Belarusian State Grand Duchy of Lithuania

The latest book by historian Mikola Yermalovich — "The Belarusian State of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania" — is a key text in Belarusian historical thought. In it, the author argues that the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a Belarusian state that arose around Novgorod, and that chronicled Lithuania was located on the territory of modern Belarus. The work sparked scholarly debate and contributed to the national self-awareness of Belarusians at the end of the 20th century.

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"The Belarusian State: The Grand Duchy of Lithuania" is the last book by historian Mikola Yermalovich, which was published after the author's death. M. Yermalovich worked on it until his last days, having managed to make all the necessary corrections and additions. According to the author's views, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania arose after the conquest of Lithuania by the mercenary prince Mindaugas, who was accepted into "service" in Novogorodok. The chronicle Lithuania itself was located on the territory of modern Belarus. Therefore, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania is called the Belarusian state. Mikola Yermalovich's hypothesis, erroneous from today's standpoint, played a significant role in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The author showed that the territory of chronicle Lithuania is not identical to the territory of the modern Lithuanian Republic. M. Yermalovich drew attention to the fact that the formation and existence of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was not reduced to a scheme of seizure by Lithuanian feudal lords of weakened East Slavic lands. M. Yermalovich consistently showed threats to the existence of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from both the East and the West. The works of Mikola Yermalovich contributed to the awakening of both scientific discussion in historical science and the public consciousness of Belarusians.