Documentary exhibition «30 years of the institution of presidency in the Republic of Belarus»

On July 10, 2024, the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus opened a photo-documentary exhibition at the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the institution of presidency in our country.

30 years ago, the position of President of the Republic of Belarus was introduced in our country. In Belarus, the introduction of the institution of presidency was due to the course of political and socio-economic development, as well as the difficult situation in the country, which was typical for all former republics of the Soviet Union after its collapse.

The 1994 Constitution, for the first time in the history of Belarus, provided for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus in the system of supreme bodies of state power. According to Article 95 of the 1994 Constitution, the President was the Head of State and Executive Power. To implement the powers of the executive branch in the areas of economics, foreign policy, defense, national security, public order and other areas of public administration, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus was created under the President.

The President was vested with the authority to manage the system of executive authorities and ensure their interaction with representative bodies, and to appoint officials occupying the most responsible position in the state.

The first presidential elections in our country took place on July 10, 1994. A.G.Lukashenko was elected as the First President of the Republic of Belarus. More than 80% of voters voted for him.

The constitutional and legal status of the President changed significantly in 1996 after the adoption of a new version of the Constitution at the Republican referendum. Further development and specification of the legal status of the President and his powers are reflected in the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On the President of the Republic of Belarus”. The President’s course towards integration with the Russian Federation and the formation of the Union State also found wide support among the people.

At the beginning of the new millennium, President Alexander Lukashenko formulated the paradigm «For a strong and prosperous Belarus!», which became not only the slogan of the Second All-Belarusian People’s Assembly held in May 2001, but also the main path of national development.

Of the undoubted merits of Alexander Grigorievich as President of the Republic of Belarus, we can name, first of all, a significant improvement in the material well-being of the country’s citizens, maintaining peace and tranquility in the country, gasification of all regions of the country, construction of a nuclear power plant and the conquest of space.

That is why today we say with complete confidence: in 1994, the country was not mistaken in choosing the first President, who over the past 30 years has remained the constant leader in the rating of people’s trust.

The exhibition presents unique archival documents from the funds of the National Archive of the Republic of Belarus and the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo and Sound Documents.

Exhibition poster

Exhibition exposition

Leading archivist of the department for the use of documents and information, candidate of historical sciences V.G.Mazets introduces employees of the Ministry of Justice to archival materials

Leading archivist of the Department for the Use of Documents and Information, Candidate of Historical Sciences V.G.Mazets introduces visitors to the exhibition with archival materials

Leading archivist of the Department for the Use of Documents and Information, Candidate of Historical Sciences V.G.Mazets introduces exhibition visitors to the exhibition exposition