In the early 20th century, following the collapse of empires in Eastern and Central Europe, a number of new states emerged and faced the challenge of codifying their national languages. Belarus was among them. The first large-scale international event in Belarusian studies — the Academic Conference on the Reform of Belarusian Orthography and Alphabet (Minsk, 1926) — became a landmark moment. Its core objective was to discuss reforms of spelling and the alphabet. Several commissions were established, including those on orthography, script, and literature. One of the key issues raised was the possible shift of Belarusian to the Latin script.
The 1926 conference demonstrated the achievements and potential of Belarusian nation-building. However, soon after, the process of Belarusization was curtailed, Belarusian underwent intensified Russification, and many cultural figures and their works faced repression.
The aim of the 2026 conference “Constructs of Language Building: On the Centennial of the 1926 Academic Conference” is to examine not only the historical role and significance of the 1926 event, but also the trajectories of academic and applied Belarusian humanities throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
The conference will focus on the following thematic areas:
- Slavic studies in the early 20th century;
- Formation of new Eastern and Central European states and the question of state languages;
- The 1926 Academic Conference: political and scholarly contexts, legacy;
- The Belarusian language and Belarusian studies in the 20th–21st centuries;
- Belarusian studies abroad;
- Methods of teaching Belarusian and other languages as foreign languages in a global context.
Submission Requirements
Applications should include:
- a short CV (200 words),
- the title of the proposed paper,
- an abstract (up to 500 words).
Please submit your application by 30 April 2026 to: kanfierencyja@belarus-institute.cz
The organizing committee reserves the right to select submissions for inclusion in the conference program.
