Russia – Belarus: the History of Relations

The beginning of the existence of the Belarusian people dates back to the era of Ancient Russia, when Polotsk, Turov-Pinsk, Grodno and other principalities seceded during its collapse. The first mention of the name of the lands, White Russia, refers to about the mid-13th century; in the same century, together with part of the Lithuanian lands, they were united into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and at the end of the 16th century – into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. At the end of the 18th century, almost the entire territory of modern Belarus became part of the Russian Empire. Vitebsk, Grodno, Minsk, Mogilev and Polotsk Governorates were formed. Through the historical documents presented, it is possible to trace the evolution of the Belarusian lands – the gradual withdrawal from Polish-Lithuanian influence (in the field of legislation, religion, cultural traditions, language specifics) and their full inclusion in the life of the Russian Empire until the revolution of 1917. During the Civil War, the Soviet Socialist Republic of Belarus was formed, which became part of the USSR in 1922 as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Initially, it only covered the territory of Eastern Belarus, but in 1939 the BSSR also included the lands of Western Belarus. The collection spotlights the formation of new authorities, as well as the cultural and economic development of the BSSR in the 1920s – 1930s. Together with the defenders of the Brest Fortress, the BSSR was one of the first Union republics to take the hit of the Nazi army on June 22, 1941. The largest number of documents in the collection is dedicated to the participation of the Belarusian people in the Great Patriotic War; a special section consists of archival documents, periodicals, military combat leaflets, partisan newspapers, as well as documentaries. Since 1991, a new period has begun – the development of diplomatic allied relations between two independent countries – the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Both states are inextricably linked by common trials and common victories, united by the task of preserving historical memory in order to preserve the sovereign statehood and uniqueness of the national cultures of Russia and Belarus. The collection includes official documents, research, archival evidence, cartographic and visual materials that reflect the political, legal, military, socio-economic and cultural aspects of Russian-Belarusian cooperation.