The name Belarus has its roots in the tenth century. At that time, the Belarusian principalities were
part of the "Ancient Rus" or "Kievan Rus". Thus, the translation into " White Russia " is not correct, as
Rus refers to the original great empire and not to Russia. This demarcation is quite important, as the
translation into " White Russia " implies a direct connection of the two stat es or even a subordination
of Belarus to Russia.