An important date in the history of Belarus and all of Eastern Europe in the 20th century was September 17, when the regions of Western and Eastern Belarus were reunited. This event occupies a special place in the process of state building of our country. For the first time in its history, Belarus became a territorially integral power, which served as the most important factor for national-state development.
Cinema could not ignore this most important historical event in various aspects – fiction and documentary.
Evidence of what and how happened in those distant 1930s are documents from the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo and Sound Documents (BGAKFFD). Unique film footage preserved those memorable events. These are documentaries “The Extraordinary 5th Session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the Second Convocation” (1939), “On the Events in Western Ukraine and Western Belarus” (1939), “The Great Liberation” (1939), “In Honor of the Glorious Anniversary” (1940) , “Holiday of the Liberated People” (1940), “Holiday of Reunification” (1945).
One of the first was the documentary chronicle film “The Great Liberation” (1939, Moscow newsreel studio). The film tells about the entry of the regions of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus into the USSR, the organization of production, everyday life, and the way of life of people after the annexation.
The BGAKFFD archive contains unique photographic documents that depict the crossing of the border of Western Belarus by soldiers of the Belarusian Military District, there is a photo of the solemn greeting of the Red Army units by the residents of Rakov, Slonim, Grodno, conversations of soldiers and unit commanders with youth and peasants.
The events of 1939 were covered in the documentary film “The Right to Immortality” (Belarusfilm, 1976, scriptwriter A. Velyugin, director I. Veynerovich). It uses expressive and relevant video materials from the BGAFFD, which is a valuable base of unique historical filming. The film presents the background to a significant historical event; we are talking about the Peace of Riga, as a result of which a peace treaty was signed in Riga in 1921, according to which a significant part of Belarus went to Poland. Western Belarus was “under Poland” from March 18, 1921 to September 17, 1939. On August 23, 1939, representatives of Germany and the USSR signed a Non-Aggression Pact, which became, in essence, a repartition of Europe. On September 1, 1939, Hitler attacked Poland and World War II began. On September 17, 1939, Red Army soldiers came to Western Belarus. In the film by I. Veynerovich, the most important episode was the speech of S. O. Pritytsky in connection with his election as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the BSSR in 1968.
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the historical date, in 1989, at the Belarusfilm film studio, director Yuri Tsvetkov shot a documentary film “The Boundary in the West”. The documentarian addressed the same topic in 2009 in the film “Historical Reunion” ( Belarusian Video Center, 2009, scriptwriters V. Mekhov, Yu. Tsvetkov). According to the secret protocol, on September 17, 1939, the Red Army crossed the Polish border. Why was this done only 17 days after the start of World War II? How did Western Belarusians greet the Red Army? What did Belarus ultimately gain from this reunification? The film provides answers to these questions. The film makes extensive use of newsreels from various archives, as well as footage from artistic films. The film features a literary critic and prose writer, academician Vladimir Vasilyevich Gnilomedov, a native of what was then a Western Belarusian village.
The understanding of the event, which became pivotal in the definition of state borders and the process of realizing national identification, continued in the documentary film “Myazha” (Belarusfilm, 2019, director E. Setko, screenwriter V. Moroz), dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the historical date. This is an original documentary film with living witnesses of events and the objective view of historians.
The historical film studio “Vladimir Bokun’s Workshop”, well known to our viewers, also did not ignore this significant date by filming the film “In September 39th” (2012). The point is that, on the basis of an agreement on the division of spheres of influence between Germany and the USSR, Soviet troops liberated Western Belarus. On October 22, 1939, elections were held to the People’s Assembly of Western Belarus, which worked on October 28-30 in Bialystok. It adopted a number of important documents, including the Declaration on the entry of Western Belarus into the BSSR and decisions on the nationalization of industry and the confiscation of landowners’ lands. On November 14, 1939, at the extraordinary Third Session of the Supreme Council of the BSSR, the Law on the admission of Western Belarus to the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted.
This year, ONT TV channel dedicated the premiere screening of the documentary “Sergei Pritytsky. Thrice Condemned” produced by Vladimir Bokun Workshop. It is probably true that for cinema the main personality of the historical event remains Sergei Osipovich Pritytsky.
Fiction cinema partially reflected the most important historical turning point and its prerequisites in the films “Forest True Story” (the first domestic film by Belgoskino, 1926, directed by Yuri Tarich based on the story by Mikhas Charot), “Until Tomorrow” (produced by the Leningrad Belgoskino factory, 1929, directed by Yuri Tarich) and “Red Leaves” (“Belarusfilm”, 1958, director Nikolai Figurovsky). The films have become classics of national cinema and are still loved by audiences. The television series “Talash” (Belarusfilm , 2011-2012, film adaptation of Yakub Kolas’s work “Dygva ” ) , directed by Sergei Shulga, also aroused audience interest.
The thematic film anthology for National Unity Day continues with the premiere film by director A. Khrulev “On the Other Shore” (Belarusfilm, 2023).
