Is there any connection between the term "White Russian" for anti communists and the translation of Belarus "White Russia?"

by KingOfTheNorthPole
Mattoni54

No.

The Belarusian term stems from the 16th century, and the idea from Alexander Guagnini, a Polish writer, who claimed that that Russia was split up into three parts: White Russia (Muscovy reigon), Black Russia (Poland) and Red Russia - the rest of Russia. The Grand Duke of Moscow was known as "The White Tsar", which furthers this claim. Later in the 16th century, the term White Russia became specific to Belarus, although it is overall unknown what the true belief is. One belief is that White was to seperate from the Tartars, but ultimately it is speculated that it was to seperate from the Byzantines and the Romans by wearing white robes to be seen as a third rome. While it is not exactly known why Belarus is called that, the Russian Whites were named after the Imperial White uniforms of the Russian army. So, afraid not, but interesting speculation.

Sources:

  • Christopher Lazarski, "White Propaganda Efforts in the South during the Russian Civil War, 1918–19 (The Alekseev-Denikin Period)," The Slavonic and East European Review, Vol. 70, No. 4 (Oct., 1992), pp. 688–707.

  • Alexandrowicz S. Rozwój kartografii Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego od XV do połowy XVIII w. Poznań, 1989

  • Cosmographey oder beschreibung aller Laender, Herrschaften, fürnemsten Stetten... Beschriben durch Sebastianum Münsterum... Basel, 1550; Ulrichs von Richental Chronik des Constanzer Concils 1414 bis 1418. Herausgegeben von M. R. Buck. Tübingen, 1882