquered by the Tatars (i.e., Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Mogilev) had been referred to as White Rus. A fourth theory suggests that the colour white was associated with the west, and Belarus was the western part of Rus in the 9th to 13th centuries.

The name Rus is often conflated with its Latin forms Russia and Ruthenia, thus Belarus is often referred to as White Russia or White Ruthenia. The name first appeared in German and Latin medieval literature; the chronicles of Jan of Czarnków mention the imprisonment of Lithuanian grand duke Jogaila and his mother at "Albae Russiae, Poloczk dicto" in 1381. The first known use of White Russia to refer to Belarus was in the late 16th century by Englishman Sir Jerome Horsey, who was known for his close contacts with the Russian royal court. During the 17th century, the Russian tsars used the term to describe the lands added from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

The 'Rus' part of Belarus stems from Ruthenia, the region of Eastern Slavic lands

The name Belarus is closely related to the term Belaya Rus, meaning White Rus. The Rus part of Belarus stems from Ruthenia, the region of Eastern Slavic lands. Ruthenia, also known as Rus or Rus' land, was a triangular area that mainly corresponds to the tribe of Polans in Dnieper Ukraine. The name Rus' or Rus'ka zemlia (land of Rus') described the lands between Kiev, Chernihiv and Pereyaslav, corresponding to the tribe of Polanians, who started to identify themselves as Rus in the 9th century.

The term Ruthenia was used to refer to the East Slavic and Eastern Orthodox people of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland, and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Austria-Hungary. This included the territories of modern-day Belarus, Ukraine, Eastern Poland, and some of western Russia. In a broader sense, the term was also used to refer to all the territories under Kievan dominion, mostly East Slavs.

The name Rus is often conflated with its Latin forms Russia and Ruthenia, hence Belarus is often referred to as White Russia or White Ruthenia. The name first appeared in German and Latin medieval literature, with the chronicles of Jan of Czarnków mentioning the imprisonment of Lithuanian Grand Duke Jogaila and his mother at "Albae Russiae, Poloczk dicto" in 1381.

The first known use of White Russia to refer to Belarus was in the late 16th century by Englishman Sir Jerome Horsey, who was known for his close contacts with the Russian royal court. During the 17th century, the Russian tsars used the term to describe the lands added from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

There are several theories about the origin of the name White Rus. One ethno-religious theory suggests that the name was used to describe the part of old Ruthenian lands within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that had been populated mostly by early Christianized Slavs, as opposed to Black Ruthenia, which was predominantly inhabited by pagan Balts. Another explanation for the name comments on the white clothing worn by the local Slavic population. A third theory suggests that the old Rus' lands that were not conquered by the Tatars (Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Mogilev) were referred to as White Rus. A fourth theory suggests that the colour white was associated with the west, and Belarus was the western part of Rus in the 9th to 13th centuries.

The 'Bela' part of Belarus means 'white' in the Belarusian language

The name Belarus is closely related to the term Belaya Rus', or White Rus'. The Bela part of Belarus means 'white' in the Belarusian language.

There are several theories as to the origin of the name White Rus'. One ethno-religious theory suggests that the name was used to describe the part of old Ruthenian lands within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that had been populated mostly by Slavs who had been Christianised early. This is contrasted with Black Ruthenia, which was predominantly inhabited by pagan Balts.

An alternative explanation for the name is the white clothing worn by the local Slavic population. A third theory suggests that the old Rus' lands that were not conquered by the Tatars (Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Mogilev) were referred to as White Rus'. A fourth theory suggests that the colour white was associated with the west, and Belarus was the western part of Rus' in the 9th to 13th centuries.

The name Rus' is often conflated with its Latin forms Russia and Ruthenia, thus Belarus is often referred to as White Russia or White Ruthenia. The name first appeared in German and Latin medieval literature. The term Belorussia (Russian: Белору́ссия) first rose in the days of the Russian Empire, and the Russian Tsar was usually styled "the Tsar of All the Russias", asserting that the territories and peoples were all Russian.

The name Belarus was also used by great poet Francishak Bahushevich after the land of modern-day Belarus was banned from being called "Litva" by the Russians in 1863.

The country was partitioned and changed hands repeatedly throughout history

Belarus has been a landlocked country in Eastern Europe since it gained independence in 1991. Throughout history, the territory that is now Belarus has been partitioned and changed hands repeatedly. Between the medieval period and the 20th century, different states at various times controlled the lands of modern-day Belarus, including Kievan Rus', the Principality of Polotsk, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire.

In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution in 1917, different states arose competing for legitimacy amid the Civil War, ultimately ending in the rise of the Byelorussian SSR, which became a founding constituent republic of the Soviet Union in 1922. After the Polish-Soviet War (1918–1921), Belarus lost almost half of its territory to Poland. Much of the borders of Belarus took their modern shape in 1939, when some lands of the Second Polish Republic were reintegrated into it after the Soviet invasion of Poland, and were finalized after World War II.

During World War II, military operations devastated Belarus, which lost about a quarter of its population and half of its economic resources. In 1945, the Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the United Nations and the Soviet Union. The republic was home to a widespread and diverse anti-Nazi insurgent movement which dominated politics until well into the 1970s, overseeing Belarus' transformation from an agrarian to an industrial economy.

The parliament of the republic proclaimed the sovereignty of Belarus on 27 July 1990, and during the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Belarus gained independence on 25 August 1991. Following the adoption of a new constitution in 1994, Alexander Lukashenko was elected Belarus's first president in the country's first and only free election after independence, serving as president ever since. Lukashenko heads a highly centralized authoritarian government. Belarus ranks low in international measurements of freedom of the press and civil liberties.

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