Вобраз беларускага паланафільства на старонках беларускамоўнага друку міжваеннай Польшчы

Abstract

Periodicals are a significant source of information about the political history of interwar Western Belarus. Nearly all Belarusian political groups strived to be represented in public life through their own newspapers or magazines. Periodicals were used not only to promote their ideas, but also to combat their political rivals. Belarusian pro-Polish organizations were such rivals for Belarusian national-democratic and left-wing political groups. Belarusian interwar publications in Poland portrayed Belarusian polonophilia as an artificial phenomenon that was fed by Polish money and betrayed the interests of the Belarusian national movement. The printed mass media also depicted an image of Belarusian pro-governmental public figures comprising the following features: pro-governmental public figures as criminals, progovernmental public figures as cowards, pro-governmental public figures as special service agents, and pro-governmental public figures as random elements of the Belarusian movement. These images reflected reality quite well.