"Here with us". Regionalism in Southeast Lithuania: the case of the Šalčininkai district

Šiame straipsnyje siekiama ištirti būdus, kuriais Šalčininkų rajono gyventojai identifikuojasi su gyvenamąja vieta, darant prielaidą, jog socialinė atmintis, ypač krašto kultūroje gyvuojantys pasakojimai, daro didžiausią įtaką regioninio identiteto formavimuisi ir išlaikymui. Darbe aptariama, kaip vietiniai, šiame rajone gimę ir augę žmonės, brėžia jo kultūrines ribas. Teorinėje dalyje apibūdinamos naratyvų, regioninio identiteto ir socialinės atminties sąvokos siekiant šias sąvokas instrumentalizuoti. Nustatyta, jog tarp krašto žmonių galima išskirti du identifikavimosi su gyvenamuoju rajonu modelius: 1) kraštietiškas identitetas, kuris yra archajiškas ir laikomas neprestižiniu; 2) kraštietiško identiteto derinimas su etniniu identitetu. Raktiniai žodžiai: regioninis identitetas, socialinė atmintis, naratyvas, kraštietiškumas.In this research, the term ‘region’ is understood as an area slightly bigger than the Šalčininkai district. The ‘region’ is an etic term used in literature; however, locals use the emic term kraštas (‘region’ in Lithuanian) to describe the region. The Šalčininkai region crosses the Lithuanian and Belarusian borders, although the Šalčininkai district is an administrative division of Lithuania. The district exists administratively, but it has very little in common with the way locals understand the Šalčininkai region. Administratively, the Šalčininkai district is a smaller and more clearly defined territory; and in practice, it has very little in common with the way local people understand ‘their territory’. The Šalčininkai region, as it is understood and defined by locals, is defined by settlements such as Kalesninkai (Šalčininkai district), Varėna, Vilnius and Vievis (Elektrėnai district) in Lithuania. In Belarus, ‘their region’ is defined by the Lyda, Biniakoniai, Varonovas, Girianioniai, Ivia and Sūbotniki settlements. The Russian, Polish, Belarusian and ‘simple’ (in Polish po prostu) languages are widely used in the region. A lack of knowledge of the Lithuanian language sometimes creates linguistic barriers between older inhabitants of the Šalčininkai region and the society of the rest of Lithuania. The different historical experiences, and the geographical, economic, political, linguistic and cultural circumstances, from the rest of Lithuania and Belarus have resulted in the formation of a regional identity among local inhabitants. According to locals, belonging to Poland during the interwar period, and later becoming part of Lithuania and Belarus, did not allow these people to develop a loyalty to one particular country, and resulted in the cultural distinctiveness of the region. The poor-quality soil, and the weak and underdeveloped rural economy, created economic differences between the Šalčininkai region and the rest of Lithuania. These differences are felt not only by the locals, but also by people from elsewhere in Lithuania when they visit the Šalčininkai district. During the 20th century, military conflicts, discrimination and persecution based on ethnicity took place in the Šalčininkai region. People share narratives about how people were discriminated against, robbed and even murdered because of their ethnicity. Ethnic tensions were particularly high during the Second World War and after the war. Because of this, many people avoided identifying clearly with one particular ethnic group, and chose to call themselves ‘locals’. According to locals, this type of identification was the safest during difficult and dangerous times. Theoretical connections between the social memory, narratives and regional identity are discussed in this article. It is argued that the socio-cultural memory, especially expressed as narratives and shared by local inhabitants, has the biggest impact on constructing the regional identity. So the different ways in which the locals construct cultural boundaries between ‘their region’ and other areas are presented and analysed in this article. The empirical data for this article was gathered during field research conducted between 2015 and 2018 in the Šalčininkai district. Exploratory research was conducted in 2015 by participating in public celebrations in the town of Šalčininkai. In-depth fieldwork was conducted from 2016 to 2018, mostly during the summer months, in June, July and August. During the fieldwork, the author spent from one week to ten days in Šalčininkai, visiting different towns and villages in the region. During the field research, participant observation and life story interviews were conducted in the following areas: Šalčininkai, Eišiškės, Dieveniškės, Kalesninkai, Ureliai, Jašiūnai, Rimašiai, Poškonys, Jančiūnai (Šalčininkai district) Kaniava, Rakai (Varėna district), Šilėnai and Vilnius (Vilnius district). Only local people who were born and grew up in the region were selected for interviews. Topics such as family life, local traditions, the locals’ history, and connections with Poland and Belarus (where a lot of friends and relatives of local people I talked to live) were discussed. The most widespread identification strategies in the Šalčininkai region are identified based on the data gathered. 1. Identifying as ‘local’. This identification is the most common among the older inhabitants, who happen to be the least educated. This type of identity is looked down upon by the younger and more educated people in the region. 2. Identifying as ‘local’ and possessing one clearly defined ethnic identity. This type of identification is most common among the younger generation who grew up and were educated in independent Lithuania. A Polish or Lithuanian identity is the most common and the most prestigious among these people. The size of the country, its economic and political power, and the higher living standards in Poland make Polish identity prestigious. The possibility to belong to the dominant ethnic group in the country, and the dominant position of the Lithuanian language, makes Lithuanian identity prestigious as well. Key words: regional identity, social memory, narrative, regionalism