Lukashenko's speech at the patriotic forum "We are Belarusians!", dedicated to the Day of National Unity
Although not under its current name, the holiday was solemnly celebrated in Belarus a year after the reunification - on September 17, 1940 - as the Day of Liberation of the working people of Western Belarus from the oppression of the пан. And after the Great Patriotic War, the residents of Belarus did not forget the memorable date, let alone the suffering endured. However, new historical realities led to the holiday gradually fading away so as not to exacerbate the situation and Soviet-Polish relations. But the date of September 17, which was joyful for Belarusians, continued to live on in the names of streets, agricultural enterprises, and in people's memory.
The central event of the Day of National Unity was the patriotic forum "We are Belarusians!", which took place at the "Minsk-Arena" venue. Numerous delegations from all regions and Minsk arrived at the event. Among them were youth, athletes, representatives of public associations, political parties, and media. Heads of state bodies, international organizations, and heads of diplomatic missions were also present at the forum.
The narrative was built on the story of modern Belarus - its traditions, achievements, and future. President Alexander Lukashenko addressed the audience at the celebration, speaking to his compatriots live:
Dear compatriots!
Today is September 17 - the Day of National Unity. Our unity, the unity of the Belarusian people, symbolized by 1939 - the year of the reunification of Belarusian lands within the borders of a single state.
Time itself, the time of global redistribution of the world, has returned this date to our calendar of state holidays.
The more we see modern states collapsing, peoples losing their homeland, homes, traditions, the more closely we look into the history of our native land. The land that thousands of years ago met our ancient ancestors with a harsh climate, taught us to stick together to survive and become masters in our own home.
And we understand that in essence there are no new challenges. There are no unexpected turns in history. There are forgotten old lessons and threats. And there is protection – centuries of experience that have taught us to be together in both happy and difficult times.
For many centuries, Belarusians have been a single whole: when they adopted Christianity; when they withstood the blow of the German Teutonic Order;when they fought against Napoleon's French army; when they defended their faith, language, and culture; when, in a single impulse with fraternal Soviet peoples, they laid the foundation for their national statehood, rose up to fight against fascist aggression, and revived the Soviet country from the ashes of the Great Patriotic War.
And when sovereign Belarus began to be built on the ruins of the Soviet Union.
We, Belarusians, do not need to be told how important it is to live in peace and harmony, to be a united nation. Life has taught us.
And our compatriots born under Polish occupation can tell a lot. Those who know the danger of losing their Motherland and being separated from their families. They know what it means to live on their native land but be outcasts in the eyes of privileged citizens for many decades.
They understand why on September 17th the republic celebrated the Day of Liberation of Western Belarus workers from Polish lords, from occupation, from oppression. No matter how the name changed, it objectively reflected the essence of this holiday.Until recently, we hardly remembered that dramatic time – the period when our Belarus was torn in half! Everything went into the shadow of the global tragedy of the Great Patriotic War, World War II. This terrible human slaughter overshadowed everything.
It was not customary to recall this time in the name of Soviet-Polish friendship, which, as they thought then, would be eternal.
We, Belarusians, have not made accusations against our neighbors, but we have always remembered: how schools, our faith, land, and natural resources were taken from Belarusians; how our ancestors died without medical care; how everyone devoted to their native culture, faith, language, and traditions was morally and physically humiliated and destroyed.
Can one forget how Belarusian villages were shelled, how Belarusian children were flogged in foreign schools, how Belarusians, Russians, and Ukrainians were cruelly mocked in the Polish concentration camp in Bereza Kartuska? These are all facts.
But for the sake of friendship with the Polish people, we have overcome this pain.
Beyond the Bug, this was taken as weakness.
But the lesson has been learned.
Time has shown that our noble aspiration to live in peace was not appreciated by our neighbors. I am not talking about the Polish people. I am talking about the elites – the politicians, who have been thirsting for revenge all these years.
Taking this opportunity, I want to say just a few words to my neighbors, or rather, to the peoples of neighboring countries: Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians. Know this! We are not making plans to interfere in your lives. We wish you only good, happiness, and peace!
But this peace today is so fragile that any careless move can lead to the most severe and irreparable consequences. We would very much not want our lands to become a theater of military operations once again and for millions of our citizens to be destroyed again, as has always happened in history.
Belarusians do not need what belongs to others. At the same time, remember (I am addressing the peoples of neighboring states): in case of aggression against Belarus, we will not draw any red, yellow, black, or blue lines out of spite! It exists, this line – the state border! And you know that we have something to respond with. Therefore, let's live in friendship, as neighbors, as it was in the best times of our history.
But today, vultures are circling over us, just as they did on the eve of the Great Patriotic War. They are circling around Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian lands. They are ready to make a pact even with the devil, just to occupy more space on the world's political map... "From sea to sea."
And they would like to forever erase from world history the facts of political disgrace and moral degradation of their predecessors. They themselves would like to forget how our official neighbor - Poland - was one of the first to recognize the Nazi Reich (this is a fact), signed a non-aggression pact with it and a secret agreement on the partition of Czechoslovakia, how, having received part of someone else's territory, it was itself crushed in a short time by its former ally. This page in history must not be forgotten by our neighbors under any circumstances.
Would our neighbor have remained on the world map in principle if not for the Soviet soldiers? And if so, within what borders?
The authorities of our neighbors do not ask themselves such questions today. And they continue to destroy traces of memory of their liberators.
But why? They are gone, they died. Well, let's say you don't appreciate them for liberating your lands. But why stir up the past? Let it be as it is. No. Everything must be dug up, blown up and destroyed with a sword and a ladle, erasing from memory the best that was in the history of neighboring states.
And we draw conclusions again.
Therefore, today, September 17, the day the Red Army began its fateful liberation campaign, we celebrate one of the most important state holidays - the Day of National Unity. Unity forged in selfless struggle for national dignity.
We are proud of the unbending will of those who did not submit to the anti-human regime. Those who went underground, waged a liberation partisan war, resisted the policy of forced assimilation.
If there had not been such large-scale popular resistance, there would not have been the reunification of the Belarusian people in 1939 into a single state.
And there would not be modern sovereign Belarus if it were not for the conditions created for the development of our nation in the family of Soviet peoples.
We know this. We remember this.
Then, as today, unity for us... Unity for us is the main condition for the preservation and life of our state. And therefore, the question of our survival as a nation.
September 17 is one of three historical dates, along with May 9 (Victory Day) and July 3 (Independence Day), that give us an opportunity to look back in order to firmly hold our present and protect our future.
These dates unite us, modern Belarusians, in our desire to protect our historical memory for the sake of peace on our native land.
I emphasize once again: we are not aggressors. Our people, by their very nature, cannot be aggressors. We do not threaten anyone and never will. This is not our policy. And objectively, we cannot threaten anyone.
But we are obliged to defend ourselves (whether we are strong or weak). This is our historical role, of our generations living in Belarus today.
Therefore, whatever internal political events may be happening in our neighboring countries, the peoples (I repeat again: Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians, Ukrainians) must understand: we are the most peace-loving nation on earth. We are not brandishing nuclear weapons or any units, Wagner or otherwise, and we are not threatening anyone.
But you remember history. We did not threaten anyone then either. But we were virtually wiped off the face of the earth. In the last war, we lost every third person. And then carelessness and complacency played a significant role in the fact that we almost lost Belarus. Therefore, we remember this.
We have studied and are studying history. And we will always be ready to defend our Fatherland and our land!
(Applause)
I appeal today to Belarusians. As President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief, I want to assure you: we do not want to fight and will not fight. There will be no war in modern conditions on the territory of Belarus, because it is impossible!
(Applause)
And if, God forbid, something happens, we will all stand as the Brest Fortress. We will defend our land, which belongs to our children, to the last soldier and Belarusian person!
(Applause)
We will do this, as I said, for the sake of peace on our native land, for the sake of Belarus, which we are building on the foundation of victories, achievements, experience, and the memory of our heroic ancestors.
Dear Belarusians! Live peacefully, do not worry, raise your children.
Always be happy, take care of your native land and your loved ones!
Happy holiday, Belarusians! Happy National Unity Day!
(Applause).