Belarus

Belarus is a country in eastern Europe. Long part of the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union, it lies on the western border of Russia, wedged between Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic republics.

The people, in the past sometimes referred to as White Russians or Byelorussians, speak a slavic language similar to Russian. Up until the 20th century it was in the Russian pale of settlement, where Jews were allowed to live, and home to a Jewish community close to a million in population.

Belarus was hit particularly hard by World War II. It was overrun very quickly by the Germans in the summer of 1941, and something like 30% of the population was killed, including 80% of the Jews. Resistance and partisan activity happened in some of the more remote areas of the country.

The country maintains friendly ties with Russia and was used as a springboard for the recent offensive into Ukraine.