Anton Lutskevich

Anton Ivanavič Luckievič (Belarusian: Антон Іванавіч Луцкевіч; 29 January 1884 – 23 March 1942) was a leading figure of the Belarusian independence movement in the early 20th century, an initiator of the proclamation of the independence of Belarus, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Belarusian Democratic Republic persecuted by the Soviet authorities. He was a brother of Ivan Luckievič. Early life Luckievič was born in Siauliai, Kaunas Governorate, Russian Empire into the family of a petty nobleman of Nowina Coat of Arm who at the time worked as a railway official. In 1902 he graduated from the Minsk Gymnasium. This was followed by studies at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of St. Petersburg University and the Faculty of Law of the Universität Dorpat. Involvement in revolutionary activities In 1903 Luckievič, together with his brother Ivan and another prominent figure of the Belarusian national movement, Vacłaŭ Ivanoŭski, founded the Belarusian Revolutionary Assembly (later the Belarusian Socialist Assembly) with the goal to fight for democracy and national rights for Belarusians, including the right to pursue education in the Belarusian language, as well as to rise up against the Russian Tsarist authorities. In 1904 Luckievič was arrested in Minsk for distribution of revolutionary literature, but eventually released with his right to leave the city restricted. Nevertheless, he left for Viĺnia in 1906 because there was an assassination attempt against the Governor of Minsk, , committed by and ] who had frequented Luckievič's apartment, which automatically put him under threat of arrest.