Case of the Union of Liberation of Belarus

Vaclau Lastouski, one of the victims of the case

The Case of the Union of Liberation of Belarus was a political and criminal case initiated by the GPU of the Belarusian Soviet Republic against several Belarusian scientists and culture activists. The case formed part of a wave of Soviet repressions in Belarus in 1929 - 1931. The GPU accused the victims of membership in a (presumably non-existent) anti-Soviet organization called the Union of Liberation of Belarus (Belarusian: Саюз вызвалення Беларусі). Most of the accused were killed, or expelled to far regions of the USSR.

The case started with the arrest of the editor Piotr Ilyuchonak on February 17. During the spring and summer of 1930 108 people were arrested. At the beginning the GPU saw Vaclau Lastouski (former prime-minister of the Belarusian Democratic Republic), Aliaksandr Tsvikevich and Arkadz Smolich (former agriculture minister of the Belarusian Democratic Republic) as leaders of the organization. Later Aliaksandr Adamovich (a Belarusian nationalist communist politician), Anton Balitski (statesman and writer), Piotr Ilyuchonak and Dzmitry Pryshchepau have been viewed as such. People like the prominent poets Janka Kupala and Jakub Kolas or the first president of the Belarusian Science Academy Usievalad Ihnatouski were at certain stages accused of being members of the ULB.

All arrested, except for 18 people, were sentenced to different terms of deportation. Usievalad Ihnatouski has committed suicide on February 4, 1931. The supposed leaders of the ULB have been sentenced to 10 years of deportation while most of other members have been deported in inner regions of the USSR for 5 years.

In 1937—1941 the case was heard again; many of the convicts were executed, some sent to concentration camps. In 1937-1939 many of the GPU executives who had worked on the case were also themselves executed. An other wave of repressions against former ULB membership suspects, who were still alive at the time, came in 1949—1952.

List of suspects at the ULB case^[1]

Dr. Anton Adamovich, literary historian Aliaksandr Adamovich, statesman, executed in 1937 Arkadz Adziniets, linguist, deported to Bashkortostan, fate unknown Cimafey Adziarykha, pedagogue, fate unknown Mikhail Adziarykha, pedagogue, executed in 1938 Mikalai Azbukin, geographer, died in prison Aliaksandr Anikhouski, pedagogue, deported to Ivanovo Todar Apacionak, pedagogue, sentenced to three years in concentration camps Adam Babareka, writer, died in concentration camp Hienadz Bahdanovich, pedagogue and social activist, died in prison Mikola Baykou, pedagogue and linguist Anton Balitski, statesman, executed in 1937 Khviedar Bandarchyk Pavel Bindziuk Piotr Buzuk, linguist, writer and pedagogue, executed in 1938 Andrei Burdzieyka Janka Bialkevich, linguist and pedagogue Yauhien Biadrytski Uladzislau Charzhynski Nichypar Charnushevich Aliaksandr Halavinski Ryhor Hatsko, pedagogue, fate unknown Maksim Haretski, writer, folklore researcher, executed in 1937 Hauryla Haretski Mikhayla Hramyka, writer, geologist and pedagogue, deported for 5 years Ales Hurlo, poet, translator, linguist Mikhas Hurski Mikalay Hutkouski Leu Dashkievich A. Darashevich Siarhiey Dubinski, archeologist and historian, executed in 1937 Uladzimir Dubouka, poet, translator, deported Ales Dudar Jazep Dyla, writer and statesman, deported D. Dynko Branislau Epimakh-Shypila Usievalad Ihnatouski, politician and historian Piotr Ilyuchonak Khviedar Imshenik, literature scientist and pedagogue, fate unknown Mikhas Kavyl Pavel Karavaychyk Mikalai Kaspiarovich P. Kaciarynich Symon Khursik Yaukhim Kipel, politician and pedagogue, deported Ivan Kisliakou Mikalai Krasinski Ivan Kraskouski, politician (former member of the government of the Ukrainian People's Republic) and pedagogue Janka Kupala, poet Feliks Kupcevich L. Kurylovich Vaclau Lastouski, former Prime Minister of the Belarusian Democratic Republic, executed in 1938 Jazep Liosik Jury Listapad, politician Ales Liazhnevich Mikalay Mamchyts Paulina Miadziolka, artist and pedagogue Mikhal Mialeshka Siarhiey Mialeshka Adam Mitskevich, U. Murashka Sciapan Niekrashevich, politician and academician, one of the founders of the Institute of Belarusian Culture which later became the Belarusian Science Academy, executed in 1937 Ivan Pashkovich Uladzimyer Prakulevich, politician, writer and lawyer, executed in 1938 Dzmitry Pryshchepau Jazep Pushcha (Plashchynski) R. Piatsevich Cheslau Rodzievich Aliaksandr Sak I. Sasinovich Jan Sierada, statesman, pedagogue and writer, the first President of the Belarusian Democratic Republic Siarhiey Skandrakou Liavon Sluchanin Arkadz Smolich Jazep Sudhynski Pavel Trampovich I. Trasko Ja. Trafimau Aliaksandr Tsvikevich, statesman, lawyer, philosopher, executed in 1937 Ivan Tsvikevich Mikalai Ulashchyk, historian, sent to concentration camp Vasil Shashalevich, poet and writer, died in concentration camp Aliaksandr Shliubski, folklore researcher Pauliuk Shukayla Mikola Shchakatsikhin, art researcher, pedagogue, died in prison Aliaksandr Valkovich, statesman, executed in 1937 Jazep Vasilevich Valeryjan Voly Mikalay Yanshyn Yeudakim Yarashchuk I. Yurashkevich Todar Zabiela, historian Leanard Zayats, politician, died in prison Piotr Zianiuk Paval Zhauryd, military commander, died in prison Flaryjan Zhdanovich, actor and theatre director, sent to concentration camps and later possibly executed Uladzimir Zhylka, poet and literature critic, deported

References

1. The list is not full and includes only 98 people

Sources

• Аркуш А. Рызыкоўная барацьба намэнклятуры // Наша Ніва, №7.
• Сідарэвіч А. Трыюмвіры, або Помнік камісарам // Наша Ніва, №13.

See also

• Soviet repressions in Belarus
• 1937 mass execution of Belarusians
• 1931 Menshevik Trial