Stalin's purges 1930s - Belarus. It is one of the most equal countries in the world,[215] with one of the lowest Gini-coefficient measures of national resource distribution, and its ranks 82nd in GDP per capita .Belarus has trade relations with over 180 countries. [139] The armed forces were formed in 1992 using parts of the former Soviet Armed Forces on the new republic's territory. According to some estimates, in countries such as present-day Ukraine, GDP is supposed to be only about 90 percent of what it had been before the transition. The Communist Party of China is the founding and sole governing political party of the People's Republic of China. 449474, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 20:35. From 1 July until 31 December 2016, the old and new currencies were in parallel circulation and series 2000 notes and coins can be exchanged for series 2009 from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2021. [222] In 2005, GDP increased by 9.9%; the inflation rate averaged 9.5%. Belarus offers a distinct case of post-communist development, remaining Eastern Europe's most authoritarian state to this day. [137], The House of Representatives has the power to appoint the prime minister, make constitutional amendments, call for a vote of confidence on the prime minister, and make suggestions on foreign and domestic policy. eligowski later in his memoir which was published in London in 1943 condemned the annexation of the Republic by Poland, as well as the policy of closing Belarusian schools and general disregard of Marshal Jzef Pisudski's confederation plans by Polish ally.[68]. It has been run by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994. [158], The Byelorussian SSR was one of the two Soviet republics that joined the United Nations along with the Ukrainian SSR as one of the original 51 members in 1945. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective and add more content related to non-recent events. We even give money to Communist Cuba a country our own government has designated as a state sponsor of terrorism," Haley said. Current Communist Countries: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. [230] Belarus applied to become a member of the World Trade Organization in 1993. Other notable Belarusian sportspeople include cyclist Vasil Kiryienka, who won the 2015 Road World Time Trial Championship, and middle-distance runner Maryna Arzamasava, who won the gold medal in the 800m at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. [233] As part of the Union of Russia and Belarus, both states have discussed using a single currency along the same lines as the Euro. While the freedom of worship is granted in the same article, religious organizations deemed harmful to the government or social order can be prohibited. MOSCOW Not so long ago, the image of Belarus was of a peaceful, if tightly controlled, former Soviet republic, squeezed between Poland and Russia. [276], Belarus has four UNESCO-designated World Heritage Sites: the Mir Castle Complex, the Nesvizh Castle, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha (shared with Poland), and the Struve Geodetic Arc (shared with nine other countries). While Russia is no longer communist, its president, Vladimir Putin, considers the fall of the Soviet Union the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century" and is currently (as of. Users of this site are cautioned that new general licenses may be enacted, revoked or amended at any time; accordingly, the list and attachments made . After the World War, most literature focussed on war-related topics. [201][202] Illegal migrants numbers also exceeded the previous annual numbers in Latvia. . .., 1939. To strengthen their independence within the format of the union, three editions of the Statutes of Lithuania were issued in the second half of the 16th century. . . . The National Bank of Belarus abandoned pegging the Belarusian ruble to the Russian rouble in August 2007. . The experts also received reports of violence against women and children, including sexual abuse and rape with rubber batons. [73][74] The polonization drive was inspired and influenced by the Polish National Democracy, led by Roman Dmowski, who advocated refusing Belarusians and Ukrainians the right for a free national development. [42] Invaders from Asia, among whom were the Huns and Avars, swept through c. 400600 AD, but were unable to dislodge the Slavic presence.[43]. MOSCOW Not so long ago, the image of Belarus was of a peaceful, if tightly controlled, former Soviet republic, squeezed between Poland and Russia. [76] Belarusian leadership was sent to Bereza Kartuska prison.[77]. [205], Belarus's two official languages are Russian and Belarusian;[254] Russian is the most common language spoken at home, used by 70% of the population, while Belarusian, the official first language, is spoken at home by 23%. [162] Belarus has trade agreements with several European Union member states (despite other member states' travel ban on Lukashenko and top officials),[163] including neighboring Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. [251] President Lukashenko has stated that Orthodox and Catholic believers are the "two main confessions in our country". The ballet Nightingale by M. Kroshner was composed during the Soviet era and became the first Belarusian ballet showcased at the National Academic Vialiki Ballet Theatre in Minsk. [140] The members of this council need not be members of the legislature and are appointed by the president. [212] In October 1995, a presidential decree abolished the local governments of cities of raion subordination and urban-type settlements which served as the administrative center of raions, demoting them from administrative-territorial units to territorial units. Bankers in China are being told to rectify their mindsets, clean up their "hedonistic" lifestyles and stop copying Western ways. KHATYN, Belarus Even by Soviet standards, the massive memorial complex near Minsk to the victims of Nazi atrocities stands out for its immense scale and ambition.Spread across half a million . Vietnam. "I thought he saved us from the 'wild capitalism' of the 1990s, and I voted for him twice," said Vladislav,. The Neman flows westward towards the Baltic sea and the Pripyat flows eastward to the Dnieper; the Dnieper flows southward towards the Black Sea. [217] The growth rate is much lower than for the economy as a wholeabout 2.2% in 2021. [180], Belarus has not expressed a desire to join NATO but has participated in the Individual Partnership Program since 1997,[181] and Belarus provided refueling and airspace support for the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. [222], Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, under Lukashenko's leadership, Belarus has maintained government control over key industries and eschewed the large-scale privatizations seen in other former Soviet republics. [122] The average elevation of Belarus is 160m (525ft) above sea level. [125], Many streams and 11,000 lakes are found in Belarus. [citation needed] The borders of the Byelorussian SSR and Poland were redrawn, in accord with the 1919-proposed Curzon Line. 4 Catholicism in Central and Eastern Europe, meanwhile, has not experienced the same upsurge as Orthodox Christianity. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Belarus&oldid=1141790380. Lukashenko won the election with 80% of the vote; the Russian Federation and the CIS deemed the vote open and fair[152] while the OSCE and other organizations called the election unfair. [193] At least three detainees suffered injuries indicative of sexual violence in Okrestino prison in Minsk or on the way there. Several poets and authors went into exile after the Nazi occupation of Belarus and would not return until the 1960s. [57], Under Nicholas I and Alexander III the national cultures were repressed. At the end of the 19th century, major Belarusian cities formed their own opera and ballet companies. and install a government of loyalists to intensify Communist Party control over the economy and society. Interaction between public authorities The state authority in the Republic of Belarus is exercised on the basis of separation of powers into legislative, executive and judicial branches. The national awakening in today's Belarus is especially striking because it is taking place in a country that had previously clung to the traditions, symbols, and narratives of the USSR with more enthusiasm than any other former Soviet republic. An influential author who devoted his work to awakening the awareness of the catastrophes the country has suffered, was Ales Adamovich. The former Soviet republic was occupied by the Nazis between 1941 and 1944, when it lost 2.2 million. [144][145][146][147] The Council of Europe removed Belarus from its observer status since 1997 as a response for election irregularities in the November 1996 constitutional referendum and parliament by-elections. Its net migration rate is +0.38 per 1,000, indicating that Belarus experiences slightly more immigration than emigration. [127] The climate features mild to cold winters, with January minimum temperatures ranging from 4C (24.8F) in southwest (Brest) to 8C (17.6F) in northeast (Vitebsk), and cool and moist summers with an average temperature of 18C (64.4F). Beltelecom owns all the backbone channels that linked to the Lattelecom, TEO LT, Tata Communications (former Teleglobe), Synterra, Rostelecom, Transtelekom and MTS ISPs. The main trading partners are Russia, which accounts for about 45% of Belarusian exports and 55% of imports, and the EU countries, which account for 25% of exports and 20% of imports. [89] Stanislau Shushkevich, the chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus, met with Boris Yeltsin of Russia and Leonid Kravchuk of Ukraine on 8 December 1991 in Biaowiea Forest to formally declare the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States.[89]. A two-round election for the presidency on 24 June 1994 and 10 July 1994[36] catapulted the formerly unknown Alexander Lukashenko into national prominence. Vigorous postwar reconstruction promptly followed the end of the war and the Byelorussian SSR became a major center of manufacturing in the western USSR, creating jobs and attracting ethnic Russians. Since then, it has maintained close economic and political ties with Russia. Washington and Beijing are competing . [46] Trying to avoid the Tatar Yoke, the Principality of Minsk sought protection from Lithuanian princes further north and in 1242, the Principality of Minsk became a part of the expanding Grand Duchy of Lithuania. [48] During this time, the duchy was involved in several military campaigns, including fighting on the side of Poland against the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410; the joint victory allowed the duchy to control the northwestern borderlands of Eastern Europe. During that time, 209 out of 290 towns and cities were destroyed, 85% of the republic's industry, and more than one million buildings. Under the 1994 constitution, the president could serve for only two terms as president, but a change in the constitution in 2004 eliminated term limits. It was the last Soviet republic where the communist economic system worked and it was also the most militarized. [118][119] These include not only corporate offices and individual officers of government but also private individuals who work in the state-owned enterprise industrial sector. [122] About 40% of Belarus is covered by forests. [227] In 2006, GDP amounted to US$83.1 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars (estimate), or about $8,100 per capita. Pay Up. Cuba. During his stay, he worked with Belarusian poet Vintsent Dunin-Martsinkyevich and created the opera Sialanka (Peasant Woman). Policies of Polonization[58] changed by Russification,[59] which included the return to Orthodox Christianity of Belarusian Uniates. [165], Bilateral relations with the United States are strained; the United States had not had an ambassador in Minsk since 2007 and Belarus never had an ambassador in Washington since 2008. The country, which is home to the capital city Minsk, is around 40% forest. Belarus rarely receives much media attention in the West, but it has long been subjected to political interference from its neighbors, the USA, and the European Union. [81] The Jewish population of Belarus was devastated during the Holocaust and never recovered. [224], In the 1990s, however, industrial production plunged due to decreases in imports, investment, and demand for Belarusian products from its trading partners. [130][131], Belarus borders five countries: Latvia to the north, Lithuania to the northwest, Poland to the west, Russia to the north and the east, and Ukraine to the south. [106] Neighbouring countries Poland and Lithuania do not recognize Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus and the Lithuanian government has allotted a residence for main opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and other members of the Belarusian opposition in Vilnius. [219] The country relies on Russia for various imports, including petroleum. [232] The ruble was reintroduced with new values in 2000 and has been in use ever since. [104], Mass protests erupted across the country following the disputed 2020 Belarusian presidential election,[105] in which Lukashenko sought a sixth term in office. The chairs of executive committees for raions and city of oblast subordinations are appointed by the regional executive committees at the level above; the chairs of executive committees for towns of raion subordination, settlements and villages are appointed by their councils, but upon the recommendation of the raion executive committees. [60], In a Russification drive in the 1840s, Nicholas I prohibited use of the Belarusian language in public schools, campaigned against Belarusian publications and tried to pressure those who had converted to Catholicism under the Poles to reconvert to the Orthodox faith. Geopolitically, Belarus. On December 25, 1991, the United States recognized the independence of the Republic of Belarus, and on December 28, 1991, Belarus and the United States established diplomatic relations. China is one of the few remaining Communist countries. [252], Belarus was once a major center of European Jews, with 10% of the population being Jewish. In the 1990s some raised the estimate even higher, to 2.7 million. [120] Norway and Japan have joined the sanctions regime which aims to isolate Belarus from the international supply chain. It's just that, IMO, the data from the whole post-communist region show that the countries that adopted shock therapy fully actually ended