Significant Events in the History of Belarus
Below is a summary of the most important dates in Belarusian history, from the 7th century to the present day:
7th – 9th century | First settlement of Slavonic peoples on the territory of present- day Belarusia: Krivichi, Dregovichi, Radimichi |
862 | First mention of the towns Turov and Polotsk in the Nestor Chronicle |
980 | First mention in the Nestor Chronicle of Polotsk as a principality, ruled over by Prince Rogvolod |
988 | Foundation of the Kievan Rus |
10th century | Start of the spread of Christianity in Belarus |
992 | Foundation of the first eparchy (a diocese in the Orthodox Church) in Polotsk |
1044 – 1066 | Construction of the first Orthodox Church in Polotsk, the Cathedral of Saint Sophia |
3. March 1067 | Battle on the Nemiga, first mention of Minsk |
Beginning of the 13th century | Crusades of the Teutonic Order on Belarusian territory |
1237 – 1241 | Invasions and conquest of Belarusian territory by the Tatars (the Golden Horde) |
Mid 13th century | Foundation of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania |
1253 | Coronation of the first Lithuanian King, Mindaugas, in Novogrudok |
1384 | The „Pahonia“ became the coat of arms for the Grand Duchy of Lithuania |
1385 | Union of Krewo between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania |
1390 | Adoption of Magdeburg Law in Brest |
1410 | Battle of Tannenberg |
1499 | Adoption of Magdeburg Law in Minsk |
1506 – 1510 | Construction of the castle in Mir (today: UNESCO World Heritage site) |
1517 | Franzysk Skaryna prints the first book (Book of Psalms) in the Ruthenian language in Prague) |
1529,1566,1588 | Textualisation of the statutes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the first codification of legislature in Eastern Europe |
1558 – 1583 | Livonian War – conflict between Russia, Sweden, Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania over the Baltic |
7th May 1583 | Laying of foundation stone for Nezvish Castle (today: UNESCO World Heritage site) |
1st July 1569 | Union of Lublin, founding of Poland-Lithuania |
1596 | Church Union von Brest |
1604 – 1618 | Intervention of Poland-Lithuania in Russia |
1700 – 1721 | Great Northern War |
1772,1793,1795 | Partitioning of Poland |
3rd May 1791 | Constitution of the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania |
1794 | Kosciuszko uprising |
23rd May 1794 | Decree by Tsarina Katharina II concerning the settlement of Jews in a homeland of their own |
1798 – 1855 | Years of birth and death of the Belarusian-Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz |
24th June 1812 | Napoleon crosses the River Neman, beginning of the Russian Campaign |
1812 – 1820 | Development and establishment of the Jesuit academy in Polotsk |
1820 | Founding of the religious order Society of Jesus, the Jesuit academy in Polotsk and other educational institutions in Belarus |
1824 – 1839 | Construction of the Augustow Canal linking the Rivers Neman and Vistula near Grodno |
1830-1831 | National liberation movement for the revival of Poland-Lithuania |
1861 | Abolition of serfdom in Russia and Belarus |
1882 – 1942 | Years of birth and death of the Belarusian national poet Yanka Kupala |
1882 – 1956 | Years of birth and death of the Belarusian national poet and author Yakub Kolas |
13–15th March 1898 | First congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in Minsk |
October 1917 | October Revolution, Proclamation of Soviet rule in Belarus |
1st August 1914 – 11th November 1918 | First World War |
25th February 1918 | Start of German occupation in Belarus |
3rd March 1918 | Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk |
25th March 1918 | Founding of Belarusian People’s Republic |
1st January 1919 | Proclamation of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Belarus (BSSR) |
27th February 1919 | Proclamation of the Lithuanian Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic |
17th July 1919 | Dissolution of the Lithuanian Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic |
8th August 1919 – 11th July 1920 | Occupation of Minsk by Polish troops |
1920 | Opening of the first Belarusian dramatic theatre (today: Yanka Kupala Theatre) |
October 1921 | Founding of the Belarusian state university |
1921 | Transition from the economic policy of war communism to the New Economic Policy (NEP) |
1st January 1929 | Inauguration of the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences |
1st September 1939 | Outbreak of the Second World War |
22nd June 1941
24th June 1941 |
Outbreak of the Great Patriotic War (Russian for Second World War) Founding of the first partisan units under the leadership of Vasily (Vasil) Korzh |
Winter 1941/42 | Construction of the first concentration camps and ghettos on Belarusian soil |
23rd June – 28th August 1944 | Soviet liberation offensive called “Bagration” |
3rd July 1944 | Liberation of the Belarusian capital, Minsk |
27th April 1945 | Affiliation of the Belarusian SSR to the UN, as founding member |
16th August 1945 | Treaty between the USSR and Poland concerning the Soviet/Polish border |
14th December 1947 | Monetary reform in the USSR (incl. Belarus), abolition of food coupons |
1st January 1956 | Broadcast of the first television programme from the Minsk television centre |
26th June 1974 | Minsk: conferral of the honorary title “Hero City” |
15th June 1977 – 30th June 1984 | Construction of the Minsk underground |
14th April 1978 | Passage of the new constitution of the BSSR |
26th April 1986 | Chernobyl: worst imaginable accident, contamination of about 23% of the total Belarusian territory |
26th January 1990 | Belarusian becomes the second official language alongside Russian |
19th September 1991 | Alteration of the state’s official title from Belarusian SSR to Republic of Belarus |
26th December 1991 | Break-up of the Soviet Union, founding of the Commonwealth of Independent States |
30th January 1992 | Belarus becomes a member of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) |
13th – 27th February 1994 | First participation of an independent Belarusian team in the Winter Olympic Games |
15th March 1994 | Passage of the constitution of the Republic of Belarus |
8th July 1994 | First International Slavonic Bazaar Arts Festival in Vitebsk |
10th July 1994 | Election of the first Belarusian president Alexander Lukaschenko |
Deсember 1999 | Agreement between Russia and Belarus on close cooperation and possible establishment of a joint union |
Septemer 2001/td> | Re-election of Alexander Lukaschenko, still in office today |
May 2014 | 78th Ice HockeyWorld Championship in Minsk |