Vatslau Areshka: Concept Of Independence Is Key-Note In Date Of March 25

The BPR was proclaimed precisely as a sovereign state.

The Belarusian statehood has deep roots, but BPR is the first attempt to create a modern state – a national and democratic one.

One of the Belarusian National Congress leaders Vatslau Areshka stated that at a press conference dedicated to Freedom Day, which was held in Minsk on February 13, the BNC press service reports.

The politician spoke about the symbols of the campaign for celebrating the centenary of the restoration of independence:

– Pahonia, which you see on the logo, has been chosen not only because it does not repeat those variants that used to be state ones, but also because it does not belong to the symbols of any organization. At the same time, it is quite dynamic, unlike some of the images, and can take on the role of folk, universal symbols. We have already variety of invitations to the rally on March 25 based on this symbols, mainly they are people's art.

Vatslau Areshka stresses that this year we are celebrating the restoration of the state, and not its creation:

– It is important to present properly the very idea of the holiday in the information campaign associated with it. One can read and hear a lot about the BPR, in great request the idea that if not for the BPR, the BSSR would not exist, and if not for the BSSR, there would not be today's Belarus, some people are talking about the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Belarusian statehood. This is not quite true. The Belarusian statehood has deep roots, and dates back to the principalities in Polatsk and Turau, to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. But the proclamation of the BPR is the first attempt to create a modern state – a national and democratic one.

The second important point is that the BPR was proclaimed as an independent state. Not as part of a union, empire, not as an autonomy. The idea of independence – a self-governing way of the Belarusians, is the key-note in this date.