Alexander Lukyanov: the reunification of Western Belarus with the BSSR was an act of historical justice

The theme of the Unified Information Day in September is “National Unity Day as a Factor of National Pride”. This was announced during an operational meeting on September 7 by the head of the main department of ideological work and youth affairs of the Minsk City Executive Committee Alexander Lukyanov, the correspondent of the Minsk-Novosti agency reports.

The Day of National Unity was established by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 206 of June 7, 2021.

- One of his important points is the historical aspect. In 1921, our people were divided by the Treaty of Riga against their will. The document was signed without the participation of the Belarusian delegation. Our people were divided almost in the middle. Neighbors and relatives suddenly found themselves across the border. And that's not all. Although the Constitution of interwar Poland declaratively guaranteed respect and preservation of ethnic authenticity, in practice the rights of Belarusians were constantly and purposefully violated, Lukyanov said. In the 1920s, the Minister of Justice of Poland, Alexander Meisztowicz, stated: “The Belarusian ethnographic mass must be transformed into the Polish people.” Therefore, we are actually talking about the ethnocide of Belarusians in interwar Poland.

Ah. Lukyanov noted that Belarusian culture and education were put in conditions of constant struggle for survival. By 1939, not a single Belarusian primary school, teacher seminary, gymnasium remained in Western Belarus. In the 1920-1930s, the share of those who were enrolled by Belarusians when entering the University of Vilna was about 1-3%.

- Those who did not want to put up with such an attitude were subjected to harsh repressions by the Polish authorities, Lukyanov said. Near the town of Birch there was a camp “Berez-Kartuzskaya”, where people who expressed disagreement were imprisoned without trial and investigation. More than 10,000 people have been subjected to torture, humiliation and hard labor. Today it is a place of remembrance for the victims of the Polish occupation.

The head of the main department of ideological work and youth affairs of the Minsk City Executive Committee noted that despite the efforts of the Polish authorities, the Belarusian people managed to preserve mental and cultural unity.

- There have never been insurmountable contradictions between residents of different regions of Belarus, Lukyanov said. Ethnically, historically and spiritually, they were one people. Indeed, history has taught us that only together, standing shoulder to shoulder, can we overcome any ordeal. The Belarusian people have never had any complaints about the people of Poland. The fate of interwar Poland was based on its own aggressive policy and the desire to enslave other peoples, including Belarusians.

Photo by Sergei Mitsevich