In October 1937, there was a mass extermination of Belarusian writers, artists and statespeople by the Soviet Union occupying authorities.
This event marked the peak of the Great Purge and repressions of Belarusians in the Soviet-controlled area of eastern Belarus.
On 7 September 1937 Joseph Stalin signed a list of persons to be judged by a Soviet Military commission.
There were trials related to persons from the Belarusian SSR and these were given in a different list dated 15 September 1937 and signed by Stalin, Molotov and the senior state security official Vladimir Tsesarsky.
Journalist Leanid Marakoŭ alleged that between 3 March 1937 and 22 May 1938, over 100,000 people fell victims of repressions by the Soviet authorities.