Belarusian Chemistry Olympiad¶
Республиканская олимпиада по учебному предмету «Химия»
Overview¶
The Belarusian national chemistry competition is part of the country's annual Republican Olympiad in school subjects, organized under the Ministry of Education. Students advance through four stages: school, district or city, regional, and national. Chemistry results are reported separately for grades 9, 10, and 11.
The competition is both a national academic event and the starting point for Belarus's international chemistry team. It combines broad regional participation with advanced theoretical and laboratory work at the final stages.
Key Websites¶
- National Education Academy
- National Educational Portal — Chemistry materials
- Ministry of Education — Republican Olympiad
- Social Media @VK
Competition Format¶
The regional and national stages include separate theoretical and practical laboratory rounds. Advancement depends on results from the previous stage and the places allocated to each regional team.
For the 2026 cycle, the national final was held from 23 to 27 March. The chemistry competition took place at the Faculty of Chemistry of Belarusian State University in Minsk and brought together 121 finalists representing the regions, Minsk, and the BSU Lyceum.
International Selection Pathway¶
Results from the national final help identify candidates for Belarus's international olympiad teams. The Ministry of Education reports that selected students attend training camps where the country's representatives for international olympiads are chosen. Detailed chemistry-specific selection rules are not published consistently, so participants should consult the current official notices.
IChO Performance¶
Belarus first participated in the IChO in 1996. Combining the official country summary through 2021 with the official annual results for 2023–2025 gives 10 gold, 53 silver, 44 bronze, and 2 honourable mentions through 2025. The official "Belarus" country page at icho-official.org ends at 2021; results from 2023 onward are recorded under the designation "Individual 1."
In 2025, Maryia Brutskaya and Andrey Efremov earned silver medals, while Piotr Burak and Uladzislau Karatkou earned bronze medals (competing as "Individual 1").
IChO Suspension and Current Status (2022–present)¶
Following Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Belarus was also suspended from the IChO alongside Russia. Belarus missed IChO 2022 entirely.
Belarusian students returned at the 55th IChO in 2023 (Zurich) under the neutral designation "Individual 1" (also called "Independent Delegation 1"). Students compete as individuals without the Belarusian flag, anthem, or national team designation. This neutral status has continued through IChO 2024 (Riyadh), IChO 2025 (Dubai), and IChO 2026 (Tashkent). The IChO Steering Committee has not publicly announced whether or when the full national designation will be restored.
Despite the neutral designation, Belarusian students have continued to earn medals at every IChO since their return:
- 2023: Returned under "Individual 1" designation
- 2024: 1 gold (Pavel Batura), 2 bronze, 1 HM
- 2025: 2 silver (Maryia Brutskaya, Andrey Efremov), 2 bronze
- 2026: 2 silver (Artsiom Latyshau, Valeryia Kazlova), 2 bronze
Past Exams Archive¶
| Year | Edition | Date | Place | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 44 | 2010-03-29 ~ 2010-04-03 | Gomel | link |
| 2009 | 43 | 2009-03-30 ~ 2009-04-03 | Minsk | link |
| 2008 | 42 | link | ||
| 2007 | 41 | link | ||
| 2006 | 40 | 2006-03-27 ~ 2006-03-31 | Brest | link |
| 2005 | 39 | 2005-03-28 ~ 2005-04-02 | Mogilev | link |
| 2004 | 38 | link | ||
| 2003 | 37 | 2003-03-24 ~ 2003-03-29 | Brest | link |
| 2002 | 36 | 2002-03-25 ~ 2002-03-30 | Hrodna | link |
| 2001 | 35 | 2001-03-26 ~ 2001-03-31 | Vitebsk | link |