Praâvy "tutêjšascì" ŭ tvorčascì Ânkì Kupaly (vybranyâ aspekty)

During several centuries, Belarus was a part of a multinational state, so the Belarusian culture has been developing and functioning in the rather unfavorable conditions. As a result, the development of both the consciousness and the ethno-national identity of the Belarusians, slowed down. In parallel, the linguistic, cultural and national complexes were forged. Those complexes are expressed by the word "tutejšaść" which refers to a specific type of identity that depends primarily on the geographical factor and, at the same time, denotes a peculiar form of linguistic and cultural opposition. In his work, Janka Kupala attempts to show various aspects of "tutejšaść". In his early poetry, Kupala underlines the positive meaning of "tutejšaść", as a symbol of local identity. However, in his later works the writer also indicates that such a mentality and world outlook have become a threat to the forming process of the modern Belarusian national identity