„Locked out in rural areas”: the social and living space of Belarusian peasantry in the 19th and 20th centuries

Abstract

Belarusian peasantry of the 19th and 20th century had limited social and spatial mobility due to objective factors. Over the last two centuries, its social space has been increasing and the rural community has been changing. Isolated in the 19th century, independent rural communities are now turning into a uniform peasant environment. At the same time, isolation within the confines of one’s family village promoted long-lasting (until the mid-20th century) preservation of traditional Belarusian culture.