80th Anniversary of the Belarus National Republic (BNR) (March 25, 1998) Go to the Events Calendar Topic List     Go to the A Belarus Miscellany Topic List Search the A Belarus Miscellany Web site

News Items Concerning Events to be in Mensk, March, 1998

"The Mensk city authorities have permitted the opposition to stage a demonstration to mark the 80th anniversary of the proclamation of the Belarusian National Republic. The permission was signed by Vladimir Yermoshin, chairman of the Mensk City Executive Committee."

"The demonstration is to take place on March 22. Demonstrators will gather at Jakub Kolas Square at noon at a distance of at least 50 meters from the nearby metro station and march along the central street, Skaryna Avenue. Police will allow them to march on sidewalks and the adjacent lanes of the carriageway. The column will turn near the city's Circus located close to the center and take Yanka Kupala Street to Paris Commune Square located in front of the Opera and Ballet Theater. A rally will take place at the square from 1 to 2:30 p.m. About 10,000 people are expected to attend it."

"It should be noted that the organizers, Yury Khodyko of the Belarusian Popular Front, Gennady Karpenko of the United Civic Party and Nikolai Statkevich of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party, proposed a different route in their application. According to their plan, the demonstrators would walk through the city center along Skaryna Avenue to Independence Square, where most of the government buildings are located. In an interview with a BelaPAN correspondent, Mr Statkevich said that he was dissatisfied with the authorities' decision to change the route. In his opinion, the rally should be held on the central square."

Source: BelaPAN, No. 39; Thursday, March 12, 1998; 4:30 p.m.




"The Board of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) held a session on March 16 to discuss the organization of a festive demonstration in Mensk to mark the 80th anniversary of the proclamation of the Belarusian National Republic (BNR)."

"The demonstration has been authorized by the city administration. It will begin on Jakub Kolas Square at noon on March 22. Participants at the session emphasized the need to make the demonstration a really festive one. Demonstrators will lay wreaths at the monuments to Belarusian poets Yakub Kolas, Yanka Kupala and Maksim Bogdanovich."

"In addition, BPF district organizations in Mensk are to stage festive demonstrations in their districts. Demonstrations will be held in the Serebryanka suburb and on Jakub Kolas Square on March 17 and in the Sovetsky district of Mensk on March 21."

Source: BelaPAN, No. 55; Tuesday, March 17, 1998; 2:30 p.m.

Round-Table Discussion on the History of the Belarusian National Republic Held in Mensk

"Belarusian historians held a round-table discussion on the history of the Belarusian National Republic at the National Press Center in Mensk (Minsk) on March 18 [1998]."

"On February 20, 1918, as the Soviet forces under pressure from the Belarusian national army evacuated Mensk, the Rada (National Council) of the Belarusian Convention formally declared itself the provisional government. On February 25, German troops occupied Mensk. Although the German authorities remained reticent, if not actually hostile towards the Rada, they did not interfere much with its political functioning. On March 25, 1918, the Provisional Government together with the representatives of the Vilna (Vilnius) Council proclaimed the independence of the Belarusian National Republic (BNR). A national flag with white, red and white horizontal stripes was adopted, together with a state seal depicting the "Pahonya", the old emblem of the Grand Duchy of Litva."

"Armenia, Czechoslovakia, Georgia, Germany, Austria, Poland, Ukraine, Turkey, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland recognized the BNR de jure."

"To counteract the effect of the proclamation of the BNR, the Russian Communists set up a Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic in Smolensk on January 1, 1919. As the Red Army had re-entered Mensk, a Communist government replaced the Rada there on January 5. The Rada government was forced to go into emigration. Only in the late 80s the BNR was legalized for study and its leaders were rehabilitated, and it began to be regarded as an important event in Belarusian history."

"Speaking during the discussion, Dr Vladimir Mikhnyuk pointed out that one of the key points in the history of the BNR is the problem of Belarusian statehood. According to him, the Belarusian national movement initially wanted autonomy within Russia, but the signing of the Treaty of Brest Litovsk on February 19, 1918 gave a powerful boost to separatism. Academician Mikhail Kostyuk said that the proclamation of the BNR "was more than to proclaim the idea but less than to establish a state". In his opinion, the BNR failed because the social base of the national movement was rather weak, the number of those who adhered to the idea of independence was too small, and as a result of Communist demagogy and German occupation. He also believes that Soviet Russia considered the BNR an obstacle to expanding the revolution to the West."

"Participants in the discussion concluded that BNR leaders did develop the idea of Belarusian independence but failed to put it into practice in full measure."

Source: BelaPAN, No. 66; Thursday, March 19, 1998; 4:00 p.m.

Note: Copies of the postage stamps are from Byelorussian Statehood: Reader and Bibliography, edited by Vitaut Kipel and Zora Kipel (1988), pages 204, 244, and 302.