The latest history of Belarus. Belarusians from ancient Russian people

Alternative country names - Republic of Belarus. Until 1991, the country was known as the Republic of Belarus, which was part of the USSR. Sometimes Belarus is also called White Russia. This name was popular mainly until 1918.

Origin of country name

The name Belarus probably comes from the medieval geographical designation of the region as "Belaya Rus". Historians and linguists argue about its etymology, but the name may be used as a name of folk origin, it was especially common in the northern territories of the country.

Some historical sources also mention Red and Black Russia in addition to White Russia. Such marking was probably used at the time when Kievan Rus arose. Historical sources mention that during the 14th-15th centuries the geographical name of the country was the designation "Belarus". But later the name received a specific political meaning.

Although Belarusians are the dominant ethnic group in the country, the country includes people of various nationalities such as Lithuanians, Poles, Ukrainians, Russians, Jews, and Tatars. The richness and mixture of cultures reflect the complexity of the ethnic interactions that have taken place in the country for hundreds of years.

Nationalization of the country

Around the end of the ninth and beginning of the tenth centuries, the kingdom of Kievan Rus begins to take shape. Among others, he has two provinces - the Principality of Polotsk and the Principality of Turov.

These two principalities occupied the territory of present-day Belarus. For several centuries, the Belarusian territories were strongly influenced by Byzantine culture, including Orthodox Christianity, stone architecture and literary trends. After the capture of Kievan Rus by the Mongols in the middle of the thirteenth century, two Belarusian principalities were included in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

A century later, an alliance was formed with the Kingdom of Poland. This new administrative and political position brought strong Western European influences to the territory of Belarus, including the introduction of the Catholic religion. In the fourteenth century, a large number of Jews settled in these lands.

The Polish-Lithuanian Union created a strong political, economic and military force in Eastern Europe. In 1569, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland merged into a multinational federal state, it was one of the richest and most powerful in all of Europe at that time, it was called the Commonwealth. The state occupied a powerful position in Europe for two centuries.

After the division of the Commonwealth in 1772, 1793 and 1795 between Russia, Prussia and Austria, the Belarusian territories became part of the Russian Empire. Great poverty reigned in the territory of Belarus when it came under Russian rule, especially among the Jews, which led to mass emigration of people in the nineteenth century.

The second half of the nineteenth century was a time of rapid development of capitalism in Belarus.

Starting from the late 1880s, Marxist ideas spread in Belarus, in 1905-1907 a revolution took place, which led to the organization of the Belarusian national liberation movement. The nationalist newspaper Nasha Niva (Our Land) was first published at this time.

The most significant event in this process of national awakening was April 1917, when the congress of Belarusian national parties took place. Its delegates approved the autonomy of Belarus. However, after the October Socialist Revolution in Petrograd, the Bolsheviks seized power in Belarus.

In December 1917 they dissolved the All-Belarusian Congress in Minsk. Despite the actions of the Soviet occupation, the All-Belarusian Congress and representatives of political parties declared Belarus the Belarusian People's Republic on March 25, 1918.

Ten months later, the Bolsheviks proclaimed the country the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR). The new nation-state was officially incorporated into the Soviet Union (USSR) and remained part of the Soviet Union until 1991.

On July 27, 1991, the Supreme Council of the BSSR adopted the Declaration on State Sovereignty. In August 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the BSSR abolished the Communist Party of Belarus and renamed the country the Republic of Belarus.

In December 1991, as a result of the collapse of the USSR, the Republic of Belarus became one of the founders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

In March 1994, a new constitution was adopted in Belarus, a presidency and the creation of a 260-seat parliament appeared. On July 10, 1994 Alexander Lukashenko was elected the first President of the Republic of Belarus. In 1997, the Treaty on the Union of Belarus and Russia was signed.

National identity of Belarus

National identity is symbolically linked to two significant moments in the history of Belarus. The national holiday is officially celebrated on July 3, in honor of the day when the Soviet troops entered in 1944, then the city was liberated from the Nazi troops.

Some Belarusians celebrate March 25 as an unofficial Independence Day. The date marks the anniversary of the brief period in which Belarus broke away from the rule of the Bolshevik Party in March 1918, only to return to its rule in December 1918.

ethnic relations

For centuries, the Belarusian lands have been home to different ethnic groups who have different religions. Muslims, Jews, Orthodox Christians, Greek Catholic Christians and Protestants have lived together in Belarus for centuries without major confrontation.

Belarusians, Poles, Russians, Jews, Lithuanians, Ukrainians and Gypsies lived in peace and harmony. Although the twentieth century brought many problems, and peaceful coexistence was shaken. in many ways is a country with cultural tolerance.

Currently, the population in the country is dominated by Belarusians, but Russians, Poles, Ukrainians and Jews also live in the country. All ethnic groups have equal status and there is no evidence of hate or ethnically biased crimes.

BELARUS. STORY
In the 7th-6th centuries. BC e. representatives of the Milograd culture (an ancient Slavic group) moved from the south to the territory of present-day Belarus. In the 1st century BC. representatives of another Slavic group appeared - the Zarubintsy culture. The Slavic tribes of the Dregovichi, Radimichi and Krivichi eventually assimilated the Baltic ones who lived before them on this land. By the 9th c. the lands of Polotsk, Turov-Pinsk, Smolensk and other principalities became part of the Old Russian state.
Lithuanian period. After the Mongol-Tatar invasion of 1237-1240, the Belarusian lands were captured by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, making alliances with local feudal landowners against common enemies - the Mongol-Tatars in the east and the Teutonic Knights in the west. From the 14th century in the Teutonic chronicles, the term "White Russia" appears, and the local tribes are gradually united into a single nationality. In 1386, the Grand Duke of Lithuania became the Polish king and thus the ruler of a huge state that included the Baltic and Slavic peoples. The Belarusian language was the state and diplomatic language of Lithuania until 1569, when Lithuania united with Poland into a single state - the Commonwealth.
Polish period. The union of Poland and Lithuania led to the strengthening of Polish influence in the Belarusian lands. Both ecclesiastical and secular public institutions have changed. The Orthodox Church, which represented the main religion in Belarus, was transformed into a Uniate Union by the Union of Brest in 1596, retained the Byzantine ritual of the church service, but accepted Roman Catholic dogmas and the power of the pope. Polish influence also manifested itself in the socio-economic sphere, as the communal land ownership of the Belarusians was replaced by individual land ownership, and the peasants were enslaved. The noble elite quickly adopted the Polish language, Polish culture, and the Roman Catholic faith. Peasants and the urban common people have preserved the Belarusian language and culture and loyalty to the Uniate Church. The Commonwealth reached the peak of its power at the beginning of the 17th century, when its lands stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea, and Moscow Rus accepted the Polish prince Vladislav to the royal throne. The next century and a half passed in this region under the sign of wars between Russia, Poland and Sweden. Particularly destructive were the Russian-Polish war for the Ukrainian lands (1654-1667) and the Northern War (1700-1721) between Russia and Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea. As a result of violence, hunger and disease, about half of the population of Belarus died in these wars.
Russian period. The divisions of Poland in 1772, 1793 and 1795 by Russia, Prussia and Austria led to the incorporation of Belarusian lands into the Russian Empire. The Uniate Church was liquidated in 1839. In 1840 the Russian Judicial Code was put into effect, and the use of the term Belorussiya (Belarus) was prohibited. Belarus entered the "North-Western Territory" of the empire. The Belarusian nobility and some part of the peasantry under the leadership of Kastus Kalinovsky took part in the Polish-Lithuanian uprising of 1863. In the wake of the liberalization of public life in Russia in the 1860s and 1870s, publications in the Belarusian language began to appear. On March 24, 1918, the All-Belarusian Congress proclaimed the Byelorussian People's Republic. After the German troops that had occupied Byelorussia during the First World War left the country in December 1918, a united Lithuanian-Belarusian Soviet Republic was created. Following the offensive of Poland in 1919 and a short war between Poland and Soviet Russia in 1920, Belarus was again divided. About 100 thousand square meters. km of its territory went to Poland. In the rest of the territory (107 thousand sq. Km), where approx. 5 million Belarusians, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR) was proclaimed, which in 1922 became part of the USSR.
Soviet period. In the late 1920s, Stalin began to pursue a course of Sovietization of Belarus. Industrialization and collectivization in the 1930s uprooted hundreds of thousands of Belarusians who moved to the rapidly growing cities of Belarus and the east of the USSR. In 1950, their numbers in the cities of Belarus exceeded the share of other ethnic groups (Russians, Poles and Jews). As a result of the invasion of Nazi Germany and the occupation during the Second World War, Belarus suffered enormous damage. When the republic was liberated in 1944 by the Soviet army and partisans, all its cities lay in ruins, all industrial enterprises were destroyed, and 2,225,000 people (every fourth inhabitant of the republic) died. After the war, Belarus began to rebuild and by the 1970s had become a developed economic region of the USSR. As urbanization and industrial growth intensified the process of assimilation of Belarusians. The state policy of enlightenment and education contributed to this process, because. circulation of Russian-language publications increased, and in the overwhelming majority of schools, Russian became the main language of instruction. In the 1990 elections, the Communist Party managed to win a majority of seats in the Supreme Soviet. However, the participation of other forces split the parliament into three blocs: the nomenklatura of the Communist Party; anti-communist Belarusian Popular Front; moderate intellectuals and ordinary members of the Communist Party. The first of these blocs supported the putsch in Moscow in August 1991, and after its failure, the leader of the bloc, Nikolai Dementei, was forced to resign as chairman of the presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the republic. His place was taken by the leader of the moderates, Stanislav Shushkevich.
Independent Belarus. On August 25, 1991, the Supreme Council proclaimed the independence of the BSSR; a few weeks later the name of the country was changed to the Republic of Belarus. In December 1991, Shushkevich, Russian President B.N. Yeltsin and Ukrainian President L.M. Kravchuk met in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, annulled the Federal Treaty of 1922, according to which the Soviet Union was created, and united their countries in a free association called the Commonwealth of Independent states (CIS). After a long struggle with the left, Shushkevich was forced in January 1993 to resign from his post as chairman of the Supreme Council. He was replaced by Mieczysław Hryb, who sought integration with Russia. In March 1994 a new constitution was adopted, and in July the first presidential elections were held. A.G. Lukashenko, a former director of a state farm and a deputy of the Supreme Council, who has created a reputation for himself as a fighter against corruption, received more than 80% of the vote in these elections. In November 1996, Lukashenka held a referendum on constitutional amendments in 1994, which expanded his powers and extended his tenure as president. On November 19, 1998, Parliament approved the draft Civil Code, as amended by the President. These changes are aimed at establishing strict state control over the implementation of economic and social reforms during the transition period. On July 20, 1999, Lukashenka's tenure as president, determined by the 1994 constitution, ended, but, according to the results of the 1996 referendum, Lukashenka remained in office and is going to hold it until 2001. Western countries, unlike Ukraine and the Russian Federation, dispute the legitimacy of President Lukashenka, although among the population of the republic it is popular. All three Slavic states condemned the NATO invasion of Yugoslavia, and after the operation ended, Belarus took an active part in the "West 1999" maneuvers conducted by the Russian armed forces. The Interregional Association for Economic Cooperation "Central Russia" has established direct economic ties with the Vitebsk, Gomel, Minsk and Mogilev regions of Belarus. In December 1999, an agreement was signed between Belarus and Russia on the creation of the Union State.

Collier Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000 .

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History of the Republic of Belarus.

In the eastern part of Europe is the Republic of Belarus, covering an area of ​​207,600 km2, it is home to more than nine million indigenous people.
The article tells about the history of this multinational (130 nationalities) state, at the moment it is a member of the UN, the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) and many other international organizations.

The beginning of the formation of the Belarusian lands

Archaeological excavations show that approximately in 500 BC Slavic tribes, who came from the south, settled on the territory of the modern state, later they became the indigenous population.
In those days, the nomads who moved from Central Asia to Europe (Huns and Avars) could not force the ancient Slavs of the Krivichi and Radimichi to leave these territories.
At the end of the 9th century in Europe, after the unification of the East Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes by the princes of the Rurik dynasty, an ancient Russian state appeared, founded by Prince Vladimir.
Historical documents that have survived to our time indicate that the formation of Belarus is associated with Kievan Rus.
It was during the development of the sea route of the Russian state from the Baltic Sea to the Byzantine Empire through Eastern Europe, called "from the Varangians to the Greeks", part of it passed through the territory of the modern Republic of Belarus.
Thanks to this, in 992, the Principality of Polotsk appeared, the first socio-political association on the territory of Belarus, it then occupied the modern Vitebsk region. This feudal state also included the lands of the northern part of the Minsk region.
At the time of its formation, the Principality of Polotsk was part of Kievan Rus.
But under Prince Izyaslav (son of Kyiv Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich), it freed itself from its influence and became an independent state entity.
This was the period of the XI century, during which the development of the state continued. By this time, the principality covered a significant part of modern Belarus.
By the beginning of the 12th century, thanks to the establishment of political ties with the countries of northern Europe and military victories with the troops of Ancient Russia, the principality already included half of the territory of the future Republic of Belarus.
The first voivode among the princes of Polotsk, who inherited this territory, Vseslav, during his reign divided the principality between his six sons, who throughout their activities constantly redrawn the territory of the state.
As a result, seven small principalities were formed: Minsk - the center of Minesk (the modern name is Minsk), Vitebsk principality with the main city of Vitebsk, Drutskoye, located on the Drun River (the capital is the city of Drun). Izyaslavskoye with the center of Izyaslavl (now - the city of Zaslavl); Logoiskoe, with its center in the city of Loglisk, Strezhevskoe, with the central city of Strezhev, which, according to one version, was located on the shores of Lake Strezhev and the Gorodtsovsky princely inheritance.
The city of Polotsk became the capital of the Principality of Polotsk, and was given to the eldest son of Vseslav David.
Due to fragmentation, the first feudal state on the territory of Belarus fell into decay, and its power was lost.

Grand Duchy of Lithuania

The next stage in the history of the Republic is associated with the formation of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (XIII - 1795). This state arose at the beginning of the 13th century as a result of the conquest of large territories of the Eastern European principalities,
for various reasons they were separated.
From 1223 and for more than sixty years in those days, there was a constant struggle between the princes for land ownership. Only Gedimin, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, the founder of the Gediminovich dynasty, managed through diplomacy to unite the small Polotsk and Lithuanian principalities, and from 1392 the Polotsk principality became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and after 112 years the principality was transformed into the Polotsk Voivodeship.
During the reign of Prince Olgerd (son of Prince Gediminas), the formation of the indigenous population of the Belarusian lands into a nationality with a common language, culture and self-consciousness began.

Formation of the state "Rzeczpospolita" and its division

For the purpose of general protection against various political and military threats from Kievan Rus, in 1569 the Grand Duchy of Lithuania united with the Kingdom of Poland, and thus the state of the Commonwealth was created.
This huge in size, the state occupied certain parts of the territories of modern states: Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, Slovakia and Russia.
In the same year, a document was signed, which refers to the merger of the Catholic and Orthodox churches ("Brest Union"). This alliance between Catholics and Orthodox solved the problem of religious hostility.
Throughout the 17th century, military conflicts took place on the territory of Belarus in the struggle with Russia, Sweden and the Ottoman Empire for their independence.
As a result of constant wars, the Commonwealth gradually lost its international significance from the beginning of the 18th century, and the monarchies of Austria, Prussia and Russia took advantage of this position, which led to three divisions of the state, which included the territory of Belarus.
The year 1770 belongs to the first section. Then Prussia and Austria brought in their troops. Two years later, on the basis of an agreement (convention) signed in St. Petersburg, the Commonwealth was forced to give Russia the eastern part of Belarus, Prussia - part of the Polish lands, and Austria annexed the territory of modern western Ukraine (Galicia).
In 1793, a peace treaty was concluded between Prussia (Germany) and Russia, as a result of which the central part of Belarus and the Right-bank part of Ukraine went to Russia, and the cities of Poznan, Torun and Gdansk became part of the Prussian state.
The second partition was the cause of the national liberation struggle that began in 1794 under the leadership of General Tadeusz Kosciuszko. By order of the Russian Empress Catherine II, the troops of Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov stormed Warsaw, as a result of which the uprising was crushed. Kosciuszko was captured, taken to Russia and imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress.
The Kosciuszko uprising was the reason for the third division of the Commonwealth (1794), which resulted in the final liquidation of the Polish-Lithuanian state, and practically disappeared from the map of Europe.
During this period of history, the entire territory of Belarus finally became part of Russia and officially became known as the "North-Western Territory"

Military conflicts on the territory of Belarus in the 19th century

At the beginning of the 19th century, Russia was on the brink of war with France. The reason was the refusal of the Russian Empire to support the political and economic blockade of Napoleon I against England.
In order to strengthen the western borders, Russia in 1810 began the construction of a military fortification in the form of a fort in Bobruisk. The fortress, built by 1812 on the banks of the Berezina River (the left tributary of the Dnieper), occupied an area of ​​1.5 km2, and was considered one of the largest in Europe. Powerful fortifications for that time allowed the garrison of the Russian army to withstand a 4-month blockade of the French troops.
On June 12, 1812, the army units of the French army crossed the Neman River and invaded the territory of Belarus.
This period in the history of Russia is called the "Patriotic War of 1812", it brought enormous disasters to the Belarusian people. Many districts were destroyed, other settlements were burned and plundered, and the city of Bobruisk was completely destroyed during the blockade of the Bobruisk fortress.
After the end of the Patriotic War of 1812, 51 years later, the united forces of the privileged estates of Poland (the gentry), the peasantry of Belarus and Lithuania, rebelled against the Russian Empire. The leader of the uprising was the first Belarusian revolutionary Vikenty Kalinovsky.
In 1864, the bourgeois-democratic revolution was suppressed by the tsarist troops under the command of the Governor-General Muravyov, Kalinovsky was arrested and, after a trial, executed on the central square of the capital of Lithuania, the city of Vilna (now the city of Vilnius).
The beginning of the First World War (1914) is accompanied by the occupation of Belarus by German troops, which lasted until 1918.

Belarus after 1917

During this period, a revolution took place in Russia (1917), and the Belarusian People's Republic was proclaimed in Belarus. The BNR lasted until the withdrawal of German troops from all over Belarus in March 1918.
According to the Riga Agreement, signed in 1921, the western part of Belarus was annexed to Poland, and the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic was formed in the eastern territories, which became part of the USSR a year later.

Formation of the BSSR and the Second World War

Based on the official request of the People's Assembly of western Belarus to reunite with the eastern part and include it in the USSR, in 1939 the troops of the Red Army entered the territory of western Belarus, and thus the unification of the Belarusian lands took place.
In the same year, on September 1, the Second World War began, and 22 months later the Great Patriotic War, and the German troops of Germany entered the territory of the whole of Belarus and established an occupation regime that lasted more than three years. During this time, many settlements and cities were devastated and burned. And the capital of the BSSR, the city of Minsk, was practically destroyed. In 1945, during the military operation "Bagration", Belarus was liberated, and the restoration of the national economy began.
It is noteworthy that, since Minsk was almost completely destroyed (only 20% of the surviving buildings remained), it was proposed to build the capital in a new place. Belarusians unanimously decided to build a new city on the old historical site.

51 years after the unification of the eastern and western parts of Belarus into a single state of the BSSR, a regulatory legal act (declaration) was adopted, which spoke of the state sovereignty of the Belarusian SSR.
On September 19, 1991, on the basis of a referendum, the BSSR was renamed the "Republic of Belarus" and joined the international organization - the "Commonwealth of Independent States" (CIS).

Belarus today

Now Belarus is a modern state, where mechanical engineering, woodworking, food, chemical, energy, light and other industries are developed, the products of which are exported to many European countries.
The country's leadership pays great attention to the educational system.
More than eight thousand educational institutions operate on the territory of Belarus. Of these, 54 higher institutions, 240 technical schools and colleges. As a result, the state is considered to have the highest adult literacy rate worldwide (97.7%).
In recent years, tourism has been one of the main components in the Belarusian economy.
Tourists from many European countries are attracted by the unique nature of this region (Belovezhskaya Pushcha), a large number of historical cultural monuments (Novogrudok Mir Nesvizh castles) and other monuments related to the history of this state.

1. Belarus is the birthplace of two Israeli presidents: Chaim Weizmann and Shimon Peres.
2. The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is the oldest park in Europe.
3. The world's largest dump truck "Bel AZ 75710" is produced at the Belarusian Automobile Plant, has a carrying capacity of 360 tons, in the back of which 6 wagons of coal can fit.
4. Belarus is the only country in Europe where there is no change to "winter time".
5. All tourists and guests of the republic are amazed by the clean, verdant settlements, and their high safety.
6. Belgium, Holland, Hungary and Switzerland can simultaneously accommodate on the territory of Belarus.
7. A monument was erected in Polotsk, symbolizing the geographical center of Europe, since the city is the alleged center of the European continent.
8. For 17 years of the 20th century, Russian, Belarusian, Hebrew and Polish were considered the state languages. After the adoption of the Constitution (1994), the first two were approved.
9. The longest street in the country is Independence Avenue (15 km). It is considered the longest in Europe and since 2006 has been claiming to be included in the UNESCO list as a world cultural heritage.
10. Belarusians are hardworking, hospitable and friendly people. These character traits are emphasized by tourists and guests of the Republic of Belarus.

On March 25, 1918, representatives of national parties and movements announced the creation of an independent Belarusian People's Republic (BPR). After the departure of the German troops, its territory was occupied by the Red Army. On January 1, 1919, the Soviet Socialist Republic of Belarus was proclaimed in Smolensk.

From February 1919, the territory of Belarus became the scene of the Soviet-Polish war, during which Polish troops occupied Minsk in August 1919. The Red Army returned to Minsk in July 1920, and in 1921 a Soviet-Polish peace treaty was signed in Riga, according to which the western part of modern Belarus was ceded to Poland. In its eastern part, Soviet power was established and the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR) was formed, which became part of the USSR on December 30, 1922.

In the 1920s-1930s, a policy of industrialization and collectivization was carried out on the territory of Soviet Belarus, new branches of industry and agriculture were formed. The language reform of 1933 strengthened the Russification policy. During the years of Stalinist repressions, tens of thousands of representatives of the intelligentsia, the cultural and creative elite, and peasants were shot or exiled to Siberia and Central Asia. Part of the intelligentsia emigrated.

Western Belarus, which went to Poland under the Treaty of Riga in 1921, was reunited with the BSSR in 1939, after the defeat of Poland.

Already at the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, the territory of Belarus was occupied by German troops. Partisan struggle was organized in the occupied territories, there was an underground. In 1943, an advisory body was created under the German occupation administration - the Belarusian Central Rada, which was entrusted with propaganda and some police functions. In the summer of 1944 Belarus was liberated by the Red Army.

According to data updated in 2001, every third inhabitant of Belarus died during the war years. In total, during the Great Patriotic War, German troops burned and destroyed 9,200 settlements. Of these, over 5,295 were destroyed along with all or part of the population during the period of punitive operations. The victims of the three-year policy of genocide and "scorched earth" in Belarus were 2.230 million people.

The role of Belarus in the fight against the invaders and the sacrifices made on the altar of victory over fascism gave her the right to take her place among the founding states of the UN.

In the second half of the 1940-1950s, the restoration of Belarus was proceeding at a rapid pace. In the 1960s-1980s, it developed as an integral part of the national economic complex of the USSR. Belarus was called one of the "assembly shops" of the Soviet economy.

Form of government Presidential republic Area, km 2 207 600 Population, people 9 465 400 Population growth, per year 0,38% average life expectancy 70.2 years Population density, person/km2 46 Official language Belarusian, Russian Currency Belarusian ruble International dialing code +375 Zone on the Internet .by Time Zones +3

brief information

For many people, Belarus, located in Eastern Europe, still for some reason remains "terra incognita" ("unknown land"). However, in this country there is a beautiful nature with dense centuries-old forests inhabited by bison, deer, wild boars, wolves, foxes and beavers; there are thousands of beautiful lakes, as well as hundreds of ancient architectural monuments, castles, monasteries and museums with unique historical artifacts. This means that an inquisitive traveler will be pleased with the exploration of Belarus, the last "terra ingonita" of Eastern Europe...

Geography of Belarus

The Republic of Belarus is located in Eastern Europe. It borders on Poland in the west, Lithuania in the northwest, Latvia in the north, Russia in the east and northeast, and Ukraine in the south. The total area of ​​this country is 207,600 sq. km. More than 40% of the territory of Belarus is occupied by forests, where valuable tree species (pine, spruce, oak, birch, aspen and alder) mainly grow.

Capital of Belarus

The capital of Belarus is the city of Minsk, which now has a population of about 1.9 million people. The first settlements on the territory of modern Minsk appeared in the 9th century, and in the annals (“The Tale of Bygone Years”) this city was first mentioned under 1067. Now Minsk is the largest political, economic, scientific and cultural center of Belarus.

Official language

There are 2 official languages ​​in the Republic of Belarus - Belarusian and Russian. The Belarusian language belongs to the East Slavic languages. Its formation began in the 9th-10th centuries AD. The formation of the Belarusian (Old Belarusian) language was completed in the 14th century. In 1922, the orthography of the Belarusian language was reformed, after which it became even closer to the Russian language.

Religion in Belarus

The majority of the population of Belarus professes Orthodox Christianity. However, there are many Catholics and atheists in the country. In addition, Protestants, Jews and Uniates live in Belarus. In general, now in this Eastern European country there are more than 20 different religious concessions.

State structure

Belarus is a presidential republic, which is governed by the President and the Parliament - the National Assembly.

The National Assembly consists of the House of Representatives (110 deputies) and the Council of the Republic (64 members). The House of Representatives has the right to appoint the Prime Minister and introduce bills. In turn, the Council of the Republic has the right to choose officials, and can also approve or reject bills adopted by the House of Representatives. The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus is headed by the Prime Minister.

Climate and weather in Belarus

The climate in Belarus is temperate continental with mild and humid winters, warm summers and rainy autumns. The average temperature in January is from -4C to -8C, and in July - from +17C to +19C. As for precipitation, on average, 600-700 mm falls annually in Belarus.

Rivers and lakes of Belarus

There are about 20 thousand rivers and their tributaries in Belarus, as well as about 11 thousand lakes. The largest rivers are the Dnieper, Pripyat, Neman and Western Bug. The largest lake is Naroch (about 80 sq. km.).

It should also be noted the most beautiful Braslav lakes, located in the Vitebsk region. Now a national park has been created on their territory. This park is home to 30 fish species, 189 bird species, 45 mammal species, 10 amphibian species and 6 reptile species.

History of Belarus

Remains of Homo erectus (“upright man”) and Neanderthals were found on the territory of Belarus. This means that people lived here at least 100 thousand years ago. Scientists have proved the existence of the Milograd, Pomeranian and Dnieper-Donetsk archaeological cultures on the territory of Belarus.

Around 1000 B.C. Cimmerians and other pastoralists roamed the area. In 500 BC Slavic tribes settled on the territory of modern Belarus, which later became its autochthonous population. Even the Huns and Avars in 400-600 AD. could not force the Slavs to leave these lands.

In the 9th century AD. Slavic tribes of Dregovichi, Krivichi and Radimichi lived in Belarus. With the formation of Kievan Rus, the first Belarusian administrative units appear - the principalities of Polotsk, Turov and Smolensk.

In the XIII-XVI centuries Belarus was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Russia and Zhemoytsky, and from 1569 to 1795 - part of the Commonwealth (Poland).

After the collapse of the Commonwealth (this happened at the end of the 18th century), the Belarusian lands became part of the Russian Empire.

During the First World War, Belarusian lands were occupied by German troops, and after the end of hostilities in 1919, the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed.

In 1922, the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic became part of the USSR.

During the Second World War, the strongest partisan movement against the Nazi troops unfolded in Belarus. During the war, German soldiers destroyed almost all Belarusian cities, and also burned more than 3 thousand villages.

In 1986, there was an accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which became a national tragedy for Belarusians.

In 1991, after the collapse of the USSR, the independence of Belarus was proclaimed.

Culture of Belarus

The Republic of Belarus is located on the border between Eastern and Western Europe. Therefore, Belarusian culture was influenced by both Russians, Ukrainians, and Lithuanians and Poles. The traditions of the Belarusian culture correspond to the historical "layers". So, at first, Belarusian culture was significantly influenced by the culture of Kievan Rus, then by Lithuania and Poland, and from the 18th century by Russia and, to some extent, Ukraine.

The first cities on the territory of modern Belarus appeared in the early Middle Ages (the most ancient of them are Polotsk and Vitebsk). In the 10th century, the first Orthodox Belarusian church, the St. Sophia Cathedral, was built in Polotsk.

In the middle of the 16th century, the baroque style began to dominate in the architecture of Belarus (this continued for two centuries). At that time, a large number of Catholic monasteries were built in Belarus.

The first Belarusian literary works appeared in the XII-XIII centuries - "The Life of St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk" and "The Life of Abraham of Smolensk".

In the 16th century, the humanist and educator, the founder of book printing in Eastern Europe, Francysk Skaryna, had a great influence on the development of Belarusian literature.

The founder of modern Belarusian literature is Vincent Dunin-Martsinkevich, who lived in 1808-1884.

In the second half of the 20th century, the main theme in Belarusian literature was World War II. The most famous Belarusian writers and poets of that time are Pimen Panchenko, Arkady Kuleshov, Kuzma Chorny, Ivan Shamyakin, Mikhas Lynkov, Ales Adamovich, Ryhor Borodulin, Vasil Bykov, Ivan Melezh and Yanka Bryl.

It should also be noted that now more than 30 international, national and regional music festivals are held annually in Belarus. The most famous of them are “Belarusian Musical Autumn”, “Minsk Spring”, “Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk”, the chamber music festival “Muses of Nesvizh”, as well as the festival of ancient and modern music in Polotsk.

Belarusian cuisine

The cuisine of Belarus was formed under the influence of the culinary traditions of Russia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine. Belarusian cuisine mainly consists of vegetables, meat (most often pork) and potatoes.

The most popular Belarusian dishes are Belarusian borscht, Minsk holodik (cold beetroot soup), fish stewed with potatoes in a pot, zharenka (fried meat with mushrooms), Belarusian meatballs, dumplings with meat, stuffed beets, potato dumplings and potato pancakes.

You can find a lot of mushrooms in the Belarusian forests, so it is not surprising that they are part of the traditional local dishes (stewed mushrooms, mushrooms with cheese, mushrooms baked with potatoes and cabbage rolls with mushrooms).

Tourists are advised to try in Belarus a traditional local alcoholic drink - Belovezhskaya Pushcha tincture, with a strength of 43 degrees. In the West, for some reason, they are sure that it is made from 100 different herbs. In addition, tourists there can try (best in small quantities) local wheat vodka.

Sights of Belarus

Since the history of Belarus began a very long time ago, it is clear that this country should have many attractions. However, many monuments of architecture, history and culture were destroyed during the Second World War. Nevertheless, tourists in Belarus will not be bored, because. there are still a lot of sights left.

The Top 5 most popular attractions in Belarus, in our opinion, include:

Mir Castle
Mir Castle is located in the Grodno region near the village of Mir. The castle was built in the 14th century on the site of a feudal estate.

Nesvizh Castle
This castle was built in the middle of the XIV century in the city of Nesvizh in the Minsk region. It belonged to the Radziwill princes for a long time. In 2005 Nesvizh Castle was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bialowieza Forest
The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" in the middle of the 15th century became a close object of attention of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, who banned the hunting of large game in it. Now in Belovezhskaya Pushcha the age of some trees reaches 350 years, and oaks - even 600 years. Pine, oak, ash, spruce, etc. grow in this reserve. Bison still live in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

Struve geodesic arc
The Struve geodetic arc is a network of stone cubes buried in the ground in order to determine the parameters of the Earth, its shape and size. This arc passes through the territory of 10 states (including the territory of Belarus). In the middle of the 19th century, the Russian astronomer Vasily Struve measured the geodesic arc.

Novogrudok castle
This castle was built at the end of the 13th century on the slopes of the Castle Hill near the town of Novogrudok. At one time, Novogrudok Castle was considered the most fortified fortress in Belarus. Unfortunately, now the castle is in a not very good condition.

Cities and resorts

The most ancient city of Belarus is Polotsk. Historians believe that it was founded in the 9th century. Now the population of Polotsk is only about 85 thousand people.

At the moment, the largest Belarusian cities are Minsk (about 1.9 million people), Brest (about 320 thousand people), Grodno (about 350 thousand people), Gomel (about 500 thousand people), Mogilev (more than 365 thousand people). . people) and Vitebsk (more than 370 thousand people).

Souvenirs/Shopping

We advise tourists to bring handicrafts from Belarus as souvenirs (clay pots, straw figurines), crystal glasses, linen tablecloths and towels, nesting dolls, vodka and balms, cranberries in powdered sugar, wooden painted spoons and trays.