Month: June 2014

Expedition to the concentration of ethnotoponyms (ethnically-, tribally- or geographically-related toponyms) around the district center of Ljakhavichy (Ляхавічы) in western Belarus (part VII):  Rusinavichy (Русінавічы). Rusyns (Ruthenes, Ruthenians) were Slavic inhabitants of Rus’ (Kievian Rus’), territory later incorporated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and now lying in Ukraine and Belarus.  The train station in Rusinavichy is… Continue reading Photo of the Day for June 30, 2014

Expedition to the concentration of ethnotoponyms (ethnically-, tribally- or geographically-related toponyms) around the district center of Ljakhavichy (Ляхавічы) in western Belarus (part VI):  Ljakhavichy (Ляхавічы). Ljakhavichy, a district center of 11,000 people in Brest Region, derives its name from the word Ljakh (Лях), meaning Pole:  Lech was the name of the legendary founder of the… Continue reading Photos of the Day for June 29, 2014

Expedition to the concentration of ethnotoponyms (ethnically-, tribally- or geographically-related toponyms) around the district center of Ljakhavichy (Ляхавічы) in western Belarus (part V):  Sakuny (Сакуны).  The village of Sakuny lies right across the road from Turki and just two-and-a-half miles (four kilometers) from Ljakhavichy. The Sakuny were a sub-group of the Dryhavichy  — one of… Continue reading Photo of the Day for June 28, 2014

Expedition to the concentration of ethnotoponyms (ethnically-, tribally- or geographically-related toponyms) around the district center of Ljakhavichy (Ляхавічы) in western Belarus (part IV-b):  Turki (Туркі). Place-names derived from the word Turk or Tatar are spread widely across Belarus; evidence suggests that Tatars and other Turkic peoples first settled in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania early… Continue reading Photos of the Day for June 27, 2014

Expedition to the concentration of ethnotoponyms (ethnically-, tribally- or geographically-related toponyms) around the district center of Ljakhavichy (Ляхавічы) in western Belarus (part IV-a):  Turki (Туркі).  Place-names derived from the word Turk or Tatar are spread widely across Belarus; evidence suggests that Tatars and other Turkic peoples first settled in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL)… Continue reading Photos of the Day for June 26, 2014

Expedition to the concentration of ethnotoponyms (ethnically-, tribally- or geographically-related toponyms) around the district center of Ljakhavichy (Ляхавічы) in western Belarus (part III):  Litva (Літва).  More than a score of villages in Belarus carry the Baltic name, or are derived from the name of, Litva.  What eventually became the Grand Duchy of Lithuania arose in… Continue reading Photos of the Day for June 25, 2014

Expedition to the concentration of ethnotoponyms (ethnically-, tribally- or geographically-related toponyms) around the district center of Ljakhavichy (Ляхавічы) in western Belarus (part II):  Vjalikaja Lotva (Вялікая Лотва). Вандроўка па этнатапонімах вакол Ляхавічаў (частка ІІ):  Ятвезь, Вялікая Лотва, Літва, Туркі, Сакуны, Ляхавічы, Русінавічы, Жомайдзь (Клецкі р.), Мазуркі, Цыгань, Літоўка, Русіно. Examples of the variety of gable… Continue reading Photos of the Day for June 24, 2014

У радыусе менш за 20 кіламетраў ад Ляхавічаў па Ляхавіцкім, Баранасіцкім і Клецкім раёнах знаходзіцца прынамсі 12 этнатапонімаў, якія адлюструюць некалькі з этнаграфічных слаёў адметнай культурнай спадчыны беларускай нацыі:  Ятвезь, Вялікая Лотва, Літва, Туркі, Сакуны, Ляхавічы, Русінавічы, Жомайдзь, Мазуркі, Цыгань, Літоўка ды Русіно.  На працягу наступных двух тыдняў Radzima Photo будзе паказваць дзымкі з веснавой… Continue reading Photos of the Day for June 23, 2014

Procession, feast of the Resurrection, Al’homjel’ 2014.  Хрэсны ход, сьвяток Уваскрашэньня, Альгомель 2014 год. Moving counter-clockwise in the Orthodox tradition, the procession stops on all four sides of the church during the third and final circuit for a reading from the Gospels and blessing of parishioners with holy water.

Feast of the Resurrection, Al’homjel’ 2014.  Уваскрэшаньня Хрыстова, Альгомель 2014 год. Here, in a profound example of Christian and pre-Christian synchretism at the end of the service, parishioners kneel to let the icon, borne at the head of the procession, pass over them.