Abstract
<jats:p>The phenomenon of “the fatherland idea” (krayovost’) is usually treated as the type of ideology of the political nation. “The fatherland idea” was formulated at the beginning of the XX century in Belarus and Lithuania. The fatherlandists (krajovcy) claimed that all local inhabitants of the historical Lithuania, irrespective of ethno-cultural accessory, were “the citizens of fatherland” and were of one nation. Approving unity of historical destiny of all people of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania (VKL), the fatherlandists said about the preservation of the territorial integrity of “the historical Lithuania”.The final registration of “the fatherland idea” was significantly affected by the publications of Roman Skirmunt. His life and activities were inseparably linked with the Belarusian Polesye. In the booklets Nowe hasła w sprawie odrodzenia narodowości litewskiej (New slogans in the revival of the Lithuanian nationality) (Lvov, 1904) and Głos przeszłości i potrzeba chwili (A voice of the past and a time requirement) (Lvov, 1905) Roman Skirmunt proved an active presence of the “Rus’ ” in the political history of the VKL and its domination during a certain period in the cultural life. The concept “Rus’ ” in this interpretation was identified with the Belarusian land. The author disproved the Russian historians and politicians who said about the identity of the “Rus’ ” and Russia and tried to use the local orthodox inhabitants in interests of the Russian empire.In the political part of the conception by R. Skirmunt “Rus’ ” gradually turned into “Belarus” (1906). Its final transformation happened not in the author’s publicist works, but in his practical political activities.</jats:p>