August 25 – anniversary of Belarus’ independence

The Supreme Council of Belarus made the Declaration of State Sovereignty a constitutional act on August 25, 1991. It happened after the August Coup failure in Moscow.

Thousands of people gathered in Lenin Square in Minsk on August 25. They demanded to disband the Communist Party. The Declaration of State Sovereignty was adopted on July 27, 1990 but it came into force only in August 1991. Our country became independent on that day.

The meeting of the Supreme Council was held under a white-red-white flag brought by BPF members headed by Zyanon Paznyak. The historic flag and the National Emblem Pahonya became state symbols only a month later.