Belarus

Basic Information

Capital city: Minsk

Brief Timeline

Pre-1918: Russian Empire (Grodno, Minsk, Mogilev, Vilna, and Vitebsk guberniyas)
1918: Short-lived Belarusian National Republic proclaimed as Russian Red Army establishes communist rule
1921: The Treaty of Riga divides Belarus between Poland & Soviet Russia
1922: Byelorussian SSR becomes a founding member of USSR
1941-1944: Byelorussian territory occupied by Nazi Germany; immense destruction and loss of life
1944: Soviet Red Army expels German forces
1990: Belarusian becomes the official state language
1991: Belarus declares independence following Soviet Union collapse

Maps and Gazetteers

Belarus 1882
Russia in Europe North 1908
Russia in Europe South 1908

Genealogy Links

Belarus National Archives
Researching Russian Roots
Belarusian Genealogy
Jewish Community in Belarus
Belarus GenWeb
Belarus Surnames and Placenames
Belarus Revision Lists

Societies and Organizations

East European Genealogical Society
Zhurtavannie Bialaruskaj Shliachty (ZBS) Association of the Belarusian Nobility

Flag courtesy of Flags of All Countries used with permission.