MINSK, Belarus — Former Belarussian leader Stanislav Shushkevich said a historic document that proclaimed the death of the Soviet Union is missing from archives.
Shushkevich discovered that the document was gone while working on his memoirs.
"It's hard to believe in the disappearance of such a high-level document, but this is a fact," Shushkevich said.
He said he believes the document was stolen, probably by someone with intentions of selling it to a collector.
Officials of Belarus and the Commonwealth of Independent States confirmed late Wednesday that they have only copies.
"We don't know where the original is," said Vasily Ostreiko, the head of the archive department of the CIS, which is headquartered in the Belarussian capital.
The agreement's disappearance reflects the chaos that surrounded the Soviet demise.
On Dec. 8, 1991, Shushkevich hosted Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk for secret talks at a government hunting lodge near Viskuli, in the Belovezha Forest.
The trio signed a deal declaring that "the U.S.S.R. has ceased to exist as an entity of international law and geopolitical reality," defeating Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev's attempts to hold the country together.
The agreement also announced the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a loose alliance joined by nine other Soviet republics later that month. Gorbachev resigned on Dec. 25, 1991.
Related articles:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.