The people of Belarus endured a period of artificial disunity during the last century. Following the signing of a peace treaty in Riga on March 18th, 1921, between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine on one side and Poland on the other, half of the republic’s territory was ceded to its western neighbour. It was only in the autumn of 1939 that historical justice was restored. Pavel Trubchik, Deputy Director for Scientific Work at the Institute of History of Belarus’ National Academy of Sciences, has shared insights on the significance of that event.