July 3: Independence Day in Belarus
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Belarus.
Map by Peter Hermes Furian / Shutterstock.com.
History Note
Belarusians are one of several Slavic people groups in Eastern and Central Europe. These groups, which have ethnic and linguistic similarities, have also developed cultural distinctives over the years. Because of its position between Russia and Ukraine (largely Eastern Orthodox) to the east and Poland and Lithuania (largely Roman Catholic) to the west, and because it has often been part of larger political entities, Belarus reflects influences from a variety of religious and cultural traditions.
Catherine II of Russia incorporated Belarus into her empire in the late 1700s. One of the major battles of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia took place in Belarus in 1812. Poor economic conditions prompted many people to leave Belarus in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
After the Russian revolutions that established Communist control of the government in 1917, Communist leaders created the Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1919. It was one of the four founding members of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) in 1922.
During the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Belarus declared its sovereignty on July 27, 1990. Belarus first observed this as the date of Independence Day. In a 1996 referendum, voters approved moving Independence Day to July 3, which was the date Soviet forces recaptured the Belarusian capital of Minsk from German forces in 1944. Among all the former Soviet states, Belarus has maintained the closest ties to Russia.
This photo shows people celebrating Independence Day in Gomel, Belarus, in 2018. Photo by George Trumpeter / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
This video shows examples of traditional Belarusian clothing, music, and dancing.
Find other resources at Homeschool History.
