Alexander Yelski and the Belarusian Revival in the Second Half of the 19th Century

Abstract

This article is an attempt to determine Yelski's role and place in the Belarusian socio-literary movement of the second half of the 19th century on the basis of unknown and little-known documents. The attention is turned to the fact that the Zamoscie-born author and bibliologist, who venerated the cultural heritage of his predecessors (V. Dunin-Marcinkievich, A. Viaryha-Dareuski and others) and passionately defended the Belarusian spiritual heritage, 'developed', independently of Bahushevich, his own programme, which would serve as a foundation for the cultural revival activity of the Nasha Niva period.