Гістарычны шлях нацыі і дзяржавы
Радзім Гарэцкі, Міхась Біч, Уладзімір Конан
Выдавец: Беларускі кнігазбор
Памер: 348с.
Мінск 2001
And Belarus, after losing its best children, faced a new horrible disaster from the German Nazis. On lsl September, 1939 the war broke out on the territory of Poland, then in Western Belarus, and on 22nd June, 1941 the same fate involved all Belarus.
During World War II Belarus was made a hostage of two opposed totalitarian systems, of Stalin’s Bolsheviks and Hitler’s Nazis. It was the very territory of our country, where the fight for the new world division was taking place. Facing the fate of complete destruction, our people rose to defend their Motherland, themselves, and their future. It cost us a price none had ever paid in the world. Every fourth Belarusian fell in that war, and more than half of the national wealth was destroyed with the land becoming a burnt plane. 209 settlements were destroyed; 9200 villages were burnt, and 628 of them with their inhabitants. And now the mourning bells of Khatyn, Trastsianiets, and hundreds of other places where people were murdered in great numbers remind us of that terrible war tragedy.
Being one of the states that made a great contribution to the crushing defeat of the Nazis invaders, Belarus became one of the founders of the UNO in 1945.
Although the victory over the fascist invaders cost an enormous amount, it did not bring the desired freedom to our people. The continuing political persecutions became more and more severe, more and more widespread. The people of Western Belarus were suffering greatly, as collective farms were formed in increasing numbers by force, and there was no more place for anything Belarusian. As a result of this partition, the Belastok Region, although historically a part of the Belarusian territory, was given to Poland.
Our hardworking, responsible, selfless people managed to rebuild the ruined country in almost no time. Minsk rose out of the ruins, Bierastsie, Mahiliou, Vitsebsk, Homel revived, and a number of burnt out villages came back to life. Life was going on. And steadily Belarus became one of the most economically developed regions of the USSR. The gigantic
machine building, radio making, chemical and mineral fertilizer plants were built. The industry of high technology served the military complex and space programmes of the USSR. But industrial development of the Republic was directed without any consideration of the national economic interests. Thus, not the industry of an independent country but a kind of assembly shop for the USSR was created. Goods were produced in quantities needed for the vast territories of the USSR and for export as well. And since 1991, when the USSR was liquidated, the economy has declined. It was due to the fact that there was no more need for production of materials in such great quantities, and serving of gigantic plants resulted in a heavy burden for our Republic. The industrial potential of our country was not sufficient for independence. This way Belarus can be a prime example of a country where a parent state led its colonial policy. Environmental pollution and other major ecological problems followed industrialization in Soviet style. Irretrievable loss was caused by ecological disasters in the region of the Salihorsk mines, atmosphere polluted by chemical giant factories in Harodnya, Mahiliou, Navapolatsk, and others. Gas mains and oil pipelines go through Belarus, but Russia pays almost nothing for exporting its natural resources to Europe. So, Belarus gains little, but spends a lot to wipe out the consequences of numerous catastrophes happening as a result of the dangerous condition of old equipment.
Agriculture brought no economical wealth either. Moscow put another heavy burden on the hardworking and always eager to help people of Belarus — to feed the central regions of the USSR. Due to that, gigantic stock-breeding complexes and integrated poultry farms were built. And trains, loaded with meat products, headed for the East producing great ecological problems. But here, in Belarus, lakes of poisonous mud from such complexes destroyed fertile soil and polluted the environment. The policy of total reclamation on the territory of the Belarusian Paliesie caused the irretrievable ecological changes on the Belarusian lands and loss of fertile soils.
And the ultimate disaster, a predictable result of irresponsible planning was the greatest ecological tradegy in the history of mankind — the catastrophe at the Chernobyl nuclear plant occured in Ukraine on 26lh April, 1986. Great damage was done to the Belarusian people. 70% of radioactivity fell on Belarusian lands; 23% of the territory of Belarus with 2.1 million people (about 20% of the total population) living there was highly polluted.
The official policy of Soviet Belarus, directed to form a single Soviet nation, led to the decline of Belarusian culture. Belarusian schools were liquidated; Russian everywhere forced Belarusian out. At the same time Belarus was losing its people, as the Belarusian youth in great numbers was moved to develop the virgin lands of Kazakhstan, to cut the wood in Karelia and Komi, to build hydroelectric stations and the Baikal-Amur railway, to work on the Siberian oil mines, and other projects. Quite a few graduates from the Belarusian universities were sent for their first obligatory work far away from the Republic. In return, a number of retired military officers were moved to settle in Belarus, and now quite a lot of them actively oppose the idea of Belarusian independence. Belarusian young men, taken to obligatory military service, were killed in Hungery, Egypt, Afghanistan; they fought for foreign interests in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and all over the world where the interests of the Soviet empire reached.
With the beginning of democratic processes in the late 80s the old hope for national independence revived. A new Belarusian Renaissance started regaining its power.Newly formed social structures were organizing the national democratic movement. The most popular among them were Belaruski Narodny Front ‘Adradzhenie’ (the Belarusian National Front ‘Renaissance’) and Belaruskaya Satsyial-Demakratychnaya Hramada (the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party) headed by Mikhas Tkachou.
On 27th July, 1990 when the Soviet system was already in crisis, the Declaration of State Independence of the Byelorussian SSR was adopted as the result of a continuous fight for
state independence. On 25th August, 1991 after the USSR had been liquidated, the Declaration became a law.
On 19th September, 1991 at the session of the Supreme Soviet our independent country was renamed the Republic of Belarus with its old national symbols (State Emblem Pahonia and the White-and-Red-and-White Banner) restored. The Constitution of the Republic of Belarus was adopted in 1994.
In 1991 Stanislau Shushkievich was elected the first Chairman of the Supreme Soviet (Speaker of the Parliament).
In July, 1993 the first World Congress of the Belarusians, organized by the International Association ‘Batskaushchyna’, was held. It gathered Belarusian people from all over the world with a total number of 996 delegates.
Quite a lot was done then to make state independence and personal freedom a reality for every Belarusian. All the necessary state institutions were being formed.
But the way to freedom and a prosperous life was not as easy as it was hoped to be. We are still on the way. The imposed Referendums of 1995 and 1996 turned the direction of state development back. Integration policy, led by the current rulers, leading to the political union with Russia, will certainly result in the loss of independence and ignorance of the primary interests of the Belarusians.
It is high time for everyone to evaluate the historical heritage of our nation and finally understand that our statehood is the greatest national achievement and of the highest possible value.
There are a great many nations existing in the world, and only some 200 of them have their own sovereign governments. The Republic of Belarus is still holding its proper place in the world community, but everyone has to support it.
State independence is a necessary foundation for effective national development and the well-being of every nation. No wonder, that in all times every nation has to fight for its independence. Our ancestors considered it the greatest duty and honour, and it should be the same honorable duty for us.
People from all over the world could wonder at the glorious war victories and great examples of oustanding heroism shown by the Belarusians. Each time when there was a danger for national independence, the Belarusian people in great numbers joined the partisans to fight for freedom.
The first large-scale voluntary opposition was caused by military aggression from Muscovy in the tragic years 1654-1667. The whole country was occupied by tsarist troops. The opposition in the Mstsislaul District was so great that in summer 1654 at Mstsislaul a 3 thousand division of peasants was able to fight against a 15 thousand army led by Russian Commander-in-Chief A. Trubetskoi. It is known that in the Smalensk District even Orthodox priests took part in the partisan movement. Belarus became the arena of a national resistance movement.
The year 1812 did not let the hope of release from serfdom come true. The Napoleonic war caused endless commandeering, and the Belarusians took up arms. Thus, before the Borodino battle Napoleon sent a 10 thousand division to join the 12 thousand army at Vitsebsk. He was forced to do that because of the French troops being circled by the partisans.
And the heroism of the Belarusian partisans, fighting against the German Nazis in World War II, is known all over the world.
The struggle for independence has already cost Belarus millions of lives from previous generations. The best sons of our Motherland fell fighting for freedom, and our land is practically watered by the sweat and blood of those who created the material and cultural wealth we now possess.
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