Lavon Rydleŭski (; 14 October 1903 - 24 October 1953) was an active participant in the Belarusian independence movement and anti-Soviet resistance and a prominent member of the

Belarusian diaspora The Belarusian diaspora refers to emigrants from the territory of Belarus as well as to their descendants. According to different researchers, there are between 2.5 and 3.5 million Belarusian descendants living outside the territory of the Rep ...

Early life

Rydleŭski was born in the village of Uljanavičy, Mogilev province of the Russian Empire (now

Viciebsk Region Vitebsk Region or Vitebsk Oblast or Viciebsk Voblasts ( be, Ві́цебская во́бласць, ''Viciebskaja voblasć'', ; rus, Ви́тебская о́бласть, Vitebskaya oblast, ˈvʲitʲɪpskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a region (oblast ...

of Belarus). In 1917-20 he studied in the and was a member of a cultural and educational group 'Fern Flower' (). In 1923 he graduated from the Belarusian Gymnasium in Vilna and in 1929 a polytechnic institute in

Poděbrady Poděbrady (; german: Podiebrad) is a spa town in Nymburk District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 14,000 inhabitants. It lies on the river Elbe. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an u ...

, Czechoslovakia.

Participation in Belarusian independence movement

Rydleŭski was one of the youngest combatants in the Slucak Uprising of 1920, an anti-Bolshevik pro-independence military campaign in central

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

. In 1921 he participated in anti-Soviet armed resistance in the Paleśsie region, southern Belarus.

In exile

After his studies in Czechoslovakia, Rydleŭski moved to France where he founded and headed the Union of Belarusian Working Emigrants in France (). During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he obtained permission for Belarusians to serve in the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...

and participated in the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

. After the war he published a newspaper "Belarusian News" () and became a Vice-President of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. In 1948 he was elected the chair of the International Union of Belarusians in Exile ().

Death and memory

Rydleŭski died on 24 October 1953 and is buried in the

Hampstead cemetery Hampstead Cemetery is a historic cemetery in West Hampstead, London, located at the upper extremity of the NW6 district. Despite the name, the cemetery is three-quarters of a mile from Hampstead Village, and bears a different postcode. It is j ...

in London. On 27 November 2010, an anniversary of the Słucak Uprising, the Association of Belarusians in Great Britain installed a new tombstone on his grave. Rydleŭski's resting place has since been used by the Belarusian community as a meeting place for commemorative events.

Early life

Participation in Belarusian independence movement

In exile

Death and memory

References

Further reading