Belarusian independence turns 35: How the country declared sovereignty
Zianon Pazniak speaks in parliament on 24 August 1991. Next to him is Valentin Golubev, with the flag — Volha Halubovich / svaboda.org
Belarusian independence turns 35 years old.
On 25 August 1991, the Declaration on state sovereignty of the BSSR acquired the status of a constitutional law. This happened following the failure of the communist coup in Moscow (the so-called GKChP — the State Committee on the State of Emergency).
The Declaration itself had been signed a year before these events — on 27 July 1990. It was on this date, 27 July, that Belarus celebrated Independence Day until 1996.
Later, in September 1991, the white-red-white flag and the "Pahonia" coat of arms were proclaimed state symbols. And the country officially became known as the Republic of Belarus.
