Vasil Zacharka
Encyclopedia
Vasil Zacharka was a Belarusian statesman and the second president of the Belarusian People's Republic in exile.
. In 1895 he became a certified church school teacher and later worked at school.
In 1898 Zacharka was mobilized to the Russian army and was demobilized in 1902. By that time he already was member of a large Belarusian national organization, the Belarusian Socialist Assembly
.
He was again mobilized in 1904 following the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War
and served in the military on several administrative posts till 1917.
and became secretary of the newly created Central Belarusian Military Council. He was also elected member of the Council of the First All-Belarusian Congress later that year.
After proclamation of the independence on March 25, 1918, Vasil Zacharka held different positions in the government of Belarus.
and then to Hrodna
. Zacharka was among the creators of appeals to the League of Nations
, Great Britain, France, USA and other countries by the Belarusian government.
On June 2, 1920 Zacharka was appointed chief of the Belarusian diplomatic mission to Moscow where he held negotiations with the Russian foreign minister Georgy Chicherin
. Zacharka tried to convince the Soviets to recognize the independence of Belarus and to liberate Belarusian political prisoners held in Russian jails.
After the Peace of Riga
in 1921 the Belarusian government in exile passed resolutions criticizing it and supporting the Slutsk defence action
.
In 1925 Zacharka managed to prevent the government of the Belarusian People's Republic to abandon its authority in favour of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic, despite the fact that many members of the democratic government were advocating this idea.
Zacharka served as deputy president of the Belarusian People's Republic Piotra Krecheuski and became president upon his death in early 1928. As president he protested against the transferral of Vilnius
from the Belarusian SSR to the Republic of Lithuania in October 1939.
Vasil Zacharka died in Prague in 1943 and left a rich archive of documents about the Belarusian Democratic Republic.
Early life
Vasil Zacharka was born in a peasant family near HrodnaHrodna
Grodno or Hrodna , is a city in Belarus. It is located on the Neman River , close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania . It has 327,540 inhabitants...
. In 1895 he became a certified church school teacher and later worked at school.
In 1898 Zacharka was mobilized to the Russian army and was demobilized in 1902. By that time he already was member of a large Belarusian national organization, the Belarusian Socialist Assembly
Belarusian Socialist Assembly
The Belarusian Socialist Assembly, BSA was a revolutionary party in the Belarusian territory of the Russian Empire. It was established in 1902 as the Belarusian Revolutionary Party, renamed in 1903....
.
He was again mobilized in 1904 following the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
and served in the military on several administrative posts till 1917.
Political activism
Vasil Zacharka was an active participant of the Congress of Belarusian West Front Militarymen on October 22, 1917 in MinskMinsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
and became secretary of the newly created Central Belarusian Military Council. He was also elected member of the Council of the First All-Belarusian Congress later that year.
After proclamation of the independence on March 25, 1918, Vasil Zacharka held different positions in the government of Belarus.
In exile
With the Bolshevik invasion of Belarus in 1919, the government of Belarus had to evacuate to VilniusVilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
and then to Hrodna
Hrodna
Grodno or Hrodna , is a city in Belarus. It is located on the Neman River , close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania . It has 327,540 inhabitants...
. Zacharka was among the creators of appeals to the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
, Great Britain, France, USA and other countries by the Belarusian government.
On June 2, 1920 Zacharka was appointed chief of the Belarusian diplomatic mission to Moscow where he held negotiations with the Russian foreign minister Georgy Chicherin
Georgy Chicherin
Georgy Vasilyevich Chicherin was a Marxist revolutionary and a Soviet politician. He served as People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs in the Soviet government from March 1918 to 1930.-Childhood and early career:...
. Zacharka tried to convince the Soviets to recognize the independence of Belarus and to liberate Belarusian political prisoners held in Russian jails.
After the Peace of Riga
Peace of Riga
The Peace of Riga, also known as the Treaty of Riga; was signed in Riga on 18 March 1921, between Poland, Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine. The treaty ended the Polish-Soviet War....
in 1921 the Belarusian government in exile passed resolutions criticizing it and supporting the Slutsk defence action
Slutsk defence action
The Slutsk defence action or the Slutsk uprising was an unsuccessful armed attempt to defend the independence of Belarus in the region of the town of Slutsk.-Peace of Riga:...
.
In 1925 Zacharka managed to prevent the government of the Belarusian People's Republic to abandon its authority in favour of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic, despite the fact that many members of the democratic government were advocating this idea.
Zacharka served as deputy president of the Belarusian People's Republic Piotra Krecheuski and became president upon his death in early 1928. As president he protested against the transferral of Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
from the Belarusian SSR to the Republic of Lithuania in October 1939.
Vasil Zacharka died in Prague in 1943 and left a rich archive of documents about the Belarusian Democratic Republic.
Works
- Галоўныя моманты беларускага руху, Прага, 1926 — захоўваецца ў рукапісе ў Бібліятэцы імя Францыска Скарыны ў Лёндане (Main Episodes of the Belarusian National Movement)
- Беларусь — роля і значэньне на ўсходзе Эўропы. (Belarus - its Role and Importance in Eastern Europe)
- Пратэст Захаркі Прэзыдэнту Летувы — Спадчына №1-1994
- Закон аб грамадзянстве БНР ад 14 сьнежня 1919 — Спадчына №1-1994 (Law on Citizenship of the Belarusian Democratic Republic)