Lukashenko Urges to Tell Truth About "Heavy Footprint" of Polish Authorities on Belarusian Lands

On September 17, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held a significant meeting with ideological activists, historians, and experts dedicated to National Unity Day, according to BELTA.

"Building the future on the lessons of the past," Lukashenko engaged with the ideological and expert community.

"Whatever happens today (in relations between Belarus and Poland — ed.), we do not see as a mistake the fact that for many years we tried to live peacefully with our neighbors, without throwing in their faces uncomfortable historical facts (there’s no reason to regret that),” the head of state said. “While we were thinking about friendship, they made us out to be subhumans and outright enemies — in culture, science, and the media. As a result, they developed the policies we see today.”

Therefore, according to the President, it is necessary to tell the prehistory of the Red Army’s campaign. “It's time to break the silence and reveal what heavy legacy the Polish authorities left on lands separated from our Soviet republic,” emphasized Lukashenko. “Our people must know that Belarusians were robbed while ethnic Poland flourished and prospered, that our resources were exported, and that peasants, working to the bone for pennies, lived in poverty and under the threat of the lash. This lash fell on everyone who tried to fight for their faith, language, and culture.”

He also stressed that it must be acknowledged that residents of Western Belarus were deprived of the right to study in their native language, that Orthodox churches were closed, and that national elites and priests faced persecution.