Belarus (Belaya Rus) means "White Russia”. It is a very old term, and there's still no exact version of its origin.
Historians say that:
1. "White" in old Slavic languages meant "free," pointing to the fact that Belarus was never invaded by the Tatars or under their control, unlike the other principalities later i Rus n the 13th - 15th centuries.
2. "White " that this name is older and served as a difference between Kievan Rus, "Black Rus" - a small territory in the western part of modern Belarus, and the territory known as "White Rus".
What opinion more correct?
They dont no. But it is clear that it is very old and originally corresponded to the territory where the ancestors of the Belarusians lived and where our republic located.
By the way, some people say that Belarus is "white Rus because:
-there are a lot of birch trees in Belarus
- there are a lot storks
- belorusian are fair-haired, light-eyed and they carried white linen clothes
but these opinions are not supported by serious historians.
Historians say that:
1. "White" in old Slavic languages meant "free," pointing to the fact that Belarus was never invaded by the Tatars or under their control, unlike the other principalities later i Rus n the 13th - 15th centuries.
2. "White " that this name is older and served as a difference between Kievan Rus, "Black Rus" - a small territory in the western part of modern Belarus, and the territory known as "White Rus".
What opinion more correct?
They dont no. But it is clear that it is very old and originally corresponded to the territory where the ancestors of the Belarusians lived and where our republic located.
By the way, some people say that Belarus is "white Rus because:
-there are a lot of birch trees in Belarus
- there are a lot storks
- belorusian are fair-haired, light-eyed and they carried white linen clothes
but these opinions are not supported by serious historians.
