The Belarusians as a Nation? "The Belarusization Epizode" of the 1920s and the Issue of National Identity
2011
Abstract
This paper will deal with a diachronic analysis and assessment of the most important attempt at creating a national identity and speedingup the formation of Belarusianness and its social structure (Belarusization and indigenization [korenizace]), which was undertaken in the 1920s. The paper will analyse the ways of constructing and promoting this Belarusian national project based on the Belarusian language and at the same time it will focus on the reasons behind the failure of the project which echoes in Belarus today.