After a century of terrible captivity and ethnocide, after four years of hunger and torture caused by strange war on the Belarusian land our people found courage and strength to declare to the world, it wants to be a host in its own house.

The Charter on Independence of March 25, 1918 is one of the most important documents in our modern history. Here are its first words. 

“ A year ago Belarusian and Russian  people together cast off the yoke of the Russian czarism, that pressed Belarus the hardest. Without asking it threw our land into the war fire that completely ruined Belarusian towns and villages. Now we, the Rada of the Belarusian National Republic, cast the last yoke of the state slavery. We proclaim the Belarusian National Republic a free and independent state. The future relations will be decided by the Soim representing Belarusian people”.

We all know, dear fellow-countryman, without the Charter on Independence of 25 March, without the BNR Belarusians might have disappeared.

The Belarusian National Republic did not manage to strengthen a newly proclaimed country. Though it was recognized by the neighbors our ambassador in Versal did not defend our right to self-expression. Our enemies were stronger than us. Belarus did not have any friends in Washington D.C., London, and Paris who could lobby for us. The proclamation of the BNR made the invaders to form BSSR. You know the rest of History.

The Soviet period of our history I would call a period of lies. The BSSR was a vassal of the state that was ruled by the greatest criminals in human history. Nobody has broken their record, 100 million of communism victims.

Moscow was destroying and at the same time convincing our oppressed people who had no access to the truth that Russia is a fraternal state and we need its protection.

The Rada of the BNR continued to fight for the independence. Its representatives were the defenders Belarus needed in 1918.

Little by little although propaganda of Moscow against us and its vassal Mensk we were informing the world about our oppressed people, our history, culture and our right to be a host on our own land.

To be known we were doing our best so the word Belarus would be heard during all the meeting and arrangement in presence of other nations. We were the small light giving hope to realize the ideals of the Charter on Independence.  

Today we know those ideals will be realized that our people will take its place among the other free nations of the world. The dictatorship ruling in Belarus now will collapse as the soviet prison of the nations did. It will collapse because there is a new generation growing, the generation of Dashkievich, Finkievich and Seviaryniec. They believe in better future of Belarus and will adopt our fight for realization of the harter on Independence ideals. 

Belarusian people realize that there is no future without a free and independent Belarusian country. I want to recall the words of Kastus Kalinouski who warned us that we would live happily and quietly only if we got rid of Muscovites, if we stopped foreigners decide our fate. 

Although I am not young, I still believe that I will see free and independent Belarus; I will see the Belarus that could have been now if the Bolsheviks had not invaded the BNR and weakened it.

Let’s revive our wonderful land! Our nation will overcome the fear and will rise again as Jesus Christ, Our Lord, rose from the dead! 

So help us God! Long Live Belarus!

Ivonka Survilla

President of the Rada of the Belarusian National Republic