Why Belarus is NOT White Russia | The history of Belarus and its name

This video explores the origin of the term "White Rus", its evolution, and the use on old maps. It ventures into the history of Belarus including such topics as the early days of Balts and Slavs, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Kievan Rus, connections with the Novgorod Republic and Muscovy, and major wars of the 16th-17th century in the Belarusian lands which affected the transition of the term between various geographic areas.

00:34 - "Belarus" in various languages
01:33 - The Grand Duchy of Lithuania on old maps
03:55 - Balts and Slavs
06:52 - Origin of Kievan Rus
10:04 - White Rus on old maps (Carta Marina, Fra Mauro)
12:11 - Novgorod, Vepsians, and White Rus
13:03 - White Rus and Muscovy
14:17 - The Livonian War
15:06 - The Deluge (War)
17:18 - Travel path of "White Rus"
17:48 - Conclusion

The video used the following compositions among others:

#History #Belarus #Lithuania #Rus #KievanRus #Muscovy #Novgorod #OldMaps #Ukraine #Slavs #Balts #Vepsians

[nerimantas]

The border of Samogitia is Kaunas and the river Nevezis egsacly as shown on the maps, but its not all now days Lithuania.Now days Lithuania is Samogitia, Aukshtaitia, small parts of Semigalia and Jotva but not only Samogitia as you try to show.That is misinformation.

[vragamisha]

Nawet w Polsce zdarza się, że ludzie myślą o Rusi jak o Rosji, dobrze, że zrobiłeś ten film.

[Tautas]

Just to those who think Beralus = Lithuania (also due to some reason, maps in this video are shown starting only from 1613 and not around 1000):
Baltic and Slavic languages are very different even today after centuries of the Baltic language branch being like an island surrounded by Slavic countries, despite Polonization (not forced) and Russification (forced) in their history. Baltic tribes are mentioned in very old written sources, such as ancient Roman Tacitus's “Amber Road”. Baltic tribes include Galindians, Latgalians, Lithuanians, Samogitians, Curonians, Selonians, Semigallians, Yotvingians, old Prussians, Pomeranians. Lithuanians and Samogitians were one of the largest tribes. In around 1000, baltic tribes united into a country known as Lithuania, which is according to one of the main tribes - “Lithuanians” name (Samogitians thou, was included in Lithuania's sphere, as they were a large tribe they remained quite autonomous, they were more “pagan” than other tribes, so there was a problem with them to accept Christ, and they become known as last pagans in Europe). Not all Baltic tribes belonged to Lithuania – some became current Latvia, is part of Poland or Kaliningrad (Teutonic order took the old Prussian settlement “Tvankste” and made it into the city of Königsberg).

Officially, Lithuania’s name as the country was first mentioned in 1009 in the Annals of the Quedlinburg monastery. Take note that the “Lithuania” name was long before the appearance of “Grand Duchy of Lithuania”. From then started dynasties of famous Lithuanian dukes, no kings as it was a pagan country not accepting Christianity. The only king was Mindaugas, who accepted Christianity. Lithuania's main capitals were around the current Vilnius location. The first capital, was Kernave (35km from Vilnius), the second capital Trakai (30 km from Vilnius) and finally, Vilnius, which was founded by Grand Duke Gediminas. After Baltic tribes unified in the country and after the Mongol invasion - it was a good moment for country expansion, and so the Grand Duchy of Lithuania appeared. Algirdas (in the video mentioned Olgerd) was one of 7 sons of Gediminas and belonged to the Gediminas dynasty.

During “Grand Duchy of Lithuania” -it consisted of Lithuanians and Ruthenians (Belarus, plus part of Ukraine). And it is based on Europe’s written sources. For example, Lithuania’s that time enemy Teutonic Order writings divided “The Grand Duchy of Lithuania” army into Lithuanians, Ruthenians and Tatars. That includes writings about the famous battle of Grunwald. Thou “The Grand Duchy of Lithuania” was ruled by Lithuanian dukes, there were much more Ruthenians than Lithuanians and Ruthenian was common language for communication. But Lithuanians were always Lithuanians, Belarusians were Ruthenians, and Ruthenians were never Lithuanians. Lithuania was before Grand Duchy of Lithuania and it was formed from Baltic tribes.

[BitWise]

This video has a lot of errors. It's kind of funny. Not gonna mention all.
It is more complicated than you think. Samogitia is like Scotland of Lithuania.
Samogitia is only part of Lithuania.
It is like Britan and Scotland and all lands under are like the British Empire.
Also, Belarus is not white rus, but it is west rus, because directions were in colors.
White means west, black means north and red means south.
Also, it is funny that you ignore that all rulers were Lithuanians and all names are in the Lithuanian language.
Writing in Cyrillic doesn't change the word meaning.

[ОскарУсенко]

There are numerous maps showing where White Russia/Alba Russia/Blanche Russia is and where Lithuania exactly is. Lithuania is named on those maps as “Lithuania Propria”.
This author compared modern map to his picked maps just to mislead people and tell that only Samogitia is Lithuania, but, as Vytautas the Great said, Lithuania is Samogitia + Aukstaitija (Lithuania Propria).
This psueodhistorical narrative is called “Litvinism” where Belorussians steal Lithuania’s history.

[LukasLukosevicius]

Samogitia is also known Žemaitija (one of the regions in Lithunia)

[xwing]

Why are you showing maps of 16 century? Show maps of 12 or 13 century where Lithuania was really originated, in current Lithuanian territory.

[RacconTheGooner]

Samogitians we're only a Region of Lithuania, not Lithuania itself.

[eruno_]

Grand Duchy of Lithuania was founded by ethnic Baltic Lithuanians who conquered Slavic speakers to the south.

[PhilipDaineka]

As a Belarusian, I want to express my highest level of graditude to you! Your video is a very transparent and true point of view on our history. We need more stuff like that to help the rest of the world better understand my country.

Thank you very much again!

[eruno_]

to call Lithuanian not from current Samogitia (region of Lithuania) "samogitian" is considered an insult

[MuchButteR]

Algirdas did not write that himself, it was scribes who were educated. It is a known fact Rusin scribes were cheaper than Latin scribes. Also in Latin their names are nearly the same as standard Lithuanian.

[reorioOrion]

The author of the video calls Rus' “Kievan Rus”.
In brackets he writes: "Ruthenia"

And this person talks about history?-)
"Kievan Rus" never existed.
This is a historical term from the 19th century.
The state was called simply - "Rus"

The names “Ruthenia”, “Rosia”, “Venaya”, “White Rus'”, “Muscovy”, etc. are what various states called Rus'.

Rus' itself never called itself that.
This can be seen from the primary Russian chronicle of 1110 and other Russian chronicles.
What are these names for? What would what?

The author’s entire “history” is a cardboard house he himself built out of a misunderstanding of history, myths and banal mistakes.


I will analyze the funniest argument:
7:10 - 8:02

1. "These lands became the basis of what we today call Kievan Rus"
a) “Kievan Rus” is a term, not a state.
b) The state was called simply “Rus”
c) The state of Rus' began with Ladoga and Novgorod. Then, spreading to Kyiv and other principalities.

The author simply deliberately mixes everything up creating phenomenal confusion.

2. “Kievan Rus” (Rus) included the principalities of Kiev, Chernigov and Peryaeslav.
No. At the time when Kyiv was annexed to Rus', it already included the northern lands of Novgorod and many others.
Source: "Primary Russian Chronicle of 1110"

3. “The beginning of Kievan Rus is associated with the period when Kyiv was captured by the ruling dynasty from Novgorod”
a) For the third time: “Kievan Rus” did not exist.
b) Kyiv was captured by Rus'.
c) The name Rus' comes from the name of the Vikings, who were invited by the Slavic tribes to reign in Ladoga (northern, Ilmen Slavs. Tribes: Ves, Krivichi, Slovene, Merya)
Source: Primary Russian chronicle of 1110.

4. “Kievan Rus spread to the principalities of Novgorod, Smolensk, etc.”
a) The Varangians (Vikings), who were called “Rus”, were invited to rule the Ilmen Slavs and Finno-Ugric tribes.
The Varangians - Russ began to rule in Ladoga, Izborsk, Beloozero and Novgorod.
It was then that the land began to be called Rus.
b) “Kievan Rus” never spread to Novgorod since Rus itself came to Kyiv FROM NOVGOROD.

Just a circus.



The main humor and circus is that the author mentions that Kyiv was captured by the ruling dynasty from Novgorod in 882.
(7:34)
And then, he talks about how “Kievan Rus” spread to Novgorod.
That is, Kyiv was captured by the Rus from Novgorod, so that later “Kievan Rus” would capture Novgorod.

That's all I wanted to say -)

[Bdrbs]

Damn this video is so historically inaccurate it hurts.

[ruslanradkow]

In recent years, particularly over the last four years, Germans have started referring to Belarus as "Belarus" instead of the previous "Weißrussland"

[Черепабло]

What I think as a belarusian:
Belarus (Polotsk etc.) fought Crussaders along with Lithuania. They were allies. Dukes are balts, but they spoke slavic and almost everyone spoke slavic. A lot of people were orthodox. Then Polish Lithuania appeared and polonisation started, country became catholic. After that 3 divides of PL

[pilenai]

teutonic sources mention the dukes of lithuania being pagan and believing in many gods, while the east slavic population was orthodox by then. How come?

[birutebaublys]

I suggest reading real academic history books based on original sources from the time that the history is covering. I recommend Lithuania Ascending: A Pagan Empire within East Central Europe 1295-1345" written by S.C. Rowell and published by Cambridge University Press. This book is also translated in the Belarus language. You will learn that material written at that time shows that Belarus land was conquered by Pagan Baltic Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas. He even conquered Kyiv. If you need a second source I can recommend Robert Frost's book " The Oxford History of Poland Lithuania; Volume One: The Making of the Polish Lithuanian Union 1385-1569" published by Oxford University Press. I do not understand why Belarus You Tubers want to be Medieval Lithuanians . I would expect them to call modern Lithuanians the descendants of occupiers and ask for an apology .

[MuchButteR]

Your land unification is a pure accident. Eastern border is battle of Orsha, Sothern border is Union of Lublin and etc. You have nothing to do with Lithuania left over Rusins on east European plain.

[juliuspuras]

Fake news history. Why you "forget" to mention Lithuania maps with Lithuania propatia? From 18 century.