Belarusian Democratic Republic
The Belarusian People's Republic[2][3][4] (BNR; Belarusian: Беларуская Народная Рэспубліка, romanized: Biełaruskaja Narodnaja Respublika, БНР), or 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 Council proclaimed the Belarusian Democratic Republic independent in its Third Constituent Charter on 25 March 1918 during the occupation of contemporary Belarus by the Imperial German Army.[5]
Belarusian Democratic RepublicБеларуская Народная Рэспубліка
Bielaruskaja Narodnaja Respublika
Bielaruskaja Narodnaja Respublika
Partially recognized state under German occupation (1918)
Government in exile
(1919–present)
Belarusian
Minority languages:
Russian
Polish
Yiddish
Lithuanian
Ukrainian
Jazep Losik (acting)
6 March 1918
25 March 1918
Spring 1919
1919–present
Ruble
The government of the Belarusian Democratic Republic never had power over the whole territory of Belarus. In 1919, it co-existed with an alternative Soviet Russia-controlled Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia (which later became part of the Lithuanian–Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic), moving its seat of government to Vilnius and Hrodna,[6] but ceased to exist due to the partition of the whole Belarusian territory between the Bolshevik Red Army and the Polish Armed Forces as a result of the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1921.[7]
Currently, its government in exile, the Rada (Council) of the Belarusian Democratic Republic is the oldest still functioning government in exile.
Name[edit]
In some historical documents, the White Ruthenian Democratic Republic phrase was used initially.[8] In the current scholarship, Belarusian Democratic Republic and Belarusian National Republic names dominate.[9][10] The Rada BNR uses the Belarusian Democratic Republic name.[11] It also appears in the publications originating in Belarus.[12] The Belarusian People's Republic appears in publications,[13] however, its use is comparatively limited, e.g. it does not appear in the titles of scholarly publications.
10-hrašoŭ postage stamp
25-hrašoŭ postage stamp
A postage stamp of the Belarusian Democratic Republic
A national flag of three stripes – white-red-white – was adopted, as well as a state seal (Pahonia) based on an emblem of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Chairpersons of the Council of the Belarusian People's Republic:
Archives[edit]
In 1998, Belarusian linguist and translator Siarhiej Šupa published a two-volume collection of BNR archives (Архівы Беларускай Народнай Рэспублікі. Менск-Вільня-Прага-Нью-Ёрк). The total size of the two volumes is more than 1700 pages. Essentially these are the processed and re-organized documents from the Lithuanian archival fund #582 in Vilnius and they constitute roughly 60% of all the BNR official documents from 1918. Another 20% of BNR official documentation is located in the Minsk archives, and the fate of the remaining 20% is unknown.