The ethnic and confessional neighbor’s image in the narratives of the residents of shtetl Beshenkovichi

Abstract

The article deals with the narratives of Belarusian orthodox people on other confessions, which existed in Belarusian shetlt Beshenkovichi. In the analyzed stories, the image of neighbors is based on everyday observations of their habits, daily life, ceremonies and holidays, while the real observations are complemented by mythical stereotypes, characteristic for the image of “another”. The article analyzes how representations of the Slavs, the Jews and the perception of Orthodox Belarusians neighbors-Catholic, old believers, Jehovahʼs Witnesses.