Ceremony for State Awards Presentation Takes Place at Palace of Independence on September 14

A ceremony is taking place in a festive atmosphere at the Palace of Independence on September 14. Traditionally, ahead of national holidays, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko honors those who improve the country through their hard work and talent; today marks the presentation of state awards.

The Head of State noted that National Unity Day returned to the national holiday calendar five years ago. The President described the date of September 17, 1939, as a crucial milestone in the formation of the nation's statehood. "After the western lands were reunited with the BSSR, we became a single people sharing a common history, culture, and language—elements that had been suppressed in Western Belarus under the yoke of the Polish state. That is a fact," Alexander Lukashenko said.

"It is hard to imagine today, but that is how it was. Yet there were also Belarusians who did not spare their lives so that 'we might be called human beings.' There were many such people," the Head of State emphasized.

The President noted that this holiday has taken root and become beloved, earning an honored place alongside major holidays such as Victory Day and Independence Day.