The article is mainly devoted to the processes that happened in the Republic of Belarus after the demise of the Soviet Union. A comprehensive study was made of Belarusian national identity and new state symbols. The process of national identity formation in Belarus is studied in terms of the establishment of new state symbols. The interaction of government and society in developing the national idea and symbols of independence is thoroughly analyzed. Special emphasis is laid on Litvin and Soviet identities, which were the foundation of shaping various types of Belarusian identity. The government’s efforts in the sphere of developing national history, ideology and identity are also considered in this article. The author comes to the following conclusions. First, the process of adopting new state symbols could be divided into 2 periods: the first is from 1991 to 1994 and the second is from 1994 to 1995. The period from 1991 to 1994 is characterized as a period of construction of new national identity based on the opposition to the Russian statehood. The author also concludes that the government’s efforts to develop national identity failed and as a result a specific type of identity was formed that can be named «quasi-Soviet identity».