M. S. Arekhva's epistolary heritage as source of the West Belarus history

Abstract

In the forming of historiography traditions to elucidate the Western Belarus history in 1921-1939 years significant place belongs to veterans of the revolutionary movement as well as to members of the Communist Party of Western Belarus (KPWB). Thanks to them the party-government bodies intervention into the historical scientific studies has been implemented. That is particularly true for M. S. Arekhva’s scientific and journalistic activity who was a member of the KPWB governing body during the 1921-1939 years. Also he was initiator and organizer for the Western Belarus studies. Developed original historiographical situation where reconstruction and interpretation of the stories involved persons who investigated the events played a key role, including the authors of the sources has been shown in the form of different party document kinds. Special historiographical situation has been arisen when reconstruction and interpretation of the history were in hands of the same persons who played a key role in the investigated doings. For example, they became authors of the party documents. On their basis in the second half of the twentieth century active investigations of the history of Western Belarus, primarily KPWB, took place. In this process such persons were decisions-makers in the censor and methodological problems. Therefore, the correspondence of M. S. Arekhva which contains valuable information regarding to certain aspects of the Western Belarus history is an important source for the more objective understanding of the Western Belarus history and historiography. Especially it concerns to issues of organization the studies in the field of the KPWB history.