Happy Freedom Day, Belarusians! 43 25.03.2017, 7:58

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99 years ago, the Belarusian People’s Republic proclaimed its independence.

The street action dedicated to the anniversary of proclaiming independence will be held today in Minsk. The event starts at 2 p.m. at the Academy of Sciences.

Leader of the Belarusian National Congress Mikalai Statkevich has addressed to the Belarusians on the eve of the Freedom Day:

“We come out to the Square not for a bowl of soup. We are driven there by our human dignity. We want to live normally in a normal country. We need to protect the future of our children. The Belarusian National Congress delegates me to lead the March in Minsk on March 25.

I urge you, the Belarusians, to take an active part in the Outraged Belarusians March, which starts near the Academy of Sciences in Minsk at 14.00 on March 25.

We will celebrate our Independence Day together.

Let's say our "Basta!" to overweening hoggers.

Power to the people!

Long Live Belarus!"

The historical event happened on March 25, 1918. The Rada of the Belarusian People’s Republic adopted the Third Charter, in which the absolute independence of the country was proclaimed, in Minsk.For the first time in history our people had an opportunity to create their own state.

Young Belarusians - Yazep Varonka, Kastus Ezavitau, Ivan Serada, - the generation brought up on the ideas of the national resurgence that appeared in Belarus in early XXth century, stood at the origins of the BPR. They all hoped for freedom after the World War I and the February Revolution in Russia.

There appeared an opportunity to implement it after the failure to negotiate with the bolsheviks and Germany in early 1918 in Brest. Then the Soviet authorities who tried to impede the activity of the Belarusian patriots were forced to leave Minsk and other large cities of the country and flee to Smolensk.

On February 21 the Executive Committee of the Rada of the All-Belarusian Assembly announced itself an interim authority in the country. Soon it was decided to convene an organizational meeting, which could be the first attempt to decide upon further fate based on democracy. Earlier, the interim authority – the People's Secretariat with Yazep Varonka as the head - had the functions of a new authority.

A few weeks later Belarus was announced a People's Republic. The government was transformed into the Rada of the BPR headed by Ivan Sereda.

On March 25, the Rada proclaimed a complete independence of the BPR. Pahonia coat-of-arms and white-red-white flag became symbols of a new state.

The BPR's government made every possible effort to establish national institutions. It was decided to grant a national status to the Belarusian language, establish Belarusian schools and gymnasiums, cultural and educational societies and theaters, as well as publishing houses. Newspapers were published in Belarusian, and it was planned to open the National University in Minsk.

A number of European countries recognized independence of our country.

The Rada of the BPR was supported by the Belarusian councils in Mahilyeu, Hrodna, Vaukavysk, Slutsk and other towns. They immediately broke in activity building of new authorities at places.

Germany and the Soviet Russia did not recognize the BPR, as well as they did not recognize the right to self-determination of other peoples which lived in their territory. Nevertheless, the bolsheviks considered it a real state. They wrote "it is needed to devolve power of the BPR on the government of BSSR."

In virtue of a complex military and political situation, the Rada of the BPR could not fulfill the idea of the state sovereignty. The attempt to create an army and oppose the bolsheviks in the east and Poles in the west failed. But the Soviet authorities recognized the popularity of the statehood among Belarusians. Therefore, on January 1, 1919 the Soviet Socialist Republic of Belarus was proclaimed in Smolensk within almost the same borders specified by the BPR. Soon units of the Red Army occupied Minsk and the government of the Soviet Belarus moved there. The Rada of the BPR had to emigrate.

The proclamation of the BPR had other implications besides the forced proclamation of the BSSR by the bolsheviks. The local Belarusian authorities created structures who managed to fight against communists during a decade. It often loomed to the Soviet power - for instance, the Slutsk uprising and support of Bulak-Balachowicz by the Belarusians in Polesie. And above all, for the first time in decades it became an example of a success of the Belarusians. A year before the events of March 25, 1918 only few people could imagine that Belarusians could have their own government and state even for a short time.