Konstanty Kalinowski – at the times of the January Uprising and today

Abstract

The year 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the January Uprising, which swept through Polish, Lithuanian, Belarusian and, partly, Ukrainian lands. Konstanty Kalinowski was a leader of the fighters in Lithuania and Belarus and a major personage in Belarusian history. For years, he was regarded as an epitome of the fight against Russia for Belarusian freedom and peasant rights and a defender of the Belarusian language. Today, he is a source of controversy. While his role in shaping the Belarusian national identity is emphasised, he has been accused, among others, of radicalism. His national identity and political and social programme are also debated.