The Third Constituent Charter () is a legal act adopted by the

Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic The Rada of the Belarusian People's Republic (, ) was the governing body of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. Since 1919, the Rada BNR has been in exile where it has preserved its existence among the Belarusian diaspora as an advocacy group ...

on 25 March 1918 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 Malin's house), according to which the

Belarusian People's 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 ...

was proclaimed an independent state. The anniversary of this historic event is traditionally celebrated by

Belarusians Belarusians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Belarus. They natively speak Belarusian language, Belarusian, an East Slavic language. More than 9 million people proclaim Belarusian ethnicity worldwide. Nearly 7.99&n ...

as the

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 ...

. A copy of the Third Constituent Charter is kept in the

National Archives of Belarus The National Archives of Belarus (; ) are located in Minsk. It is the largest repository of documents on the Belarusian history of the 20th century. The archive is an institution of the archival industry that provides the storage of documents ...

History

The adoption of the Third Charter took place in conditions when, according to 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 ...

, Soviet Russia agreed to the occupation of most of Belarus by the German Empire. The document summed up the results of the internal struggle in the leadership 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 ...

and the

Belarusian Socialist Assembly The Belarusian Socialist Assembly, BSA (, BSH) was a revolutionary party in the Belarusian territory of the Russian Empire. It was established in 1902 as the Belarusian Revolutionary Party, renamed in 1903.''Belarus: A Denationalized Nation'', by ...

for the adoption of the

Second Constituent Charter The Second Constituent Charter to the peoples of Belarus () is a legal act adopted by the executive committee of the Council of the All-Belarusian Congress on March 9, 1918, in Minsk. Announced the formation of the Belarusian People's Republic as ...

, which dissatisfied the independence movement in the Belarusian Socialist Assembly,

Branislaw Tarashkyevich 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 Russifi ...

and others. On 9 March 1918, the de facto leader of the BSA,

Arkadź Smolič Arkadź Antonavič 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, (Belarusi ...

, wrote a letter to

Ivan Luckievič Ivan Ivanavič Luckievič (; ; ; 9 June 1881 – 20 August 1919) was a leading figure of the Belarusian independence movement in the early 20th century, publicist and archaeologist. He was a brother of Anton Luckievič. Early life Luckievi� ...

, in which he claimed that the republic's leadership did not have enough conscious supporters of the independence of Belarus. On 18 March 1918, at a meeting of the Council of the All-Belarusian Congress of 1917, supporters of independence managed to rename it the

. They adopted a resolution to include

Vaclau Lastouski 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 ...

, Ivan and

Anton Luckievich Anton Ivanavič Luckievič (, , ; 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, the Prime Minister and t ...

Jan Stankievič Jan Stankievič (26 November 1891 – 16 July 1976, known by the diminutive Janka) was a Belarusian politician, linguist, and historian. Biography Jan Stankievič was born in the village Arlianiaty near Ashmyany. During World War I, Stankiev ...

, Dominik Semashko and Yazep Turkevich, representatives of the Vilnius Belarusian Council, in the BNR Council. between Belarus and Russia. On 23 March 1918, Lastouski, the Luckievič brothers, Stankievič and Turkevich arrived in Minsk. On the same day, the government of the German Empire responded to the statement of the People's Secretariat of Belarus of 9 March 1918 on the proclamation of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. According to the telegram, Chancellor

Georg von Hertling Georg Friedrich Karl Freiherr von Hertling, from 1914 Count von Hertling, (31 August 1843 – 4 January 1919) was a German politician of the Catholic Centre Party. He was foreign minister and minister president of Bavaria, then imperial chance ...

could not accept the statement of the People's Secretariat, as it would mean interference in Russia's internal affairs. Thus, the government of the German Empire still considered Belarus an integral part of Russia and did not recognize the Belarusian Democratic Republic. Due to the fact that the Bolsheviks during their withdrawal from Minsk on 19 February 1918 took with them the treasures of the State Bank, on 23 March 1918 the People's Secretariat decided to apply for a loan to the government of 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, ...

. Belarusian government representatives were present at the meeting. At a meeting with his brother, Anton Luckievich proposed to declare full independence of Belarus from Russia, in protest against the trade of Belarusian lands with the German Empire. Anton Luckievich's proposal was met with understanding by the People's Secretariat. The chairman of the People's Secretariat, Jazep Varonka, stated that the proposal should be discussed at a meeting of the BSA faction, as the representatives of this party were the majority in the Rada. In the faction, a group of BSA members led by

Makar Kraŭcoŭ Makar Kraŭcoŭ (also known as Makar Kaścievič, ; 18 August 1891 – October 1939) was an active participant in the Belarusian independence movement, writer and a victim of Great Purge, Stalin's purges. He authored the lyrics to Vajacki marš, ...

initially spoke out against the proposal of BNR activists, but eventually agreed with the majority. On 24 March 1918, at 8:00 in the evening, the plenary session of the Rada began. Smolič made a report on the political situation in Belarus. He proposed to adopt an act declaring the independence of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. Russian and Polish Zemstvo activists and representatives of the

General Jewish Labour Bund The General Jewish Labour Bund in Lithuania, Poland and Russia (), generally called The Bund (, cognate to , ) or the Jewish Labour Bund (), was a Jewish secularism, secular Jewish Socialism, socialist party initially formed in the Russian Empire ...

opposed the idea of Belarusian socialists. Representatives of the

United Jewish Socialist Workers Party United Jewish Socialist Workers Party (, ''fareynikte yidishe sotsialistishe arbeter-partey'') was a political party that emerged in Russia in the wake of the 1917 February Revolution. Members of the party along with the Poalei Zion participated ...

, the Jewish Social Democratic Workers' Party, and the Russian

Socialist-Revolutionaries The Socialist Revolutionary Party (SR; ,, ) was a major socialist political party in the late Russian Empire, during both phases of the Russian Revolution, and in early Soviet Russia. The party members were known as Esers (). The SRs were agr ...

abstained. The Zemsky faction announced its withdrawal from the Rada. On 25 March 1918, at 8:00 in the morning, the BNR Council adopted the Third Charter by a majority vote. Сідарэвіч А. Трэцяя Устаўная грамата // Энцыклапедыя гісторыі Беларусі. У 6 т. Т. 6. Кн. 1: Пузыны — Усая / Беларус. Энцыкл.; Рэдкал.: Г. П. Пашкоў (галоўны рэд.) і інш.; Маст. Э. Э. Жакевіч. — Мн.: БелЭн, 2001. С. 537.

Text

The Rada demanded to revise the Brest Peace Treaty. In the lands of the former

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

, where the Belarusian people live and have a numerical advantage, a free, independent state was proclaimed; it included Mahilioŭ, Mensk,

Viciebsk Vitebsk or Vitsyebsk (, ; , ; ) is a city in northern Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Vitebsk Region and Vitebsk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it has 358,927 inhabitants, m ...

, Belarusian parts of Horadnia,

Vilno 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 ...

Smolensk Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest cities in Russia. It has been a regional capital for most of ...

Chernihiv Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukraine ...

and neighboring governorate (meaning Suwalki and

Kovno Governorate Kovno Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Kovno (Kaunas). It was formed on 18 December 1842 by Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, Nicholas I from the western part of Vilna Govern ...

). The rights and freedoms of the citizens and peoples of Belarus, proclaimed by the

of 9 March 1918, were also confirmed.

Signatories

The original diploma is a typewritten sheet of paper signed on the reverse side and sealed with the state seal. List of signatories of the diploma: # Prime Minister and People's Secretary for Foreign Affairs Jazep Varonka, # People's Secretary of Military Affairs

Kastuś Jezavitaŭ Kastuś Jezavitaŭ (; also known as Kanstancin Barysavič Jezavitaŭ, ; 17 November 1893 – 23 May 1946) was a political and military leader within the Belarusian independence movement of the early 20th century. Early years Jezavitaŭ was ...

, # People's Secretary of the Economy

Jan 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. Biogr ...

, # People's Secretary of Agriculture

Tamaš Hryb Tamaš Hryb (, Tamash Hryb, 7 March 1895 — 21 January 1938) was a Belarusian politician, journalist and writer. Early life Tamaš Hryb was born into a peasant family in the village of Paliany in what is now the border region of Belarus and ...

, # Head of Affairs Lavon Zajac, # People's Secretary of Justice Jaŭchim Bialevič, # People's Secretary of Control

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 ...

, # People's Secretary of Education

, # People's Secretary of Guardianship

Paluta Badunova Paluta Aliaksandraŭna Badunova (, ; 7 September 1885 – 29 November 1938) was a key female political figure in the Belarusian independence movement of the early 20th century. She was the only woman at the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic ...

, # People's Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Alaksandar Karabač.

In art

On 25 March 1920,

Yanka Kupala Ivan Daminikavich Lutsevich (; – 28 June 1942), better known by his pen name Yanka Kupala (Янка Купала), was a Belarusian poet and writer. Biography Early life Kupala was born on July 7, 1882, in Viazynka, a folwark settlement n ...

, who in 1919 was the Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian National Committee (a post equivalent to Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus), wrote the poem "March 25, 1918 - March 25, 1920. Gadowszczyna - memorial service ": In the poem, the poet expresses disappointment at the results of the recognition of the independent Belarusian state by the then international community (primarily by

Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

and the interwar

Polish Republic Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

). The adoption of the Third Charter as the day of the restoration of independence of Belarus is sung in the poems "On March 25" (1932) and "On March 25, 1933" (1933) by Jazep Hermanovich "March 25" (1935) by Michaś Mashara, "Listen that says the mound" (1944), "March 25" (1946) and "There were Heroes" (1962) by Aleś Zmahar, "March 25 "(1950) by

Natallia Arsiennieva Natallia Alyakseyewna Arsiennieva (20 September 1903 – 25 July 1997) was a Belarusian playwright, poet and translator who authored the lyrics to the hymn Mahutny Boža (Almighty God), "Mahutny Boža" ("Almighty God"). She was married to Franci� ...

. People's Poet of Belarus

Nil Hilevich Nil Symonavich Hilevich (; ; 30 September 1931 – 29 March 2016) was a Belarusian poet, a professor in the Belarusian State University, the author of more than 80 books of poetry, publications, and translations, and one of the founders of the F ...

, who in 1991 actively advocated the establishment of March 25 as a national holiday, has a poem with the lines "And the first holiday of the Fatherland will be the Day of the Twenty-fifth of March!". The poem "March 25", written by the People's Poet of Belarus

Ryhor Baradulin Ryhor Janavič Baradulin (Belarusian: Рыго́р Янавіч Бараду́лін; 24 February 1935 – 2 March 2014) was a Belarusian poet, essayist and translator. Biography Ryhor Baradulin was born in 1935 in Vierasoŭka, Ushachy Raion, t ...

, ends with the following lines: A large number of art postcards, stickers and envelopes associated with the celebration of the date of adoption of the Third Constituent Charter as Independence Day, were published by the efforts of the Belarusian Diaspora.

References

{{Reflist

Sources

Ustaŭnyja hramaty BNR