In recent years, the authorities of Belarus have been actively fighting using the former state flag of the country-Alexander Lukashenko directly called it fascist, and proceeded historians consider the white-red cloth with a collaborational symbol. We decided to check if this is true.
The authorities of Belarus have long been called the white-red-white flag of fascist. In November 2020, Alexander Lukashenko declared: “I do not go under the fascist BCHB-Flags. And I openly say that this is fascist symbolism. ” Properial Political scientists And Historians. In addition, in recent years, cases of persecution of Belarusian citizens for the use of not only the flag, but also generally coinciding with colors, have become more frequent. For example, Belarusians Received fines For white socks with a red stripe and a white-red box left on the balcony. And in April 2023, five residents of Minsk sentenced By the prison dates for a white-red-white flag posted on the facade of the house under the article “On the assistance of extremist activity”.
The first references to red and white banners as a symbol of the liberation movement for Belarusians belong to Polish uprising 1863-1864. Belarusian detachments took part in it Kastuya Kalinovskywho operated on the territory of modern Lithuania and Belarus and Used Red and white tapes as distinctive signs. But this cannot be considered a full -fledged flag.
The issue of national symbolism began to be seriously discussed after the February Revolution of 1917. In early March, at the House of the Belarusian Society to help those who suffered from the war in Petrograd appeared White-red-white flag with horizontal stripes. His author, presumably, was an employee of the company Claudius Duzh-Dushevsky - Subsequently, an architect, journalist and politician.
On March 25, 1917, the first Belarusian Congress was held in Minsk, at which the following was accepted Resolution“Due to the fact that white and red patterns prevail in Belarusian folk art, it is considered appropriate to use these flowers in the Belarusian state flag. Therefore, the Committee decided that the flag should consist of three horizontal stripes equal to the width - white, red and white, and its length should be twice as much width. ”
In December 1917, in the building of the Minsk City Theater (now - the National Academic Theater named after Yanka Kupala) passed The first All -Belorussian Congress, on which political and public organizations of Belarusians were represented. In 2012, during the reconstruction of the theater, a card with the image of a white-red-white flag was found, which, presumably, served as a pass to the congress.
In 1918, German troops occupied the territory of modern Belarus. March 25 in these conditions was proclaimed The Belarusian People’s Republic with the capital in Minsk, then the white-red-white flag became state.
When, in 1921, under the terms of the Riga Treaty, the territory of Belarus was divided between Soviet Russia and Poland, the BNR government moved In Vilna (now - Vilnius, Lithuania), then to Kaunas and, finally, to Prague. Emigrants somewhat changed the type of flag: now the red strip was framed by black lines, symbolizing mourning in independent Belarus.
The flag returned during occupation Belarus of Nazi Germany (1941–1944). The occupying authorities did not issue official documents on permission to use the national flag, but during the celebrations, white and red white flags were hung out on the streets.
Also, collaborationist organizations used white-red-white symbolism: Belarusian self -defense corps (1942–1943) and The Union of Belarusian Youthsample Hitler Yugen.
The most likely author of the Belarusian national flag Claudius Duzh-Dushevsky was Arrested The Germans in 1943 for hiding the Jews, and spent a year in a concentration camp. However, after the war he was again sent to the camps, already on charges of anti -Soviet activity and Belarusian nationalism.
In 1991, after the proclamation of the independence of Belarus, the white-red-white flag was again Approved As a state.
It was under this flag that Alexander Lukashenko took the oath, elected by the president of the country in 1994.
After coming to power, Lukashenko initiated referendum, following which Belarus approved new state symbols, including a red-green flag with national ornaments. The white-red-white flag has become a symbol of the opposition, under it since 1996 went on Protest promotions opponents of the regime.
Thus, the statements of Alexander Lukashenko and his supporters that the white-red-white flag primarily refers to collaborationist symbolism. It arose even during the February Revolution and was used as a symbol of independence by various governments of Belarus, as well as emigrants. The argument that the flag “compromised” during the Second World War does not withstand criticism: in the same way, the most different national formations in the German army and the SS chose other flags of the pre -Soviet period as distinctive signs - for example, the Russian Tricolor and the Andreevsky flag in Russian liberation army General Vlasov.
Photo on the cover: Maxim Shikunets / Wikimedia Commons
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