Hienadź Sahanovič. “Negative Consequences are Possible”, or Discussion on the Baltic Substrate Theory in the BSSR during Mašeraŭ Era

The author attempts to trace a rare in Soviet time discussion between representatives of humanities which was focused on the origins of the Belarusians and lasted almost over decade. It was caused in 1967 by Vladimir Sedov’s papers asserting the primary role of the Baltic ethnic and linguistic substrate in formation of Belarusians as a separate Slavic nationality. Evidence from archaeology, anthropology, ethnography, linguistic, and toponymy backed up his statement, but it had been at odds with official one Old Rus’ nationality theory. According to the latter, the Belarusian nationality, like Russian and Ukrainian, started to form on the basis of the Old Rus’ nationality as a common ancestor not earlier than the fourteenth century. Though Sedov’s concept gained popularity among Belarusian researchers, the authorities rejected it. All the opponents participated in discussion tried to defend the official theory of the brother peoples’ formation.

The around ten year debate didn’t make any participant view closer. There was no surprise since the antagonists of the Baltic substrate theory were interested in supporting the official scheme but not seeking the truth from facts. Finally, 1974 the Central committee of the Communist party of the BSSR interfered directly in discussion leaving no sense of its continuing. As the story of that discussion proves once again, the party maintained a complete control over the academia which in Minsk was much stricter than in Moscow.