History of Belarus in Timeline

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. It covers an area of 207,600 square kilometers and has a population of 9.1 million. The country has a hemiboreal climate and is divided into six regions. Minsk is the capital and largest city, administered separately.

1939: Soviet occupation

In 1939, the free development of literature only occurred in Polish-held territory until Soviet occupation.

1945: Joined the United Nations

In 1945, the Byelorussian SSR joined the United Nations as one of the original 51 members.

1986: Chernobyl nuclear disaster

In 1986, about 70% of the radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster entered Belarusian territory.

1990: Decline in Belarusian-language literature

In 1990, the annual circulation of Belarusian-language literature began a significant decrease.

1990: Forest cover

In 1990, the forest cover in Belarus was around 7,780,000 hectares.

1991: Dissolution of the Soviet Union

At the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Belarus was one of the world's most industrially developed states by proportion of GDP and the richest CIS member-state.

January 1992: Belarusian Popular Front campaign for early elections

In January 1992, the Belarusian Popular Front campaigned for early elections, two years before the scheduled date.

May 1992: Introduction of the Belarusian Ruble

In May 1992, the Belarusian ruble was introduced to replace the Soviet ruble.

1992: Formation of the Armed Forces

In 1992, the armed forces of Belarus were formed using parts of the former Soviet Armed Forces located on the new republic's territory.

1993: WTO Application

In 1993, Belarus applied to become a member of the World Trade Organization.

1993: New law on parliamentary elections failed to pass

In 1993, a new law on parliamentary elections failed to pass.

March 1994: Elections set for the Supreme Council

Elections for the Supreme Council were set for March 1994.

March 1994: National constitution adopted

In March 1994, Belarus adopted a national constitution, giving the functions of prime minister to the President of Belarus.

June 1994: First round of presidential election

On 24 June 1994, the first round of the presidential election catapulted Alexander Lukashenko into national prominence with 45% of the vote.

July 1994: Second round of presidential election

On 10 July 1994, Alexander Lukashenko won the second round of the presidential election with 80% of the vote, defeating Vyacheslav Kebich.

1994: Main Exports

In 1994, Belarus's main exports included heavy machinery, agricultural products, and energy products.

1994: Belarus competes in Olympic Games

Since the 1994 Winter Olympics, Belarus has competed in the Olympic Games as an independent nation.

1994: Presidential term

Under the 1994 constitution, the president could serve for only two terms.

October 1995: Abolishment of Local Governments

In October 1995, a presidential decree abolished the local governments of cities of raion subordination and urban-type settlements which served as the administrative center of raions, demoting them from administrative-territorial units to territorial units.

1995: Partnership for Peace Program

In 1995, Belarus began to cooperate with NATO upon signing documents to participate in their Partnership for Peace Program.

1995: Employment Statistics

In 1995, statistics were first compiled on the employment rate, and since then, the overall rate of employment has been the highest in Belarus as of 2005.

1995: Adoption of National Flag

In 1995, the Belarusian national flag, decorated with an ornamental pattern common in early dresses, was adopted in a disputed referendum.

1995: Treaties demarcated Belarus's borders with Latvia and Lithuania

In 1995, treaties demarcated Belarus's borders with Latvia and Lithuania.

November 1996: Constitutional referendum and parliament by-elections

In November 1996, there were election irregularities in the constitutional referendum and parliament by-elections.

December 1996: First Coins Issued

On 27 December 1996, the first coins of the Republic of Belarus were issued.

1996: GDP Began to Rise

In 1996, Belarus's GDP began to rise after a period of decline, making it the fastest-recovering former Soviet republic in terms of its economy.

1996: Vote to extend the presidential term

In 1996, Lukashenko called for a controversial vote to extend the presidential term from five to seven years.

1996: National Academic Theatre of Ballet awarded Benois de la Dance Prize

In 1996, The National Academic Theatre of Ballet in Minsk was awarded the Benois de la Dance Prize as the top ballet company in the world.

1996: Establishment of the Union State

In 1996, the Union State, a supranational confederation between Belarus and Russia, was established through a series of treaties.

1996: Treaties demarcated Belarus's borders with Latvia and Lithuania

In 1996, treaties demarcated Belarus's borders with Latvia and Lithuania.

1997: Belarus ratified a treaty establishing the Belarus-Ukraine border

In 1997, Belarus ratified a treaty establishing the Belarus-Ukraine border.

1997: Council of Europe removed Belarus from its observer status

In 1997, the Council of Europe removed Belarus from its observer status.

1997: Transformation of the Armed Forces completed

In 1997, the transformation of the ex-Soviet forces into the Armed Forces of Belarus was completed, resulting in a reduction of 30,000 soldiers and a restructuring of leadership and military formations.

1997: Individual Partnership Program

Since 1997, Belarus has participated in the Individual Partnership Program.

1998: Joined the Non-Aligned Movement

Since 1998, Belarus has been a member of the international Non-Aligned Movement.

1999: Election delayed

In 1999, the election that was supposed to occur was pushed back to 2001.

2000: Ruble Reintroduction

In 2000, the ruble was reintroduced with new values.

2001: Lukashenko re-elected as president

In 2001, Lukashenko was officially re-elected as president, though the election was not considered free or fair.

2001: Contract Soldiers Increased

In 2001, demographic decreases in Belarusians of conscription age increased the importance of contract soldiers, who numbered 12,000.

2001: Election pushed back

In 2001, the election was pushed back to this year.

2002: Belarusian Hockey Team finishes fourth in Olympics

In 2002, the national hockey team of Belarus finished fourth at the Salt Lake City Olympics.

2003: Unemployment Rate Declining

Since 2003, the unemployment rate has been declining in Belarus.

2004: Constitutional change

In 2004, a constitutional change eliminated presidential term limits.

2004: Russia–Belarus energy dispute

In 2004, the Russia–Belarus energy dispute began when Gazprom ceased gas imports into Belarus due to price disagreements.

2004: Belarus Democracy Act

In 2004, the United States passed the Belarus Democracy Act, which authorized funding for anti-government Belarusian NGOs, and prohibited loans to the Belarusian government, except for humanitarian purposes.

2004: Elections

In the 2004 elections, neither the pro-Lukashenko parties nor the opposition parties won any seats.

2005: GDP Increase

In 2005, Belarus's GDP increased by 9.9%, with an average inflation rate of 9.5%.

2005: Military Expenditure

In 2005, about 1.4% of Belarus's gross domestic product was devoted to military expenditure.

2005: Employment Statistics

In 2005, nearly a quarter of the population of Belarus was employed in industrial factories, and the unemployment rate was 1.5%, according to government statistics.

March 2006: Tensions with NATO Peaked

In March 2006, tensions between NATO and Belarus peaked after the presidential election in Belarus.

2006: GDP Amount

In 2006, Belarus's GDP amounted to US$83.1 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars, or about $8,100 per capita.

2006: Lukashenko re-elected as president

In 2006, Lukashenko was officially re-elected as president, though the election was not considered free or fair.

2006: Presidential election

In the 2006 presidential election, Lukashenko won with 80% of the vote amid controversy and international criticism.

February 2007: Belarus and Lithuania ratified final border demarcation documents

In February 2007, Belarus and Lithuania ratified final border demarcation documents.

June 2007: Loss of EU Generalized System of Preferences Status

On 21 June 2007, Belarus lost its EU Generalized System of Preferences status due to its failure to protect labor rights, which raised tariff rates.

2007: Main Trading Partners

As of 2007, Belarus's main trading partners were Russia, accounting for about 45% of exports and 55% of imports, and the EU countries, with 25% of exports and 20% of imports.

2007: Population Decline

In 2007, Belarus's population declined by 0.41% and its fertility rate was 1.22.

2007: Belarusian Ruble Pegging Abandoned

In 2007, The National Bank of Belarus abandoned pegging the Belarusian ruble to the Russian ruble.

2007: Russia–Belarus energy dispute

In 2007, a Russia–Belarus energy dispute occurred centering on accusations by Gazprom that Belarus was siphoning oil from the Druzhba pipeline.

2007: United States

Since 2007, the United States has not had an ambassador in Minsk.

January 2008: Single Currency Proposal

Starting as early as 1 January 2008, there was a proposal that the Belarusian ruble be discontinued in favor of the Russian ruble (RUB), as part of the Union of Russia and Belarus, the two states discussed using a single currency analogous to the Euro.

2008: Inna Zhukova wins silver at Beijing Olympics

In 2008, Inna Zhukova earned silver at the Beijing Olympics.

2008: Belarus

Since 2008, Belarus has not had an ambassador in Washington.

2009: Belarus ratified a 1997 treaty establishing the Belarus-Ukraine border

In 2009, Belarus ratified a 1997 treaty establishing the Belarus-Ukraine border.

2009: 2009 Census Data on Language

In 2009, a census recorded that 53% of the population described Belarusian as their "mother tongue", while 41% described Russian as such.

2010: Presidential election and protests

Following the December 2010 presidential election, Lukashenko was elected to a fourth straight term with nearly 80% of the vote, sparking protests and arrests.

2010: Lukashenko re-elected as president

In 2010, Lukashenko was officially re-elected as president, though the election was not considered free or fair.

May 2011: Ruble Depreciation

On 23 May 2011, the Belarusian ruble depreciated 56% against the United States dollar.

June 2011: Request for Economic Rescue Package

On 1 June 2011, Belarus requested an economic rescue package from the International Monetary Fund.

November 2011: Religion Census

According to the census of November 2011, 58.9% of all Belarusians adhered to some kind of religion; out of those, Eastern Orthodoxy made up about 82%.

2011: Economic crisis and Minsk Metro bombing

In 2011, Belarus faced a severe economic crisis with inflation reaching 108.7%, and the Minsk Metro bombing killed 15 people.

2011: Capital Punishment

In 2011, Belarus was the only European country still using capital punishment, and carried out executions.

2012: Belarusian Gymnasts at London Olympics

In 2012, Liubov Charkashyna earned bronze at the London Olympics and the Belarusian senior group also earned bronze.

2012: Victoria Azarenka wins Australian Open

In 2012, Victoria Azarenka became the first Belarusian to win a Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open.

2012: Regulations for the Forestry Industry

In 2012, similar regulations to those for kolkhoz workers were introduced for the forestry industry in Belarus.

2012: Execution of suspects in Minsk Metro bombing

In 2012, the two suspects in the 2011 Minsk Metro bombing were executed by shooting.

2012: Parliamentary election

In the 2012 parliamentary election, 105 of the 110 members elected to the House of Representatives were not affiliated with any political party.

2014: Darya Domracheva wins three gold medals

Darya Domracheva's honours include three gold medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

2014: New Law on Kolkhoz Workers

In 2014, Lukashenko announced a new law that prohibited kolkhoz workers from leaving their jobs at will, requiring permission from governors.

2014: IIHF World Championship hosted in Belarus

In 2014, the IIHF World Championship was hosted in Belarus.

2015: Population Age Distribution

As of 2015, 69.9% of Belarus's population was aged 14 to 64; 15.5% was under 14, and 14.6% was 65 or older.

2015: Forest ownership

In 2015, 100% of the forest area in Belarus was reported to be under public ownership.

2015: Employment by State-Controlled Companies

In 2015, 39.3% of Belarusians were employed by state-controlled companies.

2015: Lukashenko re-elected as president

In 2015, Lukashenko was officially re-elected as president, though the election was not considered free or fair.

2015: Melitina Staniouta wins Bronze All-Around Medal

In 2015, Melitina Staniouta won the Bronze All-Around Medal of the World Championships.

2015: Population of Minsk

In 2015, Minsk, the nation's capital and largest city, was home to 1,937,900 residents.

2015: Svetlana Alexievich wins Nobel Prize

In 2015, Svetlana Alexievich, a Belarusian author, won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and named Ales Adamovich as her main teacher.

2015: Vasil Kiryienka wins Road World Time Trial Championship

In 2015, cyclist Vasil Kiryienka won the Road World Time Trial Championship.

July 2016: New Belarusian Ruble Introduction

In July 2016, a new currency, the new Belarusian ruble (ISO 4217 code: BYN) was introduced, replacing the Belarusian ruble in a rate of 1:10,000.

December 2016: Parallel Circulation of Currencies

From 1 July until 31 December 2016, the old and new Belarusian currencies were in parallel circulation.

January 2017: Exchange of Old Notes and Coins

From 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2021, series 2000 notes and coins could be exchanged for series 2009.

2019: Census Results

According to the 2019 census, the population of Belarus was 9.41 million, with ethnic Belarusians constituting 84.9% of the total population.

2019: Administrative-Territorial Units

As of 2019, the administrative-territorial and territorial units in Belarus included 115 cities, 85 urban-type settlements, and 23,075 rural settlements.

2019: Manufacturing in GDP

In 2019, the share of manufacturing in GDP was 31% in Belarus, with manufacturing employing 34.7% of the workforce.

September 2020: Reports of Torture and Ill-Treatment

In September 2020, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported receiving 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of people arrested during protests following the presidential election, along with reports of violence against women and children.

2020: Continued Decline in Belarusian-language literature

By 2020, the annual circulation of Belarusian-language literature had significantly decreased since 1990.

2020: Hybrid Warfare

Compared to the 2020 statistics, in August 2021 the number of migrants crossing the Belarus–Poland border sharply increased multiple times indicating a hybrid warfare.

2020: Mass protests following the presidential election

Following the disputed 2020 Belarusian presidential election, mass protests erupted across the country.

2020: Lukashenko re-elected as president

In 2020, Lukashenko was officially re-elected as president, though the election was not considered free or fair.

2020: Presidential election and protests

In the 2020 presidential election, Lukashenko won again with official results giving him 80% of the vote, leading to mass protests.

2020: Sanctions Imposed After Election

Sanctions were imposed following the rigged 2020 "election" of Lukashenko.

May 2021: Ryanair Flight Diversion and Sanctions Threat

In May 2021, Belarusian authorities forcibly diverted a Ryanair flight to detain Roman Protasevich, leading to stricter EU sanctions. Lukashenko then threatened to flood the EU with migrants and drugs in response.

June 2021: Belarus suspended its participation in the Eastern Partnership program

On 28 June 2021, Belarus suspended its participation in the European Union's Eastern Partnership program after the EU imposed more sanctions against the country.

July 2021: Hybrid Warfare by Human Trafficking

In July 2021, Belarusian authorities were accused of launching a hybrid warfare tactic by trafficking migrants to the European Union.

August 2021: Migrants at the Belarus–Lithuania border

In August 2021, Belarusian officials were recorded on camera pushing and urging migrants to cross the Belarus–Lithuania border into the European Union.

December 2021: End of Exchange Period

From 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2021, series 2000 notes and coins could be exchanged for series 2009.

December 2021: New Sanctions Imposed

On 2 December 2021, the United States, European Union, United Kingdom and Canada imposed new sanctions on Belarus.

2021: Manufacturing Growth

In 2021, manufacturing growth in Belarus was about 2.2%.

2021: Cancellation of IIHF World Championship co-hosted in Belarus

In 2021, the IIHF World Championship was supposed to be co-hosted in Latvia and Belarus but it was cancelled due to widespread protests and security concerns.

April 2022: EU Trade Sanctions

In April 2022, the EU imposed trade sanctions on Belarus due to its facilitation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

October 2022: Ban on Price Increases

On 6 October 2022, Lukashenko banned price increases to combat food inflation.

2022: Press Freedom Index Ranking

In 2022, Belarus was ranked 153rd out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders.

2022: Sanctions imposed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine

In 2022, further sanctions were imposed on Belarus following the country's role and complicity in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In January 2023, Belarus legalized copyright infringement of media and intellectual property created by "unfriendly" foreign nations.

March 2023: Law on Capital Punishment for High Treason

In March 2023, Lukashenko signed a law allowing capital punishment against officials and soldiers convicted of high treason.

August 2023: Sanctions Extended and Expanded

In August 2023, the EU trade sanctions on Belarus were extended and expanded.

2024: Global Innovation Index

In 2024, Belarus was ranked 85th in the Global Innovation Index.

2050: Median Age Projection

The median age of Belarus's population is projected to rise from 30–34 to between 60 and 64 in 2050.

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