Lithuanians in Belarus (Lithuanian: Baltarusijos lietuviai; Belarusian: Беларускія літоўцы, romanized: Bielaruskija litoŭcy; Russian: Белорусские литовцы, romanized: Belorusskiye litovtsy) have a long history, as the lands of what is now Belarus was part of Lithuania[note 1] for more than half a millennium from the 13th century onwards. The land of what is now Belarus was originally inhabited by Balts, while Slavs arrived in those lands during the late Early Middle Ages.
According to the 2009 census in Belarus, there were 19,091 ethnic Lithuanians in Belarus.[1] Lithuanians are most significantly concentrated in Grodno and western Vitebsk regions, which border Lithuania, but concentrations of Lithuanians can also be found in Belarus' eastern regions.
History
The history of ethnic Balts in what is now Belarus is evidenced by numerous archaeological finds, hydronyms and toponyms. The territory of modern Belarus was inhabited solely by Balts from at least 2nd millennium BC.[1] From the later part of the 1st millennium AD until the advent of Slavicisation, the numbers of Balts decreased, although isolated islands that maintained their culture remained.[1]
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Lithuanian language in the 16th century
Throughout the existence of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the territory of modern Belarus was inhabited by many Lithuanians. Written sources mention that Lithuanians lived in the Orsha District.[1] Here, the remaining pagan Lithuanians were baptised in 1387 during the Christianization of Lithuania and the Roman Catholicparish of Obolcai [lt] (which is located to the west of Orsha) was established.[1] In the 15th and 16th centuries, the districts of Lida (Lithuanian: Lyda), Kreva (Lithuanian: Krėva), Ashmyany (Lithuanian: Ašmena), Smarhon (Lithuanian: Smurgainiai), Myadzyel (Lithuanian: Medilas), Vileyka (Lithuanian: Vileika), Vidzy (Lithuanian: Vidžiai) and Braslaw (Lithuanian: Breslauja), were Lithuanian.[1] Some of the inhabitants of these areas were Polonized, while another part became Belarusified during the 16th to the 19th centuries.[1] Until the 19th century Grodno (Lithuanian: Gardinas) with its surrounding vicinities belonged to the Lithuanian ethnographic area.[2]
From the 13th century to the end of the 18th century, all of modern Belarus belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[1]
Russian Empire
During the 19th century and until the early 20th century, Belarus was governed by the Russian Empire.[1]
During World War II, in the ethnically Lithuanian lands that were assigned to Generalbezirk Litauen, Lithuanian schools were established and Church services in Lithuanian were revived.[1] At the end of summer in 1941 Lithuanian self-defence units, wearing the Lithuanian military uniforms, appeared in Grodno and were commanded by majorAlbinas Levickas.[3] Subsequently, priest Viktoras Kurgonas established the Lithuanian National Committee (Lithuanian: Lietuvių tautinis komitetas) in Grodno and collaborated with Albinas Levickas.[3] Both of them fluently spoke German and supported starving Lithuanians.[3] At the time, the St. Mary's Church (Vytautas the Great's Church) was allocated to the Lithuanians in Grodno and Lithuanian religious services were held in it.[3]
During the Soviet occupation, most of the prominent Lithuanian cultural and political figures were executed or deported to Siberia, including the Lithuanian communists.[1]
1945–1990
From 1957, there were Lithuanian language lessons in eight local schools in the districts of Gervėčiai and Pelesa, but their number was reduced and they remained only in Gervėčiai, Pelesa and Girios.[1]
6,993 Lithuanian-language speakers (78% of those who registered as Lithuanians)
1989
7,606 Lithuanians
Current situation (1990-present)
According to the census of 2009, there were 19,091 Lithuanians in Belarus.[1]
Language
The usage of the Lithuanian language in Belarus has declined significantly from a peak in 1959. Originally at 77%, the number of Lithuanian Belarusians who considered Lithuanian their native language had declined to 52% by the 1999 census, and to 31% by the 2009 census. The Russian language (and, to an extent, the Belarusian language) have filled the gap to replace Lithuanian, with 39% of Lithuanians speaking Russian natively and 26% speaking Belarusian natively.[4]
Only 5% of Lithuanians in Belarus spoke the Lithuanian language at home according to the 2009 census, but a significant divide exists between rural and urban Lithuanian populations; roughly 13% of rural Belarusian Lithuanians use Lithuanian at home, versus only 2% of urban Belarusian Lithuanians. A plurality of the rural population (42%) uses the Belarusian language at home, while most of the urban population (79%) speaks Russian.[4]
As of 2022[update], according to the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Education, article 82, there is no general education in the languages of national minorities; their languages and literature will be studied as an optional subject in separate groups and classes.[5]
