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, which was a part of a wave of Soviet repressions in Belarus

Soviet repressions in Belarus

Soviet repressions in Belarus refers to cases of ungrounded criminal persecution of people in Belarus under Communist rule. This includes persecution of people for the alleged counter-revolutionary activity, as well as deportations of people to other regions of the USSR based on their social,...

 in 1929 - 1931. The GPU has accused the victims of membership in a presumably non-existent anti-Soviet organisation called the Union of Liberation of Belarus . Most of the accused have been expelled to far regions of the USSR, many have been exterminated.

The case started with the arrest of the editor Piotr Ilyuchonak on February 17. During spring and summer of 1930 108 people were arrested. At the beginning the GPU has seen Vaclau Lastouski

Vaclau Lastouski

Vaclaw Lastowski was a Belarusian critic, historian of literature, and politician.Was a member of Council of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. Has published many books about Belarus, recognized the right of the people of Belarus to self-determination...

 (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 organisation. 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 have at certain stages been accused of being members of the ULB.

All arrested, except for 18 people, have been 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 has been heard again, many of the convicts have been executed, some sent to concentration camps. In 1937-1939 many of the GPU executives who had worked on the case have themselves also been executed. An other wave of repressions against former ULB membership suspects, which were still alive at that moment, came in 1949—1952.

List of suspects at the ULB case

Dr. Anton Adamovich, literature historian Aliaksandr Adamovich, statesman, executed in 1937 Arkadz Adziniets, linguist, deported to Bashkortostan Bashkortostan The Republic of Bashkortostan , also known as Bashkiria is a federal subject of Russia . It is located between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains. Its capital is the city of Ufa... , 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 Ivanovo Ivanovo is a city and the administrative center of Ivanovo Oblast, Russia. Population: Ivanovo has traditionally been called the textile capital of Russia. Since most textile workers are women, it has also been known as the "City of Brides"... 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 Maksim Haretski Maksim Haretski was a Belarusian prose writer. In 1919, he published a short novel titled Two Souls. During his lifetime, he also wrote for the Belarusian language newspaper Nasha Niva.... , 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 Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic or Ukrainian National Republic was a republic that was declared in part of the territory of modern Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, eventually headed by Symon Petliura.-Revolutionary Wave:... ) and pedagogue Janka Kupala, poet Feliks Kupcevich L. Kurylovich Vaclau Lastouski Vaclau Lastouski Vaclaw Lastowski was a Belarusian critic, historian of literature, and politician.Was a member of Council of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. Has published many books about Belarus, recognized the right of the people of Belarus to self-determination... , 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 Belarusian Science Academy, executed in 1937 Ivan Pashkovich Uladzimyer Prakulevich Uladzimyer Prakulevich Uladzimyer Prakulevich was a Belarusian politician, writer and lawyer.-Education:He graduated from the University of Moscow in 1912. During his studies Prakulevich was member of the local Marxist movement and wrote for several Moscow Marxist journals.-Career:Since 1912 he worked at the... , politician, writer and lawyer, executed in 1938 Dzmitry Pryshchepau Jazep Pushcha (Plashchynski) R. Piatsevich Cheslau Rodzievich Aliaksandr Sak I. Sasinovich Jan Sierada Jan Sierada Jan Sierada was a Belarusian statesman, pedagogist and writer, the first president of the Belarusian Democratic Republic.Sierada was born in the village Zadźwiej .... , statesman, pedagogist 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 Paval Zhauryd Paval Zhauryd was a Belarusian military commander.Zhauryd was born in the village Cieciarouka near Slutsk and graduated from the Slutsk Gymnasium in 1909. As a student of the Gymnasium, Zhauryd created a Belarusian independentionalist club with his classmates... , military commander, died in prison Flaryjan Zhdanovich, actor and theater director, sent to concentration camps and later possibly executed Uladzimir Zhylka, poet and literature critic, deported

Sources

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

See also

• Soviet repressions in Belarus
  Soviet repressions in Belarus
  Soviet repressions in Belarus refers to cases of ungrounded criminal persecution of people in Belarus under Communist rule. This includes persecution of people for the alleged counter-revolutionary activity, as well as deportations of people to other regions of the USSR based on their social,...
  
  
• 1937 mass execution of Belarusians
  1937 mass execution of Belarusians
  October 29-30, 1937 executions in Belarus refers to a mass extermination of Belarusian writers, artists and statespeople by Communist authorities. This event marks the peak of the Great Purge and repressions in the Soviet-controlled East Belarus....
  
  
• Case of the Union of Liberation of Belarus
  Case of the Union of Liberation of Belarus
  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, which was a part of a wave of Soviet repressions in Belarus in 1929 - 1931...