Confessional and ethnic conditions of development of the Baroque style in the art of Belarus

Abstract

The regularities of the development of the Baroque style in the plastic arts of Belarus in the context of the conditions of the historical process, due to the complex of socio-political, class, religious, educational, economic circumstances, are considered. The confessional and ethnic composition of the society of the Belarusian lands, which in the second half of the XVI–XVIII centuries were part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, is singled out from their totality. Attention is drawn to the close relationship of religious and ethnic factors. It is noted that the population of the Belarusian lands was not stable, which led to military action, migration, variability of economic, political and religious situations in the state.In terms of the number of believers and the influence on cultural and artistic processes in society, the main confessions in the XVII–XVIII centuries were Catholic, Uniate and Orthodox. Their role depended on the periodicity of domination, phases of active functioning, specificity of relationships. The transformation of Catholicism into a religion of the elite, the expansion of the Uniate Church in the middle and lower parts of the society, its orientation to national culture, the conservative attitude of Orthodoxy to the arts were the factors that had a direct influence on the stylistic processes of the Baroque era.The attitude of these confessions to art, its role in the administration of worship were different. The most balanced were the relations of the Catholic confession, which evaluated art as an important means of emotional perception of Scripture in artistic images. The transformation of Catholicism into a religion of the elite, the expansion of the Uniate Church in the middle and lower strata of society, its focus on elements of popular culture, the conservatism of the relationship of Orthodoxy to the arts – the factors that had a direct impact on the stylistic processes throughout the Baroque era.Attention is drawn to the role of representatives of other faiths – Protestants, old believers, Jews, Muslims, who also influenced the development of the Baroque style. During the XVII–XVIII centuries, the Belarusian lands were in the center of the European interfaith and cultural dialogue. Features of their culture at this time were due to the multi-confessional society, were the result of long-term interaction and contacts of different faiths.Keywords: Baroque style, plastic arts, confessions, Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Uniatism