July 3rd : Belarus Independence Day

Belarus Independence Day

Belarusian Independence Day is observed on 3rd July since 1996.  The date was chosen through a referendum to honour and pay tribute to the heroism of those who fought to free the capital, Minsk from the Nazis' occupation during the Great Patriotic War (World War II).  

Earlier, from 1990 to 1995, they were celebrating Independence Day on the 27th of July, the day they got freedom from the USSR.  But this freedom they got from the fall of the Soviet Union, like many other ex-soviet states.  But for the 1944 freedom Belarus paid a hefty price, a third of the population was killed during the war.  In 1996, Alexander Lukashenko, the country's first President passed a referendum, and the majority of Belarusians voted for 3rd July.  From 1996 to date, they are celebrating independence day on the 3rd of July. 

The below hologram stamp was issued by the Belarusian post on 3rh July 2001 for the 10th anniversary of the Republic of Belarus.