The Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic ( be, Рада Беларускай Народнай Рэспублікі, Рада БНР, Rada BNR) was the governing body of the

Belarusian Democratic Republic The Belarusian People's Republic (BNR; be, Беларуская Народная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Narodnaja Respublika, ), or Belarusian Democratic Republic, was a state proclaimed by the Council of the Belarusian Democratic R ...

. Since 1919, the Rada BNR has been in exile where it has preserved its existence among the

Belarusian diaspora The Belarusian diaspora refers to emigrants from the territory of Belarus as well as to their descendants. According to different researchers, there are between 2.5 and 3.5 million Belarusian descendants living outside the territory of the Rep ...

as an

advocacy group Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups or pressure groups use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the develop ...

promoting support to Belarusian independence and democracy in

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

among Western policymakers. As of 2022, the Rada BNR is the oldest existing

government in exile A government in exile (abbreviated as GiE) is a political group that claims to be a country or semi-sovereign state's legitimate government, but is unable to exercise legal power and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in exile ...

Formation

The Rada BNR was founded as the executive body of the First All-Belarusian Congress, held in

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative stat ...

in December 1917 with over 1800 participants from different regions of

including representatives of Belarusian national organisations, regional zemstva, main Christian denominations and Belarusian Jewish political parties. The work of the Congress was violently interrupted by the

Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

. After retreat of the Bolsheviks from Minsk, the

Rada The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the S ...

(council) declared itself supreme power in Belarus. After the Bolsheviks and the

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

had signed the

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (also known as the Treaty of Brest in Russia) was a separate peace treaty signed on 3 March 1918 between Russia and the Central Powers ( Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire), that ended Russi ...

the Rada declared independence of Belarus as the sovereign

. As of 25 March 1918 the Rada BNR had 77 members including: * 36 elected at the All-Belarusian Congress * 6 representatives of the Belarusian community of

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urba ...

* 15 representatives of ethnic minorities (Russian, Polish, Jewish) * 10 representatives of

local authorities Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

* 10 representatives of major cities Germany did not give official recognition to Belarus and hindered the activities of the institutions of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. Nevertheless, the Rada managed to start organising its governing bodies in different parts of the country as well as working on establishing a national Belarusian army and a national education system. The Rada established official diplomatic contacts with several states including

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

, the

Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR), or Ukrainian National Republic (UNR), was a country in Eastern Europe that existed between 1917 and 1920. It was declared following the February Revolution in Russia by the First Universal. In March 1 ...

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

, the

Baltic States The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

and others. With the approach of Bolshevik armies to

the Rada was forced to relocate to

, then to

Hrodna Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...

and eventually, upon coordination with the

Republic of Lithuania A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

, to

Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Traka ...

In exile

1919–1947

In April 1919, the Polish army seized Hrodna and Vilnius. Jozef Pilsudski issued the

Proclamation to the inhabitants of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Proclamation to the Inhabitants of the Former Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a bilingual proclamation, formulated by Józef Piłsudski and distributed mainly in Vilnius (Wilno) on April 22, 1919. The proclamation was printed in the Polish and ...

stating that the new Polish administration would grant them cultural and political autonomy. The proclamation was welcomed by the Belarusian leadership, especially considering Soviet plans for the Sovietization of Belarus. However, in later negotiations with the Belarusian leaders Pilsudski proposed to limit the Belarusian government's functions to purely cultural issues, which was rejected by the Belarusian prime minister

Anton Luckievic Anton Luckievič ( Belarusian: Антон Луцкевіч; 29 January 1884 - 23 March 1942) was a leading figure of the Belarusian independence movement in the early 20th century, an initiator of the proclamation of the independence of Belarus, t ...

. The government of Belarus managed to include a statement for minorities' rights in Poland in the resolutions of the Paris Peace Conference. The government of the Belarusian Democratic Republic protested the Polish military mobilization in the area of Vilnius, the Polish elections held there, and the annexation of the

Augustów Augustów (; lt, Augustavas, formerly known in English as ''Augustovo'' or ''Augustowo'')" is a city in north-eastern Poland with 29,729 inhabitants as of December 2021. It lies on the Netta River and the Augustów Canal. It is situated in the ...

area to Poland. They also appealed to the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference th ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

and other countries to recognize the independence of Belarus. In late 1920, the Belarusian government began negotiations anew with the

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

s in Moscow and tried to persuade them to recognize the independence of Belarus and to release Belarusian political prisoners being held in Russian jails. The negotiations were unsuccessful. 1 stol

On 11 November 1920, the Belarusian Democratic Republic signed a partnership treaty with the

to cooperate in liberating Belarusian and Lithuanian lands from Polish occupation. After the establishment of the

Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор� ...

(Belarusian SSR) as part of the

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nati ...

, several members of the Rada laid down their mandates in 1925 and returned to

. Officially the Rada BNR never recognized the Belarusian SSR. Most of the members of the Rada who returned to Belarus, including former Prime Minister

Vaclau Lastouski Vaclaŭ Justynavič Lastoŭski (, , russian: Вацлав Усти́нович Ласто́вский), 8 November 1883 – 23 January 1938) was a leading figure of the Belarusian independence movement in the early 20th century and the Prime Min ...

, were later killed in the Soviet terror in Belarus in the 1930s. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and the German occupation of

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

the Rada refused to cooperate with the Nazis or recognize the collaborationist government of Belarus, the Belarusian Central Rada.

After the Second World War

The advance of the Red Army in 1945 forced the Rada of the BNR to relocate to the Western part of Germany, occupied by British and American troops. In February 1948, the Rada passed a special manifesto, by which it declared its return to activity. In April 1948 the Rada, together with representatives of the Belarusian post-war refugees, held a conference in Osterhofen, Bavaria. The primary activities of the Rada BNR in the West were

lobbying In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, whic ...

and contacts with Western governments to ensure recognition of Belarus as a separate country. Together with other anti-Soviet organisations in the West, including governments in exile of Ukraine and the Baltic countries, the Rada protested against human rights violations in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

. In the 1950s the Rada BNR enabled the creation of the Belarusian edition of

Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...

. Members of the Rada organized support to Belarus following the

Chernobyl accident The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is one of only two nucl ...

of 1986.

After dissolution of the USSR

After the

dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

in the 1990s, similar governments-in-exile of the neighboring countries (Lithuania, Poland and others) handed back their mandates to the corresponding independent governments. Upon declaration of independence of the

Republic of Belarus A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...

in 1990, interest in the Belarusian Democratic Republic has increased in Belarusian society. The

Belarusian Popular Front The Belarusian Popular Front "Revival" (BPF, be, Беларускі Народны Фронт "Адраджэньне", БНФ; ''Biełaruski Narodny Front "Adradžeńnie"'', ''BNF'') was a social and political movement in Belarus in the late 1 ...

, which was the main pro-Perestroika anti-Communist opposition party, has in many aspects appealed to the restoration of an independent Belarus as the Belarusian Democratic Republic since the late 1980s. In 1991, the Belarusian parliament adopted the state symbols of the Belarusian Democratic Republic, the Pahonia and the

White-red-white flag The white-red-white flag ( be, Бела-чырвона-белы сцяг, Biela-čyrvona-biely sciah) is a historic flag used by the Belarusian Democratic Republic in 1918 before Western Belarus was occupied by the Second Polish Republic and Ea ...

, as state symbols of the Republic of Belarus. In 1993, the government of the Republic of Belarus held official celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in Minsk. Members of the Rada BNR took part in the celebrations along with the senior political leaders of the Republic of Belarus. It was stated then that the Rada was not ready to return its mandate to the

Supreme Council of Belarus The Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus, sometimes translated as Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus ( be, Вярхоўны Савет Рэспублікі Беларусь), was the unicameral legislature of Belarus between 1991 an ...

, which had originally been elected under Soviet rule. However, the Rada was prepared to hand its mandate to a freely elected Belarusian parliament. However, these plans were cancelled after president

Alexander Lukashenko Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (as transliterated from Russian; also transliterated from Belarusian as Alyaksand(a)r Ryhoravich Lukashenka;, ; rus, Александр Григорьевич Лукашенко, Aleksandr Grigoryevich Luk ...

, elected in 1994, established a return to Soviet policies in regards to Belarusian language and culture. Today the Rada BNR attempts to promote democracy and independence for Belarus using contacts and lobbyism in countries where it has its representatives: USA, Canada, The United Kingdom,

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, an ...

and others. The President of the Rada regularly holds meetings with western policymakers and makes official statements criticizing the human rights violations and continuing

Russification Russification (russian: русификация, rusifikatsiya), or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians, whether involuntarily or voluntarily, give up their culture and language in favor of the Russian cult ...

in Belarus. The Rada became a consolidating center for several exiled Belarusian opposition politicians. DzenVoli2007

Since the late 1980s, 25 March, the Independence Day of the Belarusian Democratic Republic, is widely celebrated by the Belarusian national democratic opposition as '' Freedom Day'' ( be, Дзень волі). It is usually accompanied by mass opposition rallies in

and by celebration events of the Belarusian diaspora organizations supporting the Belarusian government in exile.

Structure and functions

The Rada was intended to be a provisional parliament which would perform its functions till a constitutional convention of Belarus was held. The Rada BNR formed a government consisting of its members. Today the Rada sees itself as bearer of a symbolic mandate and as a guarantor of the independence of Belarus. The goal of the Rada is to transfer its mandate to a democratically elected

Parliament of Belarus The National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus ( be, Нацыянальны сход Рэспублікі Беларусь, Nacyjanalny schod Respubliki Bielaruś; russian: Национальное собрание Республики Бел ...

under the condition that no threat to the independence of Belarus should be present. The Rada is led by the President of the Rada BNR (Старшыня Рады БНР) and a Presidium (Executive council) consisting of 14 members. The Rada includes several ''Secretariates'' as working groups or individual secretaries responsible for specific areas, this include among others: * Secretariate for External Affairs * Secretariate for Internal Affairs * Secretariate for Information * Secretariate for Education The activity of the Rada BNR is regulated by the Provisional Constitution of the Belarusian People's Republic and the Statute of the Rada BNR.

Presidents of the Rada BNR

Janka Sierada Ivan Mikitavič Sierada ( — after 19 November 1943), better known by the pseudonyms of Jan or Janka was a Belarusian statesman, pedagogist and writer who served as the first president of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. B ...

(9 March – 14 May 1918) * Jazep Losik (14 May 1918 – 13 December 1919) *

Piotra Krečeŭski Piotra Krecheuski ( be, Пётра Крэчэўскі, Łacinka: Piotra Krečeŭski, russian: Пётр Антонович Кречевский; August 7, 1879 – March 8, 1928, Prague) was a Belarusian statesman and president of the Rada of the ...

(13 December 1919 – 1928) * Vasil Zacharka (1928–1943) *

Mikoła Abramčyk Mikola Abramchyk ( be, Мікола Абрамчык, russian: Николай Абрамчик, he, מיקעולא אברמצ'יק) (16 August 1903 – 29 May 1970) was a Belarusian journalist and emigre politician of Ottoman Jewish and Armeni ...

(1943–1970) * Vincent Žuk-Hryskievič (1970–1980) *

Jazep Sažyč Jazep Sažyč ( be, Язэп Сажыч, also Joseph Sazyc, September 5, 1917 – November 19, 2007) was a Belarusian politician and military commander. Life in Russian Empire Jazep Sažyč was born in Haradziečna (now in Navahrudak district ...

(1980–1997) *

Ivonka Survilla Ivonka Survilla ( be, Івонка Сурвілла, born Ivonka Šymaniec, be, Івонка Шыманец, pl, Iwonka Szymaniec, April 11, 1936) is the President of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic, a self-proclaimed Belarusian ...

(since 1997)

Current Presidium

The current presidium consists of: *

– President * Siarhiej Navumčyk, former member of the

Supreme Soviet of Belarus The Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus, sometimes translated as Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus ( be, Вярхоўны Савет Рэспублікі Беларусь), was the unicameral legislature of Belarus between 1991 a ...

and the

– 1st Vice-President * Viačasłau Stankievič,

Belarusan-American Association Belarusan-American Association (, ''Bielaruska-Amierykanskaje Zadzinočan'nje'', BAZA) is a non-profit organization of Belarusians in the United States. In the United States, the Belarusan-American Association is a member organization of the Cen ...

– Vice-President * Mikoła Pačkajeŭ, Association of Belarusians in Great Britain, former senior activist of the

and Malady Front – Vice-President * Palina Prysmakova, Board Member of the

Belarusian Institute of America Belarusian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Belarus * Belarusians, people from Belarus, or of Belarusian descent * A citizen of Belarus, see Demographics of Belarus * Belarusian language * Belarusian culture * Belarusian cuisine * Byelo ...

and the Krecheuski Foundation, Assistant Professor of the School of Public Administration at

Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, and Fort Pierce. FAU belongs to the 12-c ...

- Secretary * Viačasłau Bortnik, former Vice-President of the

* Aleś Čajčyc – Information Secretary * Valer Dvornik – Treasurer * Ała Kuźmickaja – Recording Secretary * Ała Orsa Romano, president of the Orsa Romano Foundation – Secretary of Education * Valancina Tryhubovič,

– Archivist * Alaksandar Starykievič * Alaksandar Kot * Pavał Šaŭcoŭ, Association of Belarusians in Great Britain * Siarhiej Piatkievič, Association of Belarusians in Great Britain * Hanna Surmač,

Awards and decorations of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic

In 1949, the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in exile under President Mikola Abramchyk has introduced a number of civic and military awards. There has been a number of decorations in the 1950s. In 2016, the Rada of the BDR has announced plans to renew the decorations. In 2018, the Rada has awarded 130 Belarusian activists and politicians, as well as a number of foreigners, with a newly created medal commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Belarusian Democratic Republic.

Notable members

File:Raman Skirmunt.jpeg, Raman Skirmunt File:Kandratovic kipryjan 1906.jpg, Gen. Kipryjan Kandratovič File:Вінцэнт Гадлеўскі 2.jpeg, Fr.

Vincent Hadleŭski Vincent Hadleŭski ( be, Вінцэнт Гадлеўскі, pl, Wincenty Godlewski; November 16, 1888 – December 24, 1942) was a Belarusian Roman Catholic priest, publicist and politician. During World War II he was arrested by the German pol ...

File:Ivan Lutskevich.jpg, Ivan Luckievič File:Luckewicz fota090128.jpg, Anton Luckievič File:Vaclaw Lastowski.jpg, Vacłaŭ Łastoŭski File:Br.Tarashkevich.jpg,

Branisłaŭ Taraškievič Branislaw Adamavich Tarashkyevich, russian: Бронисла́в Ада́мович Тарашке́вич, lt, Bronislavas Taraškevičius, pl, Bronisław Adamowicz Taraszkiewicz (20 January 1892 – 29 November 1938) was a Belarusian public fi ...

File:Fr Alexander Nadson.jpg, Fr. Alexander Nadson * Anton Adamovič * Paluta Badunova *

Janka Filistovič Janka Filistovič (; 14 January 1926 - approximately 11 November 1953) was an active participant in the Belarusian independence movement and a member of the underground anti-Soviet resistance in Belarus in the 1950s. Early years Filistovič w ...

* Larysa Hienijuš * Vaclaŭ Ivanoŭski *

Kastuś Jezavitaŭ Kastuś Jezavitaŭ (also known as Kanstantyn Jezavitau (Ezavitaŭ), ; russian: Константи́н Бори́сович Езови́тов; 17 November 1893 - 23 May 1946) was a political and military leader within the Belarusian independence ...

Jazep Mamońka Jazep Mamońka (; 28 January 1889 – 10 September 1937) was а Belarusian politician and victim of Stalin’s purges. Early years Mamońka was born in the village of Zaliessie in Minsk governorate of the Russian Empire (now Slucak district ...

* Michaś Naŭmovič * Mikola Ravienski * Symon Rak-Michajłoŭski * Lavon Rydleŭski *

Arkadź Smolič Arkadź Smolič (also spelled Arkadzi Smolich, ; 29 September 1891 - 17 June 1938) was an academic, active participant of the Belarusian independence movement and a victim of Stalin's purges. Biography Arkadź Smolicz, white Аркадзь � ...

Jan Stankievič Jan (Janka) Stankievič (also called Ian Stankevich, be, Ян Станкевіч, pl, Jan Stankiewicz; 26 November 1891 – 16 August 1976) was a Belarusian politician, Nazi collaborator, linguist, historian and philosopher. Biography Jan S ...

* Zośka Vieras *

Jan Zaprudnik Jan Zaprudnik (Belarusian: ''Янка Запруднік'' / Janka Zaprudnik, real name Siarhej Vilčycki Сяргей Вільчыцкі; 9 August 1926 – 26 May 2022) was a Belarusian-American historian and publicist. He was also one of the ...

* Raisa Žuk-Hryškievič

References

External links

* {{Authority control Governments in exile Politics of Belarus Parliaments of Belarus Belarusian diaspora Political advocacy groups in Belarus Advocacy groups Anti-communist organizations

Formation

In exile

1919–1947

After the Second World War

After dissolution of the USSR

Structure and functions

Presidents of the Rada BNR

Current Presidium

Awards and decorations of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic

Notable members

See also

References

External links