MINSK, 5 August (BelTA) - This year marks the 250th anniversary of the first partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Rzeczpospolita), which included the lands of modern Belarus, political expert Vadim Yelfimov told BelTA while commenting on this historic event .
According to him, the first partition of Rzeczpospolita was also the last for the then Poland. This historic event finally put an end to Rzeczpospolita's leadership claims in the Slavic world. "Claims to a special role among the Slavs. Among other things, this determined the winner in the struggle for leadership - the Russian Empire. By and large, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has only itself to blame such turn of events, since initially that state was a kind of conductor of Western values into the Slavic world, thereby splitting it. At the same time, Poland always sought to seize the territories of the Slavic peoples, including the territories of the Russian Empire," the expert said.
Vadim Yelfimov noted that historically, all states that are set to split the Slavic world, to divide it, to stir internal enmity, eventually lose and become Western puppets. If we draw a parallel with the modern period, then after the Second World War, Poland had a historic chance to get rid of the role of a conductor of Western values. The country could join the Slavic project. Moreover, it did. It joined the Slavic, socialist project as the Polish People's Republic. It no longer defended Western values, but independent, Slavic values. But, as we know, this period ended rather quickly. Today Poland has returned to its origins - to be a conductor of the interests of the West, the United States," he said.
For Belarusians, Vadim Yelfimov emphasized, the division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth led to a union with the Russian people and the restoration of historical ties. "By building the Union State, we, in fact, ensure a historical trend to unite all Slavs, defenders of traditional values. A world that opposes Western civilization. The Slavic world is on the rise today. Belarus, together with Russia, is creating the conditions for the Slavic world, or at least its best forces, to unite someday," Vadim Yelfimov concluded.
