The Rada of the Belarusian People's Republic (, ) was the governing body of the

Belarusian Democratic Republic The Belarusian People's Republic (BNR; , ), also known as the Belarusian Democratic Republic, was a state proclaimed by the Council of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in its Second Constituent Charter on 9 March 1918 during World War I. The ...

. 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 Belarus which includes their descendants. According to different researchers, there are between 2.5 and 3.5 million Belarusian descendants living outside the territory of the Republic of Bel ...

as an

advocacy group Advocacy groups, also known as lobby groups, interest groups, special interest groups, pressure groups, or public associations, use various forms of advocacy or lobbying to influence public opinion and ultimately public policy. They play an impor ...

promoting support to Belarusian independence and democracy in

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

among Western policymakers. , the Rada BNR is the oldest existing

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

Formation

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

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and 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 status in Belarus and is the administra ...

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, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

. After retreat of the Bolsheviks from Minsk, the

Rada The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central Lond ...

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

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

had signed the

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a separate peace treaty signed on 3 March 1918 between Soviet Russia and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria), by which Russia withdrew from World War I. The treaty, whi ...

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 ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

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

local authorities Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...

* 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, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

, the

Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) was a short-lived state in Eastern Europe. Prior to its proclamation, the Central Council of Ukraine was elected in March 1917 Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, as a result of the February Revolution, ...

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

, the

Baltic States The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

and others. With the approach of Bolshevik armies to

the Rada was forced to relocate to

, then to

Hrodna Grodno, or Hrodna, is a city in western Belarus. It is one of the oldest cities in Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, from Minsk, about from the border with Poland, and from the border with Lithuania. Grodno serves as the ad ...

and eventually, upon coordination with the

Republic of Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

, to

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

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 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. 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 is a town in north-eastern Poland. It lies on the Netta River and the Augustów Canal. It is the seat of Augustów County and of Gmina Augustów in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Augustów has an area of , and as of June 2022 it has a popul ...

area to Poland. They also appealed to the

League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) 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 (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

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

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

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, Byelorussian SSR or Byelorussia; ; ), also known as Soviet Belarus or simply Belarus, was a republic of the Soviet Union (USSR). It existed between 1920 and 1922 as an independent state, and ...

(Belarusian SSR) as part of the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, 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, were later killed in the Soviet terror in Belarus in the 1930s. From the beginning of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and the German occupation of

the Rada cooperated with the Nazis in hopes to establish their own government. On 28 June 1941 the president of the Belarusian People's Republic in exile, Vasil Zacharka telegraphed to Hitler, that he wishes him a ''quick and decisive victory over the Judeo-Bolshevik regime on all fronts''. When it became clear that the Germans were not ready to create a Belarusian government, and Belarusians were given the place of executors of the orders of the German leadership, Vasil Zacharka stopped cooperating with the Germans and began to sharply criticize them in his articles. The Rada refused to recognize the puppet regime in German-occupied Belarus, the Belarusian Central Rada. At the same time, members of the Rada, namely Vasil Zacharka and Larysa Hienijuš, issued a document to the Jewish family Wolfsohn, which they passed off as Orthodox Belarusians, although they were aware that they were Jews. Because of this, the Wolfsohn family was able to survive the Second World War.

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 Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agency, regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by va ...

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 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. 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 media organization broadcasting news and analyses in 27 languages to 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Headquartered in Prague since 1995, RFE/RL ...

. Members of the Rada organized support to Belarus following the

Chernobyl accident On 26 April 1986, the no. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located near Pripyat, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine), exploded. With dozens of direct casualties, it is one of only ...

of 1986.

After dissolution of the Soviet Union

After the

dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...

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, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a state in which political power rests with the public (people), typically through their representatives—in contrast to a monarchy. Although a ...

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

Belarusian Popular Front The Belarusian Popular Front "Revival" (BPF, ; ''Biełaruski Narodny Front "Adradžeńnie"'', ''BNF'') was a social and political movement in Belarus in the late 1980s and 1990s whose goals were national revival of Belarus, its democratization a ...

, which was the main pro-Perestroika anti-Communist opposition party, called for the restoration of an independent Belarus, in the form of the Belarusian Democratic Republic, starting in 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, 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 () was the unicameral legislature of Belarus between 1991 and 1996. It was essentially a continuation of the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR of 1938–1991 immediately after the Soviet Uni ...

, which had originally been elected under Soviet rule. 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 (also transliterated as Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Lukashenka; born 30 August 1954) is a Belarusian politician who has been the first and only president of Belarus since the office's establishment in 1994, making hi ...

, elected in 1994, established a return to Soviet policies in regards to Belarusian language and culture. The Rada BNR continued its activities aimed at promoting democracy and independence for Belarus in the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom and

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

. In the 2010s, the President of the Rada regularly held meetings with western policymakers and makes official statements criticizing the human rights violations and continuing

Russification Russification (), Russianisation or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians adopt Russian culture and Russian language either voluntarily or as a result of a deliberate state policy. Russification was at times ...

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 Freedom Day may refer to any of the following days: National and international * National Religious Freedom Day on 16 January in the United States, to commemorate the adoption of Thomas Jefferson's landmark Virginia Statute for Religious Freedo ...

'' (). It is usually accompanied by mass opposition rallies in

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

2020–2021 Belarusian protests The 2020–2021 Belarusian protests were a series of mass Demonstration (political), political demonstrations and protests against the Government of Belarus, Belarusian government and President Alexander Lukashenko. The largest anti-government ...

, the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic expressed its support for the activities of

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Sviatlana Hieorhiyeuna Tsikhanouskaya (; born 11 September 1982) is a Belarusian political activist. After standing as a candidate in the 2020 presidential election against the president Alexander Lukashenko, she has led the political opposit ...

and her office and declared her the "clear winner" of the 2020 presidential election. In June 2023, it became known that the

State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus The State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus (KGB RB) is the national intelligence agency, and secret police force of Belarus. Along with its counterparts in Transnistria and South Ossetia, it kept the unreformed name after declari ...

(KGB) declared the Rada an extremist formation.

Structure and functions

The Rada was intended to be a provisional parliament which would perform its functions until a constitutional convention of Belarus was held. The Rada BNR formed a government consisting of its members. , 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 (; ) is the bicameral parliament of Belarus. The two chambers of the National Assembly are: *the Council of the Republic – the upper house *the House of Representatives – the lower house. ...

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 (9 March – 14 May 1918) *

Jazep Losik Jazep Losik (also known as Jazep (Yazep) Liosik; ; 18 November 1884 – 1 April 1940) was a Belarusian academic, leading figure of the independence movement and a victim of Stalin's purges. Early years Losik was born into a large farming ...

(14 May 1918 – 13 December 1919) *

Piotra Krečeŭski Pyotra Krecheuski (, Łacinka: Piotra Krečeŭski, ; August 7, 1879 – March 8, 1928, Prague) was a Belarusian statesman and president of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in exile. Before the First World War he worked as a teache ...

(13 December 1919 – 1928) *

Vasil Zacharka Vasil Zacharka (, 1 April 1877, Dabrasielcy near Grodno – 14 March 1943, Prague) was a Belarusian statesman and the second president of the Belarusian People's Republic in exile. Early life Vasil Zacharka was born in a peasant family near ...

(1928–1943) *

Mikoła Abramčyk Mikola Abramchyk (, ) (16 August 1903 – 29 May 1970) was a Belarusian journalist and emigre politician and president of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in exile during 1943–1970. Life He attended school in Radashkovichy. In 1923, after ...

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

Jazep Sažyč Jazep Symonavič Sažyč (5 September 1917 – 19 November 2007, also spelled Joseph Sazyc) was a Belarusian politician and military commander. Life in the Second Polish Republic Jazep Sažyč was born in (now in Navahrudak district, Grodno ...

(1980–1997) *

Ivonka Survilla Ivonka Survilla (, born Iwonka Szymaniec, , 11 April 1936) is the President of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic, a Belarusian government in exile. Early life Ivonka Survilla was born Iwonka Szymaniec in Stowbtsy, then part of the ...

(since 1997)

Presidium

The current (April 2024) presidium consists of: *

– President * Siarhiej Navumčyk, former member of the

Supreme Soviet of Belarus The Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus () was the unicameral legislature of Belarus between 1991 and 1996. It was essentially a continuation of the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR of 1938–1991 immediately after the Soviet Uni ...

and the

– 1st Vice-President * Viačasłau Stankievič, Belarusan-American Association * 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 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 university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The university is a member of the State University System of Florida and has s ...

- Secretary * Valer Dvornik – Treasurer * Ała Orsa Romano, president of the Orsa Romano Foundation – Secretary of Education * Valancina Tryhubovič, Belarusan-American Association – Archivist * Alaksandar Starykievič * Alaksandar Kot * Pavał Šaŭcoŭ, Association of Belarusians in Great Britain * Uladzislau Yandzyuk

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 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 announced plans to renew the decorations. In 2018, the Rada 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 File:Ivan Lutskevich.jpg, Ivan Luckievič File:Luckewicz fota090128.jpg, Anton Luckievič File:Vaclaw Lastowski.jpg,

Vacłaŭ Łastoŭski Vatslaw Yustynavich Lastowski (, , ; 8 November 1883 – 23 January 1938) was a leading figure of the Belarusian independence movement in the early 20th century and the Prime Minister of the Belarusian Democratic Republic from 1919 to 1923, as w ...

File:Br.Tarashkevich.jpg,

Branisłaŭ Taraškievič Branislaw Adamavich Tarashkyevich (; 20 January 1892 – 29 November 1938) was a Belarusian public figure, politician, and linguist. He first standardized the modern Belarusian language in the early 20th century. The standard was later Russifie ...

File:Fr Alexander Nadson.jpg, Fr. Alexander Nadson * Anton Adamovič * Paluta Badunova * Janka Filistovič * Larysa Hienijuš * Vaclaŭ Ivanoŭski * Kastuś Jezavitaŭ * Jazep Mamońka * Michaś Naŭmovič * Mikola Ravienski * Symon Rak-Michajłoŭski * Lavon Rydleŭski * Arkadź Smolič * Jan Stankievič *

Zośka Vieras Ludvika Sivickaja-Vojcik (; 30 September 1892 – 8 October 1991), known by her pen name Zośka Vieras (), was a Belarusian writer and one of the initiators and active participants of the Belarusian national revival. Family and early years Vie ...

Jan Zaprudnik Jan Zaprudnik (9 August 1926 – 26 May 2022, born Siarhej Vilčycki) was a Belarusian Americans, Belarusian-American historian and publicist. He was also one of the leaders of the Belarusian Americans, Belarusian community in the United States ...

* 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 Soviet Union

Structure and functions

Presidents of the Rada BNR

Presidium

Awards and decorations of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic

Notable members

See also

References

External links