Loading ...Belarus has had a tumultuous history - even by eastern European standards. Its capitol, Minsk, was totally destroyed during WW2 and was reconstructed by the Soviets following WW2. It stands as a shining example of Soviet civil planning.
You will notice the lack lack of historical references following the disintegration of the Soviet Union when you read this article. Belarus has not enjoyed the many successes that many other eastern European nations have enjoyed following the fall of the Soviet empire.
The Republic of Belarus (be: Белару́сь, ru: Белору́ссия) is a landlocked nation of Eastern Europe with the capital Minsk.
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| National motto: None | |||
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| Official languages | Belarusian, Russian | ||
| Capital | Minsk | ||
| President | Aleksandr Lukashenko | ||
| Prime Minister | Sergey Sidorsky | ||
| Area - Total - % water |
Ranked 84th 207,600 km² Negligible |
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| Population - Total (2002) - Density |
Ranked 74th 10,350,194 50/km² |
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| Independence - Declared - Recognised |
From the USSR July 3, 1990 August 25, 1991 |
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| Currency | Belarusian Rouble | ||
| Time zone | UTC +2 | ||
| National anthem | My Belarusy | ||
| Internet TLD | .BY | ||
| Calling Code | 375 | ||
Name
The spellings Belorussia and Byelorussia are transliterations of the name of the country in Russian and should be considered obsolete.
Historically, in English, Belarus was sometimes referred to as “White Russia” or “White Ruthenia”, a literal translation of its name. This literal translation is also used in a number of other languages, e.g., “Weiussland” in German and “Baltarusija” (Baltarus, today) in Lithuanian. The name “Byelorussia” is considered derogatory by some, as it is perceived as remnant of Russian and Soviet imperialism and policies of russification (the full title of the Russian tsar was “Emperor of All the Russias - Great, Minor, and White”). The name “Belarus” is now favoured by these individuals for this reason.
In English, Belarus and Belarusian are the common terms: they refer to the historical connection with the people known as Rus’ that predated Russians, Ukrainians or Belarussians.
The names, Russia Alba, Russija Alba, Wit Rusland, Weiss Reussen, White Russia, Weiss Russland, may be found on ancient maps predating the Russian Empire. Not less often could be found Ruthenia Alba, Ruthenie Blanche and Weiss Ruthenien for example. However there is much confusion as to the location of this territory: in addition to the approximate territory of modern Belarus quite a few ancient maps put “Ruthenia Alba” over the territory of Muscovy! The explanation may be found in Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii by Sigismund von Herberstein First Muscovian tsars wore white robes — to distinguish themselves from Byzantine emperors that wore purple and Persian rulers that wore red — in accordance with the Third Rome doctrine of Russian tsars. So, the Muscovian ruler was called “White Tsar”: Sunt qui principem Moscovuiae Album Regem nuncupant. Ego quidem causam diligenter quaerebam, cur Regis Albi nomine appellaretur, or Weisse Reyssen oder weissen Kh�ennen etliche unnd w�n damit ain underscheid der Reyssen machen (from Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii). This appellation, together with the solemn wording “White Tsardom”, was in use till the very end of the Russian Empire. Ultimately, this colour was transferred onto the name of White Army, that fought against the Red Army.
It still remains unclear how the name “White Russia” has ultimately become applied to Belarusans. There are a number of speculative hypotheses, however no conclusive documentary evidence has been found for any of them. One such theory is based upon the accepted fact that the Belarusian ethnos is formed primarily by the historical interactions amongst slavic and baltic ethnicities. The root “balt-” means “white” in languages and dialects of Baltic group, e.g., in Lithuanian and Latvian. Hence “Baltic Sea” (Balta jura in Lithuanian) is literally “white sea”. Thus “Balta Rusija” could have been the original self-denotation, rather than a later secondary derivative from “Russia”.
Another theory suggests that Belarusan ethnos is of blond hair, being close to the Baltic and Scandinavian ones. Still another one is that Belorusians are named after the predominant colour of their traditional (uncolored linen) clothes.
Similar examples of “colored” names in the Slavic ethnos are: White Serbs and White Croats; and in China: Red, Black and Green Miao.
History
The history of Belarus begins with the migration and expansion of the Slavs throughout Eastern Europe between the 6th and 8th centuries of the Common Era. East Slavs settled on the territory within present-day Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, assimilating local Baltic (Belarus), Ugro-Finnic (Russia) and steppe nomads (Ukraine) already living there, early ethnic integrations that contributed to the gradual differentation of the three East Slavic nations. These East Slavs were pagan, animistic, agrarian people whose economy included trade in agricultural produce, game, furs, honey, beeswax and amber.
During the 9th and 10th centuries, Scandinavian Vikings
established trade posts on the way from Scandinavia to Byzantine Empire.
The network of lakes and rivers crossing East Slav territory provided a lucrative trade route between the two civilizations. In the course of trade, they gradually took sovereignty over tribes of East Slavs, at least to the point required by improvements in trade.
The Rus’ rulers on few occasions invaded the Byzantine Empire, but eventually they became their ally against the Bulgars. The condition underlying this alliance was to open the country for Christianization and acculturation from the Byzantine Empire.
The common cultural bond of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and written Church Slavonic (a literary and liturgical Slavic language developed by 8th-century missionaries Cyril and Methodius) fostered the emergence of a new geopolitical entity, Rus’ — a loose-knit network of principalities, established along preexisting trade routes, with major centers in Novgorod (Russia), Polatsk (Belarus) and Kiev (Ukraine) — which claimed a sometimes precarious preeminence among them.
Between the 9th and 12th centuries, the principality of Polatsk (northern Belarus) emerged as the dominant center of power on Belarusian territory, with a lesser role played by the principality of Turaw in the south.
It repeatedly asserted its sovereignty in relation to other centers of Rus’, becoming a political capital, the episcopal see of a bishopric and the controller of vassal territories among Balts in the west. The city’s Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom (1044-1066) remains a symbol of this independent-mindedness, rivaling churches of the same name in Novgorod and Kiev, referring to the original Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (and hence to claims of imperial prestige, authority and sovereignty). Cultural achievements of the Polatsk period include the work of the nun Euphrosyne of Polatsk (1120-1173), who built monasteries, transcribed books, promoted literacy and sponsored art (including local artisan Lazarus Bohsha’s famous “Cross of Euphrosyne,” a national symbol and treasure stolen during World War II), and the prolific, original Church Slavonic sermons and writings of Bishop Cyril of Turaw (1130-1182).
In the 13th century, the fragile unity of Rus’ disintegrated due to nomadic incursions from Asia, which climaxed with the Mongol Horde’s sacking of Kiev (1240), leaving a geopolitical vacuum in the region. The East Slavs splintered along preexisting tribal lines into a number of independent and competing principalities. Due to military alliances, dynastic marriages and previous assimilation, the Belarusian principalities gravitated toward the expanding Lithuanians, beginning with the rule of Prince Mindowh (1240-1263). From the 13th to 15th centuries, Baltic, Belarusian and Ukrainian lands were consolidated into the multi-ethnic Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Rus’ and Samogitia, with its capital in Navahradak (in western Belarus) and later in Vilnius (in the Belarusian-Lithuanian borderland). The Lithuanians’ smaller numbers and lack of written language or Christian culture in this medieval state gave the Belarusians and Ukrainians a major and important role in shaping Lithuanian political, religious and cultural life, and further assimilation between the Slavs and Balts occurred. Owing to the predominance of East Slavs among the state’s population and ties with greater Europe that literacy, Christianity and culture facilitated, Old Belarusian became the official language of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Rus’ and Samogitia, used for its official chancery, legal, diplomatic and judicial needs until 1696, when it was eventually replaced by Polish.
This period of political breakdown and reorganization also saw the rise of written local vernaculars in place of the literary and liturgical Church Slavonic language, a further stage in the evolving differentation between the Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian languages.
After 1385 see History of Poland, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Imperial Russia.
After Russian Revolution
BNR
Diring the WWI, when Belarus was occupied by Germans according to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the Belarus National Republic was pronounced on March 25, 1918. In its Third Constituent Charter, the following territories were claimed for BNR: Mahileu gubernia (province), partes of the following gubernias inhabited by Belarussians: of Minsk, Hrodna (including Bialystok, etc.), Wilno, Vitsebsk, Smolensk, as well as parts of bordering gubernias populated by Belarussians.
A national flag of three stripes — white-red-white — was adopted, as well as a state seal of “Pahonya”, which was an emblem of Grand Duchy of Lithuania (”Vytis”).
BNR didn’t have a chance to become a real state: it didn’t have its constitution, armed force, definite territoriality, etc.
When the Red Army entered Minsk on January 5, 1919, the Rada (Council) of the BNR went into exile. Ivonka Survilla is the current chairperson of the Rada.
During the WWII the Nazis attempted to establish the puppet Belarussian government under the name of BNR, with its symbolics. This became an unfortunate factor when after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Belarusian nationalist party, Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) Adradzhennie (Revival) attempted to revive the ancient Belarussian regalia. This moment of history allowed the political opponents of Adradzhennie to picture them as “fascists”.
BSSR
Within the USSR, the name of the country was Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. It was declared on January 1, 1919 in Smolensk.
Initially, the national culture and language had a significant boost of revival. This was tragically ended during the Great Purges, when almost all prominent Belarussian national intelligentsia were repressed.
When Germany and its Axis allies invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, Byelorussia suffered particularly heavily under the war and the German occupation. Following bloody encirclement battles, all of present-day Belarus was occupied by the Germans by the end of August 1941. The Germans imposed a brutal racist regime, burning down some 9,000 Byelorussian villages, deporting some 380,000 people for slave labour and killing hundreds of thousands of civilians more. Since the early days of the occupation, a powerful and increasingly well-coordinated partisan movement emerged. Hiding in the woods and swamps, the partisans inflicted heavy damage to German supply lines and communications, disrupting railway tracks, bridges, telegraph wires, attacking supply depots, fuel dumps and transports and ambushing German occupation soldiers. In the greatest partisan sabotage action of the entire Second World War, the so-called Osipovichi diversion of 30 July 1943, for instance four German trains with supplies and Tiger tanks were destroyed. To fight Soviet partisan activity, the Germans had to withdraw considerable forces back behind their front line. On 22 June 1943, the huge Soviet offensive Operation Bagration was launched, finally liberating all of Byelorussia by the end of August. In total, Byelorussia lost a quarter of its pre-war population in the Great Patriotic War. For the heroic defence against the Germans, and the tenacity during the German occupation, the Byelorussian capital Minsk was awarded the title Hero City after the War. The border fortress of Brest was awarded the title Hero-Fortress.
Republic of Belarus
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Belarus declared its independence on July 27, 1990.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Belarus
Administrative subdivision
Main article: Subdivisions of Belarus
At the higher administrative level, Belarus is divided into 6 voblasts and one municipality (horad, i.e., “city”); the latter one is the capial of Belarus.
- Minsk, the horad
- Brest voblast (Brest)
- Homyel voblast (Homyel’)
- Hrodna voblast (Hrodna)
- Mahilyow voblast (Mahilyow)
- Minsk voblast (Minsk)
- Vitsebsk voblast (Vitsebsk)
(Note: Administrative centers are named in parentheses.)
Voblasts are further subdivided into rayons (usually translated as districts).
Geography
Main article: Geography of Belarus
Belarus is in Eastern Europe. It borders Poland and Lithuania on the west, Russia on the east, Ukraine on the south and Latvia on the north. Belarus has an area of 207,600 sq km. Although landlocked, it has 11,000 lakes. Three major rivers run through it: the Neman River, the Pripyat River, and the Dnepr River. Belarus is relatively flat and marsh-rich. The largest march territory is Palesse. Its highest point at Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (Dzyarzhynsk Hill), 346 m, and its lowest point on the Neman river, 90 m. The natural resources of Belarus are forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Belarus
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Belarus
Symbols from earlier history
Culture
Main article: Culture of Belarus
Belarusian language, Music of Belarus
Miscellaneous topics
- Communications in Belarus
- Transportation in Belarus
- Military of Belarus
- Foreign relations of Belarus
- Belarusian media
- Public holidays in Belarus
- Chernobyl accident
External Links
- President’s official site
- http://www.belarus-misc.org/
- http://www.belarusguide.com/
- BNR
- CIA World Factbook 2000 - Belarus
- United States Department of State - Belarus
- Belarusian diaspora
Wikipedia Information
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