Belarusian Homesteads (part VII). Беларускі хутар (частка VII).
Homestead (khutar – хутар), January dawn. Near Luhamavichy (Luhomavichy) 2014. I took this photo at the beginning of a day-long survey of the patrimony of western Lida District and of Iuje District with Anton Astapovich, chairman of the Belarusian Association for the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Monuments (БДТАПГК).
Студзеньскі сьвітанак, хутар пад в. Лугамавічы (Лугомавічы) 2014 год. Фота з пачатку вандроўкі па спадчыне заходняга Лідскага й Іўеўскага раёнах са спадарам Антонам Астаповічам, старшынёй Беларускага дабраахвотнага таварыства аховы помнікаў гісторыі й культуры (ГА БДТАПГК).
Western Belarus is an area still heavily dotted with homesteads (khutar – хутар). Homesteads were created during the land reform of 1923-26 while these lands were part of the interwar Polish Republic. Remarkably many of these homesteads have survived the continuing oppressive legacy of Soviet collectivization, under which the Soviet authorities forced smallholders into collective farms.
A khutar embodies the common Belarusian’s yearning to be self-sufficient and left alone to work his own land, no matter how small his holding is.
See also photos of the day for March 8-11, 2013.
