The belarusian narrative in the almanac “Rubon”: features of formation

The almanac “Rubon”, one of the first collective literary projects in Belarusian history, was published in the 40s of the XIX century, thanks to the efforts of the creative elite of the Vitebsk province of that time. Belonging to the time and place in which the narrative of the Belarusian landmark originates makes it necessary to study the role of the almanac in the promotion and conceptualization of the Belarusian theme. The article examines the circumstances of the creation of the almanac, notes the conditionality of the publication initiative by the biographical origins of its authors: their living in the neighborhood and at the same time belonging to different historical and cultural regions – the Northeastern part of Belarus and Inflanty. The program texts of Rubon are characterized as an attempt to unite the creative forces of the province through the construction of the image of the “Naddvinsky region”, highlighting the natural dominant in it – the Dvina River and popularization of local heritage, including the pages of Polotsk history. However, the external reception of “Rubon” reveals the tendency to identify the publication primarily with its ethnocultural components and at the same time testifies to the popularity of the image of Belarus. The article reveals the influence of the almanac on the actualization of the issue of the peculiarities of the culture of the Belarusian people, indicates the contribution of the authors of Rubonu to the accumulation and expansion of knowledge about Belarus, the formation of its value perception.