Litvinism

Litvinism (Belarusian: Літвінізм, romanized: Litvinizm) is a term used primarily in Lithuania and by some critics in Belarus to describe a range of historical narratives and political ideas asserting the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) as a fundamental component of Belarusian statehood and identity. The term lacks a single, universally accepted definition and is often used as a pejorative exonym in political discourse to characterize diverse phenomena—from mainstream Belarusian patriotism and claims to a shared GDL heritage to radical pseudohistorical theories that deny the Baltic origins of the Grand Duchy.

The term itself is rarely used as a self-identifier by proponents of these views. Instead, it is frequently employed by critics, mainly in Lithuania and Russia, as a derogatory label to characterize a wide spectrum of Belarusian historical narratives as revisionist or pseudohistorical. Adherents to these views generally identify simply as Belarusians reclaiming their lost heritage, or as Litvins, viewing the GDL not as a foreign conqueror but as their own historical state.

While radical fringes of the movement claim that the GDL was exclusively Slavic and that modern Lithuanians are historically unrelated to "Litva," mainstream Belarusian historiography views the Grand Duchy as a multi-ethnic, shared heritage of Belarusians and Lithuanians. The ambiguity of the term "Litvinism" has become a significant source of tension between Belarusians and Lithuanians, particularly following the 2020 Belarusian protests and the subsequent migration of Belarusians to Lithuania.