Congratulations from the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee
Dear residents of the region!
I congratulate you on the main state holiday of the Republic of Belarus – Independence Day!
This date is a major milestone in national history. It combines fateful events for the Belarusian people: the liberation of our Fatherland from German-fascist invaders in July 1944 and the beginning of the formation of Belarusian statehood in modern conditions, the establishment of a new form of government in Belarus – a presidential Republic.
Independence Day embodies the spiritual consolidation of the country, its political stability, civil peace, and represents a truly nationwide celebration and loyalty to historical memory.
The process of creating Belarusian statehood was accompanied by numerous trials that befell our ancestors. In their crucible, the distinctive national traits of Belarusians were formed: love for their native land, wisdom, tolerance, respect for the culture, traditions, and customs of other peoples.
The social experience accumulated by previous generations formed the basis of modern Belarusian statehood. It consists of the history of the Principality of Polotsk, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the period when our lands were part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire.
The ideas of Belarusian statehood are inextricably linked with the ideas of Slavic unity, brotherhood, and cooperation. They manifested in the dedicated activities of many glorious sons and daughters of the Belarusian land – Euphrosyne of Polotsk, Kirill of Turov, Simeon of Polotsk, Francysk Skaryna, Mikola Husowski, in the creative heritage of Frantsishak Bahushevich, Maksim Bahdanovich, Yanka Kupala, Yakub Kolas, and other representatives of the Belarusian creative intelligentsia.
They prepared the ground for the emergence of the first real national Belarusian state in 1919 – the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. Over the years of the Soviet period, the country transformed from an agrarian outskirts of the Russian Empire into an industrially developed modern power.
Peaceful development was interrupted by the attack of the fascist aggressor. Heroic resistance, which began at the walls of the Brest Fortress, grew into a nationwide struggle against the invaders. Our independence is based on the merits of the generation of victors who won freedom for their descendants. The memory of those who defended the country in the battle with the Hitlerite occupiers and revived it from the ruins will forever remain in the people's memory.
Having overcome all trials, the Belarusian people have taken a worthy place in the international community. Today, we are building a sovereign state together, working for its further strengthening.
I wish you, dear residents of the Vitebsk region, that your creative labor contributes to the further flourishing of our native Belarus!
May health, peace, and well-being be present in every Belarusian home!
Sincerely,
Nikolai Sherstnev,
Chairman
Vitebsk Regional
Executive Committee