User:B.niekrashevich/Mużyckaja prauda

Mużyckaja prauda (Mužyckaja praŭda in modern Belarusian Latin, literally Commoner's Truth) was a first newspaper in modern Belarusian language printed in Latin graphics. It was issued illegally before and during the 1863-1864 Uprising in Russian Empire.

History
Newspaper was mainly printed and distributed in Grodno Region in 1862-1863 by Kastuś Kalinoŭski and other revolutioners, such as Felix Ražanski and Valery Urubleŭski.

Formatted as flyer, newspaper had notorious print run. 7 issues are known: № 1-6 (July-December of 1862), № 7 (June 1863). Each issue was signed by "Jaśka-haspadar z-pad Vilni", pseudonym of Kalinoŭski.

Newspaper itself had highly propagandist and agitating trend, appealing to commoners of Belarusian lands in the Empire. It was influenced by Russian literature of democratic-revolutionist theme, constructed in form of dialog. Topics of "land and freedom", political and socioeconomic inequality, national independence were mentioned throughout all the issues. Newspaper agitated people to mass armed resistance against Russian government for "better life": "we know now, where is the power and truth, and we will know, how we should do to get land and freedom. Let's hold each other hands, brethren, and hold together!" (№ 1). Criticized the 1861 Emancipation Manifesto, noting that «it bears no truth and no use for us» (№ 1) and the whole governmental program of emancipation, citing that people don't require manifestos but real freedom, not the «one Czar is willing to give, but what we ourselves, commoners, will create with our own hands» (№ 3). Appealed to national identity of Belarusians, defending their right to choose their destiny, receive education and issue books in Belarusian language. Criticized Russian Orthodox Christianity as a political instrument of Czarist government (№ 6), spoke for cancellation of 25 year recruit conscription.

Language of Mużyckaja prauda is admitted by Belarusian examinants as deeply authentic, artistic, filled with folklore symbolism, different tropes (epithets, metaphors, comparisons), enriched with neologisms. Newspaper is believed to be the foundation of modern Belarusian literature.