Slutsk uprising

Battle flag of the Słuck Defence Action

On November 14, 1920 the Congress of Słuččyna (Slutsk region) started its work. There were 107 delegates from Słuck and its surroundings as well as several representatives of the Belarusian army of general Bułak-Bałachovič.

The government of the Belarusian National Republic appointed Pavał Žaŭryd its commissioner to Słuččyna.

The Congress passed a resolution declaring the authority of the government of the Belarusian National Republic and protesting against the Soviet invasion of Belarus. A decision was made to organize armed resistance against the bolshevik occupation:

The First Belarusian Congress of Słuččyna, formed of 107 persons, salutes the Upper Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic and declares that it will give all its powers for the revival of our Fatherland and categorically protests against the occupation of our Fatherland by foreign and impostor Soviet powers. Long live the independent National Belarusian Republic in its ethnographic borders!

A Rada of Słuččyna consisting of 17 people was elected with the chairman Uładzimier Prakulevič. Its function was to organise civil governance of Słuččyna before regular elections could be held as well as to organise a military defence.

Military command was given to a troika led by Pavał Žaŭryd. The Rada declared a general mobilisation and continued creation of military units.

The mobilisation was very successful among inhabitants of Słuččyna, in the villages of Cimkavičy, Kapyl, Siemiežava, Hrozava and surroundings. Soon there were ca. 10,000 men mobilised into the newly created forces.[1]

Two regiments were formed by the Rada: 1st Słuck regiment under lieutenant colonel Achrem Haŭryłovič and the 2nd Hrozaŭ regiment under captain Siemianiuk. These two regiments formed the Słuck brigade under Anton Sokał-Kutyłoŭski. The military headquarters was transferred from Słuck to Siemiežava because of approaching bolshevik armies.

The military defence action was actively supported by Belarusian nationalists from different regions of Belarus at that time occupied by Polish troops.

From Hrodna a banner with the Pahonia and the motto To those who went to die for the life of their Fatherland was sent to Słuck. The military commission of the Government of the Belarusian People's Republic that was acting as Belarus' defence ministry, sent several military specialists to help to organise the defence. Soon a well-organised military hospital and military court were created by the Slutsk brigade.

The Słuck Rada had tight contacts with the army of Stanisłaŭ Bułak-Bałachovič and planned to coordinate with it.

On November 21, 1920 the Rada of Słuččyna made a new declaration:

In the moment of self-determination of all nations and their struggle for freedom the Belarusian Rada of Słuččyna carries out the will of the peasantry that delegated the protection of the independence of our Fatherland Belarus to it. The Rada declares to the whole world the will of Belarusian peasantry that Belarus must be an independent republic in its ethnographc borders Stating that and being the speaker of the will of the people, the Rada of Słuččyna declares that it will stand for the independence of Belarus and protect the interests of peasantry against violation by foreign invadors. If needed, we will do it by military means despite a numeral advantage of the enemy, because what we do is honest and honesty will always win.

The Rada gave the order to all military units and volunteers to group near Siemiežava on November 24. A demonstration took place in the central square of Słuck.

On November 27 the first encounters between Belarusian and Soviet forces began.

The Słuck brigade made some successful attacks near Kapyl, Cimkavičy and Vyzna. Against the Belarusian forces fought the Omsk division of the Red Army. Despite some support from the local population, the Belarusian units lacked ammunition and arms.

There were fights near villages Bystrycy, Vasilčycy, Vierabiejčycy, Daškava, Vasiliški, Lutavičy, Mackievičy, Sadovičy, Morač. The Słuck brigade managed to occupy several villages.

This started an anti-bolshevik partisan movement. As people joined them, the Slutsk Rada made an appeal to the soldiers of the Red Army to stop resistance as well. Many of them did, as there were numerous Russian peasants opposing the Soviet agrarian policy among them. Therefore, the Bolsheviks had to bring in units consisting of Latvians and Chinese to combat the Belarusian units.[1]

Still, the powers were unequal and on December 31 the Słuck brigade had to retreat to Polish territory where it was disarmed by Polish border guards.

Some of the defendants of Słuck later returned to Belarus but were captured by the bolsheviks and dealt with accordingly. Some of the Belarusian military stayed in the region as a partisan Green Army and continued armed resistance against Soviet rule till the 1930s.

Monument in honor of Slutsk rebels near Mittenwald

During Perestroika, numerous political groups dedicated themselves to publicise the history of a movement that was virtually erased from history during the Soviet time. November 27 became a holiday that groups like the Belarusian Popular Front and some intellectuals celebrate as Heroes Day. However, Belarusian officials under president Alexander Lukashenko do not recognise the Słuck military defense as significant, mostly due to the pro-Soviet official state ideology dominating in Belarus.

In 1948, a monument in honor of Słuck rebels was placed by Belarusian emigrants near Mittenwald, a German city near the Alps.[2]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Slutsk Defence Action.

• Slutsk on Belarusguide.com
• Zianon Paźniak: The Slutsk defence action is a glorious example for us (in Belarusian)
• Article (in Belarusian)