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    Ukrainian ethnic territory in southern Belarus
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    Ukrainian ethnic territory in southern Belarus


    Hello!

    I was checking some old maps and got surprised about the extent of Ukrainian language in present day Belarus. As it can be seen on each of such ethno-linguistic maps from the 19th century, the Belarusian-Ukrainian language border stretched much northern than Brest in the southwest, while stretching along the Pripyat’ river through Мазыр in the south.

    Here is one example: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Ethnic_composition_of_the_westernmost_parts_of_the_Russian_Empire%2C_Erckert%2C_1863.jpg

    And another: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Ukrainian-Belarusian_linguistic_border.svg

    My question: Have these Ukrainian-speaking populations disappeared? Is there any remnants of this identity, culture, language? If no longer, have they adopted the closely related Belarusian language? Or are they speaking a kind of mixture between the two? On recent maps there is absolutely no sign of a Ukrainian ethnic identity or language there: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Majority_in_communes_of_Belarus_%282009%29.png

    Ukrainian ethnic territory in southern Belarus
    byu/leweex95 inbelarus



    Posted by leweex95

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    5 Comments

    1. CoolTown3517 on

      My village is close to Pinsk, Luninets. As soon as I started speaking only belarusian from 2022, i understood that my grandparents speak mixture of ukranian and belarusian. So speak other people from the village. And it’s not trasianka at all.

    3. krokodil40 on

      I am from around Pinsk. Native language is really not like belarusian or ukrainian. There are spots of it in Ukraine too. Self-identity is tied to the border there, which was established hundreds of years ago, so while people might speak the same micro language, they identify themselves within the borders of their state. So it’s not really Ukrainians in Belarus or Belarusians in Ukraine.

      Edit:

      > Have these Ukrainian-speaking populations disappeared?

      There was really not a lot and most of them have settled after the WW2

      > Is there any remnants of this identity, culture, language?

      Some people still speak polessian micro language, but not a lot.

      > If no longer, have they adopted the closely related Belarusian language?

      Belarusian and Ukrainian schools were established by russians in the 19 century, from both sides of the border. Funnily enough it was probably the only place were belarusian and ukrainian schools were established. The place was almost uncivilised, so they tried to settle it.

      > Or are they speaking a kind of mixture between the two?

      It’s a mixture with a lot of unique elements. It combines belarusian ц, with ukrainian гэ and puts pollesian ы over it

    5. Polissian on

      Polesian can be argued to be neither Belarusian or Ukrainian, it’s its own unique history, culture and language. In both Ukraine and Belarus, the thing is these people adopted national identities they felt closer to in their respective areas.

      You can’t apply a label to a people who didn’t really have a strong unifying force themselves and largely adopted whatever they felt closer to. I can say my family consider themself Belarusian or simply say tutejszy or just poleshuk. They don’t feel entirely Ukrainian or Belarusian, but consider themselves more Belarusian because they think their language is closer to Belarusian than Ukrainian.

      Keep in mind terms like Ukrainian and Belarusian are purely political, they don’t speak much on regards to actual cultural, linguistic or ethnic identity