TRACING THE BELORUSSIAN POLESHUKS (REPORT ON FIELD RESEARCH) (Szlakiem bialoruskich Poleszuków (Raport z badan terenowych))

The present article is a report on field research conducted in summer 2010 in order to collect dialectological material. 13 localities were researched altogether: Pinsk and 11 villages of the Pinsk district and one village of the Stolin district. During the interviews the following topics were discussed: the language situation in the village, issues of national identity, visions of Polesia and Poleszuks, traditions and customs, issues of confession, attitude towards the process of draining bogs or image of Poland and Poles. Belorussian linguists (e.g. A. Krywicki) take note of the fact that Polesia, despite frequent dialectological research, has not been described accurately enough by linguists. The rich material collected showed not only well-preserved dialects of Polesia of Ukrainian basis (slight influence mainly of the Russian language can be observed with people of the oldest generation) but also strong though disappearing spiritual and material culture of the inhabitants of Polesia.