The Formation, Activities, and Legal Status of the Ministry of Belarusian Affairs of Lithuania (1918-1924)
Abstract
The purpose of the research paper is to analyze the formation, activities, and legal status of the Ministry of Belarusian Affairs of the Lithuanian Republic in the period between 1918 and 1924. Particular attention is paid to the legal aspects of the Ministry’s functioning as a state body responsible for protecting the rights of the Belarusian community and strengthening interethnic relations in the Lithuanian Republic.
The scientific novelty of the study is in a comprehensive analysis of the role of the Ministry of Belarusian Affairs of the Lithuanian Republic as an instrument for protecting the national rights of the Belarusian community in conditions of political instability and territorial disputes after World War I. The previously unknown aspects of the interaction between the Lithuanian government and the Belarusian community are uncovered in the study; the reasons that led to the establishment and liquidation of the Ministry in 1924 are studied; and its significance in the context of the formation of Belarusian national consciousness is assessed.
Conclusions. The establishment of the Ministry of Belarusian Affairs of the Lithuanian Republic resulted from agreements between the Lithuanian government and the Vilnius Belarusian Council. The Ministry aimed to protect the national interests of the Belarusian population, coordinate cultural and educational activities, perform administrative work, and develop legislative initiatives regarding the national rights of Belarusians. Legal status of the Ministry was enshrined in temporary provisions that defined its functions, structure, and powers. The Ministry held an equal status in the executive branch, and its Minister had the right to participate in meetings of the Council of Ministers and represent his position in the State Council (Taryba).
The main areas of the Ministry’s activity were organizational, military, and cultural and educational work, which were most fruitful during the Grodno period of its activity. However, due to political and financial constraints, support from the Lithuanian government gradually weakened, leading to the liquidation of the Ministry in 1924. That signaled a change in Lithuania’s policy towards national minorities and the end of its endorsement for the idea of Belarusian autonomy. During its existence, the Ministry played an important role in raising the national consciousness of the Belarusian population, but could not implement the idea of territorial autonomy within Lithuania.
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