page_title: White Ruthenia
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: White Ruthenia / History
caption_attribution_description: English: a map "Estats du Grandduc de Moscovie ou de l’Empereur de la Russie Blanche suivant les derniers relations" (1749) by Hendrik de Leth (Netherlands) Русский: "Великое Княжество Московское или Царство Белой Руси", около 1749 г. Картограф Гендрик де Лет (Нидерланды). Беларуская: карта "Вялікае княства Маскоўскае ці Царства Белай Русі паводле апошніх паведамленняў", каля 1749 г. Картограф Гендрык дэ Лет (Нідэрланды).
context_page_description: White Ruthenia, alternatively known as Russia Alba, White Rus' or White Russia, is an archaism for the eastern part of present-day Belarus, including the cities of Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Mogilev.
context_section_description: Many other variants of this name appeared in ancient maps: for instance, Russia Alba, Russija Alba, Wit Rusland, Weiß Reußen (Weißreußen), White Russia, Hviterussland, Hvíta Rússland, Weiß Russland (Weißrussland), Ruthenia Alba, Ruthénie Blanche and Weiß Ruthenien (Weißruthenien), assigned to various territories, often quite distant from that of present Belarus. For example, at one time the term was applied to Novgorod.
  The 16th century chronicler Alexander Guagnini's book Sarmatiae Europeae descriptio wrote that Rus' was divided in three parts. The first part, under the rule of the Moscovite Grand Duke, was called White Russia. The second one, under the rule of Polish king, was called Black Russia. And the rest was Red Ruthenia. He also said Moscow was the center of White Russia and Russian metropolitanate, and that Grand Duke of Moscow was called the White Czar, especially by his subjects.
  Only by the late 16th century did it sometimes mention as a name for the area of the present Belarus. The origins of the name, which is attested from the 14th century, are unclear. Vasmer's dictionary mentions the dichotomy of "white" land and "taxed" land in Domostroi and speculates that "white" Russia may have referred to the parts of Russia that were not subject to Tatar rule. Another speculation in Vasmer is that the color of the clothes of the White Russians (perhaps as well as the color of their hair) may have contributed to the name. Oleg Trubachyov calls both theories "complete fantasies".
caption: Map "The Grand Duchy of Moscow or the Kingdom of White Russia on the latest reports" (Estats du Grandduc de Moscovie ou de l’Empereur de la Russie Blanche suivant les derniers relations), approximately 1749 years cartographer Hendrik de Leth (Netherlands)
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