Belarusian Linguistics of the 1920s in Its Relationship to Authorities

Abstract

The article deals with the level of independence of the Belarusian linguistics of the 1920s as a scientific discipline, its relationship with the bodies of the Communist Party of the Belarusian SSR. Despite of the fact that Belarusian linguists acted within structures that were created in the People’s Commissariat of Education of the BSSR, they had freedom in articulating their thoughts. Before 1928 the relationships between scientists and political authorities are assessed, as formulated by J. T. Andrews, as “great tension as well as cooperation”. The article gives examples of negatives reviews of party critics in the first editions of Belarusian language textbooks and general claims of the censorship administration to this sort of books. The possible connection between the ways of forming the Belarusian literary language formulated in decrees of party forums and linguists’ opinions is evaluated. Other examples of dramatic life of some scholars during the third stage of cultural policy of the Soviet authorities in the BSSR, which started in 1928 and meant much more active ideological activity of party bodies, are given. A special case of J. Voŭk-Levanovič is discussed, when he gave a polemical lecture “On some major insufficiencies of the Belarusian literary language” in the Academy of Sciences at the instigation of a secret member of the State Political Directorate (GPU).