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Belarus - Yatviahi People

Starayatviahi (Old-Sudovians) Flag
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 21 September 2023

Mladayatviahi (Young-Sudovians) Flag
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 21 September 2023

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Belarus

In Belarus is active (?) a movement of "Yatviahi", claiming national rebirthment of Yatviahi people (Sudovians). Historical Yatviahi were a small Baltic tribe, related to Lithuanians and old-Prussians. Their name was Yatviahi in Belarusian, Jacwingowie in Polish, Sudawen in German, Sudovians or Yatvingians in English. They lived in river-basin of Niemen and Narew Rivers, i.e. in territories today belonging to Poland (Podlaskie Voivodship), Belarus and Lithuania. In 13th Century Sudovians were exterminated by Teutonic Knights. Survivors assimilated with Belarusians, Lithuanians and Poles.
Contemporary "Sudovian rebirthment movement", in my opinion, is rather a demonstration of pro-Baltic, pro-Western and anti-Moscowian feelings of part of Belarusian intelligentsya, than a real aspirant people movement. There are no native speakers of Sudovian language since Middle Age. However, modern Sudovian-English and English-Sudovian dictionaries are published at <members.nbci.com/Virdainas/Virdainas/virdainas.htm>. More informations about historical Sudovians are at <hello.to/Balts>.
Belarusian flag book by Basau and Kurkou [bku94] reports, that "Yatviehi" movement breaks up into two factions: "starayatviahi" ("Old-Sudovians") and "mladayatviahi" ("Young-Sudovians"). The flag of Old-Sudovians is horizontal tricolor White-Blue-White. The flag of Young-Sudavians is horizontal tricolor Blue-Yellow-Green.
Grzegorz Skrukwa, 12 August 2001