Hysteria around «Litvinism»: how one person turned English Wikipedia into a weapon against Belarusians
The article «Litvinism» on English Wikipedia became an example of how one person can construct an image of an enemy out of an entire nation. For years, an image was purposefully formed there, in which the Belarusian view of history was declared dangerous radicalism and equated with fascism. We tell how one obsessed editor turned Wikipedia into an instrument of information warfare — and why this ticking time bomb was only defused now.
Fatal clash
Recently, we told about the tragic fate of the Belarusian Wikipedian Ilya Baryskevich, known under the nickname Kazimier Lachnovič, who was sentenced by the Lukashenka regime to two years in a penal colony for «discrediting Belarus». Security forces accused him of writing articles in Belarusian Wikipedia, where he sharply described the political situation in the country.
But even before his arrest and imprisonment, in October 2022, Baryskevich became involved in a sharp ideological conflict with a Lithuanian editor under the nickname Pofka, who accused him of distorting or «Russifying» names, changing descriptions of historical symbols, disrupting discussions, and violating procedures, achieving his temporary blocking and complete cessation of activity on Wikimedia Commons, where Kazimier Lachnovič had previously uploaded tens of thousands of historical images related to the history of Belarus and Lithuania.
As it turned out, this was just a prelude; the real informational «crusade» against «Litvinism» was launched by the Lithuanian editor Pofka on English Wikipedia, creating an image for the billion-strong audience of the English-language section of the free encyclopedia of Belarusians as «villains of history», and any claims to the heritage of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as a manifestation of aggressive revanchism and fascist ideology that must be eradicated.
Belarusian Wikipedians tell in a large article how this propaganda material was constructed and why it went unnoticed for years.
A solitary crusade against «Litvinism»
Wikipedians write that the article titled «Litvinism» on English Wikipedia, unlike many articles on Wikipedia, was not created by collective effort but by the efforts of one Lithuanian editor, Pofka, who worked on it continuously for several years and implemented his own political manifesto aimed at marginalizing and criminalizing the Belarusian view of history.
The active phase of editor Pofka's «crusade,» aimed at turning the Belarusian view of the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania into a dangerous, extremist ideology in the eyes of readers, started in September 2023. The statistics are impressive: in less than a year, one person increased the volume of the article on «Litvinism» from 23 thousand to a colossal 177 thousand bytes.
Articles exceeding 100 thousand bytes in Wikipedia are considered excessively long. A text of about 177 thousand bytes is several times larger than even high-quality articles on key topics and corresponds in volume to a separate book — comparable to «The Great Gatsby» and significantly larger than Orwell's «Animal Farm.»
Pofka created a gigantic canvas, saturated with hundreds of footnotes, maps, quotes, and illustrations. To an external observer, especially from the Western world, it looked like a thorough academic study. But, as Wikipedians write, it was a classic example of «a book judged by its cover,» where visual solidity was meant to mask complete bias.
To understand the motivation of the author of this manifesto against Litvinism, it is worth looking at his reputation. A paradoxical fact emerges: Pofka is persona non-grata in the Lithuanian wiki-community itself.
He received indefinite blocks on Lithuanian and Samogitian Wikipedias for insults, threats, and incitement to hatred. In these sections, he tried to implement similar articles about «Litvinism» but found no support among other Lithuanians.
«The person is aggressively inclined, goes through all Wikipedias, and pours ad hominem instead of cultural discussion… How much more?», wrote the Lithuanian administrator under the nickname Hugo.arg, explaining the reason for the block.
The blocks in the Lithuanian Wikipedia sections date back to October 2022 — it was during this period that he entered the aforementioned sharp conflict with the Belarusian editor.
When the Lithuanian wiki-community blocked his marginal views, this editor found refuge in the global English Wikipedia. The administrators there have little understanding of the intricacies of Eastern European history and simply could not recognize the trick in time.
The technology of lies
To prove to the world that the Belarusian claim to the heritage of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania is dangerous radicalism, the Lithuanian editor ignored basic Wikipedia rules, such as the requirement to use only authoritative sources and the prohibition against popularizing marginal theories.
To substantiate his views, the editor did not disdain anything; even statements by individuals with a clear xenophobic background were used as evidence.
For example, as proof of the existence of aggressive «Litvinism,» the article seriously quoted the words and even included a screenshot of a Facebook post by Siarhei Kavalienka — a former political prisoner who eventually adopted very radical, and sometimes neo-Nazi, views.
His words about the «great Aryan Belarusian-Lithuanian nation» were presented as a relevant position of the Belarusian side.
To definitively discredit Belarusian claims to the heritage of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Pofka even entered into a situational ideological alliance with pro-Russian imperialists.
The article even cited criticism of «Litvinism» by Lev Krishtapovich — an odious figure who generally denies the existence of Belarusians as a nation, considering Belarusians part of the «Russian people.»
The Lithuanian editor did not hesitate to link to the Russian imperial website Regnum, just to confirm the thesis that the imaginary «Litvinism» is evil.
One of the most scandalous theses claimed that «Litvinism is described as a form of fascism with expansionist claims.»
This terrible accusation was based on a single link to the website alkas.lt, associated with historian Tomas Baranauskas, who is known for his irreconcilable stance against «Litvinism.»
Wikipedia's principles prohibit the use of extreme and accusatory statements — especially about «fascism» and «expansionism» — based solely on one source with a clear conflict of interest and without confirmation from several independent authoritative publications.
The article also almost equated Zianon Pazniak, the leader of the Belarusian revival, with Alexander Dugin, the ideologist of the «Russian world.»
Even the illustrative series was chosen to create an impression of massiveness and wide spread of «Litvinism» among Belarusians. A significant part of the article consisted of a chaotic collection of quotes from various authors about the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, presented without context or analysis. This entire array was illustrated with only three photographs — those of Volha Ipatava, Ales Krautsevich, and Zianon Pazniak — because only in their photos was the «Pahonia» coat of arms present in the background. The Lithuanian editor interprets the use of this symbol as the theft of Lithuanian history and a clear manifestation of the «Litvinism» ideology.
For the uninformed Western reader, a false picture was created, as if Belarusian nationalism and Russian imperialism were two heads of one dangerous hydra.
The author systematically substituted concepts, constructing his own definition of «Litvinism,» the propaganda and entrenchment of which served this entire enormous article.
In his version, this term meant not just a radical theory that denies the Lithuanian component in the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, but any attempt by Belarusians to speak of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as part of their own historical heritage.
Thus, the natural right of the Belarusian nation to its history was preemptively criminalized, and all Belarusian historiography was presented as dangerous pseudoscience and «theft» of Lithuanian history.
What's happening with the article now
Why did this large-scale manipulation remain unpunished for years? The answer from Belarusian Wikipedians is simple and sad: the Belarusian community on English Wikipedia — the world's main source of knowledge — is almost non-existent. While Belarusians were dealing with internal problems and survival, narratives about our history were written by people who consider us enemies.
By the end of 2025, the article had turned into such an aggressive narrative that other English-language Wikipedia editors finally noticed it. On December 8, an editor under the nickname Marcelus nominated the article for deletion.
«This is not an encyclopedic article, but a long, chaotic, poorly written essay. … It is a collection of the greatest fears and frustrations of a Lithuanian patriot. … The article is a product of panic,» Marcelus explained his position.
During the discussion, independent editors confirmed the diagnosis: violation of neutrality, impermissible synthesis of facts, and use of unreliable sources.
It was decided to act on a principle that in Wikipedian slang is called «Blow it up and start over.» This radical rule applies when an article is so bad that it cannot be fixed, and it is easier to destroy it completely and write it from scratch than to try to edit it.
The old version of the article «Litvinism,» unilaterally created by Pofka, was deleted recently, and attempts by his associates to restore the text were stopped. In place of the enormous propaganda article, a new, short, and more balanced article appeared, which is 10 times smaller than the previous one.
Now it clearly states that «Litvinism» is often a derogatory label used in polemics to describe a wide range of phenomena, and a line has been drawn between radical views and Belarusian historiography, which views the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as a common heritage of Belarusians and Lithuanians. Quotes from neo-Nazis, Russophiles, and equations with fascism have disappeared.
Wikipedians note that this story is a lesson for the entire Belarusian community, that in the digital age, just one obsessed person, armed with manipulative techniques, can distort the perception of an entire nation in the eyes of the world.
What is the real danger
The danger of such articles is not exaggerated. Wikipedia — the largest and most accessible source of knowledge in the world — inevitably shapes the «norm»: how a name or title is written there will be copied by journalists; how history is presented will become the mainstream understanding for the uninformed public. An error or manipulation in Wikipedia — even a minor one — does not remain within the encyclopedia. It will be replicated in media, blogs, social networks, and over time even penetrates scientific texts.
A lie, once legitimized through Wikipedia, begins to live a life of its own.
History knows illustrative examples of such an effect. In 2012, a common student joke — the fictional «inventor of the toaster» Alan MacMasters — appeared on Wikipedia and was considered a real historical figure for years. Tabloids, government websites, and educational institutions referred to him until it was discovered that such a person never existed. And that was an innocent hoax.
When similar manipulations affect national history, they turn from a joke into an instrument of information warfare. And that is why the story with the article «Litvinism» is not a minor wiki-scandal, but an alarm signal for Belarusian society.
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