Introduction
Until the 20th century, the Belarusians (Byelorussians) lacked the opportunity to create a distinctive national identity because for centuries the lands of modern-day Belarus belonged to several countries, including the Duchy of Polatsk, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire. In 1922 Byelorussia became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Byelorussian SSR.
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