White Ruthenia ( Belarusian : Белая Русь , romanized : Biełaja Ruś ; Polish : Ruś Biała ; Russian : Белая Русь , romanized : Belaya Rus' ; Ukrainian : Біла Русь , romanized : Bila Ruś ) is one of the historical divisions of Kievan Rus' according to the color scheme, which also includes Black and Red Ruthenia . In the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern period , the name White Ruthenia was characterized by instability, designating a number of different regions on the territory of modern Belarus , Russia , and Ukraine . It is recorded mainly in Western European sources, starting from the middle of the 13th century .
21-722: Vasily Tatishchev believed that for the first time the term "White Rus'" is found in the Rostov chronicles in the year 1135 , where the lands of Rostov-Suzdal Principality were mentioned. Referring to the publications of the Pole Maciej Stryjkowski , Persian and other Eastern peoples who called the Russian princes "ak-padishah"(white tsar), and the state "Ak-Urus" (White Rus), the historian in his narrative extends this name to all Vladimir-Rostov princes, starting with Yuri Dolgorukiy , and Andrei Bogolyubsky . He also calls
42-455: A governor of Astrakhan (1741–44). He died at the Boldino estate near Moscow on 15 July 1750. Having retired from active service, the elderly statesman dedicated himself to scholarly pursuits. Feeling that the Russian historiography had been neglected, he discovered and published several legal monuments of great interest, e.g., Russkaya Pravda and Sudebnik of 1550. His magnum opus was
63-541: A single word of Latin, and did not even understand any modern language other than German'. However, American historian Edward C. Thaden (1986) said this criticism was somewhat exaggerated, given his knowledge of German and Polish, but poor understanding of French and Latin; nevertheless, his military and administrative training and experience did bring him some expertise in those fields. Russian historian Nikolay Karamzin (1766–1826) called all unsourced or poorly sourced claims by Tatishchev "inventions" and "fantasies". It
84-783: Is near the Black River is called Black; and that which is near the Red River is called Red. ( Questa distinction che si fata de rossia biancha, negra e rossa non ha altra cason cha questa, çoè quela parte de rossia che é de qua dal mar biancho se chiama biancha, quela ch'ê de là dal fiume negro se chiama negra e quela ch'ê de là dal fiume rosso se chiama rossa ). Many other variations of this name appeared on ancient maps; for instance, Russia Alba, Russija Alba, Wit Rusland, Weiß Reußen (Weißreußen), White Russia, Hviterussland, Hvíta Rússland, Weiß Russland (Weißrussland), Ruthenia Alba, Ruthénie Blanche and Weiß Ruthenien (Weißruthenien) . The name
105-554: Is not to be trusted until it is supported by another extant source. Tatishchev was born near Pskov on 19 April 1686. The young Tatishchev was homeschooled, being taught German and Polish. As an adult, he also studied some French and Latin, though he never mastered these two language very well. Having graduated from the Artillery and Engineering school in Moscow , he took part in the 1700–1721 Great Northern War with Sweden . In
126-587: Is that the color of the clothes of the White Ruthenians (perhaps as well as the color of their hair) may have contributed to the name. Oleg Trubachyov calls both theories "complete fantasies". Also, the 16th century chronicler Alexander Guagnini 's book Sarmatiae Europeae descriptio wrote that Rus' was divided in three parts. The first part, under the rule of the Muscovite Grand Duke, was called White Ruthenia . The second one, under
147-481: Is true that he used some chronicles that have since been lost, but most of them, most notoriously the Ioachim Chronicle , were of dubious authenticity, and may never have existed in the first place. This led Soviet historian Iakov S. Lur'e (1968) to write of " Tatishchev information ", which he defined as "data found only in that historian", that should be approached with skepticism and extreme caution. It
168-800: The Minsk , Mścisław , Połock , Smolensk and Witebsk voivodeships of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (before the Partitions of Poland ), or the Mogilev Governorate , eastern parts of the Minsk and Vitebsk Governorates, the western half of the Smolensk Governorate , and the northern part of the Chernihiv Governorate , i.e. the central, northern and eastern parts of modern Belarus, and
189-571: The 1712 map of French cartographer Henri Chatelain "Russie noire" (Black Ruthenia) is placed in region of Eastern Galicia (today Western Ukraine ), which traditionally known as "Russie rouge" ( Red Ruthenia ). Vasmer's dictionary mentions the dichotomy of "white" land and "taxed" land in Domostroy and speculates that "white" Rus' may have referred to the parts of Kievan Rus' that were not conquered by Golden Horde . Another speculation in Vasmer
210-524: The Grand Duke of Lithuania Algirdas . On the world Fra Mauro map (1459), the territory of Novgorod - Moscow Rus' between Volga and White Sea is called White Russia (Rossia Biancha). This map gives the following explanation: This distinction, which is made between White, Black and Red Rus' has no other reason than that that part of Russia that is near the White Sea is called White; that which
231-620: The Russian Empire: Stavropol-on-Volga (now known as Tolyatti), Yekaterinburg , and Perm . Tatishchev often did not cite his sources, which required later critical historians to find out where he got his information from. After several sources were discovered, the texts of Tatishchev which remained unaccounted for (such as the alleged Ioachim Chronicle , which has never been found) became known as " Tatishchev information " (Russian: Татищевские известия , romanized: Tatishchevskiye izvestiya ), which
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#1732780913701252-547: The first sketch of Russian history, entitled Russian History Dating Back to the Most Ancient Times and published in 5 volumes after his death. He also compiled the first encyclopedic dictionary of the Russian language . The scientific merits of Tatishchev's work were disputed even in the 18th century. German historian August Ludwig von Schlözer (1735–1809) wrote that '[Tatishchev had] no training, did not know
273-465: The governments of Vitepsk , Mohilef , and Minsk . The Lithuanian territories of Grodno, Novogrodek and Belostok were sometimes called Black Russia . An ethno-religious theory suggests that the name used to describe the part of old Ruthenian lands within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that had been populated mostly by Slavs who had been Christianized early, as opposed to Black Ruthenia , which
294-531: The lands controlled by them "White Rus'", and calls the princes "White Russians" or "grand dukes of White Russia". The praiseworthy songs composed in the second half of the 14th century by the Austrian poet Peter Suchenwirt tell how in 1349 , in the battle of Izborsk ("Eysenburk" in the poem), German knights faced "Weizzen Reuzzen" ("White Russians"). However, it is known that it was a squad of Pskov and Izborsk people, led by Georgy Viktorovich, voivode of
315-572: The rule of Polish king , was called Black Ruthenia . And the rest was Red Ruthenia . He also said Moscow was the center of White Rus' and the Russian metropolitanate , and that the Grand Duke of Moscow was called the White Czar , especially by his subjects. According to the late 19th-century Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland , White Ruthenia (Ruś Biała) constituted
336-586: The service of Peter the Great he gained a prominent post in the Foreign Office , which he used to oppose the policies of the Supreme Privy Council and support Anna 's ascension to the Russian throne in 1730. He was entrusted by Anna with a lucrative office of the management of Ural factories. At that post he founded the cities of Perm and Yekaterinburg , which have since grown into
357-580: The veritable capitals of the Urals. A monument to him was opened in Perm in 2003. During the Bashkir War of 1735-40 he was in command of Siberian operations from the winter of 1736-37 and head of the whole operation from the spring of 1737. He was removed from command after March 1739, nominally on charges of corruption, but mainly because he had made too many enemies. Tatishchev finished his official career as
378-412: The western outskirts of modern Russia with Smolensk and Starodub . The largest cities in the region so defined today are Minsk , Gomel , Vitebsk , Mogilev , Smolensk and Babruysk . Vasily Tatishchev Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev (sometimes spelt Tatischev ; Russian : Васи́лий Ники́тич Тати́щев , IPA: [vɐˈsʲilʲɪj nʲɪˈkʲitʲɪtɕ tɐˈtʲiɕːɪf] ; 19 April 1686 – 15 July 1750)
399-488: Was a statesman, historian, philosopher , and ethnographer in the Russian Empire . He is known as the author of a book on Russian history titled The History of Russia (Russian: История Российская , romanized: Istoriya Rossiyskaya ), posthumously published in 1767. Throughout this work, he advocates the idea that autocracy is the perfect form of government for Russia. He also founded three cities in
420-532: Was also assigned to various territories, often quite distant from that of present Belarus. According to Alfred Nicolas Rambaud : The name of White ( Lithuanian : Balta ) Russia is given to the provinces conquered from the 13th to the 14th century by the Grand Dukes of Lithuania . These were the ancient territories of the Krivitches , Polotchans , Dregovitches , Drevlians , Doulebes , now forming
441-461: Was predominantly inhabited by pagan Balts . As stated by historian Andrej Kotljarchuk , the first person who called himself "Belarusian" was Calvinist writer Salomon Rysinski (Solomo Pantherus Leucorussus, ca 1569-1626). According to his words, he was born "in richly endowed with forests and animals Ruthenia near the border to frigid Muscovy" and doctorated at the University of Altdorf . On
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