Freemasonry in Belarus from its inception to 1917: character and features

The relevance of the research topic is determined by the need for scientific understanding of the phenomenon of Freemasonry in its development in the Belarusian lands from the moment of its inception and up to 1917 in its historical development. Quite a lot of scientific articles and monographs have been written about Russian Freemasonry. It is the subject of constant study by specialists. At the same time, the history of the Brotherhood in Belarus and Ukraine is practically unknown to readers because it very rarely became the subject of study. In this context, the purpose of this study is to introduce the audience to the main stories related to the activities of Freemasons in Belarus. The author concludes that the first Masonic lodges on the territory of Belarus appeared after the first partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Mogilev became the first center for the spread of Freemasonry in Belarus. Attention is drawn to the fact that, along with the influence exerted on Belarusian Freemasonry by the brothers of the lodges of St. Petersburg and Moscow, a certain influence came from the lodges located in the remaining part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Characterizing the events of the early twentieth century, it is noted that the politicization of Freemasonry in Russia as a whole, and in the Belarusian lands, in particular, the departure from many Masonic principles led to the emasculation of the “spirit of Freemasonry” and determined its development of organizations within the framework of the liberal paradigm.