May 8th. In 1883, a linguist and academician of the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences — Stepan Nekrashevich — was born in the village of Danilovka (now located in the Svetlogorsk District).May 10th. In 1883, Yanka Mavr (true name — Ivan Fiodorov) was born — a writer, an Honoured Figure of Culture of Belarus and a founder of the Belarusian children’s literature.
May 11th. In 1911, Mikhail Mirsky — a sportsman and coach in Greek-Roman fighting who founded the sporting fighting in Belarus — was born.
May 12th. In 1951, a circus artiste, a clown and an Honoured Artiste of Belarus — Alexander Voronetsky — was born.
May 13th. In 1905, Stefania Stanyuta was born — a Belarusian actress, a People’s Artiste of Belarus and the USSR and a laureate of Belarus’ State Award. Since 1931 (until her last days), she worked at the Yanka Drama Theatre.
May 14th. In 1869, Yankel Kruger was born in Minsk — a Belarusian painter and teacher, an Honoured Figure of Arts of Belarus.
May 14th. In 1914, a full cavalier of the Order of Glory — Anisim Klopov — was born in the village of Novoselie (Lepel District, Vitebsk Region).
May 15th. In 1909, a USSR Hero — Yevsey Vainrub — was born in Borisov. During the Great Patriotic War, he took part in defence battles in Belarus, near Moscow and Orel — while participating in Belarus’ liberation.
May 8th. In 1927, a university for peasants (working on Sundays) was established on the premises of the Gorky Agricultural Academy. It was the first of the kind in the USSR and its training course lasted 2 years.
May 8th. In 1965, the Brest Fortress received its ‘Fortress-Hero’ status.
May 8th. In 1985, the Minsk — City-Hero architectural-memorial complex opened in Masherov Avenue (now known as Pobediteley Avenue).
May 14th. In 1874, the first fountain — decorated with the Boy and the Swan sculpture — was launched in Minsk’s Alexandrovsky Park.
May 8th. In 2008, a memorial-bust to the US Marshal — Georgy Zhukov — was erected in a park on the intersection of Zhukov Avenue and Zheleznodorozhnaya and Minin streets.
May 8th-9th are the Days of Memory and Reconciliation (dedicated to WWII victims) — proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on November 22nd, 2004.
May 9th. In 1953, the first issue of Maladost (Youth) magazine was published.
May 9th is Belarus’ state holiday: the Victory Day.
May 10th. In 1892, a horse-drawn railway was solemnly launched in Minsk; it connected railway stations and remote districts with the city centre.
May 10th. In 1997, the Centre for Children’s Haemodialysis opened on the basis of Minsk’s clinic #2.
May 11th. In 1994, a monument to Kirill Turovsky was erected in the town of Turov.
May 12th. In 1954, Belarus joined UNESCO.
May 12th. In 2000, the Vankovich House-Museum opened — timed to artist Valenty Vankovich’s 200th birthday.
May 12th. In 2005, a memorial plaque was unveiled at secondary school #143 (named after M. Auezov) to honour Kazakh soldiers who struggled for Belarus’ liberation and died during the Great Patriotic War.
May 14th. In 1946, Minsk received the status of a city of Republican subordination.
May 14th. In 1995, the Belarusian referendum was held, with most citizens advocating the acknowledgement of Russian as the second state language.
May 14th. In 1993, the Na Nemige Trading House opened in Minsk.
May 15th. In 1979, the Old Belarusian Culture Museum opened in Minsk, on the basis of the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute for Art Studies, Ethnography and Folklore (named after K. Krapiva).
May 15th. In 2006, a Belarusian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental agreement was signed envisaging mutual visa-free trips for our citizens.
