Harasim Ihnatavich from under Vitsebsk turned out to be an armored boyar. A historian told about his fate
The story of the cross, which Vitsebsk utility workers extracted from a water pipeline trench in the village of Karouka, has continued. A historian deciphered the full name of the man and traced the history of his family through archival documents. It turns out that his surname gave the village its name.
Stone cross from the village of Karouka, Vitsebsk district. Photo: Vitsebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore
Historian and archivist Dzianis Liseichykau deciphered the text carved on the front side of the stone. The inscription reads as follows: «[This?] cross stands [for] the deceased, of glorious memory Harasim Ihnatavich Ushakovich-Karouchynski, in the year 1639».
Literally, with the letters used in Old Belarusian at that time: «[Sej?] kryzh" stoits" [za] neboʃchykom" slavnoye pameti Harasimom" Ignatovichom" Ushakovichom" Korovchinskim" roku 1639». It is noteworthy how similar the Belarusian language then was to the modern one: «крыж» (cross), «нябожчык» (deceased), «стаіць» (stands). Only then the word «рок» (year) was used more often, not «год» (year), as we do now.
However, regarding the last Cyrillic numerals, just like us before, the historian has doubts, but this variant seems most probable to him.
Who were the armored boyars
Who was this man? An analysis of the acts of the Vitsebsk land court showed that the Ushakovichy-Karouchynski (or simply Karouki) belonged to the local class of armored boyars.
This was a very specific intermediate social group in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Armored boyars originated from impoverished boyars, free peasants, or freed serfs.
Their households were completely exempt from taxes and feudal duties, but in return, they had to perform military service on horseback and in heavy («armored») weaponry. By their status, they were close to «putnyya boyars» (road boyars) who performed the functions of messengers and road guards.
Formally, these groups were abolished as early as 1528: then the wealthier boyars were transferred to the noble class, and the poorer ones — to peasants. However, in practice, both categories existed until the end of the 16th century. Moreover, even in the middle of the 19th century, in the former border districts of Nevel and Sebezh of the Vitebsk Governorate, bordering Russia, some peasants continued to call themselves armored boyars.
Genealogy of the Karouchynski
The history of this particular family can be well traced through documents.
The family's ancestor, Ivan Ushak, received land plots here from Vitsebsk Voivode Stefan Zbarazhski in the period from 1555 to 1564. Ivan had a son Ihnat, and he, in turn, had Harasim. The name of Harasim Ihnatavich is regularly recorded in court documents from 1618.
A letter from Surazh sub-elder Jan Stakhouski from 1630 to the «Karouchan boyars» regarding the demarcation of their lands with Lemnitsky peasants has also been preserved. And in 1635, Harasim, together with his sons Anton and Zmitser, received a document where the boundaries of their possessions were precisely described (the text mentions that at their edge they «dug a kopets», i.e., built a mound, a hill). Picturesque local toponyms are also listed there: Dark Swamps, Kadzilau Log, Lavnyya Rostani.
When Harasim died in the late 1630s, his sons erected this monumental stone monument for their father. And the family's surname eventually became associated with the settlement itself, which is known today as Karouka.
How the tombstone of Harasim Ushakovich-Karouchynski was found
Transportation of the stone cross to the regional museum. Photo: Vitsebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore
There were concerns that utility workers might have stumbled upon the monument by disturbing old burials, however, Dzianis Yurchak, chief specialist of the Culture Department of the Vitsebsk Regional Executive Committee and historian, clarified the situation.
According to him, the cross was found during the laying of a pipe close to the existing road. The artifact lay flat at a depth of one and a half meters. Most importantly, no human remains (bones) or any accompanying artifacts were recorded around it.
This gives reason to believe that the monument was moved from its original location during the construction of the village road many years ago. In ancient times, crosses were placed near roads and, especially, at crossroads. It was precisely the absence of the burial itself that prompted specialists to decide to take the cross to the museum. Now it will be stored and exhibited in the Vitsebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore, which is located in the building of the city hall.
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