The Brest Church Union and the Greek-Catholic Church (1596–1839) as a Cultural Phenomenon in Belarusian Historiography of the Twenty-First Century
The Brest Church Union and the Greek-Catholic Church (1596–1839) as a Cultural Phenomenon in Belarusian Historiography of the Twenty-First Century

Summary/Abstract: This article presents a review of the most important achievements of Belarusian historiography of the first quarter of the twenty-first century in the study of the history of the Brest Church Union of 1596 and the Uniate Church of Belarus in 1596–1839. It names circle of authors working on this topic as well as the most significant scientific works. It also defines the angles through which the Uniate theme is studied and reveals new tendencies in the historiography of the Union. The article also examines philosophical view of the Union of Churches as a cultural phenomenon, while exploring general works that provide a holistic description of the history and heritage of the Uniate Church in the context of the Belarusian ethnos, culture and identity. It reviews works devoted to the Uniate clergy as a social stratum of society and Basilians as its elite and highlights biographical studies of significant cultural figures from this environment. It further explores the contribution of the Uniate Church to various arts and presents information about the publication of sources. The author also highlights the “discrediting” direction in historiography.The historiography of the twenty-first century contributes to a deeper understanding of the Belarusian model of church–religious development, the place and status of Belarus in the family of Christian nations, the role of the Brest Church Union in its historical path. However, in the new situation since 2020, the topic of the Union of Churches as a cultural phenomenon in official science is has begun to fade away.

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