Belarusian National Republic

The Belarusian National Republic (Belarusian: ??????????? ????????? ???????????, also translated as "Belarusian People's Republic", "Belarusian Democratic Republic", etc.) was pronounced on March 25, 1918 during World War I, when Belarus was occupied by Germans according to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. In its Third Constituent Charter, the following territories were claimed for BNR: Mahileu guberniya (province), parts of Minsk, Hrodna (including Bia?ystok), Vilnia, Viciebsk, and Smalensk guberniyas, as well as parts of bordering guberniyas. The areas were claimed because of a Belarusian majority according to demographic researches, although there were also numbers of Lithuanians, Poles and people speaking pidgins of Belarusian, Lithuanian and Polish, Lithuanians and Poles as well as many Jews, mostly in towns and cities (in some towns they made up a majority). Some of the Jews spoke Russian as their native tongue, others spoke Yiddish.

Related Topics:
Belarusian - March 25 - 1918 - World War I - Treaty of Brest-Litovsk - Mahileu - Guberniya - Minsk - Hrodna - Bia?ystok - Vilnia - Viciebsk - Smalensk - Pidgin - Lithuania - Polish - Jew - Yiddish

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A national flag of three stripes -- white-red-white -- was adopted, as well as a state seal (Pahonia), which was based on an emblem of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (see symbols from earlier history).

Related Topics:
Pahonia - Grand Duchy of Lithuania - Symbols from earlier history

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The BNR did not become a real state: it did not have a constitution, armed forces, definite territoriality, etc. When the Red Army entered Minsk on January 5, 1919, the Rada (Council) of the BNR went into exile. The exiled government still exists. Ivonka Survilla is the current chairperson of the Rada.

Related Topics:
Constitution - Armed forces - Red Army - Minsk - January 5 - 1919 - Ivonka Survilla

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Similar governments-in-exile of the neighboring countries (Lithuania, Poland and others) handed back their "authorities" to the corresponding actual governments in the 1990s. BNR council has not done this because BNR council views Lukashenka's government of Belarus as an anti-Belarusian, anti-independence, anti-democratic power.

Related Topics:
Governments-in-exile - Lithuania - Poland - Lukashenka - Belarus

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During World War II, the Nazis attempted to establish a puppet Belarusian government under the name of Belarusian Central Rada (BCR), with similar state symbols. (The chairman of the BCR was Radas?a? Astro?ski (???????? ??????????)). After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Belarusian nationalist party, the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) Adrad?e?nie (???????????, Revival), attempted to revive the ancient Belarusian regalia. The political opponents of Adrad?e?nie tried to identify BCR with BNR, and basing on the usage of symbolics, to portray the BPF as fascists. Use of these symbols was made a criminal offense.

Related Topics:
World War II - Nazi - Belarusian Central Rada - Collapse of the Soviet Union - Belarusian Popular Front - Adrad?e?nie

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