Children Licked Spilled Milk from the Dirty Floor. How a Foreigner Saw Belarus, Devastated by Russian and Swedish Armies During the Great Northern War

Battle of Lesnaya. Jean-Marc Nattier, 1717

His unique diary, which became the subject of study for Slovak researcher Stanislava Mojšová, sheds light on how our country looked through the eyes of a foreigner during one of the most dramatic periods of its history. The Telegram channel "De facto. Belarusian Science" drew attention to an article in the publication "Journal of Belarusian State University. History".

Mission to the Hell of War

Daniel Krman (1663—1740) was not just a priest, but a significant figure in Slovak Protestantism. In 1708, he embarked on a dangerous mission to the Swedish King Charles XII, who was then with his army on the territory of modern Belarus. Krman's goal was to gain political and financial support for Hungarian – and essentially Slovak – Protestants.

The envoy's route passed through Prussia, Poland, and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to Mogilev, where the Swedes' camp was located. This was not a tourist's journey, but that of an attentive observer who recorded everything he saw: from geography to the daily life of local residents. His notes are a unique historical document, showing Belarus on the eve of the decisive Battle of Poltava.

A Land of Destruction and High Hills

Belarus appeared before Krman's eyes in two forms: as endless forests and as land scorched by war. He describes burnt villages, devastated fields, and smoke that obscured the sky. The diary mentions how Russian Tsar Peter I destroyed everything with fire so as not to leave anything for the Swedes to eat.

Interestingly, Krman often refers to habitually flat Belarus as a country of "high hills." This is explained by the fact that his route passed through the Minsk Upland, specifically through the Lahojsk and Minsk regions, which, after the flatlands of Poland, truly seemed hilly to him.

People and Their Woes

The local population is described briefly but poignantly. Krman records the poverty and suffering of ordinary people.

In Barysaw, he saw how residents, as if following gypsy customs, were forced to live and cook food outdoors, because their homes had been destroyed.

In the village of Markava, he witnessed a scene where children greedily licked spilled milk from the dirty floor — their only food for several days.

The priest also notes the ethnic diversity of Belarus, which he calls Lithuania in his records. He meets not only local residents but also Jews, who ran most of the taverns, as well as Tatars and even Kalmyks. He characterizes the latter as "cannibals" due to their wild appearance, and describes the Tatars as useful but harsh guards.

Religious Exoticism

For a Protestant from Central Europe, the religious life of Belarus was truly exotic. Krman describes with interest Orthodox and Uniate churches, which impressed him with their architecture. He was particularly surprised by the three-domed temples, which he had not seen before. He describes the richly decorated interiors in detail and even tries to read Cyrillic inscriptions — the diary contains a Latin transliteration of the "Our Father" prayer.

However, his attitude towards the Orthodox clergy was ambiguous. In Krupki, he met a priest whom he refers to as "pop" (a somewhat derogatory term for an Orthodox priest) in his notes. The priest was uneducated and even had poor knowledge of Cyrillic, let alone Latin. This reinforced Krman's stereotypes about the low level of education among the local clergy.

The author also paid attention to Jewish synagogues. In Radoshkovichy, he visited one of them and described in detail the interior and the prayer, which seemed chaotic and noisy to him.

Bathhouse and Beer in Mogilev

One of the most colorful episodes in the diary is the visit to a bathhouse in Barysaw. For Krman, this was his first experience with a traditional bathhouse in these lands. He describes it as a "dark booth" with heated stones onto which water is poured.

Despite the popularity of this hygienic procedure among locals, the priest himself was not impressed by it; rather, he was frightened by its heat and the unsanitary conditions that prevailed there.

Павялічыць

Mogilev model. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

In Mogilev, a curious incident happened to the envoy. In a tavern with the poetic name "Bright Lights," he wanted to order beer, but the local residents refused to serve him. Krman calls them "ignoramuses," but the true reason for the refusal remains a mystery — perhaps it was a reaction to dissenters or simply a consequence of wartime.

Daniel Krman's diary is not just a collection of traveler's notes. It is a look at Belarus through the eyes of an 18th-century European intellectual. Despite certain biases and stereotypes, he recorded a vivid picture of the country: its cities — Smarhon, Radoshkovichy, Barysaw, Mogilev, its multinational character, and its tragic fate during the great war. For us today, it is a valuable opportunity to see ourselves from the outside through the prism of time.

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