Hallo!
Ich habe mir einige alte Karten angesehen und war überrascht über die Ausdehnung der ukrainischen Sprache im heutigen Weißrussland. Wie auf jeder dieser ethnolinguistischen Karten aus dem 19. Jahrhundert zu sehen ist, erstreckte sich die belarussisch-ukrainische Sprachgrenze viel weiter nördlich als Brest im Südwesten und verlief im Süden entlang des Flusses Pripyat durch Masyr.
Hier ist ein Beispiel: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Ethnic_composition_of_the_westernmost_parts_of_the_Russian_Empire%2C_Erckert%2C_1863.jpg
Und noch einer: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Ukrainian-Belarusian_linguistic_border.svg
Meine Frage: Sind diese ukrainischsprachigen Bevölkerungen verschwunden? Gibt es noch Reste dieser Identität, Kultur, Sprache? Wenn nicht, haben sie die eng verwandte belarussische Sprache angenommen? Oder sprechen sie eine Art Mischung aus beiden? Auf neueren Karten gibt es dort absolut keine Anzeichen einer ukrainischen ethnischen Identität oder Sprache: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Majority_in_communes_of_Belarus_%282009%29.png
Ukrainian ethnic territory in southern Belarus
byu/leweex95 inbelarus
Von leweex95
7 Comments
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.
[https://be-tarask.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%88%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%96](https://be-tarask.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%88%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%96)
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
>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
This map must be a nightmare to Belarussian chauvinists/litvinists 😂
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
> Have these Ukrainian-speaking populations disappeared
Nope, they are still there, but young people obviously speak Russian only. But it’s not hard to find a ‘village-language’ speaker if you try.
> Is there any remnants of this identity, culture, language?
Language – yes, indentity – no. There were some failed attempts to create a cultural authonomy of West Polissia in 90th, not too much remained from it.
> Or are they speaking a kind of mixture between the two?
All languages are mixtures, this definition doesn’t make sense.
> On recent maps there is absolutely no sign of a Ukrainian ethnic identity or language there
Ukrainian identity is not there anymore, that’s correct. I still remember Prosvita and their activities, but I believe most of local don’t even know about it and will argue with you telling they are not Ukrainians.
You might still hear ukranian sounding accent in southern Belarus. Grandmas in villages and cities sometimes speak it.
But yea. Ukrainian is pretty much dead