Aleksandr Lukashenko, President of Belarus
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Early HistorySlavic peoples have inhabited the area today known as the Republic of Belarus since the sixth century. From the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries the territory was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Violent conflicts resulted in Russian invasion, and by the mid eighteenth century Russia was a permanent presence and the nation entered a period of "Russification." In 1795 Poland was broken up by its neighbors and Russia annexed Belarusian territory.
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Belarus and the Soviet Union |
World War I resulted in a rebirth of the Belarusian language and nationalism, but this renaissance was short lived. Belarus became part of the Soviet Union in the 1920s and was named the Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR). Belarus suffered staggering losses in WWII, including most of its intelligencia, resulting in further stifling of Belarusian.
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Independence and Belarus Today |
Belarus declared independence from Russia in July 1990 and achieved sovereignty on July 25, 1991. Upon independence Belarusian was made the new nation's official language. Russian was made a co-official by the newly elected president, Aleksandr Lukashenko.
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