Куркуль (kurkul’ — “koorkoolj”) is a Belarusan term for an industrious and stolid, stubborn and frugal peasant. Belarusans use the term with good-willed irony toward kurkulian frugality which may slip into tight-fistedness. At the same time, Belarusans speak affectionately of the kurkulian sense of tidiness and order and the kurkul”s proud care of what he owns in order to pass on something even better to his progeny. As it did to so many other groups and to so many nations, the Soviet regime expended unremitting effort to demonize, and through collectivization and repression to wipe out, the kurkuli and their admirably rooted traditions. Nevertheless, pride in ownership and hard work, inherent qualities of the kurkul’, survive in Belarus.
“Куркулём” беларус назаве – амаль заўсёды з добрай іроніяй – можа калі і занадта запасьлівага, ашчаднага, але абавязкова сталага, упартага і працавітага селяніна, які ганарыцца сваёй гаспадаркай і намагаецца “вывесьці дзяцей у людзі”. Дзіўна, што ў расейскіх слоўніках азначэньне “куркуль” з бальшавіцкіх, відаць, часоў гучыць так: “Куркуль – украинский крестьянин-кулак”.
Village of Kurkuli 2008/в. Куркулі 2008 год
