Правители Белорусских Земель: Белорусская ССР

Study Notes

Rulers of Belarusian Lands: Belarusian SSR

Belarusian SSR, or the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic, was a Soviet republic that existed from 1919 to 1991. It was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union, and its territory roughly corresponds to modern-day Belarus. The history of Belarusian SSR can be traced back to the early 20th century, when the region underwent numerous political changes and was ruled by various powers.

Early History

The Belarusian region has a long history of human settlement, with archaeological evidence of Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic cultures. The area was one of the earliest to be inhabited by Slavs, who settled there between the 6th and 8th century CE. Early Slavic tribes, such as the Dregovichi, Radimichi, Krivichi, and Drevlyane, formed local principalities, including those of Pinsk, Turaw, Polatsk, Slutsk, and Minsk. These principalities were part of the general suzerainty of Kievan Rus, the first East Slavic state, which began in the mid-9th century. The regional economy was based on primitive shifting agriculture on burned-over forestland, as well as on honey collecting and fur hunting. Trade developed along the rivers, particularly the Dnieper, with trading settlements multiplying, and many of the towns of present-day Belarus having been founded by the end of the 12th century.

Lithuanian and Polish Rule

After the overthrow of Kievan Rus by the Mongol invasion in 1240, many Belarusian towns became dependencies of the Golden Horde, the western portion of the Mongol Empire. The grand duchy of Lithuania expanded and absorbed much of the Belarusian population, with the Belarusian language and nationality beginning to take shape, especially in the Pripet Marshes. The Belarusian population was almost entirely engaged in agriculture, while trade lay in the hands of Poles and Jews. During this epoch of Lithuanian domination, the Belarusian language and nationality began to take shape.

Russian Rule

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Belarus was ruled by Russia after the Partitions of Poland, which saw the country being divided among various European powers. Until the formation of the Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1919, Belarusian history was largely tied to the course of events in the Russian Empire and revolutionary Russia. Napoleon I, emperor of France, crossed the region in his advance on Moscow in 1812 and again during his retreat. One of the heaviest battles of Napoleon’s Russian campaign took place as French troops retreated across the Byarezina River.

The Soviet Era

The Belarusian SSR was established on March 11, 1919, following the Bolshevik Revolution and the subsequent dissolution of the Russian Empire. It became one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union, with its capital being Minsk. The Soviet era saw the rapid industrialization of Belarus, with the establishment of heavy industries, including steel, machinery, and chemicals. However, the economic conditions were generally poor, leading to significant emigration, particularly to the United States and Siberia.

In 1991, the Soviet Union disintegrated, and Belarus gained independence as the Republic of Belarus. However, the country has retained close ties to its neighbor and former ruler, Russia. In 1999, the two countries signed the Union State Foundation Treaty, which aimed to create a politically integrated confederation with a common currency. The precise nature of the partnership, however, remained unclear well into the 21st century.

The legacy of Belarus’s Soviet past continues to manifest itself, both in the persistent prominence of communist political parties and in the country’s authoritarian style of government. About one-fifth of the population of Belarus resides in the centrally located capital, Minsk, a sprawling modern city that was almost entirely rebuilt after its near destruction in World War II.

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