Original research article
Acta Albaruthenica

The idea of Belarusian unionism in the works of Kazimir Svoyak

2021, Issue 21

Mariusz Kaliciński

0000-0001-6417-2424

University of Warsaw, Department of Belarusian and Ruthenian Studies

DOI

10.32612/uw.18988091.2021.21.pp.279–289

Submission date

15.11.2021

Acceptance date

08.12.2021

Publishing model

open access

License type

CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 PL

Field

Humanities

Discipline

culture and religion studies, history

Language of publication

Belarusian

Downloads

PDF 247 KB

Article

Number of views:48

Number of downloads:27

Crossref citations:0

Altmetric score:0

Abstract

The religious divide in Belarus between the Catholic and Orthodox churches was an important issue for many Belarusian national activists at the beginning of the 20th century. One of them was a Roman Catholic priest and writer Kazimir Svoyak (Konstantin Stepovich) who paid close attention to this topic in his writings. This article presents the concept of church union in Belarus by K. Svoyak as a part of Belarusian national idea. In his vision there is one Christian faith with one creed under the authority of the Pope of Rome but with different rituals and traditions: The Western (Roman) Christian Tradition and The Eastern (Greek) Christian Tradition. The author tries to prove that the historical mission of Belarusians is to bring Catholics and Orthodox back to unity, which will contribute to restoring national independence and bringing peaceful coexistence with the neighbouring countries. Similarities of the Belarusian unionism to the 19th-century ideas of messianism provide a foundation for further comparative research.

Keywords:

Belarusian national idea,church union,catholicism,orthodoxy,Kazimir Svoyak

Bibliography

Bagdanovìč Ìryna. 2010. Dva paklìkannì: Kazìmìr Svaâk – svâtar ì paèt. Da 120-goddzâ z dnâ naradžènnâ. “Naša vera” № 1: 20–23 [Багдановіч Ірына. 2010. Два пакліканні: Казімір Сваяк – святар і паэт. Да 120-годдзя з дня нараджэння. “Наша вера” № 1: 20–23].

Luckevìč Anton. 1926. Mìtrapalìt Šèptyckì i belaruskì ruh. “Bogoslovìâ” t. IV, kn. 1–2: 45–48 [Луцкевіч Антон. 1926. Мітрапаліт Шэптыцкі i беларускі рух. “Богословія” т. IV, кн. 1–2: 45–48].

Marozava Svâtlana. 2002. Berascejskaâ carkoǔnaâ unìâ 1596 g. u belaruskaj gìstaryâgrafìì. Grodna: GRDU [Марозава Святлана. 2002. Берасцейская царкоўная унія 1596 г. у беларускай гістарыяграфіі. Гродна: ГРДУ].

Mâškova Natallâ. Prablema unìì ǔ publìcystycy Kazìmìra Svaâka: “Krynìca” / “Belaruskaâ Krynìca” (1919–1925). U: Evropa: novoe sosedstvo. Materialy Meždunar. nauč. konf., Vilʹnûs, 17–18maâ 2008 g. Vilʹnûs: EGU [Мяшкова Наталля. Праблема уніі ў публіцыстыцы Казіміра Сваяка: “Крыніца” / “Беларуская Крыніца” (1919–1925). У: Европа: новое соседство. Материалы Междунар. науч. конф., Вильнюс, 17–18 мая 2008 г. Вйльнюс: ЕГУ].

Stankevìč Adam. 2008. Z Bogam da Belarusì: Zbor tvoraǔ. Vìlʹnâ: Ìnstytut belarusìstykì [Станкевіч Адам. 2008. З Богам да Беларусі: Збор твораў. Вільня: Інстытут беларусістыкі]. Svaâk Kazìmìr. 2010. Vybranyâ tvory. Mìnsk: Knìgazbor [Сваяк Казімір. 2010. Выбраныя творы. Мінск: Кнігазбор].

Traczuk Jerzy. 1997. Religijno-filozoficzna i patriotyczna liryka Kazimira Swajaka. „Acta Polono-Ruthenica” nr 2: 247–254.