The world of the Narew village in the photography by Jakub Smolski

Abstract

The photographs of Jakub Smolski constitute important documentation of the customs and habits of the Belarusian minority in Podlasie in the interwar period. Most of the photos were taken by Smolski in his home village of Łuka. The article presents the image of the peasant world of the Narew, Orthodox villages. A photographer from Łuka took pictures that showed the private world of the peasants. What was captured in the photographs proves the strength of the rites of passage, which were of great importance in the peasant community as they strengthened family and neighborhood ties. They expressed the stages of a person’s life in a specific order in a closed cycle of births, weddings and funerals. The collected photos are also an important testimony to the micro-history of the Belarusians of Podlasie. Photographs are of great value for historical, cultural and social reasons. They can be of great importance in popularizing Belarusian culture in Podlasie as an example of its strength and values, as well as in encouraging a return to its roots.