The press service of the Belarusian president announced the establishment of the Day of National Unity, which will be celebrated on September 17 - on the anniversary of the beginning of the 1939 liberation campaign of the Red Army (Soviet version) or the beginning of the fourth partition of Poland (Western version). “This day became an act of historical justice in relation to the Belarusian people, divided against their will in 1921 under the terms of the Riga Peace Treaty, and was forever entrenched in the national historical tradition. The unity restored in 1939 allowed Belarus to withstand the years of the Great Patriotic War, take an honorable place in the international community, and become one of the co-founders of the UN. The establishment of the Day of National Unity on September 17 emphasizes the continuity of generations, the inviolability and self-sufficiency of the Belarusian nation and statehood. "
With the inclusion of Western Belarus, previously belonging to Poland, the area of the Union republic doubled in the BSSR - from 126 thousand to 223 thousand square meters. km, and instead of five regions there were ten. The population also doubled - from 4.9 million to 10.2 million. True, the BSSR was not so populous for long. The war was so destructive for the citizens of Belarus that the pre-war number was restored only by 1989. This, by the way, also explains the mass loyalty of Belarusians. Whatever Lukashenka may be, the terrible memory of 1941-1944, when Belarus was “free from the tyranny of the Bolsheviks,” is difficult to erase from the people's memory.
The very same Sovietization of the western regions, which took place in 1939-1941, not being, of course, butter (there was a shortage of everything, money lost its value, religious persecution began), compared with the Sovietization of other annexed lands then proceeded relatively softly. In any case, the idea of the expansion of the BSSR as a national disaster did not materialize. Moreover, against the backdrop of the nationwide disaster of 1941 - Minsk was commissioned already on June 28 - it is impossible to grieve so much about Sovietization (admittedly, not quite velvet), as the Balts did and are doing.
The question, however, is different. All the features and all the results (immediate and distant) of the Red Army's liberation campaign were known a long time ago. As well as Lukashenka has ruled Belarus for a long time. If the decision to celebrate the Day of National Unity was made only now, then, probably, not because Minsk learned something new about the autumn of 1939, but because they decided on the attitude towards the panska, as well as the European, Poland.
Previously, flirting with Warsaw constituted an important element of Minsk's "bogo-vector" policy, and the painful topic of the fourth partition of Poland for the partner was not touched upon because of delicacy. Now they touched it, and in a harsh manner traditional for Old Man. Why exactly now - God knows. Perhaps, in the course of the story with the capture of Protasevich, Lukashenko learned something new about Polish intrigues, which completely outraged him, and he decided to answer. Perhaps there were no particularly new intrigues, but it seemed to him so. Or just endured for a long time, and now boiled.
But the blow, it must be admitted, was delivered to them both sensitive and multi-vector. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs “reacted with indignation to the statement of the Belarusian authorities on the establishment of a new holiday - the Day of National Unity - on September 17 in honor of the fact of the inclusion of Belarus in the USSR (this is already heavy nonsense,“ the fact of the inclusion of Belarus in the USSR ”took place on December 30, 1922. -
M. S.
) Is a glorification of the Soviet legacy and an attempt to cut Belarus off from its true roots. "
And further in the statement of the Polish ministry: “To base the historical policy of Belarus on the legacy of the Stalin-Hitler pact is completely wrong.
This is a gesture that fits into Russian actions aimed at reinterpreting the extremely complex history of our region, which will seriously complicate dialogue and mutual understanding for Belarus with neighboring states, as well as with European countries. "
That is: "Bitter for me, bitter!"
- Koroviev howled like a best man at an old wedding. "
Of course, it will be bitter when the Old Man burns the bridges connecting him with Warsaw, but the possibility of a spectacular counterstrike from Poland is not visible.
It remains to write in diplomatic correspondence: "Oh, you robber, oh, villain, are you not ashamed of the walls, not just people?"
True, Alexander Grigorievich cannot be understood with such plaintive reproaches.
But along the way, Lukashenka made a gift to Kiev.
On September 17, 1939, the Red Army went on a campaign with a song:
Dear Belarus,
Ukraine is golden,
Your light boundaries
We will protect with our bayonets!
And according to the results of September 17, Golden Ukraine received Volyn and Galicia as part of its bright borders, which Kiev has no desire to abandon as a legacy of the Stalin-Hitler pact.
To condemn the liberation campaign on September 17?
For God's sake, return these lands to Poland, what's the question?
What is called Divide et impera - Divide and Conquer.
True, Lukashenka (besides being very clever and able to hit pain points) is quite changeable in his partners - “This or this one, I don’t understand”.
However, canceling the officially approved National Unity Day is not about changing shoes, it is somewhat more difficult.
Even if he wants to, it will not be easy.
So Warsaw has another historical abuser.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.