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A native Belarusan paints a vivid picture of his country's complex past, paving the way for his analysis of the challenges now facing the republic in the wake of a disintegrating Soviet Union. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Quite interesting
Jan does a good job in outlining the course of events that occurred over a long period of time. My main complaint about his work is that he maintains a focus on the intelligentsia to a point where I as a reader felt thatthere was a large void left to be filled. Nevertheless, this book is filledwith interesting tidbits that will well feed a historical mind. Even thoughhe quite clearly writes as a patriot and does little to explain the currentclamboring for Belarus to reunite with the Russians, he manages to maintainsomething of a level hand through the course of the book in regards to theLithuanians, Ukrainians and Poles. Especially towards the end, he providessome insightful analysis into the current mood of the country, though hiseconomic analysis is, at best, limited. Should Mr. Zaprudnik ever choose toextend his writings on this rather interesting country, I would like to seehim write more on the trends of society at large, for I think he wouldprovide a very intriguing insight into a rather obscure field.

Afascinating book about a people who eschew their nation.
Jan Zaprudnik poignantly records what was and what might have been in his beloved Belarus. He writes from a nationalist point of view about a country which finds it hard to be nationalistic, currently preferring a wider slavic entity in wishing to unite with Russia. The book attempts to unify a shifting geography and disparate history of Lithuanians, Russians and Belarusians into that of a single nation. The result is as incohesive as modern Belarus. Therein may lie its genius or dearth. ... Read more

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Distortion of the facts
This is a damaging book that contains lots of distortions and misconceptions. ...the other hand, accusations, particularly when levelled against a whole nation, must be supported by evidence. It is clear that Loftus has not yet learned how to collect that evidence, and has insufficient linguistic and historical knowledge to deal with source material."<...

Outstanding and Eye Opening
An outstanding book and eye opening - how evil can walk among us un-noticed.This is a lesson many of us learned after Sept 11 -- how the next door friend can be a fiend in disguise.Readers of this book could have learned that lesson long ago. ... Read more

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Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Belarus," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Belarus in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Belarus when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This "data dump" results in a comprehensive set of entries for a bibliographic and/or event-based timeline on the proper name Belarus, since editorial decisions to include or exclude events is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under "fair use" conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain. ... Read more

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This book provides a thorough overview of current developments in Belarus. It looks at historical, political, economic and social changes, and at international relations, especially relations with Russian and the European Union. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Contribution!!!!!
This book fills an obvious gap in contemporary east-European political literature. Unlike other books on Belarus, the strong point this book has is that is written primarily by young Belarusian scholars who have studied both within Belarus and in the west and thus gives a far more even account of the true nature of this interesting nation.

This book is required reading for any serious scholar of east European politics, economics, culture or society. ... Read more

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The Jews of Pinsk, 1506-1880 is the first part of a major scholarly project about a small city in Eastern Europe where Jews were a majority of the population from the end of the eighteenth century.Pinsk boasted both traditional rabbinic scholars and famous Hasidic figures, and over time became an international trade emporium, a center of the Jewish Enlightenment, a cradle of Zionism and the Jewish Labor movement, and a place where Orthodoxy struggled vigorously with modernity.

The two volumes of Pinsk history were originally part of a literature created by Jews who survived the Holocaust and were determined to keep in memory a vital world that flourished for half a millennium.In this case, the results are extraordinary: no town of Eastern Europe has been described in such fascinating detail, invaluable to Jewish and non-Jewish historians alike. ... Read more

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In this fascinating study of unfinished nation-building in Belarus, Grigory Ioffe draws on his two dozen research trips to the country to trace Belarus's history, geography, political situation, society, and economy. The ambivalent relationship between Russia and Belarus results in an identity crisis that is not understood by the West, which leads to Western policies toward Belarus that are based on a fallacy of geopolitical thinking. This book will lead readers to a deeper understanding of Belarus, its relationship with Russia, and its still-forming national identity. ... Read more

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The work is dedicated to the history of the 10?13thcentury's blade weapons on the territory of Belarus.The major kinds of Old Rusian blade weapons wereswords and sabers. Blade weapons became widespreadon the territory of Belarus in Viking Age,approximately in the late 9th century, which is thelow chronological border of the research. The upperborder is defined as the end of the 13th century.The period can be divided into two sub-periods,which coincide with large epochs in the regionshistory. The first sub-period dates to the end ofthe 9th ? beginning of the 11th century, or theViking Age. The second sub-period lasts from themiddle of the 11th to the end of the 13th century,or Old Rusian time. ... Read more

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Belarus. History of Belarus, Politics of Belarus, Foreign relations of Belarus, Geography of Belarus, Economy of Belarus, Demographics of Belarus, Belarusian culture, Administrative divisions of Belarus, Belarusian language. ... Read more

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Chapters: Kingdom of Galicia-volhynia, Principality of Polotsk, Principality of Turov and Pinsk, Battle on the River Nemiga, Principality of Trubetsk, List of Early East Slavic States, Cross of Saint Euphrosyne, Principality of Pskov, Boris Stones, Principality of Drutsk, Duchy of Zaslawye. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 47. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt:Coat of arms The Kingdom of GaliciaVolhynia or Kingdom of Rus' or GaliciaVladimir (Latin: ) was a Ruthenian (Ukrainian) state in the regions of Galicia and Volhynia during 1199 1349. Along with Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal, it was one of the three most important powers to emerge from the collapse of Kievan Rus'. Western GaliciaVolhynia extended between the rivers San and Wieprz in what is now south-eastern Poland, while eastern territories covered the Pripet Marshes (now in Belarus) and upper Southern Bug in modern-day Ukraine. During its time, the kingdom was bordered by Black Rus, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Principality of Turov-Pinsk, the Principality of Kiev, the Golden Horde, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Kingdom of Poland, the Principality of Moldova and the Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights. In pre-Roman times the region was populated by various tribes, including the Lugii, Goths and Vandals (which may correspond to the Przeworsk and Puchov cultures in archaeology). After the fall of the Roman Empire, the area was populated by West Slav people, identified with group of Croats called Lendians. Around 833 the West Slavs became part of the Great Moravian state. Upon the invasion of the Hungarian tribes into the heart of the Great Moravian Empire around 899, the Lendians of the area found themselves under the influence of the Hungarian Empire. The whole area was inhabited by White Croats,and land name was White C...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=639283 ... Read more

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Chapters: Soviet Invasion of Poland, Belarusian Resistance During World War Ii, Defense of Brest Fortress, Bielski Partisans, Military History of Belarus During World War Ii, Reichskommissariat Ostland, Elections to the People's Assemblies of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus, Belarusian Central Rada, Krupki, Maly Trostenets Extermination Camp, Occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Curt Von Gottberg, Biełaruskaja Krajovaja Abarona, Khatyn Massacre, 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Ss, Belarusian Independence Party, Dzyatlava Massacre, Sluzk Affair, Operation Cottbus, Belarusian Auxiliary Police, Białystok Ghetto, Brest Ghetto. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 152. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (abbreviated as Byelorussian SSR or BSSR) (Belarusian: Belaruskaya Savetskaya Satsyyalistychnaya Respublika ; Russian: Belorusskaya Sovetskaya Sotsalisticheskaya Respublika ) was one of fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union. It was one of the four original founding members of the Soviet Union in 1922, together with the Ukrainian SSR, the Transcaucasian SFSR and the Russian SFSR. The Soviet Republic, along with the Ukrainian SSR and the Soviet Union, were founder members of the United Nations Organization in 1945. The Soviet republic, Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia, in the lands of Belarus was declared on 1 January 1919, but it took a few years to define its status. Byelorussia was also one of several Soviet Republics occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II. The end of the Soviet Republic occurred in 1991 and the country was later renamed into the current Republic of Belarus. Being part of the Russian Empire before World War I, Belarus declared independence on 25 March 1918, form...http://booksllc.net/?id=7884711 ... Read more

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Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Nelson's Column, Montreal. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: Military history of Belarus during World War II. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact of August 1939 had established a non-aggression agreement between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, and a secret protocol described how Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland (Second Polish Republic) and Romania would be divided between them. In the Invasion of Poland of 1939 the two powers invaded and partitioned Poland, and to return the Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Moldavian territories in the North and North-Eastern regions of Romania (Northern Bucovina and Bessarabia). The Polish defense was already broken, with their only hope being retreat and reorganisation in the south-eastern region (the Romanian Bridgehead), when on September 17, 1939, it was rendered obsolete overnight. The 800,000 strong Soviet Union Red Army, divided into the Belarusian and Ukrainian fronts, invaded the eastern regions of Poland that had not yet been involved in military operations, in violation of the Soviet-Polish Non-Aggression Pact. Soviet diplomacy claimed that they were "protecting the Ukrainian and Belarusian minorities inhabiting Poland in view of Polish imminent collapse" while in reality the Soviets were acting in co-operation with Nazi Germany , carrying out their part of a secret deal (the division of Europe into Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence, as specified in the secret appendix of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact). Polish border defence forces (Korpus Ochrony Pogranicza) in the east (about 25 battalions) were unable to defend the border, and Edward Rydz-migy further ordered them to fall back and not engage the Soviets. This, however, did not prevent some clashes and small battles, like the defence ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=4300665 ... Read more

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The Molotov-Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact of August 1939 had established a non-aggression agreement between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, and a secret protocol described how Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland (Second Polish Republic) and Romania would be divided between them. In the Invasion of Poland of 1939 the two powers invaded and partitioned Poland, and to return the Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Moldavian territories in the North and North-Eastern regions of Romania (Northern Bucovina and Bessarabia). The Polish defense was already broken, with their only hope being retreat and reorganisation in the south-eastern region (the Romanian Bridgehead), when on September 17, 1939, it was rendered obsolete overnight. The 800,000 strong Soviet Union Red Army, divided into the Belarusian and Ukrainian fronts, invaded the eastern regions of Poland that had not yet been involved in military operations, in violation of the Soviet-Polish Non-Aggression Pact. ... Read more

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Chapters: Polish-lithuanian Commonwealth, Polonization, Order of Precedence in the Polish-lithuanian Commonwealth, Constitution of May 3, 1791, Offices in the Polish-lithuanian Commonwealth, Hetmans of the Polish-lithuanian Commonwealth, Sarmatism, Golden Liberty, Union of Lublin, Deluge, Lithuanian Metrica, Lisowczycy, Polish-lithuanian-muscovite Commonwealth, Treaty of Hadiach, Repnin Sejm, Election Sejm of 1632, Battle of Holowczyn, Great Sejm, the Unknown War, Statutes of Lithuania, Union of Brest, Liberum Veto, Zebrzydowski Rebellion, Timeline of the Polish Army, Lithuanian Tribunal, Polish-lithuanian-ruthenian Commonwealth, Silent Sejm, Coat of Arms of the Polish-lithuanian Commonwealth, Zaręczenie Wzajemne Obojga Narodów, Battle of Kletsk, Convocation Sejm, Wojsko Komputowe, Wallach Reform, Civil War in Lithuania, Wojsko Kwarciane, Confederated Sejm, Pacification Sejm, Sandomierz Agreement. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 228. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The PolishLithuanian Commonwealth was formed by the 1569 Union of Lublin between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and lasted until 1795. The new commonwealth was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th-century Europe. The new union possessed features unique among contemporary states: the Commonwealth's political system (known alternately as the Noble's Democracy or Golden Freedom) was characterized by strict checks upon monarchical power. These checks were enacted by a legislature (Sejm) controlled by the nobility (szlachta). This idiosyncratic system was a precursor to modern concepts of democracy, constitutional monarchy and federation. The two component states of the Commonwealth were formally equal, yet Poland was the dominant partner in the union. The PolishLithu...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=343234 ... Read more

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Chapters: History of the Jews in Belarus, Military History of Belarus During World War Ii, Pinsk Massacre, Pale of Settlement, Belarusian Central Rada, Lakhva, Zhetel Ghetto, Occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany, Łachwa Ghetto, Volozhin Yeshiva, Naliboki Massacre, Sluzk Affair, General Jewish Labour Bund in Belarus, Mir Yeshiva. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 108. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Prior to World War II, Jews were the third largest ethnic group in Belarus, and comprised more than 40% of the population in cities and towns. The population of cities such as Minsk, Pinsk, Mahiliou, Babrujsk, Viciebsk, and Homiel was more than 50% Jewish. There were 724,548 Jews in Belarus in 1897 - which was 13.6% of the total population. Some 800,000 Jews 90% of the Jewish population were killed in Belarus during the Holocaust . As of 2005, there were some 55,000 Jews in Belarus. Marc Chagall and Mendele Mocher Sforim; Chaim Weizmann and Menachem Begin were born in Belarus. Throughout many centuries the lands of modern Belarus and the Republic of Lithuania were both parts of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Therefore the history of Belarusian Jews is closely related to the history of Jews in Lithuania. As early as the eighth century Jews lived in parts of the lands of modern Belarus. Beginning with that period they conducted the trade between Ruthenia, Lithuania, and the Baltic, especially with Danzig, Julin (Vineta or Wollin, in Pomerania), and other cities on the Vistula, Oder, and Elbe. The origin of Belarusian Jews has been the subject of much speculation. It is believed that they were made up of two distinct streams of Jewish immigration. The older and significantly smaller of the two entered the territory that would later become the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the east. These e...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=4044459 ... Read more

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Chapters: History of Belarus (1918-1939), History of Belarus (1945-1990), the Holocaust in Belarus, Collapse of the Soviet Union, Chernobyl Disaster, Polonization, Einsatzgruppen, Międzymorze, Republic of Central Lithuania, Kresy, History of the Soviet Union, Curzon Line, Military History of Belarus During World War Ii, Reichskommissariat Ostland, Bereza Kartuska Prison, Żeligowski's Mutiny, Peace of Riga, Pinsk Massacre, Heinz Jost, Krupki, Generalplan Ost, Arthur Nebe, Territorial Changes of the Baltic States, Latvian Auxiliary Police, Nowogródek Voivodeship, Zhetel Ghetto, Battle of the Niemen River, Slutsk Defence Action, West Belarus, Maly Trostenets Extermination Camp, Occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany, Wilno Voivodeship, Erich Ehrlinger, Polish Autonomous District, Sonderaktion 1005, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling, Waldemar Klingelhöfer, Polesie Voivodeship, Rudolf Joachim Seck, Grodno Ghetto, Belarusian Peasants' and Workers' Union, Minsk Ghetto, Łachwa Ghetto, Eduard Strauch, Białystok Voivodeship, Dzyatlava Massacre, Wilhelm Kube, Karl Jäger, Ukrainian Auxiliary Police, Flag of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Walter Schimana, Sluzk Affair, Antopal, Operation Cottbus, Belarusian Auxiliary Police, Lithuanian-belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Schutzmannschaft Front Bataillon 36 Arensburg, Białystok Ghetto, Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia, Jäger Report, the Destruction of the German Garrison in Lenin, Polizei-Bataillon 33, Communist Party of West Belarus, Czorny Kot, Lithuanian Ministry for Belarusian Affairs, Battle of Bereza Kartuska, Utraquist School, Aleksandr Nikiforovich Aksyonov, Brest Ghetto, Vitebsk Ghetto, League for the Liberation of the Peoples of the Ussr, Mikhail Gorshkow, Western Oblast, East Belarus, Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 427. Not illustrated. Free u...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=2589713 ... Read more

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Chapters: Belavia Flight 1834, Belarusian Referendum, 1996, Belarusian Referendum, 1995, Jeans Revolution, Chernobyl Forum, Drazdy Conflict, Belarusian Referendum, 2004. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 34. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Belavia Flight 1834 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Yerevan, Armenia, to Minsk, Belarus, operated by Belavia. On the morning of February 14, 2008, the Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet carrying 18 passengers and 3 crew crashed and burst into flames shortly after take off from Zvartnots International Airport near the capital city of Yerevan, in the country of Armenia. The jet hit its left wing on the runway during takeoff, crashed to the ground, flipped over, and came to rest inverted near the runway. All passengers and crew managed to escape the aircraft before it erupted into flames, partly due to the timely response of the fire and rescue crews. There were no fatalities, but 7 people were taken to hospital for treatment. The aircraft involved, EW-101PJ (MSN 7316), was a 50-seat Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-100ER. It was a fairly new member of the fleet since it was leased by the airline and delivered in February 2007. It was initially reported that 16 of those on board were Armenian nationals, but CAGD later reported that there were 10 Armenians, 5 Georgians, a Russian, a Ukrainian, and a Belorussian among the passengers. A list with the names of 16 of the passengers was subsequently published. The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) final report in Russian found that 7 passengers received serious injuries while the remaining 11 passengers and 3 crew were unhurt. Gayane Davtyan, a spokeswoman for the General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia said that the jet, operated by the Belorussian airline Belavi...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=15774723 ... Read more