Abstract: The non-linearity and multi-component formation of the cultural traditions of Belarus very well illustrate the formation, coexistence and interaction in the Middle Ages and early Modern Times of such historical and cultural complexes as 'Lithuania' and 'Rus'. The Lithuanian period in the history of Belarus is important not only for its duration - five and a half centuries - but also for the fundamental changes that took place at that time. We can try to use the cataphatic (positive) principle of describing the problem, the wording of which, in this case, would look like this: "What has historical Lithuania given us?" The answer to this question can be systematized by points and more extensively describe them: territory; languages; denominations; images and signs; traditions.