Paper short abstract:

The paper focuses on the belief that has appeared and developed recently in Belarus about the missing manuscript of the novel by Vladimir Korotkevich. The belief obtained multiple forms and may be defined from the point of view of different genres as well as their functions in contemporary society.

Paper long abstract:

In 1960s Belarusian writer Vladimir Korotkevich wrote the novel "Ears under your sickle", which is based on the real facts of Belarusian history and refers to one of its most prominent moments - the uprising of Kastus Kalinovsky held in 1863 against tsarist Russia and Poland. The book was planned to be written in three parts: the first and the second ones telling about the childhood and life of those who organized the uprising, while the third one was planned to be dedicated to the uprising itself. It is officially considered that Korotkevich didn't write the third part, and it resulted into the shorter novel which didn't justify hopes of readers. Though at the same time I encountered the fact that some people do not accept this official point of view, and claim that the third book was written, but stolen.

This paper concentrates on the belief into existence of the third part of the nationally important novel that, to the people's mind, could increase not only ethnic identity, but also the possibilities for the political changes. It gives an account of the main forms of the belief and genres of the narrative as well as its function in contemporary Belarus.