White Russia is an obsolete name for the former Soviet republic of Belarus. Similar names are still used in a number of other languages, especially in Germanic languages ("Weißrussland" in German, "Wit-Rusland" in Dutch) and some other languages ("Baltarusija" in Lithuanian, "Λευκορωσία" in Greek). Because of its association with perceived Russian and Soviet imperialism, some consider the name derogatory.

The meaning of the name and its translation

The name "White Russia" is a literal, although not entirely correct translation of the name "Belorussiya" from Russian. The problem with this translation is that the original word "Belarus" means Bielaja Rus', that is White Rus' (White Ruthenia), not White Russia. And therefore the name "Belarus" is not really related to the modern Russia, but to the ancient lands of Ruthenia (Rus').

Ruthenia is an old name of the region which roughly covers modern-day Belarus, Ukraine, and very small portions of western Russia, eastern Poland and Slovakia.

The failure to properly translate the name of Belarus into other languages arises from the fact that very few of the world languages have two separate words for Russia and Ruthenia. The reasons this happenned is because during the Russian empire times, the official tsarist propaganda said that Russia and Ruthenia are the same thing. In some languages though there is a clear distinction between the two words. For example:

• Polish: Białoruś (White Rus), but Rosja (Russia);
• Ukrainian: Білорусь Bilorus (White Rus), but Росія Rosia (Russia);
• German before 1945: Weißruthenien (White Rus), but Russland (Russia).

History

Many other variants of this name appeared in ancient maps: for instance, Russia Alba, Russija Alba, Wit Rusland, Weiss Reussen, White Russia, Weiss Russland, Ruthenia Alba, Ruthenie Blanche and Weiss Ruthenien (Weißruthenien), assigned to various territories, often quite distant from that of present Belarus. For example, at one time the term was applied to Novgorod.

Only by the late 16th century did it become a name for the area of the present Belarus. Until this time and for a long time afterwards the population of this territory (Belarusians) were known as Litvins (i.e., Lithuanians), by the name of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, to which the land belonged since the 12th century.

The origins of the name are somewhat unclear, but it may have had its origins in the efforts made by Russia's tsars to distinguish themselves from their predecessors in Rome and Byzantium (on the basis that Russia was the "Third Rome"). The Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii by Sigismund von Herberstein explains that the Muscovite rulers wore white robes to distinguish themselves from the purple of the Roman rulers and the red of the Byzantines. The Russian tsar was thus called the "White Tsar": Sunt qui principem Moscovuiae Album Regem nuncupant. Ego quidem causam diligenter quaerebam, cur Regis Albi nomine appellaretur, or Weisse Reyssen oder weissen Khünig nennen etliche unnd wöllen damit ain underscheid der Reyssen machen (from Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii).

The Tsar himself was often called the "Great White Tsar", while he included among his official titles the style "Tsar of all the Russias" - the "Russias" being Great (for modern Russia), Lesser (modern Ukraine) and White (modern Belarus). This appellation, together with the solemn wording "White Tsardom", was in use till the very end of the Russian Empire. Ultimately, this colour was transferred onto the name of the counter-revolutionary White Army that fought against the Red Army.

It still remains unclear how the name "White Russia" has ultimately become applied to Belarus. It is noteworthy that some other peoples have been referred to by colour. There have been White Serbs and White Croats. In China Red, Black, and Green Miao are known.

Related articles

• Etymology of Rus and derivatives
• White Russians (Russian Civil War) (this old-Russia-wide notion is unrelated to the topic of this article)

External links

• The 21 Names of Belarus
• Why is the Russia White?