Ethnocultural Ukrainian-Lithuanian contacts of the Lithuanian-Polish era

In the course research the problems of the common political history of Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania were comprehended, first of all, the influence of the Slavic world on the process of formation of the Lithuanian state, mutual influences of historical and cultural nature. The article focuses on the cultural interethnic contacts of Lithuanians and Ukrainians. Linguistic interethnic contacts, Lithuanian-Ukrainian interactions in family and marriage traditions of Ukrainians are revealed. Within the frameworks of the study the language situation was described. It can be argued that the Rus influence was stronger here, because the so-called “Rus language” was used both in everyday life and in official records. But it posed difficulties in its linguistic interpretation, many variants for its nomination were suggested which was described in detail in the article. Numerous Lithuanians in modern Ukrainian lexicon representing various fields undoubtedly testifies to the importance of Lithuanian-Ukrainian contacts in the Middle Ages and the historical contribution of Lithuanians to the formation of the Ukrainian ethnic group. The reciprocity of Ukrainian-Lithuanian contacts is evidenced by numerous Ukrainian borrowings in the modern Lithuanian language, most of which undeniably entered the vocabulary during the time of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. A striking example of Lithuanian-Ukrainian interaction presents such a sphere of spiritual life as marital relations. After all, in the Ukrainian lands beginning from the XVI to the first half of the XIX century Lithuanian Statutes were in force (before the introduction of new Russian legislation), to which the norms of Russkaya Pravda regulating marital and family relations in the Kyiv state were transferred. Thus, Ukrainians got their own marriage and family traditions. The institution of marriage in the Lithuanian Statutes is considered quite extensively, but to a greater extent they regulated relations between the more affluent sections of the society at that time. Meanwhile, certain norms were universal: a clear definition of marriage age, defining the rights and responsibilities of parents and relatives in creating a new family, the obligations of the groom, determining the position of women and their children, and others.

The importance of civic identity for Belarusians and Lithuanians

The article captures the differences in the formation of civic attitudes among Belarusians and Lithuanians. The starting point is a brief analysis of the identity formation of both nations. Then, on the basis of a comparative analysis made using representative survey research from 2012-2022, a picture concerning the importance of selected issues of civic identity is presented. Above all, it is attachment and belonging to the state, which takes into account ethnic and civic components such as language, self-understanding through identification with the territory, nationality and citizenship, changes and differences in reference to historical heritage and approaches to European identity. We present data on respect for state institutions and the law, willingness to pay or avoid taxes as a form of support and attachment to statehood, as well as preferred form of government. We also refer to data related to sentiments towards the past and understanding Russia’s role, national pride and autostereotypical features, while juxtaposing these with the question of where Lithuanians and Belarusians see their future. Finally, we point out the importance of history, political influence and collective experiences as a basis for the formation of civic attitudes.

National Identity of Belarusians and Lithuanians: A Comparative Sociological Study

The article is a comparative analysis of the national identity of Belarusians and Lithuanians. The authors present in turn the complex processes of the formation of national identity of two groups, show their specificities in the historical, cultural and social dimensions, point to the differences and similarities, which emerge on the basis of the review of Belarusian, Lithuanian and international social research, conducted in 2010–2022. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Lithuania and Belarus took different paths, which influenced the formation of a more consistent model of national identity for Lithuanians and complex and ambivalent one for Belarusians.