Starting September 19, the War Museum invites visitors to an exhibition featuring Belarusian national symbols, military uniforms, and awards of the Belarusian liberation movement.
This exhibition tells the story of Belarus through its visual imagery. From the flags of the era of the Duchy of Połack and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania — through the symbolism of the Belarusian Democratic Republic, the Słuck Uprising and Belarusian military formations of the 20th century — to contemporary symbols of the struggle for a free Belarus and the symbols under which Belarusians help Ukraine fight against the Russian invasion. The exhibition presents historical and contemporary flags, designs for state symbols, a national system of decorations, a proposed passport for a free Belarus, as well as the symbols and uniform of the future Belarusian armed forces.
The exhibition shows that national symbolism is not merely a legacy of the past, but also an image of the country of the future, its values and its spirit. What will a free Belarus look like? What will its flags, decorations, documents, armed forces and state ceremonies be like? The exhibition’s authors seek not simply to reflect a historical tradition, but to create a coherent visual language for the Belarusian state of the future.
Belarus and Ukraine are united by their aspiration for freedom. In this struggle, symbols become a language understood without translation: the language of memory, dignity, resistance and hope.
