Virtual Exhibition «The Red Cross: Turning the Pages of History» (On the 105th Anniversary of the Belarusian Red Cross Society)

September 6, 2026, marks the 105th anniversary of the Belarusian Red Cross Society.

Throughout its existence, the Belarusian Red Cross has been guided by the principles of humanitarian law, which are based on the Geneva Conventions, which have been signed by all states, making them the most universal of all international agreements. The most important of these is the provision of assistance to victims of armed conflicts, internal unrest, man-made and humanitarian disasters, and natural disasters, regardless of nationality, religion, or political views.

The virtual exhibition presents documents describing the activities of the Belarusian Red Cross in providing humanitarian aid to the starving people of the Volga region in 1922, and in providing care and medical assistance to Soviet soldiers and officers returning from Polish captivity after the end of the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1920. In the 1920s and 1930s, Red Cross staff focused their efforts on providing assistance to the most vulnerable social groups of the Belarusian population – children, the disabled, and the elderly. After the liberation of the republic from the Nazi invaders, the Red Cross resumed its activities and took an active part in eliminating outbreaks of infectious diseases, providing assistance to wounded soldiers and officers of the Red Army recovering in hospitals, caring for orphans, disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic War, and anyone else who needed assistance.

In its activities, the Belarusian Red Cross has always adhered and continues to adhere to the fundamental principles of humanitarian law, always coming to the aid of those in need.

A virtual exhibition prepared by the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus on the 105-year history of the Belarusian Red Cross Society can be viewed at the following link.