Belarus

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Belarus

[Russian flag]
            23 Jan 1793 - 18 Mar 1918

[Belarus white-red flag 1918, 1991-1995]
                    18 Mar 1918 - 3 Feb 1919

Flag of Byelorussian SSR in 1919, 1920
   1 Jan 1919 - 27 Feb 1919, 31 Jul 1920 - 30 Dec 1922

[Flag of USSR]
                  30 Dec 1922 - 25 Dec 1991

[Belarus white-red flag 1918, 1991-1995]
                    19 Sep 1991 - 7 Jun 1995

                         Adopted 7 Jun 1995

Map of Belarus Hear National Anthem
"My bielarusy"
(We the Belarussians)
(1991-2002 without lyrics)
Adopted 2 Jul 2002 Former Anthem
"My vyjdzem scylnymi radami"
(Come, We Shall March in
Joint Endeavour)
(1918-1919) Constitution
(1 Mar 1994)
--------------------
Constituent Charter
(9 Mar 1918-1920)

Capital: Minsk Currency: Belarusian Ruble
(BYB/BYR) National Holiday: 3 Jul (1944)
Independence Day Population: 9,724,723 (2007)
c.9,000,000 (1941 est.)

GDP: $80.7 billion (2006) Exports: $19.6 billion (2006)
Imports: $21.1 billion (2006) Ethnic groups: Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%,
Ukrainian 2.4%, Jewish 0.3%, other 0.8% (1999)

Total Armed Forces: 72,940 (2003)
Former Nuclear Power: 81 weapons (1991-1996)
Merchant Marine: None (2006) Religions: Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic,
Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997)

International Organizations/Treaties: ANT, APM, BSEC (observer), BTWC, CEI, CIS, CTBT, EAPC, EBRD, ENMOD, Eurasec, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMSO, Interpol, Intersputnik, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, KP, MIGA, NAM, NPT, NSG, NTBT, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Belarus Index Chronology
862                        Polacak principality - Belarussian historical
                             beginnings.
980                        First mention of the city Turau - as capital of
                             the powerful Turau principality.
1240                       Part of Lithuania.
4 Jul 1569                Part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
5 Aug 1772                Parts annexed from Poland by Russia.
23 Jan 1793                Most of White Russia (Belarussia) annexed from
                             Poland by Russia.
7 Jan 1795                Remaining parts of Belarus annexed from Poland by
                             Russia.
8 Jul 1812 - 18 Nov 1812 Minsk occupied by France (see Lithuania).
Jan 1863 - Jul 1863        Russian rule interrupted in conjunction with the
                             "Second Insurrection" in Poland.
Jul 1917                   Belarussian Rada (Council) created.
Oct 1917                   Reorganized as "Great Belarussian Rada", which
                             claims autonomy for Belarus within Russia.
31 Dec 1917                All-Belarussian Council and Executive Committee
                             of the Rada created underground.
25 Jan 1918 - 21 Feb 1918 Insurgency by Polish Legionaries Corps.
21 Feb 1918                In face of the advancing German forces, the
                             Executive Committee of the Rada forms the
                             People's Secretariat; later that day German
                             troops occupy Minsk.
21 Feb 1918 - 9 Dec 1918 German occupation (see under Latvia).
9 Mar 1918                Belarussian Republic declared (under German
                             occupation).
18 Mar 1918                All-Belarussian Council reorganized to Council
                             of Belarussian People's republic (often called
                             Belorussian Rada [Council]).
25 Mar 1918                Independence (Belarussian People's Republic)
                             proclaimed in Minsk by the Rada, not recognized
                             by Germany.
10 Dec 1918                Russian control re-established.
31 Dec 1918                Provisional Revolutionary Workers' and Peasants'
                             Government of Belarus proclaimed at Smolensk by
                             Belarussian communists.
1 Jan 1919                Belarussian Soviet Socialist Republic (part
                             of U.S.S.R). Belarus "liberated" by Red Army;
                             the Belorussian Rada goes into Poland exile.
27 Feb 1919 - 25 Aug 1919 Part of "Litbel" (Lithuanian-Belarussian S.S.R.,
                             see under Lithuania).
1 Sep 1919                Polish occupation¹
12 Dec 1919                Belarussian People's Republic (restored) under
                             Polish occupation.
May 1920                   Rada signs treaty with Poland making Belarus an
                             autonomous part of Poland.
11 Jul 1920                Soviet rule restored¹, Belarussian Rada again
                             goes into exile.
1 Aug 1920                Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic
25 Mar 1921                According to Riga agreement western Belarus
                             is annexed to Poland.
30 Dec 1922                Founding component of the Soviet Union.
Sep 1939                   Western Belarus reincorporated into Byelorussian
                             S.S.R. (previously 1920-1939 part of Poland).
Jun 1941 - Jul 1944        Occupied by Germany (Generalbezirk
                             Weissruthenien), part of Reichskommissariat of
                             Ostland (see under Latvia); on 21 Dec 1943
                             German backed Belarussian Central Rada is
                             created; Minsk liberated by Soviet Union
                             on 3 Jul 1944.
27 Jul 1990                Sovereignty declared.
25 Aug 1991                Independence declared.
19 Sep 1991                Republic of Belarus (use of "Byelorussian S.S.R."
                             allowed until 1993).
25 Dec 1991                Independence effective (dissolution of U.S.S.R.).

Belarus Admin.
Divisions

Belarussian
Republic in Exile

Byelorussian
Soviet Socialist
Republic
(1919-1991)

Pro-Soviet
Resistance to
German Occupation
(1942-1944)

Historical Maps
of Belarus

Orthodox Church
of Belorussia
(1922-1946)

Note: In this record the Russian transliteration of names, which persons were commonly known
by and recorded, are in parentheses following the modern Belarussian transliteration.

Secretary of Northwest Regional Committee

29 Sep 1917 - Mar 1918 Aleksandr Fyodorovich Myasnikov (b. 1886 - d. 1925)

Chairman of the Central Bureau of Northwest Regional Committee of the Communist Party

31 Dec 1918 - 28 Feb 1919 Aleksandr Fyodorovich Myasnikov (s.a.)

First Secretary of the Belarussian Communist Party

6 Mar 1919 - 27 Apr 1920 Vincas Simanovich Mickevicius-     (b. 1880 - d. 1935)
                             Kapsukas
Chairmen of the Provisional Provincial Government of Lithuania and Belarussia Jan 1863 - Jul 1863        Kastus' Kalinowski                 (b. 1838 - d. 1864)
                            (Vikentsiy Kanstatin Syamyonavich)
Chiarman of Council of People's Commissioners of the North-Western Region and Front
31 Dec 1917 - 21 Feb 1918 Karol Ivanovich Lander             (b. 1884 - d. 1937) CP
Presidents of the Executive Committee of the Council of All-Belarussian Congress
(in opposition to communist rule)
18 Dec 1917 - 21 Feb 1918 Jazep Yakavlyavich Varonka         (b. 1891 - d. 1952)
                            (Iosif Yakovlyevich Voronkov)
21 Feb 1918 - 9 Mar 1918 Raman Alyaksandravich Skirmunt     (b. 1868 - d. 1939)
                            (Roman Aleksandrovich Skirmunt)
Chairmen of the Rada
9 Mar 1918 - May 1918     Ivan Mikitavich Syerada            (b. 1879 - d. af.1943)
                            (Ivan Nikitich Syerada)
May 1918 - Jun 1918        Pavel Pawlavich Alyaksyuk          (b. 1892 - d. 19..)
                            (Pavel Pavlovich Aleksyuk)
Jun 1918 - 10 Dec 1918     Yazep Yur'evich Lyosik             (b. 1883 - d. 1940)
                            (Iosif Yuryevich Lyosik)
Chairman of the Provisional Revolutionary Workers-and-Peasants' Soviet Government
1 Jan 1919 - 4 Feb 1919 Dzmitry Fyodorovich Zhylunovich    (b. 1887 - d. 1937)
Chairmen of the Central Executive Committee
4 Feb 1919 - 27 Feb 1919 Aleksandr Fyodorovich Myasnikov    (b. 1886 - d. 1925)
13 Dec 1919 - Nov 1920     Pyotr Antonavich Krechewski¹       (b. 1879 - d. 1928)
                             (Pyotr Antonovich Krechevsky)
                             (Chairman of Government)
Dec 1919 - Jul 1920        Ivan Mikitavich Syerada¹           (s.a.)
1 Aug 1920 - 8 Mar 1937 Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Charvyakou   (b. 1892 - d. 1937) KPB
                             (Aleksandr Grigoryevich Chervyakov)
Generalkommissare Weissruthenien
17 Jul 1941 - 23 Sep 1943 Wilhelm Kube                       (b. 1887 - d. 1943) NSDAP
25 Sep 1943 - Aug 1944     Curt von Gottberg                  (b. 1896 - d. 1945) NSDAP
Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet
18 Sep 1991 - 26 Jan 1994 Stanislau Stanislavavich           (b. 1934)            Non-party
                             Shushkyevich
                            (Stanislav Stanislavovich Shushkyevich)
26 Jan 1994 - 28 Jan 1994 Vyachaslau Mikalayavich Kuznyatsou (b. 1947)            Non-party
                           (Vyacheslav Nikolayevich Kuznyetsov)
                           (acting)
28 Jan 1994 - 20 Jul 1994 Myechyslau Ivanavich Hryb          (b. 1938)            Non-party
                             (Myechislav Ivanovich Gryb)
President
20 Jul 1994 -              Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Lukashenka   (b. 1954)            Non-party
                             (Aleksandr Grigoryevich Lukashenko)

Chairmen of the People's Secretariat
21 Feb 1918 - May 1918     Jazep Yakavlyavich Varonka         (s.a.)
Jun 1918 - Aug 1918        Ivan Mikitavich Syerada            (s.a.)
Aug 1918 - Oct 1918        Raman Alyaksandravich Skirmunt     (s.a.)
                            (Roman Aleksandrovich Skirmunt)
Oct 1918 - 11 Oct 1918     Anton Ivanavich Luckevich          (b. 1884 - d. 1946)
Chairmen of the Council of Ministers
Oct 1918 - 13 Dec 1919     Anton Ivanavich Luckevich          (s.a.)
13 Dec 1919 - 1920         Vaclau Lastouski                   (b. 1883 - d. 1938)
Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
1 Aug 1920 - 17 Mar 1924 Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Chervyakou   (s.a.)               KPB
                             (Aleksandr Grigoryevich Charvyakov)
Presidents of the Belarussian Central Rada
22 Jan 1944 - 27 Jun 1944 Radaslaw Kazimiravich Astrowski    (b. 1887 - d. 1976)
                             (1st time)
27 Jun 1944 (hours)        Yawkhim Yawseyevich Kipel          (b. 1895 - d. 1969)
27 Jun 1944 - Apr 1945     Radaslaw Kazimiravich Astrowski    (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)
                             (from 30 Jun 1944 in Königsberg exile, then
                             Litzmannstadt, from 10/12 Jul 1944 Berlin)
Chairman of the Council of Ministers
19 Sep 1991 - 21 Jul 1994 Vyachaslau Frantsavich Kyebich     (b. 1936)            Non-party
                             (Vyacheslav Frantsavich Kebich)
Prime ministers
21 Jul 1994 - 18 Nov 1996 Mikhail Mikalayevich Chyhir        (b. 1948)            Non-party
                            (Mikhail Nikolayevich Chigir)
18 Nov 1996 - 18 Feb 2000 Syarhey Stsyapanavich Linh         (b. 1937)            Non-party
                            (Sergey Stepanovich Ling)
                            (acting to 19 Feb 1997)
18 Feb 2000 - 1 Oct 2001 Uladzimir Vasilyevich Jarmoshyn    (b. 1942)            Non-party
                            (Vladimir Vasilyevich Yermoshin)
                            (acting to 14 Mar 2000)
1 Oct 2001 - 10 Jul 2003 Henadz Vasilyevich Navitski        (b. 1949)            Non-party
                            (Henadz Vasilyevich Navitski)
                            (acting to 10 Oct 2001)
10 Jul 2003 -              Syarhey Syarheyevich Sidorski      (b. 1954)            Non-party
                            (Sergey Sergeyevich Sidorsky)
                            (acting to 19 Dec 2003 and
                             8- 18 Apr 2006)

Belarussian Republic in Exile

[Byelorussian People's Republic (In Exile 1919-1925)
1920 - 1925 [Belarus white-red flag 1918, 1991-1995]
Adopted 1925

Chairmen of the Rada (acting as Presidents)
(in Vilnius to 1925, then in Prague, presently in Canada)
Nov 1920 - 8 Mar 1928     Pyotr Antonavich Krechewski        (s.a.)
8 Mar 1928 - 6 Mar 1943 Vasil Ivanavich Zakharka           (b. 1877 - d. 1943)
6 Mar 1943 - 29 May 1970 Mikalay Syamyonavich Abramchyk     (b. 1903 - d. 1970)
May 1970 - Nov 1982        Vikentsiy Zhuk-Hryshkyevich        (b. 1903 - d. 1989)
Nov 1982 - 1997            Jazep Sazhych                      (b. 1917)
1997                       Barys Ragula (acting)              (b. 1920 - d. 2005)
1997 -                     Ivonka J. Symaniec-Survilla (f)    (b. 1936)

Chairmen of the Council of Ministers
1920 - 23 Aug 1923         Vaclau Lastouski                   (s.a.)
23 Aug 1923 - Oct 1925     Alyaksandr Ivanavich Tsvikievich   (b. 1888 - d. 1937)
Oct 1925 - 6 Mar 1943     Vasil Ivanavich Zakharka           (s.a.)
6 Mar 1943 - 21 Jun 1948 Mikalay Syamyonavich Abramchyk     (s.a.)

¹During the Polish and Russian occupation, there were two rebel revivals in part of the country of the Belarussian People's Republic.

Territorial Disputes: 1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and diminishing border security; the whole boundary with Latvia and more than half the boundary with Lithuania remains undemarcated; discussions toward economic and political union with Russia proceed slowly.

Party abbreviations: BPR = Belaruski Patryatychny Ruch (Belarussian Patriotic Movement, authoritarian); KPB = Kommunisticheskaya Partiya Belarusi (Communist Party of Belarus, communist, only legal party until 1990);
- Former party: NSDAP = Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Workers Party, Nazi fascist, authoritarian, German nationalist -only legal party 1938-1945); CP = Communist Party

Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic

31 Jul 1920 - 1927	1927 - 19 Feb 1937	10 Feb 1937 - 1940
1940 - 25 Dec 1951	25 Dec 1951 - 25 Dec 1991

Jun 1941 - Jul 1944 Occupied by Germany, part of Reichskommissariat of Ostland
(see under Latvia).

First secretaries of the Byelorussian Communist Party (KPB)
9 Aug 1920 - 1923 Vilgelm Gregoryevich Knorinsh (b. 1890 - d. 1939)
(1st time)
1923 - 1924 Aleksandr Nikolayevich Osatkin- (b. 1885 - d. 1937)
Vladimirsky
13 May 1924 - 22 Dec 1925 Aleksandr Ivanovich Krinitsky (b. 1894 - d. 1937) 22 Dec 1925 - 7 May 1927 Nikolay Matveyevich Goloded
7 May 1927 - 4 Dec 1928 Vilgelm Gregoryevich Knorinsh (s.a.)
(2nd time)
4 Dec 1928 - 3 Jan 1930 Yan Borisovich Gamarnik (b. 1894 - d. 1937)
3 Jan 1930 - 18 Jan 1932 Konstantin Venyaminovich Gey (b. 1896 - d. 1939)
18 Jan 1932 - 18 Mar 1937 Nikolay Fyodorovich Gikalo (b. 1897 - d. 1938)
18 Mar 1937 - 17 Jul 1937 Vasily Fomich Sharangovich (b. 1897 - d. 1938)
27 Jul 1937 - 8 Aug 1937 Yakov Arkadyevich Yakovlev (acting)(b. 1896 - d. 1938)
11 Aug 1937 - 18 Jun 1938 Aleksey Alekseyevich Volkov (b. 1890 - d. 1941)
(Jun 1941 - 1944 in Russian SFSR exile)
7 Mar 1947 - 31 May 1950 Nikolay Ivanovich Gusarov (b. 1905 - d. 1985) 31 May 1950 - 8 Mar 1953 Nikolay Semyonovich Patolichev (1st time) (b. 1908 - d. 1989) 8 Mar 1953 - 25 Jun 1953 Mikhail Vasilyevich Zimyanin (b. 1914 - d. 1995) 25 Jun 1953 - 28 Jul 1956 Nikolay Semyonovich Patolichev (2nd time) (s.a.)
28 Jul 1956 - 30 Mar 1965 Kirill Trofimovich Mazurov (b. 1914 - d. 1989)
30 Mar 1965 - 4 Sep 1980 Pyotr Mironovich Masherov (b. 1918 - d. 1980)
15 Oct 1980 - 11 Jan 1983 Tikhon Yakovlevich Kiselyov (b. 1917 - d. 1983)
13 Jan 1983 - 6 Feb 1987 Nikolay Nikitich Slyunkov (b. 1929)
6 Feb 1987 - 30 Nov 1990 Yefrem Yevseyevich Sokolov (b. 1926)
30 Nov 1990 - Aug 1991 Anatoly Aleksandrovich Malofeyev (b. 1933)

Chairmen of the Central Executive Committee
1 Aug 1920 - 16 Jun 1937 Aleksandr Grigoryevich Chervyakov (b. 1892 - d. 1937) KPB
7 Jul 1937 - 26 Oct 1937 Mikhail Iosifovich Stakun (b. 1893 - d. 1943) KPB
2 Nov 1937 - 25 Jul 1938 Nikifor Yakovlevich Natalevich (b. 1900 - d. 1964) KPB
(acting to 4 Jul 1938)
Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
27 Jul 1938 - 17 Mar 1948 Nikifor Yakovlevich Natalevich (s.a.) KPB
(Jun 1941 - 1944 in Russian SFSR exile)
17 Mar 1948 - 2 Dec 1967 Vasily Ivanovich Kozlov (b. 1903 - d. 1967) KPB
2 Dec 1967 - 22 Jan 1968 Fyodor Anisimovich Surganov (b. 1911 - d. 1976) KPB
(1st time)
+ Valentina Alekseyevna Klochkova (f) KPB
(1st time)
(acting)
22 Jan 1968 - 13 Jun 1971 Sergey Osipovich Pritytsky (b. 1913 - d. 1971) KPB
13 Jun 1971 - 16 Jul 1971 Fyodor Anisimovich Surganov (s.a.) KPB
(2nd time)
+ Valentina Alekseyevna Klochkova (f) KPB
(2nd time)
+ Ivan Frolovich Klimov (b. 1903 - d. 1991) KPB
(acting)
16 Jul 1971 - 27 Dec 1976 Fyodor Anisimovich Surganov (s.a.) KPB
(3rd time)
27 Dec 1976 - 28 Feb 1977 Vladimir Yeliseyevich Lobanok (b. 1907 - d. 1984) KPB
+ Zinaida Mikhaylovna Bychkovskaya (f) KPB
(acting)
28 Feb 1977 - 29 Nov 1985 Ivan Yevteyevich Polyakov (b. 1914 - d. 2004) KPB
29 Nov 1985 - 28 Jul 1989 Georgy Stanislavovich Tarazevich (b. 1937 - d. 2003) KPB
28 Jul 1989 - 18 May 1990 Nikolay Ivanovich Dementyey (b. 1930) KPB
Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet
18 May 1990 - 25 Aug 1990 Nikolay Ivanovich Dementyey (s.a.) KPB
25 Aug 1990 - 18 Sep 1991 Stanislav Stanislavovich (b. 1934) KPB/Non-party
Shushkevich (acting)

Chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars
1 Aug 1920 - 17 Mar 1924 Aleksandr Grigoryevich Chervyakov (s.a.) KPB
17 Mar 1924 - 7 May 1927 Iosif Aleksandrovich Adamovich (b. 1898 - d. 1937) KPB
7 May 1927 - 30 May 1937 Nikolay Matveyevich Goloded (b. 1894 - d. 1937) KPB
30 May 1937 - 8 Sep 1937 Daniil Ivanovich Volkovich (b. 1900 - d. 1937) KPB
10 Sep 1937 - 28 Jul 1938 Afanasy Fyodorovich Kovalyov (b. 1903 - d. 1993) KPB
28 Jul 1938 - 28 Jun 1940 Kuzma Venediktovich Kiselyov (b. 1903 - d. 1977) KPB
28 Jun 1940 - 7 Feb 1944 Ivan Semyonovich Bylinsky (b. 1903 - d. 1976) KPB
(Jun 1941 - Feb 1944 in Russian SFSR exile)
7 Feb 1944 - 1946 Panteleimon Kondratyevich (s.a.) KPB
Ponomarenko
Chairmen of the Council of Ministers
1946 - 15 Mar 1948 Panteleimon Kondratyevich (s.a.) KPB
Ponomarenko
15 Mar 1948 - 25 Jun 1953 Aleksey Yefimovich Kleshchev (b. 1905 - d. 1968) KPB
25 Jun 1953 - 28 Jul 1956 Kirill Trofimovich Mazurov (s.a.) KPB
28 Jul 1956 - 9 Apr 1959 Nikolay Yefremovich Avkhimovich (b. 1907 - d. 1998) KPB
9 Apr 1959 - 11 Dec 1978 Tikhon Yakovlevich Kiselyov (s.a.) KPB
11 Dec 1978 - 8 Jul 1983 Aleksandr Nikiforovich Aksyonov (b. 1924) KPB
8 Jul 1983 - 10 Jan 1986 Vladimir Ignatyevich Brovikov (b. 1931 - d. 1992) KPB
10 Jan 1986 - 7 Apr 1990 Mikhail Vasilyevich Kovalyov (b. 1925) KPB
7 Apr 1990 - 21 Jul 1994 Vyacheslav Frantsavich Kebich (b. 1936) KPB


Party abbreviations: KPB = Kommunisticheskaya Partiya Belarusi (Communist Party of Belarus, communist, only legal party until 1990); Mil = Military