Belarus (magazine #1 2022) by BELARUS Magazine

MAGAZINE FOR YOU

No. 1 (1060), JANUARY, 2022 Беларусь. Belarus

BELARUS

Politics. Economy. Culture

ISSN 0320-7544

NEW LIFE AS A SYMBOL OF THE NEW YEAR President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko visited Mother and Child Republican Scientific and Practical Centre, where he examined the organisation of perinatal care in the country based on the example of the operation of the institution. By the way, Belarus is one of the countries with the lowest infant mortality rates.

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Беларусь. Belarus

IN THE ISSUE

THE USE OF CSTO PEACEKEEPING FORCES IS A PRECEDENT AND A NEW REALITY

BELTA

is possible. 10 Mission There is a proof Belarusian peacekeepers have made a significant contribution to the stabilisation of the situation in Kazakhstan. This was stated by President of Belarus already at a meeting with the peacekeeping forces, when they completed their mission and returned home.

everyone is 12 When interested The draft of the new Constitution as the most important element of the foundation for the further development of Belarus

of the Earth 16 Depths hide many

treasures, and there is no bad weather

Interview of Aleksandr Lukashenko to the correspondent of the Turkish TV and radio company TRT Nisa Efendioglu

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

Беларусь. Belarus

IN THE ISSUE

Social and political magazine No. 1 (1060), 2022

ONLINER.BY

Published since 1930 Founders: Zviazda Publishing House editorialand-publishing establishment Editor-in-Chief: Viktor Kharkov Executive Secretary: Valentina Zhdanovich Editorial office address: 220013 Minsk, Belarus, 19 Zakharova Street Tel.: +375 (17) 263-80-12.

40 A holiday of kindness and cordiality

The beginning of the new year 2022 continues to be associated with the holiday of charity among Belarusians. The Our Children campaign, which started in December and has been present for mor then 25 years, has successfully continued its march in January. Traditionally, its culmination was a holiday at the main New Year’s Eve Party of the country. We would like to tell you about it.

Giants in their land. 50 And they are not afraid of people at all The European bison has long been associated with Belarus and Belovezhskaya Pushcha for foreign guests. By the way, the second largest herd in the world lives in Pushcha.

www.zviazda.by E-mail: belarus.mag@mail.ru Subscription index – 220034 Registration Certificate No. 8 issued on 16.07.2018 by the Information Ministry of the Republic of Belarus Design and Layout by Fasevich Alina Беларусь. Belarus is published in English and also contains articles in Belarusian and Chinese Final responsibility for factual accuracy and interpretation lies with publication authors. Should any article of Беларусь. Belarus be used, reference to the magazine is obligatory. The editorial office does not bear responsibility for contents of advertisements. Signed for printing on 26.01.2022 Offset printing. Coated paper. Format 60х84 1⁄8. Conventional printed sheets 11.16 Accounting published sheets 12.63 Circulation – 475

Order

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There are not so many cities in Belarus where tourists can spend more than three hours without learning even a half of local attractions. Many historical sites have been preserved here, and local residents are sure that if there were no fortress in Brest, Pinsk could become a good competitor for the title of the regional centre.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

Republican unitary enterprise "BudMedyyaPrayekt" Licence No. 02330/71 on 23.01.2014 220123 Minsk, Belarus, 13/61 V. Khoruzhey Street

TENNISFORUM.COM

IN THE ISSUE time to look into A conversation 72 Good 88 the future ... with director The tradition of celebrating the New Year appeared in Belarus only a hundred years ago. Long before that, the main holiday of the Belarusians was Kolyady.

LEGACY FOR ALL TIME Few pages in the magazine not be unexpected for some of the English-speaking readers. We believe that our publications are still interesting in the Belarusian language, as it was before.

94 SOYUZ.RU

Daniil Filippovich

82 «Ездзіў у Сакольнікі з Янкам Купалам…» Хто не ведае Карнея Чукоўскага і яго казкі? Хто не ведае – той, пэўна, і ў школу не хадзіў, і ў дзяцінстве на ранішніках вершаў не чытаў і нават не слухаў!.. А тым не менш ён быў звязаны і з Беларуссю, якую Карней Іванавіч адкрыў для сябе на пачатку ХХ стагоддзя.

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IN THE COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY ZONE

THE USE OF CSTO PEACEKEEPING FORCES IS A PRECEDENT AND A NEW REALITY The aggravation of the situation in Kazakhstan, which occurred in early January, was the reason for convening an extraordinary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council. This happened for the first time in the history of the organisation.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

IN THE COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY ZONE BELTA

A few days earlier, the heads of the CSTO member states promptly responded to Kazakhstan’s request for assistance. For the first time, the mechanism for the use of collective peacekeeping forces was activated. In the shortest possible time, groups of troops of the allied countries were transferred to Kazakhstan. This made it possible to stabilise the situation relatively quickly. At the online summit, the presidents confirmed the correctness of their decision. The President of Belarus in his speech stressed, “Our efforts had a sobering effect on the destructive elements and showed the whole world the close allied ties, the viability and potential of the organisation. Based on this lesson of ours, we need to improve both the manageability of the CSTO and the forces that we are ready to use.”

The conversation at the session took place on a tragic day of mourning for Kazakhstan. Colleagues in solidarity with the ally honoured the memory of the dead with a minute of silence. Aleksandr Lukashenko, on behalf of the Belarusian people, expressed condolences over the deaths of law enforcement officers, military personnel and civilians in the country. The Head of State, assessing the situation, noted, “An analysis of the events in Kazakhstan shows the presence, of course, of an external factor. Their script is recognisable. There is no need to look far for analogies: Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan. Not so long ago, Belarus also experienced a similar combined onslaught.” Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out that the situations in each of these countries developed with their own

peculiarities. But the general modus operandi is clear. The President remarked, “Yes, we talk a lot about external interference now. A little time will pass, and the names, surnames, addresses, passwords, appearances of these figures (organisers of the riots. — Ed.) will be known. But one thing that must be understood is that the external factor will never be the only one. Behind all external factors, one must also look at internal ones. This is the lesson we have learned from the events in Belarus.” A few days ago, Kazakhstan gave the impression of a strong and dynamically developing country. There were no fatal threats. But the President of Belarus did not focus on such a moment just in vain, “We must understand that there are too many people who want to blow up the situation around the Central Asian postБЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

IN THE COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY ZONE Soviet republics around the people and the state of Kazakhstan, who are close to us. More recently, Afghanistan has been added to this. I emphasise once again: this is our inexorable conclusion. It was demonstrated by the events that many international terrorists have accumulated near the borders of Kazakhstan.” The Head of State noted that the problem of negative trends in the post-Soviet republics, in this case in Kazakhstan, cannot be solved only within the framework of Kazakhstan, “As we see it, I am absolutely convinced of this that the closest peoples of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan should together try to solve the difficult problems that have been inherited and which have already been created by us in the postSoviet period. I am talking expressly about Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.” And one more piece of advice from Aleksandr Lukashenko to a friendly state, “Lessons, which have been talked about a lot here, should be learned, forgive me for this, and first of all, it concerns Uzbekistan. If these lessons are not learned, according to our information, and you can already see it there, on the spot, their (hybrid aggressors — Ed.) eyes will also be cast on Uzbekistan.” The President of Belarus once again returned to the topic of consequences, “The main thing is the lessons. Lessons that the leadership of Kazakhstan is learnin today. External ones, which have already been mentioned, will draw appropriate conclusions in the near future, but we must also consider the internal reasons. Analysing the situation in Belarus, we proceed from the fact that, in addition to external reasons, the internal reasons were clearly visible in our country, not so much in Kazakhstan. The President of Kazakhstan is still trying to get to the bottom of the matter. I’m sure he will. But we, based on what happened in Belarus, do not forget that there were also internal reasons. The same is true in other republics. This needs to be clearly understood. If we do not understand this and blame only the external factor, then we can get a repetition of events.”

We provided the support requested

The members of the Council spoke more than once about the fact that the danger from terrorists is real. At the extraordinary session, Aleksandr

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Lukashenko recalled that President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon repeatedly warned about the risks and threats associated with the creation of sleeping cells of terrorists and extremists in the Central Asian region, which could wake up at one moment, “We took note of this, but probably underestimated the risks. Let’s be honest: we thought that this trouble would pass us by. And now we see that the main backbone of the protesters in Kazakhstan were professional terrorist fighters. This is a very dangerous trend.” Speaking about the masterminds and organisers of the events in Kazakhstan,

External and internal factors of hybrid aggression, joint efforts to combat terrorist attacks, readiness for new serious challenges, the need to increase the level of political interaction were some of the relevant issues discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council the Head of the Belarusian State stressed that the same forces are behind this as in other countries, “I am sure that the organisers and leaders of the events in Kazakhstan are deeply hidden. But I am absolutely convinced that both in Belarus, in other countries, and in Kazakhstan, we will come to the same point from the very beginning.” At the same time, the President noted the timeliness and efficiency of the decision to bring collective peacekeeping forces into Kazakhstan. Yes, they had a sobering effect. But then new attacks were undertaken — informational ones. Now the task is to denigrate the CSTO peacekeeping mission, to present it as predatory.

Aleksandr Lukashenko replied to this, “We must not allow the deployment of a peacekeeping contingent as occupants. We see that such attempts are already being made. We are not occupants, we did not come there of our own free will, we were invited by our brother, our friend, who is responsible for this vast country. And we provided the support that he demanded of us.”

We acted promptly, and the result is visible

Aleksandr Lukashenko warns, “Serious challenges await us in the future. It is necessary to strengthen the CSTO, calmly and systematically build up all its components and, above all, the peacekeeping potential. It is very important to maintain mobility and efficiency of actions.” At the same time, the Head of State calls for paying less attention to external reactions, “There is no need to be unnecessarily, figuratively speaking, shy in this regard, looking around at the West, USA or some other states. If we are constantly looking around, we may break our necks. Therefore, you need to attend to your own issues and see to your own safety.” The President noted that this is the way that the collective West always behaves, “When they have the slightest problems, they do not think about democracy, they do not look back at us, but act in accordance with their own interests. We also need to take this into account. We acted tough in the first minutes — the result is visible.”

Need for an adequate response

Yes, the use of the CSTO peacekeeping forces is a precedent, a new reality. The President of Belarus believes that, judging by the activity of Western politicians, they are closely monitoring the situation there, “They first took a break for two or three days. To get organised too. Two or three days later, the President of Russia and I talked about this constantly, what we planned, as we saw it, statements rained down. The statements are understandable: democracy, freedom, not taking tough measures, and so on. It is obvious that the introduction of the collective peacekeeping forces of the CSTO violated the plans of the masterminds and executors of the provoked conflict. This once again confirms the correctness of our decision.”

IN THE COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY ZONE BELTA

Aleksandr Lukashenko urged his colleagues, “We need to be sure to monitor the situation and act proactively. Stop the possible causes that can lead to such consequences. And the President of Kazakhstan did the right thing when, on the very first day, he acted harshly towards those who allowed the first symptoms of these events. Just think, it is natural gas, which has nowhere to go in Kazakhstan! The price should have been doubled.” The Head of the Belarusian State is convinced that today, more than ever, within the framework of the CSTO, it is necessary to increase the level of political interaction and coordination of positions in the international arena. He emphasised, “The forms and methods of exerting a hybrid influence on our countries are improving qualitatively. Within the framework of the CSTO, it is necessary to develop adequate response measures. As I said, without looking back. Information

exchange should be improved and the analytical component should be qualitatively improved. The growth of tension is also pushing us to revise joint measures to counter terrorism and extremism.” In this regard, the President recalled that it was long overdue for a substantive discussion about Tajikistan, “The President of Tajikistan has been asking us for years to provide material support. First of all, military equipment. And we need to do this so that later it does not cost us more. As with Kazakhstan. Almost 200 aircraft flights were required to transfer the equipment. Fortunately, Russia agreed to this. I would not want it to be in Tajikistan. Better help the country now. It will deal with those issues. This also applies to other republics. Conclusions must be drawn.” It is the look ahead, to the pre-emption, that is most important and valuable today. Aleksandr Lukashenko noted,

“We paid a lot of attention to the fight against international terrorism, perhaps underestimating the danger posed by extremism in all its manifestations. It is necessary to timely reveal the forces that, under certain conditions, are able to cross the red line, embarking on the path of violence, as well as to severely suppress their destructive activities.” The position of the official Minsk is unchanged, “As for Belarus, dear colleagues, you can always count not only on mutual understanding, individual statements and support. We will always be faithful to the agreements that we have reached.”

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan,

“All events since the beginning of this year are links in one chain. They are subject to a single destructive plan, the preparation of which has been going on for a long time. It’s about an attempted БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

IN THE COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY ZONE

FROM THE SPEECHES OF THE SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS coup d’état. All military operations were coordinated from one centre. This is evidenced by simultaneous attacks on administrative buildings and strategic facilities. The fall of Almaty would open the way to the capture of the entire densely populated south, and then the entire country. In fact, it was a real terrorist war unleashed against our state... Kazakhstan turned to the CSTO with a request to provide assistance. And this support turned out to be very timely. Having learned about the arrival of three military transport aircraft in the capital, the militants abandoned their plans to capture the presidential residence. This gave us the opportunity to send additional forces to Almaty and recapture the city from the terrorists. This is the first time that the peacekeeping potential of the CSTO is actually used to ensure the security, stability and integrity of one of the member states. The CSTO has shown its relevance and effectiveness as an authoritative military-political organisation. In fact, the events that took place became a turning point in the development of the CSTO, which acquired a new quality as a strong international institution. The threats faced by Kazakhstan are common to the entire collective security space. Therefore, it is important for us to further strengthen the powerful potential of the CSTO. And Kazakhstan will make its contribution to this matter. The main thing is to prevent the recurrence of such events in the entire space of collective security in the future. I think this is our main task. Kazakhstan is ready for this work and will always support its allies.”

VLADIMIR PUTIN, President of the Russian Federation,

“We understand that the emerging threat to Kazakhstan’s statehood is by no means caused by spontaneous protests over fuel prices, but by the fact that destructive internal and external forces took advantage of the situation. Those people who advocated the situation on the gas market are the same people and they have the same goals. And those who took up arms and attacked the state are

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

completely different people and they have different goals. At the same time, the elements of force and information support of the protests inherent in the ‘Maidan’ technologies were actively used, wellorganised and well-managed groups of militants, apparently trained in terrorist camps abroad, were used. Their attack on Kazakhstan was an act of aggression. It is extremely important that our organisation was able to quickly and smoothly make all the necessary decisions within a tight time frame. Joint steps to provide assistance to the fraternal people of Kazakhstan were agreed as quickly as possible. The CSTO mechanism has really turned on. We consider our joint actions as an exceptionally timely and, of course, absolutely legitimate action. Our organisation has shown in practice its potential, its ability to act quickly, decisively and effectively. Each of the allies contributed to the fulfilment of the assigned tasks. We understand that the events in Kazakhstan are not the first and by no means the last attempt to interfere from the outside in the internal affairs of our states. Here I agree with Aleksandr Grigoryevich (Lukashenko — Ed.). The measures taken under the auspices of the CSTO have clearly shown that we will not allow the situation to be shaken at home and will not allow the scenario of socalled colour revolutions to materialise.”

EMOMALI RAHMON, President of Tajikistan,

“We in Tajikistan are fighting with all our might against the propaganda and subversive work of the emissaries of banned organisations. Every year we record a quantitative increase in the facts of phenomena of a terrorist nature. More and more people are entering the CSTO member states, including from among labour migrants who are under the influence of agitators of terrorist organisations. Another problem is the uncontrolled departure of citizens to study in foreign religious educational centres, where they often undergo thorough extremist training. The increased activity of terrorist

groups in Afghanistan also affects the security of the CSTO. We are extremely concerned that ISIS militants are strengthening their positions in Afghanistan. According to the intelligence services of Tajikistan, the number of camps and terrorist training centres bordering the CSTO is over 40. And the number of militants exceeds 60,000. Let me remind you that the decision of the Collective Security Council of the CSTO on the formation of a single list of organisations recognised as terrorist by the CSTO has not yet been implemented. Also, a targeted interstate programme to strengthen the Tajik-Afghan border has not yet been adopted. Meanwhile, the situation on the border is becoming more complicated every day. There is fighting right on the border between the Taliban themselves. We need to create a security belt around Afghanistan.”

AKYLBEK ZHAPAROV, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Head of the Administration of the President of Kyrgyzstan,

“The initiative of the Kazakh side to activate the mechanisms of the CSTO collective security system in the current conditions confirms the unity of views of the CSTO member states on the existing challenges and threats to security. After the request of the President of Kazakhstan for assistance on January 7th, a peacekeeping military contingent of the Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan in the amount of 150 people flew to Kazakhstan, as well as 8 units of armoured vehicles and 12 units of vehicles... Instability and increased violence are likely to lead to a deterioration in the socio-economic situation as in Kazakhstan itself, and have a negative impact on other CSTO states. In this vein, we consider it particularly important to provide all conditions for ensuring the unhindered movement of passengers and cargo for the purposes of socio-economic development and maintaining stability in the region. It is important to maintain the sustainable economic development of the region, to take the necessary measures to maintain favourable conditions for business.”

IN THE COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY ZONE BELTA

NIKOL PASHINYAN, Prime Minister of Armenia, Chairman of the CSTO Collective Security Council,

“Unfortunately, there is no reduction in tension in the area of responsibility of the CSTO, we continue to face new types of threats. The current situation in Kazakhstan is of particular concern to us in view of the presentation of information about the involvement of international terrorist entities. In the recent past, we ourselves have experienced the emergence of foreign terrorist fighters in our region. We hope that the efforts within the framework of the CSTO, aimed at helping friendly Kazakhstan, will contribute to the restoration of the normal life of the country in the shortest possible time. Among the key priorities of

Armenia’s chairmanship in the CSTO is the strengthening of the organisation’s crisis response mechanisms. Based on this, we expect the CSTO member states to step up joint efforts in order to further improve these mechanisms.”

STANISLAV ZAS, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation,

“The members of the United Nations Security Council have been informed about the decision to conduct a peacekeeping operation in the territory of Kazakhstan through the UN Secretary General. The Secretaries General of the OSCE and SCO were also informed. In fact, we spent two days on all organisational procedures. In

accordance with the plan of operation agreed with the Kazakh side, the collective peacekeeping forces began to carry out tasks to strengthen the security and defence of important military and government facilities, as well as create conditions for stabilising the situation in the areas of responsibility. Yes, this is our first experience of such an operation. Of course, a little later we will calmly analyse everything, draw lessons and conclusions. But even now we can draw the most important conclusion – the peacekeeping potential and the mechanisms for its use, which our organisation has created, really works and is able to fulfil the tasks set.” Vladimir Khromov

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

THERE IS A PROOF

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MISSION IS POSSIBLE. THERE IS A PROOF Belarusian peacekeepers have made a significant contribution to the stabilisation of the situation in Kazakhstan. This was stated by President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko already at a meeting with the peacekeeping forces, when they completed their mission and returned home.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

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Aleksandr Lukashenko addressed the servicemen, “You fulfilled the tasks of ensuring the security of the most important state and military facilities of Kazakhstan honourably, made your significant contribution to stabilizing the situation in the country. Today, the military personnel of Belarus and Russia are equal to you. Families and the entire Belarusian people are proud of you. You gave our military an excellent lesson in behaviour in such situations.” It seems that as soon as the servicemen from Belarus landed at the Zhetygen airfield near Almaty, they are back in their homeland. They were met with great honours, as real heroes. Half an hour before Aleksandr Lukashenko’s arrival at the airfield in Machulishchi, three dozen fighters, including pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces, were awarded with certificates of acknowledgement and watches by the Minister of Defence of Belarus, Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin. The President will give instructions a little later: everyone should be awarded. Here is what else the President said, addressing the peacekeepers, “We understand that the events in our brotherly republic are yet another attempt at external interference in the internal affairs of independent states, and the threats that Kazakhstan has faced are common to most states in the post-Soviet space.” The President expressed special gratitude to the Ministry of Defence of Russia and the Russian military pilots, who organised and promptly ensured the delivery of the Belarusian military force to Kazakhstan and back. “I thank you all for your service and exemplary performance of the assigned tasks. You have shown the highest professionalism, dedication and courage. You stepped into the unknown and did an excellent job there. You did not know what could be there. Many of you are encouraged, the rest will also be awarded. This is an instruction to the Minister of Defence,” noted the Commander-in-Chief. The Head of State admitted that the feeling with which he made the decision to send Belarusian peacekeepers to Kazakhstan still doesn’t leave him. “I prayed to God that every single one of you return from there not just alive, but healthy. And I am happy that this operation ended in this way. Today you will see your relatives, your families, many of you will hug your kids. This is the biggest happiness for me as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, when you

send your children into the unknown and they return alive and healthy. You did your job perfectly, as it should be for us, real men,” emphasised the President. “You chose such a profession, but time has chosen us, and there is no getting away from it.” According to the Head of State, Kazakhstan was subjected to armed aggression by well-coordinated terrorist groups. They have undergone special training and have combat experience gained in various hot spots. “It is difficult for me to convince you of this, because you have just left the battlefield, and I was not there. But I dare to convince you that you saw a limited space for which you were responsible. We analysed and saw the situation as a whole. And only thanks to the forces that were deployed in Kazakhstan, that terrible plan to destroy the Kazakh state failed,” noted Aleksandr Lukashenko. He is sure that some time will pass and the people of Kazakhstan will appreciate the efforts of the CSTO countries. “As a former military man and officer, I understand that from the battlefield everything is seen differently than in general. But, believe me, with your actions, even without firing, without conducting special operations, you only ensured peace and order. It was a signal to everyone who today sharpens the sword along the perimeter of the Belarusian-Russian border,” said the President. “You have shown everyone that it is dangerous to fight with us. Moreover, it is impossible. It is impossible to defeat us. This is the main result of your operation.” The Head of State congratulated the servicemen on the completion of the peacekeeping mission and wished them good health, happiness, prosperity and new successes in their professional activities for the benefit of the country and people. Aleksei Fedosov

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

1PROF.BY

WHEN EVERYONE IS INTERESTED

The draft of the new Constitution as the most important element of the foundation for the further development of Belarus There is already a vision of what a huge layer of work will have to be mastered if the public at the national discussion and the upcoming referendum supports the innovations. As Aleksandr Lukashenko said, if the people approve of the new draft, the current government will have to rebuild the system of state administration in the country according to a new one and make appropriate adjustments in the legislation. If you look at the draft of the new Constitution, it is clear that, in accordance with it, the President has slightly fewer powers, while the vertical of power, on the contrary, is expanding. The Belarusian People’s Congress stands apart - it acquires a special constitutional status.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

Those who took part in the discussion of amendments and additions to the Constitution, ask a natural question: how efficiently the state administration system will work with such an organisation of the authorities, will the Belarusian People’s Congress be able to play the role of a ‘safety cushion’? Time-tested efficiency Since 1996, the Belarusian People’s Congress has been held every five years in Belarus, at which, taking into account the opinions of the majority of citizens, the most important decisions are made: programmes of socio-economic development

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IN THE PROCESS OF ACTIVE DISCUSSION

Without a doubt, the past year will go down in history as a year of work on the creation of a draft of amendments and additions to the Basic Law. A large number of meetings were held in different formats - from dialogue platforms and discussions in the Constitutional Commission to adjustments by professional lawyers and consultations of specialists from the working group. It is obvious that the new Constitution is a completely different system of government. БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

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ON FEBRUARY 27TH, A REFERENDUM ON DRAFT AMENDMENTS AND ADDITIONS TO THE CURRENT CONSTITUTION OF THE COUNTRY WILL BE HELD IN BELARUS Since 1996, the Belarusian People’s Congress has been held every five years in Belarus, at which, taking into account the opinions of the majority of citizens, the most important decisions are made: programmes of socio-economic development and other fundamental documents. It also summarises the results of domestic and foreign policy of the state. In a word, life itself has proved the need to give this body of democracy a constitutional status. By virtue of its efficiency and effectiveness, the All-Belarus People’s Congress has earned the right to become the highest representative body of the country and receive a special status. According to the Head of the President Administration Igor Sergeyenko, the new draft of the Constitution provides for about 1,200 people to be elected as delegates of the All-Belarus People’s Congress for five years, while maintaining the corresponding status for the same period. The Congress shall be responsible for the solution of the most important strategic issues. The draft also envisages the election of heads and judges of the Supreme and Constitutional Courts and the Central Election Commission to the All-Belarus People’s Congress. Figuratively speaking, one can see the possibility of creating a kind of ‘collective President’ endowed with rather broad powers. And its decisions will be binding on state bodies and officials. Historical memory is a priority For the first time in the draft of the Basic Law of the country, a ban on financing election campaigns from abroad is spelled out. It is substantiated that the need to take such a measure is caused both by the events of the year before last and by incidents in other election campaigns. The preservation of historical truth and memory

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

is directly linked to the search for the very national idea that has been discussed in the country for many years. And life itself also led to this — almost 80 years have passed since the Great Patriotic War. The further we move away from those events, the more magnificent the feat of the people seems. Unfortunately, participants and eyewitnesses of that war are leaving, and modern youth often receive distorted information through the prism of the Internet and foreign propaganda. Considering these factors, the members of the Constitutional Commission decided that the issues of the need to preserve the historical memory of the people should be duly reflected in the Basic Law. With a high level of interest The nationwide discussion of the new project continues. At this stage, it is not only a reaction of the ‘approve’ or ‘disapprove’ type that is important, but a clearly grounded and constructive position. It is quite natural that the members of the Constitutional Commission could have missed something, because they are also people who tend to both make mistakes and forget. Therefore, it is the general public who can help to finalise something and go to the referendum with a ready-made and worked-out version, which would not cause any serious doubts. By the way, recent opinion polls show that interest in these issues is quite high. In order to simplify the procedure for everyone to participate in the discussion of innovations, proposals and comments of citizens are accepted by all state bodies of the country. And the National Centre for Legal Information is engaged in the generalisation of the incoming proposals, which systematises them in detail. Vladimir Velikhov

MODERNISATION TRENDS

ELECTRIC CAPACITIES It is planned to build about 2 million m2 of electric houses in Belarus by 2025, which, according to experts, will increase the annual consumption of electricity for hot water supply, heating and cooking by 0.22 billion kWh. This year, residents of 78 existing apartment buildings, as well as more than 13,000 owners of private estates in rural areas, have expressed a desire to switch from stove heating to electric heating. At the same time, in order for every Belarusian to be able to use electricity now, it is necessary to invest 28 billion rubles, or $11 million, in the reconstruction of power networks, which cannot be attracted at the same time. We talked to the experts about how the country plans to increase the use of electricity in houses, to whom and how much money will be returned from the cost of providing housing with an electrical installation, and what it will give Belarusians in general. Four main activities for the use of electricity for hot water, heating and cooking are identified for the Belarusian housing stock. This is the construction of multi-apartment, single-apartment and block houses with the use of electricity for these needs; transfer of apartment buildings from stove heating to electric heating; transfer of apartment buildings connected to liquefied gas tank installations (there are such in 268 settlements in the country) to the use of electricity. Such a measure is new and is still being discussed how it will be implemented. As well as the transfer of single-family and block housing to the use of electricity for cooking, hot water supply and heating, as reported by Andrei Nevzgodko, Head of the Strategic БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

MODERNISATION TRENDS

RBC.RU

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

Development Department of Belenergo, “Citizens’ interest in using electricity for heating, cooking and hot water supply arose in 2019, when a tariff of 3.35 kopecks per kWh was set. However, not everyone who wanted to pay such a price had information about who is entitled to this. The second wave of those wishing to use electricity rose after the adoption of Presidential Decree No. 127, which concerned the coverage from the local budget of part of the cost of electricity supply to housing, which was provided by the owners of houses. 40% of the cost of completed work on the power supply of housing will be returned to low-income and other vulnerable categories of citizens, however, the amount cannot exceed 80 basic units. All others can count on reimbursement of up to 20% of the cost of electricity supply work performed and the amount cannot exceed 20 basic units.” “The power supply of housing refers to reconstruction work, therefore, it must be carried out in accordance with the law,” emphasised the specialist. “Those who started doing electrical installations without waiting for the validity of the relevant documents are not subject to the reimbursement of the costs of the work performed. To know where to start work, you should read the information from the Relevant (Aktualnoye) section on the Belenergo website, or contact the One Window (Odno Okno) power grid service or write a request,” advised Andrei Nevzgodko. Demand is high — reconstruction is limited All the country’s electricity distribution networks in operation in rural areas have capacity limitations, as they were designed without taking into account the use of electricity for

MODERNISATION TRENDS

cooking, hot water supply and heating. “In the past decades, when designing distribution networks in individual development areas with non-luxury houses, the power allowed for use was 3.5-4 kW, and in high-comfort housing, about 11.512 kW. When using electricity for heating, cooking and hot water supply, the electric load increases to 10 and 25 kW, respectively,” said Viktor Rudkovsky, Head of the Electrical Networks Operation Department of Belenergo. “Now, when citizens apply for the issuance of technical specifications (TS) for providing the house with the system of integrated use of electricity, the reserve capacity of power networks is measured, and if there is such reserve, a person can get it.” Nevertheless, it is clear that until the power grids are reconstructed, energy supply organisations cannot satisfy the applications of all citizens for connection to the power grids. “This year, energy supply organisations received more than 13.4 thousand applications for the issuance of technical specifications for the use of electricity for the designated purposes. Almost 11,000 citizens (81%) have been issued technical specifications,” outlines Andrei Nevzgodko. “Complaints about the untimely reconstruction of electricity networks during the planned construction of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant arise from the fact that people do not imagine the duration of the distribution electricity networks and the amount of money needed for their modernisation. At the beginning of 2021, the

length of networks with a voltage of 0.4-10 kV in the country was more than 200 thousand kilometres (if desired, they can wrap the earth five times), and about 140 thousand roubles are needed for the reconstruction of each kilometre of the grid. Neither energy supply organisations nor the state as a whole can find such funds at one moment,” assured the specialist. “Applications from citizens who want to provide their housing with electricity are considered according to the order in which they are received, and the technical specifications for connecting electrical installations of heating, hot water supply and cooking systems are considered until the end of the reserve capacity of the power grid. All refusals to issue specifications are taken into account for the subsequent priority reconstruction of networks after they are depreciated (only depreciated electrical networks are included in the reconstruction plan),” explained Andrei Nevzgodko. However, in towns where gas is supplied or where there are centralised heat sources with a reserve of throughput capacity, the reconstruction of power networks is carried out without taking into account the use of electricity for the designated purposes. In addition, a project is being developed on the construction of distribution electricity networks, where it is planned to fix the norm on the participation of citizens in the financing of non-depreciated electricity networks. It is assumed that the amount will not exceed 30% of the total cost of reconstruction.” Irina Sidorok

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

ENERGY-SAVING FORMULA

DEPTHS OF THE EARTH HIDE MANY TREASURES, AND THERE IS NO BAD WEATHER What are the most common finds of Belarusian geologists, if we are not talking oil and diamonds, and how soon will the wind blow into the wind turbines, and will the sun power the solar panels?

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

hen it comes to minerals, we shrug our shoulders. Like, we do not have much, our resources are poor. However, geologists are categorically against such a formulation of the issue.

Yes, we do not have an abundance of oil and natural gas, but the industrial reserves of the potash salts, for example, are estimated at no less than 7 billion tons! Every year, we produce up to 50 million tons of this mineral, and 5-6 million tons are exported. Therefore, it is not surprising that specialized organizations are faced with the task of increasing the level of geological knowledge of the potential of our subsoil and meeting the needs of economic sectors with our own mineral raw materials. Maintaining the existing indicators and increasing them - these are the tasks for oil. “The target indicator for the growth of oil reserves is about 600 thousand tons per year,” they told us in the Department for Geology of the Ministry of Natural Resources. “How do we achieve this? We involve deposits with hard-to-recover reserves into economic circulation, we work on the search and development of new ones. For example, the reserves of the Yuzhno-Shatilkovskoye oil field in the Gomel region are estimated at more than $100 million. At the same time, geological exploration work here cost much less: drilling one well cost about 2-2.5 million in foreign currency. For the future, we are considering another oil field in the Gomel region, which is Ugolskoye. Its geological reserves are estimated at about 1.7 million tons of oil.

The equipment used by the head enterprise of the industry, Belorusneft Production Association, is the most modern, including the Belarusian one. The deep-drilling rigs, which are produced jointly with the Italian company Drillmec, have proven themselves well.

In total, more than 80 oil fields have been identified in the country, about 60 of them are in development. For 2022, the industry sets itself ambitious goals for increasing field seismic operations and, in general, for increasing reserves. Nevertheless, often the newly discovered fields do not have a large enough potential and resource base, which could compensate the oilmen for the annual production costs. Recently, the compensation for annual oil production due to the increase in reserves has not exceeded 60-65 percent. Therefore, the focus is on innovation. Our scientists, in collaboration with Russian scientists and within the framework of union programs, are proposing such innovations to geologists. For example, the Skif-Geo supercomputer, which can solve a number of problems related to geological exploration via remote access, has already come to the rescue. According to the representative of the Joint Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences, such a supercomputer can quickly perform calculations, including at the fields, as well as reduce the time for the solution of certain problems from 46 — 47 hours to 7 - 8 minutes.

Target oil growth rate — 600 thousand tons per year.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

ENERGY-SAVING FORMULA

ATOMIC-ENERGY.RU

However, the country’s economy today is interested not only in oil, but also in such minerals as rock salt, chalk, sand, sand and gravel mixes. Right now, they are mined to cover the needs of enterprises, but there is a certain reserve for entering foreign markets. And there are such examples. In particular, the export of crushed stone brings to the treasury more than $50 million per year.

In a year, the export of crushed stone brings more than $ 50 million to the treasury. The potential of minerals, geologists are convinced, needs to be used more actively. There is, for example, the prospect of sapropel, or rather, fertilizers based on it, which can become another item of our export. In addition to building raw materials based on our basalts, fertilizers from sapropel can become an export item. This became clear during the visits of the Head of State to such countries as the Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, where there is a certain interest in the development of agriculture. And in the desert, organomineral fertilizers are a necessary source for harvesting. Another source of income can and should be investment projects for the development of mineral deposits. For example, the cost of the potash salt deposits project alone is estimated at more than $3 billion. We are talking about the development of the Petrikovskoye field, new sections of the Starobinsky. Waste can also bring income, the Institute of Geology of the National Research Centre for Geology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus has proved. One of the first signs was the use of dumps that arise in

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

quarries for the extraction of building stone. Such as at the Mikashevichskoye field. According to the institute, they have received prototypes of silicate materials for multipurpose purposes — ceramic products for the construction industry, mineral fiber, glass-crystal material. Their quality is not inferior to imported ceramic products. The study of the use of recyclables continued at the Diabazovoye field. And the result will be the preparation of technological recommendations for obtaining nontraditional and import-substituting raw materials based on recycling.

Increasingly, new wind turbines can be seen in the regions. Their huge rotating blades catch the eye from afar. New ones are being created now wind farms in the Grodno region and Minsk region. And we have more and more solar power plants. But all this is a drop — no, not even in the sea — in the ocean. In Europe, Denmark is considered the leader in the use of renewable energy. There, more than 40 percent of all electricity is

generated by wind alone. What prevents us from moving faster? What are your plans for the near future? These issues were discussed at the round table by parliamentarians, representatives of ministries, scientists. Many are still quite skeptical about the development of renewable energy sources in our country. Like, we don't have any winds, and the sun doesn't shine much. But the calculations of experts are irrefutable. The potential efficiency of using solar panels in Belarus is almost 20 percent higher than in Germany, Belgium, Denmark, and the UK. And we have the wind. It's just that a person judges his strength from the ground level. And for wind power, measurements at an altitude of 50 to 150 meters are important. And there the picture is completely different. It turns out that Belarus is approaching many EU countries in terms of wind potential. However, we are still lagging behind in terms of wind power. The lack of own innovative developments and the mechanism of subsidizing by the state do not contribute to the promotion of renewable energy. It seems that we have

1ISTOCHNIK.RU

not fully appreciated the role of the same wind energy. Therefore, the quota for its development in 2017-2019 was only 11 MW. This is clearly not enough to attract large investments. References to the high cost of projects, their long payback are untenable. The numbers speak for themselves. If in 2004 the states invested 60-70 billion dollars in renewable energy projects, today they have already reached 300-350 billion. This leads to the development of technologies and the reduction in the cost of such energy. Moreover, taking into account the potential of our science and engineering, we could develop many things ourselves, make equipment, power plants and export them. This is a lot of money and great opportunities. This position, by the way, is supported by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. After all, there are almost 400 thousand hectares of land in the country that can be occupied for solar stations.

There are almost 400 thousand hectares of land in the country that can be occupied for solar stations. Yes, it is expensive, but technology has advanced so much in ten years that the payback of these installations has decreased from 15 to 5 years. This makes it possible to abandon the increased coefficients that the country pays investors for the introduction of renewable energy. They can be recouped at lower rates. But if we also put the issue of ecology at the forefront. For example, only one wind turbine with a capacity of 1 MW can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,800 tons annually. The whole world is following this path, we have just started. And if the state, business, and science work together to solve this problem, it will be solved. By the way, the technical potential for the development of renewable energy sources in Belarus is estimated at 80 million tons of conventional fuel, which exceeds the total energy consumption in the country. Vladimir Velikhov

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

OPTIMISTIC REALITY

THERE IS NEVER TOO MUCH

PROGRESS

The Belarusian business entities were able to competently take advantage of the current situation

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

OPTIMISTIC REALITY

In the spotlight Good luck, as you know, comes to those who work well. Despite the negative forecasts that were given from outside, in some aspects, the national economy shows the best results and rates over the past decades. Although the data have so far been provided by Belstat on the basis of an analysis of the past 10-11 months, it is already clear that the results updated in the future will not significantly affect the overall picture. The first fact is GDP. The economy added 2.3 percent, although slightly less is expected for the year. This result is even better than it was in the pre-crisis 2019. Acceleration began in March, peaked in the summer months, but slowed down somewhat by the end of the year. The dynamics over the last year is generally positive: 2019 — 57.3 billion dollars, 2020 — 56.2 billion, 2021 — 62.3 billion (as of January-November). The secondary sector, in particular the HTP, deserves special attention. Industrial growth surpasses all forecasts — 6.7%. Moreover, positive dynamics is observed in almost all sub-sectors. The Hi-Tech Park has added more than 20% in the export of its products, the growth amounted to more than 2.5 billion dollars, and this is only 10 months — the record of last year, it seems, will be broken. The products of residents, and there are more than a thousand of them, are most often bought by the USA, Cyprus, Great Britain, Ireland and Russia. Almost 9 thousand new jobs were created in the HTP last year. By the way, the growth of industrial production in our country is 7%, in Russia — 5%, in Kazakhstan — 3%. When you set your priorities Exports as a whole were also a pleasant surprise, showing a record growth of 32% over the past decade, and it is well balanced both in terms of prices and volumes. If you look at the commodity structure of exports, then this, of course, is food, woodworking, and the IT sector. They sold more goods and services than

Once again, external factors failed to become decisive in the development of the Belarusian economy, which continues to demonstrate growth under the most difficult conditions. Yes, sanctions were added to last year’s pandemic, but preliminary results show that the responses to the challenges look very decent

The volume of the Belarusian economy, GDP in billion dollars

January – November 2019 January – November 2020 January – November 2021

they bought — 39.4 and 36.3 billion dollars, respectively. One cannot fail to note the high demand for Belarusian food products, the volume of sales of which over the past year should amount to about $ 6.5 billion. Undoubtedly, this is a great success — our food is popular in more than 100 countries around the world. The reason for this recognition can be considered primarily the effect of deferred demand: in the context of the pandemic, Belarusian production did not stop and constantly ensured exports. At the same

53,7 56,2 62,3

time, some competitive enterprises from other countries were simply stopped, and we took advantage of this situation in time. The modernisation of production facilities, which began more than 7 years ago, also played a role. As a result, today over 60% of products are export-oriented, which in the coming year should become a priority in economic policy. One of the important factors is the reputation of Belarusian enterprises. The partners with whom they have been cooperating for many years choose a reliable supplier. That is why it becomes БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

OPTIMISTIC REALITY obvious that even the manifestations of the crisis and the pressure of sanctions work for the benefit of Belarus. Successful performance as a global exporter “The task of diversifying the export portfolio has been long standing, because, unfortunately, it is vulnerable,” says Vladimir Ulakhovich, Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A small number of countries (under 70%) are our partners. Indeed, this is a kind of blessing, because we also have our own niche there, but there is also a weak point in this. Restrictions motivate businesses to operate in other markets as well. Based on the results of 10 months, the growth of exports to the countries of the long-range arc amounted to 45%, and in China — 46%. “The process is underway, but it is not easy, it takes a certain amount of time to get a global return. And there is another important point here. Belarus is a country with an open economy that has been supplying products to more than 160 countries for decades, with established sales markets. And it is necessary to continue to strengthen there, supplying new innovative products and increasing volumes. Today there is an extensive base of importing countries of Belarusian products, so there is no need to say that we are opening some new countries from scratch, because Belarus is a global exporter. And this is how our country should be assessed,” consideres Vladimir Ulakhovich. By the way, payments on external debt are also provided in full. At the same time, the level of international reserve assets increased; as of December 1st, the country’s gold and foreign exchange reserves amounted to $ 8.5 billion. Peaceful atom also brings profit The country’s energy industry is also rapidly developing: the Belarusian NPP with two reactors with a total capacity of 2,400 MW provides more and more new opportunities, gradually replacing traditional hydrocarbon energy sources. As Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko noted, the first power unit of the Belarusian NPP has already allowed

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

Wallets got heavier

The main thing that worries everyone is what is on a bank card or in a wallet. And the dynamics here are positive: the average salary in the country increased and came close to 1,500 Belarusian roubles. Adjusted for inflation, its growth was about 5%. It is noteworthy that the ratio of wages of public sector employees to the national average is over 80%.

Housing

Almost 44,000 apartments were built in Belarus in JanuaryNovember 2021, and over 40% of new housing was built for Belarusians in need of better housing conditions. Almost every third apartment is for rural residents.

the country to save about $ 250 million on replacing natural gas imports. From the moment the unit was connected to the interconnected energy system until the end of 2021, the total electricity production is estimated at 6 billion kWh. The loading of nuclear fuel into the reactor of the second power unit, the start of commercial operation of which is scheduled for the summer of 2022, has been successfully completed.

BELTA

Trends are very promising In 2020-2021, investment in Belarus from the Eurasian Economic Union amounted to 45%, from the European Union — 30%. That is, the balance has shifted towards the EAEU. Russian Federation - over 60 investment projects, and over the past 10 years, the annual investment of Russia was 19.9%. This is a serious number. There are close cooperation ties of 8 thousand enterprises,

of which 1,300 are joint ventures and 2 thousand are in Belarus. Kazakhstan — 12 joint projects. Cooperation with Kyrgyzstan is actively developing, where the issue of supplying equipment, in particular, buses, is currently being worked out. The planned contract is over a thousand buses. Another actively developing area is with Armenia. Aleksaei Fedosov

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

SEE FOR YOURSELF

BelAZ is many things… BELTA

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

са

The Belarusian Automobile Plant in Zhodino, not far from Minsk, was the first in the country’s machine-building industry to open its doors to tourists. More precisely, since 2015, the enterprise has launched an industrial tourism project ‘BELAZ - the Brand of Belarus’. During this time, the enterprise was visited not even by tens, but by hundreds of thousands of people. These are citizens of more than twenty countries of the world. БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

BELTA

The plant, which once started as an assembly shop for 25-ton MAZ dump trucks, has raised the capacity bar every year. Over the 60 years of its existence, the plant has already produced 145 thousand trucks, the largest of which, as you know, are capable of carrying up to 450 tons of cargo. Giant cars are mesmerizing, therefore it is not surprising that recently the BELAZ administration decided to open the veil of secrecy and tell those who wish to know about the process of creating these iron monsters. Today in Zhodino tourists will have a fascinating tour of the plant - the place where the history of the creation of giant machines was born. Here, everyone who wants to may not only get acquainted with the secrets of production, but also see with their own eyes the pride of the domestic auto industry. Yes, BELAZ is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of quarry equipment. The plant’s products have won several prestigious international awards. And the 450-ton truck made in Zhodino is the only twice record holder of the Guinness Book of Records! You will need at least ten railway cars just to transport this dump truck in a disassembled form. During the excursion, tourists will visit one of the assembly shops and witness the birth of the legend of the Belarusian mechanical engineering. And at the technology exhibition site, you can not only take

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

impressive photos against the background of the legendary car, but also feel all its power, climbing on the giant itself. However, not only dump trucks are striking in their power, but also the territory of the plant, which is a kind of city within a city, with its own transport and bus stops. All this, and much more, awaits during the excursion. For example, those who wish will be given a unique opportunity to ride in the cab of a dump truck with a freight forwarder on a specially created training ground, where the operating conditions of equipment and the atmosphere of open pits are recreated. However, an excursion to BELAZ, as a rule, consists of two parts: visiting the museum and getting to know the dump trucks directly. The museum exposition is located in the building of the plant management. The most noticeable part of it is the models of the equipment produced by the enterprise. And the layouts themselves, due to their authenticity, deserve attention. The exposition also features photographs, documents, awards, pieces of rocks and minerals that were mined thanks to the work of the BELAZ equipment. After telling about the history and achievements of the plant, the excursion continues at the open-air exhibition area. In comparison: the plant covers an area of about 260 standard football fields. Therefore, tourists are transported around the territory of BELAZ by bus, stopping as needed. Visitors arrive at the assembly

SEE FOR YOURSELF shop, near which there is a parking lot with the plant’s products. However, dozens of multi-ton trucks parked here pale in comparison to a giant capable of carrying 450 tons. It is a matter of honor for a tourist to be photographed next to the wheel of a truck, which is several times taller than a human being. The photo under the bottom is also popular, here you can stand under the car without even bending over. As already noted, it seems incredible, but if you have the desire and a certain amount of money in your wallet, you can even ride a dump truck. For example, an 8-minute drive around the test site in the cab of a 130-ton BELAZ truck will cost 75 BYN. The BELAZ theme was successfully intertwined in the canvas of the national holidays. Now children’s excursion groups come to meet with Father Christmas from BELAZ. And on February 14, Valentine’s Day, the most popular gift among Zhodino youth was a gift certificate for a ride on the giant.

So, several years ago Belarus offered another original tourist product - excursions to enterprises. Moreover, some of them can involve no tonly walking and watching, but also taking part in the production process. You can even assemble a tractor ... with your own hands. Indeed, other industrial enterprises in Belarus have gradually begun to open their workshops for visitors. The excursions at the Minsk Tractor Plant began two years later after they had already been tried at BELAZ. They keep statistics: the plant has already been visited by tourists from 28 countries of the world, even from Australia. True, at first tourists were not allowed to get close to the conveyor here. But then everything went much further. In July 2017, at the plant, the first group of guests from different countries took a direct part in the assembly of agricultural machinery. Of course, under the strict guidance of the full-time workers of the shop. BELTA

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

SEE FOR YOURSELF BELTA

“This is the first time this has been practiced in our country,” they are satisfied with their own idea at Minsk Tractor Works. “The right to work on a conveyor belt was previously given only in US auto concerns. We have such an excursion available to everyone. You just need to sign up in advance. We give everyone a tractor ‘assembly card’, where instructions are described step by step. As a result, the guest will receive a certificate indicating the serial number of ‘his/her’ tractor and the country where the ‘iron horse’ will go to work. The customer should not worry about the build quality: all products will be checked by the quality department in any case. This kind of hospitality is not a tribute to fashion. Here we understand what a modern enterprise needs for its image.” “Our plant is still perceived by many in the world as a part of the Soviet legacy. Although for some countries, such as Cuba, Venezuela or Nicaragua, this is a kind of quality mark. Type of the ‘time-tested’ stamp. However, we not only honor traditions, but also follow global trends. How else to convey your own policy of openness to potential buyers? There are enough trade secrets — we will keep silent about them. But we have something to surprise those around us. New technologies including. Once upon a time, guests from Estonia, representatives of local government, came to the plant for an excursion. They walked around, looked, were impressed. Whether this visit will be formalized into a specific contract for the purchase of equipment for municipal needs (foreigners were interested in it) is

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

uncertain. However, Estonians admitted that they saw an excellent alternative to Western products in Minsk. It was surprising for the neighbors that the Minsk Tractor Works, which until now was associated with the Soviet classics, the Belarus-82 tractor, is now assembling a wide range of equipment. Every tenth tractor in the world is from Minsk.” They say it is better you don’t know what a sausage is made of. However, this does not apply to Belarusian food products. Food industry enterprises are also inviting for excursions. You can go to Turov to see how ricotta, mascarpone and provoleto are made in Belarus. The doors of the Molochny Mir enterprise have been opened in Grodno. Bakeries, confectionery factories and breweries are waiting for their guests in Minsk. Krinitsa pleases with a cinematic picture of the bottling conveyor and tasting, Alivaria offers a route through workshops with a century and a half history and thematic tours that will help you become experts on the drink: “Brewing Course”, “Flavor Guide”. And tasting eight types of foam will solidify the theory. The following is also obvious: industrial tourism at Belarusian enterprises is developing, thereby contributing to the strengthening of the reputation and image of companies. Openness to the consumer, partner, investor, or competitor means demonstrating honesty and confidence in your technologies. Well, if what tourists see also causes admiration, then the idea of industrial tourism is amplified many times over. Alexander Pimenov

Facts speak for themselves The w hi ch n a l p t , e d a s an t ar t on o n c e s o p fo r 2 5 - t h s bly s, has a s s em u mp tr u c k r e v er y d M A Z c ap a c i t y b a o f i t s the e ar s r ai s e d v er t h e 6 0 y a s a l re a d y O t l an h year. , t h e p 5 t h ou s an d , e c n e t exis w hi ch ce d 14 pro d u e l a r g e s t of a b l e h ap ,t tr ucks k now, are c 450 a s y o u r y i n g u p to of c ar s of c argo. ton

Today in Zhodino tourists will have a fascinating tour of the plant - the place wher history of the crea e the giant machines wa tion of s born. Here, ever yone who wa nts to may not only get acquaint ed with the secrets of produc tion, but also see with their ow n eyes the pride of the dom estic auto industry.

Gian cars a t mesm re there erizing, fore i surp t the B rising tha is not ELAZ t rece ntly decid admi e n secre d to open istration cy th wish and tell th e veil of to kn ose w proce o ss of w about t ho c iron m reating th he ese onste rs.

Yes, B of th ELAZ i s on ew m equi anufac orld’s l e arg ture pme have nt. Th rs of q est uarr e pla won int y n s 450- ernation everal p t’s prod u t r a o cts e l n s aw ti the o t nly t ruck ma ards. A gious nd t w i ce de in Gui will nness B record Zhodi he ook no need hold at le of Rec er of is just a the ord st t to truc transpo en railw s! You k in r a dis t this d ay cars u asse mbl mp form ed .

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

GREAT STONE INDUSTRIAL PARK IS THE LARGEST PROJECT WITH CHINESE INVESTMENTS IN THE EASTERN EUROPEAN REGION, AIMED AT PRODUCTION WITH A HIGH INNOVATIVE COMPONENT

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

策略性伙伴关系

For more than five years, Belarusian-Chinese relations have had the status of high-level strategic partnership and cooperation. Only a few countries in the world have reached a similar height of interaction with the Celestial Empire. Belarus was one of the first to support the concept of the Belt and Road Initiative. Today it has a key role to play in this matter: we are speeding up freight rail transportation along the countries participating in the initiative, and we are also successfully creating the Great Stone China-Belarus Industrial Park. Here they establish the advanced production facilities of tomorrow, build their own enterprises and the necessary infrastructure to create an ultra-modern eco-city. 五年多来，白中关系一直处于高层战略伙伴关系和合作的地位。世界上只有少数几个国家与天帝国达到了类似的互动高度。白俄罗斯是首批支持"一带一路"倡议概念的国家之一。今天，它在这件事上发挥了关键作用：我们正在加快参与该倡议的国家的货运铁路运输，我们也在成功地创建大石中国-白俄罗斯工业园。在这里，他们建立了明天的先进生产设施，建立自己的企业和必要的基础设施，以创造一个超现代的生态城市。

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

策略性伙伴关系

A PHILOSOPHY OF INNOVATION IN THE SPIRIT OF MODERN TIMES S o, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to create a barrier-free land and water trade route for the whole world. The idea has a direct reference to the Great Silk Road, which linked East Asia to the Mediterranean in the second century BC. At the same time, the modern version has a much larger scope. Since 2013, the initiative has been systematically expanding to the whole world. Belarus was one of the first to volunteer to support the development of this project in the centre of Europe. This marked the beginning of a new stage in the Belarusian-Chinese relations, as a result of which the Great Stone industrial park was created. The project is rightfully called the pearl of the Silk Road. Today it is the largest hub for Chinese investments in the East European region. The philosophy of the project is to gather around itself production with a high innovative component. Also, the creation of the park, along with industrial zones, is based on the construction of residential and entertainment infrastructure, which in the near future will certainly turn it into a smart eco-city.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

新时代的创新理念因此，"一带一路 "倡议旨在建立一个全球共同的无障碍水陆贸易路线。这个想法直接参考了伟大的丝绸之路，它在公元前二世纪连接了东亚和地中海。然而，现代版本的范围要大得多。自2013年以来，该倡议一直在全球范围内系统地扩展。白俄罗斯是第一批自愿支持在欧洲中心发展这个项目的国家之一。这标志着白俄罗斯-中国关系的新阶段的开始，从而建立了巨石工业园。该项目被称为丝绸之路上的明珠。现在，它是中国在东欧地区投资的最大枢纽。该项目的理念是将具有高度创新成分的产业聚集在其周围。园区还基于住宅和休闲基础设施以及工业区的建设，这无疑将在不久的将来把它变成一个智能生态城。

ONLINER.BY

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

项目对投资者具有极大吸引力 36

策略性伙伴关系

OBVIOUS ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE PROJECT FOR INVESTORS 中国对该项目开发进行了投资。在这个问题上，无论周围的政治氛围如何变化，该国在与白俄罗斯的关系都十分友好。而在白俄罗斯方面，则为商业发展创造了条件，其利润比所有现有的同行要高一个等级。即使在困难时期，两国的协同作用表明，这里的所有商业保障都继续发挥作用。此外，值得注意的是，中国在双边合作过程中已经从贷款转向直接投资，自2015年以来，直接投资指标翻了一番。在巨石工业园的发展中已经投入了很多，这表明了对白俄罗斯的高度信任和继续建设丝绸之路明珠的意愿。

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

China is investing heavily in the development of the project. In this regard, the country demonstrates all-weather friendship in relations with Belarus, regardless of the changing political climate around. In turn, the Belarusian side creates conditions for business development, which is much more profitable than all existing analogues. The synergy of the two countries, even in difficult times, clearly demonstrates that all guarantees for business here continue to operate no matter what. In addition, it should be noted that in the process of bilateral cooperation, China was moving from loans to direct investment, and since 2015, the indicator of direct investment has doubled. A lot of funds have been invested in the development of the Great Stone industrial park, which demonstrates high trust in Belarus and the desire to continue creating the pearl of the Silk Road. Despite the difficult times, it is important that the Chinese side allocates a lot of funds for the development of exhibition and recreational infrastructure, increasing the attractiveness of the project for investors. So, today the China Merchants Business Centre has been built and is operating, which includes an exhibition centre, a hotel and a restaurant. Now there is a large exhibition centre with an area of 22,000 square meters, which has no analogues in Belarus. The centre has already successfully hosted such major events as Belagro-2021, the International Exhibition of Chinese Imported Goods, the Forum on Regional Cooperation and Development within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. These facilities and three logistics warehouses with an area of more than 17 thousand square meters are located on an area of about 30 hectares and

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

策略性伙伴关系

are the first stage of the China Merchants Group logistics subpark. The park also completed the construction of a roof at the China Merchants-Xingcheng International Exhibition Centre, a project being implemented in an industrial park with the participation of China Merchants Group, a shareholder and resident of the Great Stone, as well as Chengdu Construction Engineering Group Co Ltd. The exhibition centre includes a hotel with 318 seats and will become one of the important links in the park’s business infrastructure, along with a trade and logistics park, commercial and trade and exhibition centres. The contribution to the development of the exhibition infrastructure demonstrates the seriousness with which the Chinese side approaches the development of the project.

尽管面临挑战，但与此同时，中方正拨出大量资金用于发展展览和娱乐基础设施，增加项目对投资者的吸引力。比如，包括一个展览中心、一个酒店和一个餐厅在内的招商局商务中心已经建成并投入使用。目前，一个22000平方米的大型展览中心已经投入使用，以前白俄罗斯没有。该中心已经成功举办了 BELAGRO-2021、中国进口商品国际展览会、"一带一路 "倡议区域合作与发展论坛等重大活动。这些设施和三个超过1.7万平方米的物流仓库占地约30公

顷，是招商局集团物流分园的一期工程。园区内还建成了招商局兴城国际展览中心有限公司展览中心的屋顶，该项目在工业园区内实施，由巨石的股东和驻地招商局集团和成都建设科技有限公司参与。该展览中心包括一个有 318个座位的酒店，将与贸易和物流园、商业和贸易展览中心一起成为园区商业基础设施的重要组成部分。对展览基础设施的投资表明了中方对待项目发展的认真态度。

Recently, Great Stone saw the completion of the erection of the frame at the China MerchantsXingcheng International Exhibition Centre.

近日，招商局新城国际展览中心有限公司在建设施的框架竣工仪式在巨石举行。

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STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

策略性伙伴关系

EMPHASIS ON A VENTURE APPROACH BELTA

强调风险资本方式 Today the Great Stone hosts a large exhibition centre with an area of 22,000 square meters, which has no analogues in Belarus

现今，巨石有一个 22000平方米的展览中心，在白俄罗斯没有类似的展览中心

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如今经济走势，大型工业公司越来越注重投资与研发。这使他们能够保持在技术革命的顶端，从而更好地在市场上定位。对于工业技术创新，通常采用一种模式，即研究和开发中心发挥决定性作用，所有技术人员和工程师的都在此发挥潜力。这需要大量的资源。现今，由于中国的合作伙伴关系，巨石工业园已经准备好为他们提供服务。该园区旨在汇集最有趣和最可行的中小型研发和创新项目，并以工业化的角度来考虑。为实现这一目标，中白科技转化合作中心，即创新中心（研发中心），已在此成立。这座现代化的五层楼的形状是一个无限的数学符号，提供研究实验室、孵化和加速启动项目的区域、测试和小规模生产中心。该中心的孵化工作需要为在创新领域建立企业创造有利条件。为了支持接受孵化的初创项目，将提供全方位的服务，包括免费提供联合办公区的工作岗位、会计、优惠条件的法律支持、咨询协助、项目指导和培训。自

In today's economic realities, large industrial companies are increasingly investing in research and development. This allows you to stay on the wave of the technological revolution, which means to take the best positions in the markets. For the industrial creation of innovations, a model is often used in which research centres play a decisive role, where the potential of all technical specialists and engineers is accumulated. This requires considerable resources. And today, thanks to the Chinese partners, the Great Stone is ready to provide them. The park is faced with the task of gathering around the most interesting and viable small and medium-sized research and innovation projects with the prospect of industrialization. For this, a ChineseBelarusian Centre for Cooperation in the Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements, referred to as the Innovation Centre (R&D Centre), was created here. In a modern five-story building in the form of a mathematical infinity sign, there are research laboratories, zones for incubation and acceleration of start-up projects, a testing and small-scale production centre.

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Incubation in the centre implies the creation of favourable conditions for organising a business in the innovation sphere. In order to support start-up projects accepted for incubation, a full range of services will be provided, including jobs in the coworking area at no cost, accounting, legal support on preferential terms, consulting assistance, project mentoring and training. After the entry into force of the new edition of Presidential Decree No. 215, Anglo-Saxon law is now applicable, for example, a convertible loan, an option, and others. The centre’s projects also fall under the Iskra financing program, within the framework of which a $ 20 million fund operates. If the projects prove their viability within six months, they can receive a lot of money for development. It is worth emphasising that since the opening of the centre, about 100 projects have already been considered. At the moment, active work is underway on 13 of them, one incubation agreement has been signed, two will be signed in the

near future and three more are being negotiated. The first subject of innovation was the CropFleet startup, which is developing an autonomous complex for the introduction of plant protection products by drones. Soon, the project of Needle Med LLC will be added, which will produce simulators for practicing manual skills. And also Damico Pro will create smart city systems based on advanced technologies. Among those projects that are currently undergoing approval there is a start-up to create a device that allows you to determine the quality of products. In addition, the Innovation Centre registered the Chinese-Belarusian Centre for Industrial Technologies, created jointly with the National Academy of Belarus and the Academy of Sciences of Guangdong Province. Now the construction and installation work has actually been completed and the process of equipping the office for a full launch is approaching completion. Vladimir Velikhov

ON WHAT IS RELEVANT TODAY AND ON PROSPECTS FOR TOMORROW 当今及对未来的愿景

白俄罗斯总统亚历山大-卢卡申科和中华人民共和国主席习近平于1月10 日进行了电话会议。两国元首讨论了广泛的国际、双边和国内问题。众所周知，今年白俄罗斯和中国将纪念双边合作历史上的一个重要日子--建交30周年。两位领导人互致祝贺，并详细讨论了正在进行的项目以及在许多领域扩大合作的机会。双方同意深化两国间互利合作，推动中白全面战略伙伴关系不断取得新成果。会议强调，中白两国在多边组织中有效合作，相互支持，共同维护各自的核心利益，这体现了中白合作的战略价值。谈到当前的国际议程，白俄罗斯总统和中华人民共和国主席就哈萨克斯坦的局势交换了意见。亚历山大-卢卡申科向其同事介绍了集体安全条约组织维和部队在该国的活动以及集体安全条约组织特别会议的结果。亚历山大-卢卡申科和习近平还谈到了对COVID-19大流行病的反击以及在人道主义领域的合作。弗拉基米尔韦利霍夫

从第215号总统令的新措辞生效后，盎格鲁-撒克逊法律，如可转换贷款、期权和其他，现在也适用。该中心的项目也被ISKRA资助计划所涵盖，该计划运作着一个2000万美元的基金。如果项目在6个月内被证明是可行的，它们可能会得到大量的开发资金。值得强调的是，自中心开放以来，已经提出大约100个项目。目前，其中 13个项目正在积极开展工作，一个孵化协议已经签署，两个将很快签署，还有三个正在谈判中。第一个进行创新的实体是初创公司 CROPFLEET，它正在开发一个由无人机进行的自主植物保护产品应用系统。NEEDLE MED LLC的项目，将生产用于练习手工技能的模拟器。而 DAMIKO PRO也将创建基于先进技术的智能城市系统。目前正在审批的项目中，有一项是开发一种确定产品质量的设备的启动项目。此外，与白俄罗斯国家科学院和广东省科学院联合成立的中国-白俄罗斯工业技术中心也已在创新中心注册。目前，建筑和安装工作已基本完成，为全面启动而配备办公设备的过程已接近完成。弗拉基米尔-韦利霍夫

The heads of the countries discussed a wide range of issues on the international, bilateral and domestic agenda. As is known, Belarus and China are celebrating an important date in the history of bilateral cooperation in 2022 — the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. In view of this, the leaders exchanged congratulations and substantively discussed ongoing projects and opportunities for expanding cooperation in many areas. The parties agreed to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation between Belarus and China and promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between the states to continuously achieve new results. It was emphasized that Belarus and China cooperate effectively in multilateral

organizations and support each other in protecting their basic interests, which reflects the strategic value of BelarusChina partnership. Touching upon the current international agenda, the President of Belarus and the President of China exchanged views on the situation in Kazakhstan. Aleksandr Lukashenko informed his colleague about the activities of the CSTO peacekeeping forces in this country and about the results of an extraordinary meeting of the CSTO CSC. During the conversation, Aleksandr Lukashenko and Xi Jinping also addressed topics related to countering the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as cooperation in the humanitarian sphere. Vladimir Velikhov

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

CHARITY

A holiday of kindness and cordiality The beginning of the new year 2022 continues to be associated with the holiday of charity among Belarusians. The Our Children campaign, which started in December and has been present for mor then 25 years, has successfully continued its march in January. Traditionally, its culmination was a holiday at the main New Year’s Eve Party of the country. We would like to tell you about it.

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BELTA

As it was already reported to our readers in the previous issue, the Our Children charitable campaign began in Belarus on December 14th. It ended on January 14th. These days, the country’s top officials, heads of republican government bodies and state organisations, concerns, banks, public associations visited orphanages, hospitals, large families, family-type orphanages both in Minsk and in different regions of the country. During this magical period, athletes and politicians, businessmen and media personalities united to make boys and girls all over Belarus happier, and they themselves became children a little. The brought gifts to those who are brought up in special schools, orphanages or are undergoing medical treatment. This year, the marathon of kindness has covered more than 15 thousand children. Traditionally, the main event of the campaign was the country’s Main New Year’s Eve Party — a charity event with the participation of the President and a New Year performance. The programme of the

2022 holiday included a colourful fairy-tale musical and the stage show Magic Power performed by the best creative teams of the country, a cultural programme and gifts from the Head of State. About 2,400 children aged 8-14 were invited to the Palace of the Republic. These are orphans and children left without parental care, children from boarding schools, children with disabilities, children from large and low-income families, students from cadet schools, children from military families, children who have suffered from the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, students who have achieved high results in studies, sports, creative and social work. The winners of olympiads, creative contests and festivals, real talents, everyone who showed themselves brightly in the past year also visited here. For many children it was a dream to get to Minsk for the Main New Year’s Eve Party. It is also called Presidential. After all, the Head of State personally comes to congratulate the children. Before the start of the performance, Aleksandr Lukashenko БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

CHARITY

again greeted the children from the stage of the Palace of the Republic. Speaking at the holiday, Aleksandr Lukashenko admitted that for him, as President, being present at this New Year’s Eve Party is also a kind of gift. “This is an opportunity to escape, at least for a moment, from political affairs, sometimes not very pleasant, and to plunge with you into the world of childhood - into a world in which there is a fairy tale, where there is a place for dreams and, most importantly, miracles,” he said. “I am happy that over the years of the existence of the Our Children charitable project, every little Belarusian knows, not only from words, but also from our deeds that he or she is infinitely dear and needed for his or her native country.” For Aleksandr Lukashenko, this is one of the most favourite events planned in his work schedule. What can compare to moments when hundreds of kind, honest and hopeful children’s eyes are looking at you. The President admitted honestly that he is worried. And he explained why, “This day is my favourite and is exciting for me. It would seem that for so many years we have been meeting at this holiday. Why worry? You are worried because you are always talking to adults, and here you meet the future of our nation: the smallest, older and very mature children,” admitted Aleksandr Lukashenko. “And what is even more important, there are adults in this room with you. Something very important must be said to such a hall for three thousand people, and at the same time it is very difficult to find the words that can be said here. Therefore, you always worry.” He thanked everyone who contributes to making childhood happy. Addressing the children, he said, “I am not going to read lectures to you, I will just say, not only in the outgoing year, but also next year, love your relatives, dear ones, friends, teachers and educators. These are the kindest and warmest people on earth. And remember, a magical world that we will see - this is love and kindness. Give everyone your love and kindness!” Their educators and teachers also came to the performance with the children. And this, as Aleksandr Lukashenko noted, is only a small fraction

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

of the children and teachers living in the country. “Let us send our greetings to those who could not get into this hall, we wish them at least good luck in the coming year,” suggested the Head of State. He conveyed separate words of gratitude to the large team of organizers of the event. Aleksandr Lukashenko also said, “Let's thank those who these days go to children and old people. These are the people who participate in the Our Children campaign. Dear adults, entrepreneurs and businessmen, just people of goodwill, let me on behalf of the Belarusian people once again thank you for the kindness and warmth that you give on this holiday to all those who need help, kindness and warmth. This is really an example and indicator of our nation, kind, tolerant and very promising.” Despite the high workload, the President was in no hurry to leave the holiday: he went down to the hall to watch the performance together with the children. At the main New Year’s Eve Party of the country, next to the Head of State in the hall were the relatives of the Heroes of Belarus who died in the line of military duty as pilots - the son of Andrei Nichiporchik, Aleksei, and the sister of Nikita Kukonenko, Masha. The family of the KGB officer Dmitry Fedosyuk, who died in the line of duty, was also invited to the holiday. A notable moment at the holiday is the giving of gifts to children from

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BELTA

Aleksandr Lukashenka and reciprocal gifts to the President. After the kind and instructive fairy tale Magic Power, the children presented the Head of State with the Symbol of the Year toy in the form of a smiling striped tiger cub. He holds in his paw a snow ball decorated with blue snowflakes, a white scarf with an ornament and the inscription ‘Us’ is tied around his neck as a symbol of the Year of National Unity. The toy was made of felt by schoolgirls Kristina Derengovskaya and Anastasia Semenchuk, students of the do-it-yourself club of the Spektr Grodno Centre for Children and Youth Creativity. As another gift, the President was presented with the glass panel under the title of Studzen (January). The panel, painted on glass, was made by the student of Gomel Gymnasium No. 58 named after F.P. Haass Daria Lukina. It depicts children playing on the street, next to them are dogs and cats, and bullfinches on a snow-covered fence. In her work, the girl tried to convey the atmosphere of a frosty sunny day. And, of course, the kids tried to take a selfie with the President. There is no holiday without him! Without hesitation, the kids ran to hug the President and take a joint photo for memory, in order to immediately send a unique picture to their loved ones. One could only imagine how unexpected this message was for their friends and relatives. And the Magic Power play was shown for those lucky ones who managed to buy a ticket to the show in early January. The play is based on the fairy tale of the playwright Anna Bogacheva, which tells about very important things in life — about the magical power of love, without which we are poor. Starring the best theater and film actors: Vera Polyakova, Vladimir Radivilov, Vladimir Ivanov, Yuri Baranov, Dmitry Klimovich, Margarita Kiselite, Tatyana Fedorova, Natalya Kholodovich, Yana Khodanovich-Lapanitsyna and others. Musical arrangement — Presidential Orchestra of the Republic of Belarus, Chief Conductor Vitaly Kulbakov, Stage Director Tatiana Sambuk (Moscow), Composer Sergei Sukhomlin. Inga Likhtarovich

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

BY TRADITION

ON THE WAVE OF BEAUTY AND YOUTH

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laureates of international and republican competitions, promising athletes. This year, the Palace of Independence hosted the fourth New Year’s ball, which, according to the President, revives historical traditions and shapes the modern image of our young sovereign state. Aleksandr Lukashenko warmly greeted the participants and guests of the ball. “Dear friends! Well, what can you say after seeing such beauty? It’s difficult to speak even for me, a person who is accustomed to talking a lot,” the Head of State did not hide his emotions. The President recalled how several years ago he received an offer on behalf of the organisers and hosts of the Vienna Ball to hold such a ball at the Palace of Independence, “They were ready to come, provide broadcasts to the whole world, etc.

BE LTA

The new year 2022 has kicked off. But the aftertaste lasted until the Old New Year. The feeling of the holiday stayed with us until January 14 when the evening streets of Minsk and other large and small cities shone with New Year’s illumination. It’s only natural to exchange vivid memories, views with family, friends, colleagues about how Belarus saw off 2021 and celebrated the New Year: who went where, who saw what, who met whom... Therefore, we would like to tell you about New Year’s ball for young people at the Palace of Independence. The Republican New Year’s ball brought together 337 young and talented people: 156 people from the regions and 181 people from Minsk. Among them are scholarship holders of the Special Fund of the President of the Republic of Belarus for Social Support of Gifted Pupils and Students, holders of scholarships from the President of the Republic of Belarus, participants in republican competitions of scientific works, winners and

An exciting idea, very interesting.” However, having considered this proposal, the Head of State asked a reasonable question: can’t we do it ourselves? “Let's see how balls are held in Vienna, and we will do better,” Aleksandr Lukashenko continued. “Because our hall is better than the hall in which the Vienna events were held. This is not my opinion — they also wanted to hold the ball here, because this hall seemed to them grander and better. This is how the idea of holding these great holidays was born.” (https://president.gov.by/) And we did it!

You are the main decoration of this ball “Belarus is a country of palaces and castles. What kind of balls were not held in those days — Viennese, Polish, Russian. They were arranged by representatives of the local gentry, but at that time they were subjects of various states. And only with you, in the time of our independence, the most beautiful ball tradition became ours — Belarusian. But, when composing the musical programme of the evening, decorating the hall, we always respectfully remember the features of each era, which have become part of

the cultural heritage of Belarusians. We must not forget the past,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko. He noted that at the end of the outgoing year, the official and austere Palace of Independence is always changing. “It looks like you, and you look like it. You, dear guests of the festive ball, create its atmosphere. Bright, stately, self-confident young people — you are the main decoration of this ball,” the Belarusian leader addressed the guests. The Head of State called the New Year’s ball a gift for debutants, which they deserved for their outstanding achievements in studies, creativity and public life. “If being here is a privilege, БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

BY TRADITION

then today, unlike in the past, it is given, not as a birth right, but for intelligence and talent. Besides the fact that you are beautiful, you, fortunately, are smart and talented,” he said. Aleksandr Lukashenko sincerely thanked the parents and teachers of young people who helped each of them develop their talents, taught them to achieve their goals and raised them as patriots of the Fatherland. “I will tell you and all your peers the main thing: Belarus — a state where the proper conditions for life, personal and professional development have been created – is with you. This is your shield. And you must carry it with dignity and honour, protecting it, because in difficult times it will protect you,” he said. Aleksandr Lukashenko wished the young participants of the New Year’s ball to leave a worthy and bright creative legacy on this path. He said that our state is as young as the debutants of the ball. “This means that it is important not only to preserve the existing traditions, but also to create new ones. I often

say that we have a lot of traditions. And I have always tried to keep these traditions. A country exists only when there are traditions, and this is its face,” stated the Belarusian leader. The President wished the young participants of the ball to be daring, courageous and creative in a good way. “Remember: the fate of our dear Belarus is in your hands. On this holiday I wish everyone a bright, interesting and happy life. It is difficult to always remain as beautiful as in one’s youth. I would like to wish you to remain so beautiful as long as possible, for girls to win men’s hearts, and for men to be worthy of this beauty in white dresses,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko. The Palace of Independence opened its doors to young, talented, promising and very beautiful debutantes of the New Year’s ball. Of course, all attention was focused on them and their gentlemen. It was impossible not to notice these couples. The debutante girls are all in white dresses. According to the protocol of the ball, whites are allowed only for young and unmarried girls. Traditionally, the gentlemen were also dressed in tailcoats, tuxedos or military uniforms.

The ball in the Palace of Independence was held on the example of the ball culture of Belarus of the 18th-19th centuries. The same balls were held in the palaces of Count Zorich in Shklov and Count Rumyantsev in Gomel. As you know, not a single wonderful holiday is complete without enormous preparatory work by both the organisers and the participants themselves. “Preparation began in September when the ballroom samples were collected. There are canons, but we are not engaged in reconstruction, but we are doing a modern ball. It was very important to create dance figures that can be

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mastered not only by choreographers, but also by students receiving a variety of specialties. Six-hour rehearsals were held on Saturdays and Sundays a month and a half before the ball. It was hard, exhausting. But I think that at the ball they understood why they need to train so much to easily flutter at this wonderful holiday,” said the choreographer, Head of the Choreography Department of the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts, Professor Svetlana Gutkovskaya. This ball was the first for the students of this university Vladislav Ligus and Anastasia Vysotskaya. The future choreographers admitted that they were not surprised by the dance figures, but the scale of the holiday delighted them. “This is a very significant event in our life. We do not speak to the President every day,” the girls noted.

Among the debutants of the ball there were indeed not only choreographers, but also future doctors, managers and representatives of other, not dance specialties. Vadim Sergei, a sixth year student of the Preventive Medicine Faculty of the Belarusian State Medical University, said that it is more difficult to understand the art of dance than medicine. “I am interested in scientific activity, sometimes I am engaged in social activities, sometimes I participate in sports events. I haven’t danced for a long time and it took me a while to get used to each other. And when all the figures were already studied, everything fell into place. And I began to experience the pleasure of dancing. For me, as a connoisseur of history, the ball is an echo of past eras. And I am having fun, and I think that this is one of the main events in my life,” shared the guy. His

partner Violetta Grib, a student at the Academy of Management under the President of the Republic of Belarus, said that she liked everything: rehearsals, search for a dress, new acquaintances. “Every girl dreams of taking part in the ball. A dream come true,” she said. The youth New Year’s ball at the Palace of Independence included two parts: classical and free — with modern compositions and dances. One after another, a lively and cheerful tempete, an incendiary polka, a rhythmic mazurka, a daring fast gallop, easy-going anglaise and a new dance of the classic Lansier programme replaced each other. The decoration of the ball was guest performances of artists from Belarus and abroad. The first part ended with a midnight quadrille. The most important things at the ball were beauty and youth. Mikhalina Cherkashina.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

THE HOSPITALITY INOCULATION IS VERY BENEFICIAL Belarus seeks to restore pre-covid flow of tourists from Russia The land borders between Belarus and Russia, unfortunately, are not yet fully open, but air traffic is being restored by leaps and bounds. Back in early September, Russia lifted all restrictions adopted during the pandemic. As a result, first Belavia and then Aeroflot increased the number of flights between Minsk and Moscow and other cities. Flights to St. Petersburg have become more active, Yekaterinburg, Ufa, Rostovon-Don, Kazan, Samara, Cherepovets, Kaliningrad, Kaluga have appeared on the schedule ... Moreover, the Azimuth, Nordwind Airline, Severstal, Rossiya, SKOL planes started flying to Minsk... The tourism industry has perked up. “Expansion of the flight programme from the regions of Russia leads to a systemic increase in demand for Belarusian tourism products, and first of all for sanatoriums and recreation,” this is how Philip Guly, Chairman of the Board of the Republican Union of Travel Industry, commented on the good news. The passenger rail situation is also encouraging. It was frozen even last winter, but after the April ‘warming’ the indisputable hit is the Lastochka electric trains, which cover the distance between Moscow and Minsk in just seven hours. Every day, two trains run in the forward and backward directions, and until recently there was no way to get tickets for them. In this regard, it was decided

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

to start allocating 10 carriages for the Lastochka instead of 5 from October 1st. The restoration of the popularity of the Belarusian vector of travel among Russians was also facilitated by the removal by Minsk in August of the requirement for self-isolation for persons arriving in Belarus and having a certificate of the course of vaccination against COVID 19 or its copy. Covid made the representatives of the tourism industry move, and today, along with traditional routes and destinations in Belarus, guests from Russia may be offered interesting travel options in the regions. For example, recently two new tourist routes dedicated to ancient castles, temples and other unusual places of the region were presented in Grodno. One of them is in the Novogrudok District, which has long been famous for its multi-confessional traditions. The route includes almost two dozen objects: St. Eliseyevsky Lauryshava Monastery, the Farny Church in Novogrudok, local Orthodox and Catholic churches, mosques. The second route connected the Oshmyany and Smorgon districts, and the key points were the castles in Golshany and Krevo, which started to receive tourists once more. Belarusian agro-ecotourism, which had slowed down amid the pandemic, is spreading its wings again. Agro-estates are in demand again, and in order to

Russian tourists spent almost $ 243 million in Belarus last summer - this is the second place after Turkey. Such interesting data is contained in the research of the SberIndex laboratory and the travel planning service OneTwoTrip. It is obvious that in Belarus, travellers feel safe amid the coronavirus pandemic. It is also a consequence of the removal of a number of travel restrictions between the two countries and the result of the efforts of the hospitality industry.

nd s a s, u r a in Bel ic tra n r e t e c rs. etw ka ele n hou b n h eve s atio toc nic e Las n just u i h m t k ins com t is ay ble hi nd M w l ai uta ow a er p c , th indis Mos c ffi n a en A r e t . air etw red the resto ance b g in eing dist b low e Fol sia is er th v Rus ich co wh the New Year and Christmas holidays. increase the depth of Nevertheless, assessing the current sales, their owners have situation in the industry, representatives united and often hold open days. of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism The pre-covid hit of tourist offers in of Belarus do not hide: they have not Belarus for Russians - rest and health yet managed to return to the preimprovement in sanatoriums - is also covid indicators. But foreign partners, restoring its popularity. In the autumn including those from Russia, are certainly months, thanks to discounts and interested in the country. The past year promotions, the utilisation of a number has shown that it is possible and necessary of health resorts was approaching to have a rest in Belarus, tourism offers maximum. Then there were active many opportunities for this. sales of winter vouchers to health Aleksei Fedosov resorts — Russians were expected for БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

ENVIRONMENT ECOLOGY

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

GIANTS IN THEIR LAND

AND THEY ARE NOT AFRAID OF PEOPLE AT ALL

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

ENVIRONMENT

The European bison has long been associated with Belarus and Belovezhskaya Pushcha for foreign guests. By the way, the second largest herd in the world lives in Pushcha. In general, if Europe decided to create its own coat of arms, and a heraldic image of an animal was required, the main contender would, of course, be the European bison — the largest animal in this part of the world. Today, the bison has been honoured with its appearance on the flag of the Brest region. In general, the attention in the country to this mighty animal is special.

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BELTA

By the way The first mention of Pushcha dates back to 983 and is associated with the stay of the Kiev prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich in the reserved forest. Since 1409, Pushcha began to be called Belovezhskaya in Polish and Lithuanian charters. It is believed that it was from this year that the reserve regime began to operate in Pushcha. Belarusian and Polish scientists came to this conclusion after studying the written sources of 1409, which contain a description of the hunting of King Jagiello and stories about the existence of ‘entrances’ of local residents to the Pushcha.

Hundreds of years ago bison roamed in large herds in the forests of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. In the XII century, the Kiev prince Vladimir Monomakh hunted them. In the XIV century - the Grand Dukes Gediminas, Algirdas and Kestutis. Before the Battle of Grunwald, meat was prepared in the Pushcha for the army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. But not everyone had the right to hunt in it. One fact is indisputable: the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and later the Russian Empire looked at the Pushcha as an inexhaustible source of game. Therefore, the result is logical: on the eve of the First World War, a little more than 700 bison remained in the forest, and in 1919 the last giant of Pushcha was also killed... In 1929-30-ies, at first two, then five bison, bought in Germany and Sweden, were resettled to Belovezhskaya Pushcha. A bison nursery was created for them. In December 1939, the government of Belarus adopted a decree on the transformation of Belovezhskaya Pushcha into a state reserve. And already in 1941, 19 bison appeared in it.

Much has changed since then. In the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park they show a diagram of the growth of the number of bison herds in the XXI century: 2000 — 218; 2012 — 428. You can say: fantastic, well done! But there is one ‘but’. Today, there are more bison in Pushcha’s oak forests than the ecosystem of the oldest forest in Europe is able to feed. Therefore, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park spends a lot of money annually on feeding animals. Human help is indispensable Bison are rather picky about food. Their diet is specific. Vegetarian. In the warm season, they consume up to four hundred species of various plants: leaves, shoots of trees and shrubs, grasses, mosses, lichens and even mushrooms. In summer, one individual per day eats up to four kilograms of tree food, 30-45 kilograms of various herbaceous plants and drinks up to 50 litres of water. In winter, animals have a harder time. They even eat thin branches of shrubs, lichens and mosses. Bison cannot do without human help. In the national park, БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

ENVIRONMENT

Bison have front-end hair. The bodies are of moderate length and stiffness no different from fur. Wider hooves, longer tail, horns and the body as a whole

hundreds of tons of hay and hundreds of tons of beets are harvested for winter, as well as more than a thousand tons of silage, and three tons of salt. By the way, where the estate of Ded Moroz (Father Frost) is now located in Pushcha, there was once a place for feeding bison. Therefore, you can often see these beautiful animals nearby: they are not afraid of people. But the staff of the national park still advises against getting close to them. Single bison can be dangerous, especially if something or someone scares them. Others prefer to leave when they see a person. Several years ago in the Grodno Region a bison slightly wounded a mushroom picker. And the ‘instigator’ of the conflict was the dog. She unceremoniously barked at the king of the forest. He turned, bowed his head and followed the ‘pug’. The dog hid behind the owner’s back. The bison followed it and, of course, unwillingly, grazed the man and left. True, there are situations when bison are not afraid of anything. In the farms

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

of the Brest Region, there are frequent cases when bison make forays into fields with agricultural crops. People knock on saucepans, honk car horns... Every year, a lot of funds are spent from the budget of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park to keep bison from entering farmland. New habitats? Why not I wonder if our bison can live, for example, in other forests? Not Pushcha. The bison cannot live without a man, the breeders believe. More precisely, without help in feeding, providing vitamins and even fighting diseases. After all, all Belarusian bison are descendants of seven individuals, and breeding between the closely related animals leads to the loss of the gene pool. However, overpopulation also does not lead to anything good. For example, the disease was found in males - balanoposthitis. At first, it was thought that genes were to blame. But the real reason was overpopulation and dietary imbalances. The bison were resettled, the diet was balanced - and now, experts say, the situation with

Fact In 1992, a part of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park was included by UNESCO in the List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites BELTA

balanoposthitis in Pushcha can be considered normalised. According to scientists, the optimal number for the national park is 300 - 350 individuals. That is, it is necessary that there were still less bison than it is now. No country in Europe prohibits the regulation of the number of animals included in the Red Book. But how to solve this problem with bison? This is what they think about in the scientific department of bison studies, which was created in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park. Meanwhile, the Plan for the Conservation and Rational Use of Bison in Belarus is already being implemented. Bison themselves ‘help’ its implementation: annually up to a dozen animals leave Belovezhskaya Pushcha to settle in new habitats: Nalibokskaya Pushcha, Pripyat National Park, Osipovichy, Borisov, Grodno forestry enterprises, as well as some regions of Russia. And people help them in this. I wonder if Belarusian bison can visit Polish ones? It turned out that they cannot yet: engineering structures on the border do not allow it. A joint cross-border project for the arrangement of border crossings was conceived, but so far it is still being finalised. Belarusian border guards are supporters of the phased removal of engineering structures. So in the future, bison will be able to walk on both sides of the forest. Today Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia are ready to buy bison in our forest. Perhaps the Union State project will help to resolve the overpopulation situation. It is supervised from the Belarusian side by the Scientific and Practical Centre for Bioresources of the National Academy of Sciences and by the Institute of Ecology and Animal Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences from the Russian side. Scientists jointly plan to study the bison as a species more deeply. With genetic selection assessment. The centre for the conservation and study of bison created in the national park helps to conduct research, select the best individuals, and recommend them for replenishing other populations, including in Russia, as well as for groups inside the Pushcha, because not all of them are in contact with each other. Aleksei Fedosov

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

AFTER THE HOLIDAYS

“THE TASK OF MY DED MOROZ IS TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY” ORIGINALTOUR.BY

“Perhaps not the most popular New Year’s joke sounds like this: ‘There are three stages in a man’s life: to believe in Ded Moroz, not to believe in Ded Moroz, and to be Ded Moroz himself’. Vladimir, did you pass all this stages yourself?” “If I didn’t believe in Ded Moroz, I would never have become one. How can a person be Ded Moroz if he himself does not believe in this beautiful wizard with a white beard and a special staff? They can’t. Therefore, I believe in Ded Moroz, both good and dark forces. You can’t do without it. There are white and black stripes in life. But be that as it may, good always wins.” “Do you remember your first appearance on the stage as Ded Moroz?” “It was in the town of Uzda, I just came

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

from the army, I worked at a motor depot, in the Cultural Centre... It somehow happened that there was no one to play Ded Moroz. They offered me, of course, I could not refuse. I have come a long way to the status of the main Ded Moroz. I was Karlson, the cat Matroskin, the wolf. First, New Year’s performances were held at the Sports Palace. Then, in the Minsk Concert Hall, a little in the circus. And when the Palace of the Republic was built, we moved here. This is how I have been Ded Moroz for almost 27 winters.” “Did you study the biography of your character?” “For sure. I raised all the ins and outs of Ded Moroz. I studied what kind of role it was, who played it and how at different times.

AFTER THE HOLIDAYS

The flavour of the New Year was not only in the unique atmosphere of this holiday. It is also in its history, traditions, tastes and, of course, characters. There is not a single person who would not write letters to Ded Moroz (Father Frost), would not tell him poems and would not voice the most cherished dreams and desires. He is a magician, he will help. How he manages everything - no one knows: it is not proper for wizards to reveal their secrets. But one Ded Moroz made an exception. Honoured Artist of the Republic of Belarus, master of parodies, singer, artist of the spoken genre Vladimir Radzivilov presented a New Year’s miracle to thousands of children. The chief Ded Moroz of the country cannot do otherwise. Vladimir let us into the magical world of Ded Moroz. In fact, Ded Moroz appeared before the New Year’s holidays. There is a special rite when spring, summer, autumn give their rights to winter, and Ded Moroz officially takes over. This day is considered the birthday of Ded Moroz and is celebrated on November 18th. Everyone congratulates me on this day. In addition, I follow children's trends, I study modern toys. One night I did not sleep, I researched what Barbie dolls are there. After all, a child could suddenly ask a question, and Ded Moroz would not be able to answer it. This cannot be allowed. Being Ded Moroz doesn’t mean just going out, saying hello and giving gifts. No. You need to prepare for this role, there must be kindness, love. It is not just about coming, doing your job, receiving your pay and leaving.” “For 27 years that you are the main Ded Moroz of the country, more than one generation of your little viewers has grown up...” “And it’s good! A young woman came to me last year. She showed a photo of the little girl sitting on my lap and brought her daughter to the show. And I was very pleased that during my career as Ded Moroz, young people have grown up who now bring their children to the New Year’s Party. It is very important for me. It means that it was not by chance that I became Ded Moroz and I give children and adults joy and happiness.” “Once again, if we return to the anecdotes. One of them claims that being Ded Moroz is very convenient - you work 1 day and rest 364. And when does the hot New Year season begin for the main Ded Moroz?” “This year my performances started on December 23rd. But the work began in November. This is the study of the script,

rehearsals, preparation. The costume needs to be prepared, although our costumes are being created for five years, they must be constantly monitored. Ded Moroz keeps up with the times, the costume should be fashionable and comfortable. The costume designer develops the sketch, and I make sure that I feel comfortable. Once they made a costume with a zipper, and Ded Moroz has a beard. It gets there, and that’s it, you may have to sleep in this suit. There are many small but important points to consider.” “This year you performed in a blue costume. But we are used to seeing Ded Moroz in red.” “Ded Moroz is allowed to be in red and blue. Even if we are talking about Santa Claus, whom we are also used to seeing in red, then from the very beginning it was not so. He was dressed in a red fur coat for advertising. He wore black clothes, as he entered the house through the chimney. And our Ded Moroz enters through the door and therefore should look accordingly.” “Ded Moroz is a traditional, familiar character. Is Ded Moroz different for you as an actor every year?” “Undoubtedly. It may seem that being Ded Moroz means just walking around the tree and that's it. But this is not at all the case. The role of Ded Moroz for the artist is very honourable and full of responsibilities. And each year these are different roles. I myself both sing and dance, and transform myself, if necessary. The directors do whatever they want with me. And I am pleased to accept new ideas for the performance. Because on the most important holiday — New Year — you need to give children and adults a festive mood.” “Usually Ded Moroz appears at the end of the tale. Why is that?” БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

AFTER THE HOLIDAYS

“It was conceived a long time ago, because he is the main character that unites everyone. Two years ago, Ded Moroz began to be introduced into the script more. There was a fairy tale about the youth of Ded Moroz, then about how guests come to him. And this year I am involved in the whole performance.” “For so many years of Ded Moroz’s career, were there any funny cases?” “The most memorable of them was when, 10 minutes before leaving, the children accidentally broke my magic staff. And how can Ded Moroz go out to people without the staff? My wife Tatiana, together with the make-up artists, restored it in just 10 minutes with the help of garlands and tinsel. Pure magic.” “Do you perform at charity events in front of children from orphanages, sick children. Probably, they are asking Ded Moroz for something that you cannot do. Is it morally hard for you to work at such events?” “Many people ask Ded Moroz for something that no one can fulfil. This is life. Within the limits of my capabilities and my competencies, I try to help as much as I can. The wonderful Our Children campaign takes place during the holidays. This is an indicator of the care of our state for children. All children in the country are our children and they should feel that they are loved and appreciated. I show them this when I come to them as Ded Moroz and give him a New Year’s miracle.” “Are children the hardest audience for an actor?” “Children are the fairest audience. They cannot be fooled, they see and feel everything. I try to talk with children as with adults. They understand everything, see all the tricks. They have a very sunny aura. They cannot be deceived.” “Do you communicate with your foreign colleagues from other countries?” “Several years ago there was an event in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The main Ded Morozes came there from Russia (from Veliky Ustyug), from Kazakhstan, Tatarstan... The main Ded Morozes came from almost every post-Soviet country. Of course, we keep in touch. We have a common cause - everyone in their own country gives people happiness and joy.” “By the way, about Belovezhskaya Pushcha. You are the main Ded Moroz

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

of the country. And who then lives in Belovezhskaya Pushcha?” “Also the main Ded Moroz. The residence of Ded Moroz is located in the Pushcha. There he receives guests all year round, while speeches at the New Year’s events, as well as congratulations, are my mission. We have one role - the main Ded Moroz of the country. Only he is in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, and I am in Minsk. Fortunately, there are many Ded Morozes. And we have a common mission - to congratulate people, to give them happiness and positivity.” “Who is the main (Snegurochka) Snow Maiden of the country?” “Every year I have different Snegurochkas. Many talented girls performed with me. What’s the issue here? Snegurochka should be a little granddaughter. And in a year a girl can grow up, and we will no longer look like a grandfather and a little granddaughter.” “Was there a New Year miracle in the life of the country’s main Ded Moroz?” “For me, a New Year’s miracle is going to the country house after the New Year’s holidays. We come to our favourite country house, light the fireplace, our loved ones come. We are resting, exchanging gifts, celebrating the New Year, Christmas. And it is a miracle to see your loved ones happy and healthy. We celebrate the New Year itself not very festively, as I give performances on December 31st and January 1st. Therefore, I listen to the President’s congratulations, drink a glass of champagne and go to rest. But once a year you can afford to do good to children and adults and give them a festive

The residence of Ded Moroz is located in the Pushcha. There he receives guests all year round, while speeches at the New Year’s events, as well as congratulations, are my mission. We have one role — the main Ded Moroz of the country. Only he is in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, and I am in Minsk. Fortunately, there are many Ded Morozes. And we have a common mission — to congratulate people, to give them happiness.

BELTA

mood. The more you give to people, the more you yourself feel this aura of Ded Moroz, which embraces and charges with positive.” “Your wife Tatiana Aleksandrovna has a birthday on December 26th, do you also celebrate it later, at the lovely country house?” “Tatiana is always with me, so we celebrate her birthday in the dressing rooms, at work. Maybe it’s better than just at home. Everyone congratulates, they say kind words. And although the schedule is busy, I do not forget to surprise her. This year, while she was sleeping, I put a large bouquet of chrysanthemums on the pillow. And then I went to give the New Year’s performance.” “What is your favourite holiday, except for the New Year?”

“I love all holidays, because they are holidays. The biggest and favourite holiday is when everyone is healthy, this is the most important thing. I love birthdays, my own, my wife’s. But with every birthday you think about the years lived, about the fact that I am not getting younger, but becoming older, wiser.” “Vladimir, the year of the Tiger is coming. What do you expect from this beast?” “Cats are cherished in our house. We had a cat Timofey Markizovich, he lived for 25 years. He went with us to the Slavianski Bazaar, to a sanatorium. For my wife and I, a cat is a member of the family. Now we have a British beauty Rizhena. Recently, she was offended that I didn’t play with her and scratched my face just before the New Year’s performance. But we love her very much.

She looks like a tiger, red, striped, so I hope this year of the Tiger will bring us good luck.” “Everyone voices their desires to Ded Moroz. And to whom does Ded Moroz tell his wishes?” “The task of Ded Moroz is to make people happy. And he himself is already happy, because he is a wizard, what more could he want?” “What can the country’s main Ded Moroz wish everyone in the new year?” “I wish you joy, unlimited happiness, fulfilment of cherished hopes and dreams... May the magnificent country always flourish, may trouble never set foot on the threshold. I wish you a happy new year full of magic. And victories in your endeavours.” Valeria Stetsko

A B E LT

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

ON DUTY WITH A FRIEND

IN TANDEM WITH THE SHEPHERD ARES DMITRY YAROSHUK SOLVES THE CRIMES In the Minsk City Administration of the Security Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, canine friends are serving alongside police officers. Thanks to their natural abilities, dogs (mainly German Shepherds) are not only able to track the alleged offender, find drugs or explosives, but also find a lost person. Even many years after the murder, they can identify the thief based on his biological material.

Preparation is half the battle “A dog is a living organism,” notes the Senior Inspector-Cynologist of the Breeding Kennel of Service Dogs of the Minsk City Administration of the Security Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Dmitry Yaroshuk. “This is not a machine that was assembled on a conveyor belt. There is a constant need to bring everything to perfection. Dog training begins about 20 meters before the kennel and ends in about the same. If the cynologist is not ready to work, not sure where to start and how to conduct the training, then it is better not to take it on, because there will be a lot of mistakes.” Dmitry Yaroshuk is no stranger to cynology. Prior to the Minsk Security Department, the young man served in the Kamenets Branch of the Security Department, then in the Brest Region

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

Administration. He came to the police after military service in the internal troops. And then he fell in love with what he was doing so much, that he can no longer imagine himself in another profession. In the village where he was born and grew up, there were always dogs. Dmitry transferred to Minsk not so long ago. Together with its owner, a German Shepherd named Ares arrived at the new duty station. Prior to this, the cynologist worked with a dog that also bears the name of the mythological god — Zeus. The German Shepherd has served its term in good faith (the retirement age in cynology is eight years) and then

ON DUTY WITH A FRIEND

retired. However, they are still together, although they do not see each other as often as before, as Zeus lives with Dmitry’s parents. Gradual training The police officer found his second pet himself. And he never regretted his choice: Ares is a very intelligent and disciplined dog, and he always feels the mood of his master. The animal reacted well to the move, withstood adaptation and now successfully copes with its official duties — the dog specialises in finding people. “Teaching a dog to find a person is not a matter of one training session,” says Dmitry Yaroshuk. “You need to do it regularly. Even though it shows good results in practice, everything should be done gradually. At two months, we teach the dog to be used to the collar, explain what a leash, toys are, indicate a specific place for food and rest. Upon r e a c h i n g the age of five to six months, we teach the

commands of the general course are brought: ‘sit’, ‘lie down’, ‘to me’. Then it’s time for special commands. For example, a dog is taught to sniff things that contain the scent of the person they are looking for. In the future, this skill will be used in investigative work, in searching in a room, on the ground, during a search of a person. With the growth of the animal, the complex of tasks increases. However, the load should be increased imperceptibly.” “Even the best dogs are engaged in trainings,” explains the police lieutenant. “The life situations in which we use our pets are very diverse. There are no two identical cases. Therefore, in the preparation process, we simulate the most diverse situations in order to prepare the dog for real conditions.” On the trail of criminals Cynologists not only train dogs for searching activities, they also bear full responsibility for their wards: they feed, play with them, and provide full-fledged care. And, of course, they work: they go to crime scenes, guard certain objects, and search for people. According to experts, the German Shepherd is considered the most versatile in the performance of the assigned tasks. Ares repeatedly put Dmitry on the trail of criminals, helped to find people. The German shepherd especially has a lot of work in the fall, when the mushroom season begins. When they were still serving in the Brest Region, people were often looked for in the forest. The most memorable was the search for an old woman, who, having memory problems, went to pick mushrooms. Relatives turned to the police in time. The cynologist and the dog found the woman already unconscious. However, doctors quickly brought her back to normal. Once Dmitry and Ares found the criminals in hot pursuit. The police received a message that unknown persons broke into the house, stole a Karcher tape recorder, as well as other household appliances. Then the thieves returned home and began to celebrate this deed. However, the ‘celebration’ did not last long: the intruders, who tried very hard not to leave behind any evidence, could

not even think that an ordinary dog would expose them. Through thick and thin with the master As it turned out, dogs read people perfectly. Ares knows very well when his owner comes to work: the police officer has not even approached the kennel yet, and his dog shows with his whole appearance that he is aware that Dmitry is already here. Experts unanimously state that the dog and the owner must be of the same type of temperament. Only in this tandem will there be success. And also, according to the cynologists, it is not advisable to change pets in the process of training and service. An animal gets used to one person. Broken contact can negatively affect work. And by the way, the dog executes commands only when they come from his master. And it goes without saying that the animal will stick with its master through thick and thin. This is proved by one of the cases that was in the practice of Dmitry Yaroshuk. Once with Ares, they arrived at the park when a message was received that near residential buildings (and it was already deep at night) a group of young people was drinking alcohol and behaving loudly. It turned out that there were seven inadequately minded men in the park. One of them approached the police lieutenant with incomprehensible intentions. Ares stood up for his master. The drunken company no longer needed any explanations, and the men went home. Today Dmitry Yaroshuk and his Ares not only carry out search activities, but also teach the intricacies of professional skills to those who also plan to link their service with cynology. “Not everyone can be a cynologist,” the law enforcement officer is sure. “You must love dogs. The approach to each pet is individual. It is a gross mistake to transfer the principles of communication between people to a dog. Different dos require different methods, with some of them you need to show creativity, sometimes even invention. With a dog, you see the result of your work. And it’s worth a lot.” Veronika Kanuta

ZV IAZ DA .BY

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

FIRSTLY, I AM FROM PINSK... There are not so many cities in Belarus where tourists can spend more than three hours without learning even a half of local attractions. Many historical sites have been preserved here, and local residents are sure that if there were no fortress in Brest, Pinsk could become a good competitor for the title of the regional centre. And although large buses with tourist groups rarely call in here, in the capital of Polesye (it is under such a slogan that the city can be advertised), there is every chance of it becoming a popular tourist centre.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

TOURIST ROUTES

HISTORY BEHIND EVERY HOUSE Pinsk was first mentioned in 1097, although, as the researchers believe, the city existed already in the 6th century, however, it was located in a different place. Such a long history, or perhaps the wealth of the city (explained by the fact that it was the place of the convergence of rivers through which trade routes were laid, connecting the Baltic with the Black Sea) influenced the character of local residents. They were very proud of their origin, and when they were in foreign lands, they emphasised it in every possible way. Writers, ethnographers and travellers drew attention to this feature of the Pinsk people. Thanks to this, an idea for a new urban sculpture appeared - a famous Pinsk resident ‘settled’ on the street, who importantly bends his fingers and declares: ‘Firstly, I am from Pinsk...’. The bronze sculpture invites you to ‘walk on the gas’, as the locals called walks along the main city street. ‘Kerosene’ was translated as ‘big’. Over the years, the street changed its names: Bolshaya Spasskaya, Velikaya Franciskanskaya, Velikaya Kievskaya, Tadeusz Kosciuszko,

and at the Soviet times it was renamed Lenina Street. Today it has become a pedestrian street, it acquired original benches and lanterns. Towards evening, as well as on weekends and holidays, craftsmen appear here, the street is filled with residents and guests of the city, who slowly walk along the road, laid with stones, or look at the remains of the famous hexagonal trilinka tiles (or, as it is also called, ‘Pinsk bone’). In the 30s of the last century, engineer Vladislav Trilinsky suggested that instead of stones, streets should be laid out with such tiles made of crushed basalt stone, filled with concrete. And later, streets and squares of Polesye cities, as well as the road leading to Brest, were paved with this tile. Some of the houses of the Pinsk pedestrian street have their stories. There used to be dozens of restaurants, shops, hotels here. So, next to the sculpture of the Pinsk resident, there is the building of the former Angliyskaya hotel, which in the interwar years amazed its guests with its rich decoration, each room had

phones, the music did not subside in the local restaurant and dancers worked there. The most important guests stayed here, including the American traveller Louise Arner Boyd, who was nicknamed ‘Lady of the Arctic’ and ‘Queen of Ice’. During a symposium of geographers in Warsaw, a woman asked what the next corner was worth her research, and then, in 1934, she visited the Pinsk Region. Louise took hundreds of photographs, wrote a book in which she shared her passion for the local area and the way of life of the Poleshuks (Polesye residents) living among the swamps. She was surprised how the locals navigated through the thickets of reeds and found their way home. There even was the saying that ‘the fish would sooner drown than the Poleshuk’. No wonder the traveller compared Poleshuks with the Indians of Lake Titicaca and the African tribes of the upper Nile... During a walk along the Pinsk pedestrian street, a large graffiti by artist Yevgeni Sosyura will help you to find out how the main street looked before.

SWAMP-LIKE CLOUDS There were six Catholic monasteries in Pinsk, from some of which are fragments or only the names have survived, only one ensemble has survived to our time — the Franciscan monastery. The top of the ensemble is the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is one of three small basilicas in Belarus (next to the Budslav Church and the Church of St. Xavier in Grodno). This status is given only to the most beautiful temples with a rich history. Indeed, it is not enough just to admire the chic baroque facade — the chic interior with delicate wood carvings covered with gilding is also impressive. Among the canvases you will see Pinsk Madonna by Alfred Romer, standing on the clouds similar to the Pinsk swamps. And even the scene of Adoration of the Magi acquired its features here during the painting of the church - instead of classical biblical shepherds, residents of

local neighbourhoods came to worship Jesus: an old Poleshuk in bast shoes with a bag, a young shepherd boy with a pipe, a nobleman with gifts in a basket and a woman in the Polesye attire. And here you can also hear and see one of the largest historical pipe organs of Belarus (it has 1,498 pipes!). But the participants of the seminar, at which the new tourist route of the Brest Region was presented, did not stop at this thanks to the Chairman of the Pinsk Branch of the Belarusian Public Association of Guides and Guide-Translators Tatiana Khvagina, they managed to visit

the seminary and see with their own eyes the frescoes of the early 18th century. The building of the Polesye Drama Theatre is over a hundred years old. According to its Director Aleksandr Nikolaevich Lukashenko, the team that today puts on performances here for children and adults turned 15 this year. One of the theatre’s trademark shows is Pinskaya Shlyakhta (Pinsk Gentry). The courtyard next t o E the building E L .M T R AV 34

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

is decorated with wooden figures of characters from this performance and quotes from each of the characters. Even educational institutions are located here in century-old buildings. For example, the Pinsk College of Arts. Every year, its students arrange their graduation balls to Polonaise by Oginski and other authentic music to the delight of the townspeople right on the street. The oldest gymnasium in Polesye (built in 1853) is also well-known, many of its graduates have become famous

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

all over the world. Buildings associated with military history have survived, for example, the place where the first Polesye partisan detachment was organised (already on June 26th, 1941). The Butrimovich Palace, known as the ‘Pinsk Wall’, became the first non-worship cottage in the city. It stands in the fields, as it was erected in a place that was often washed away by water. After a quarter of a century of oblivion and desolation, today it has been renovated and marriages are registered here. The first owner of

the palace, Mateusz Butrimovich, VicePrefect of Pinsk, a politician, played an important role in the development of his region, thanks to him the construction of waterways such as the Royal Canal and the Oginski Canal began. When the construction of the canals was completed, Mateusz bought 10 ships, loaded them with goods and sent them to Poland. As the newspapers of the time wrote, then all of Warsaw came running to look at the ‘Polesye Indians’...

TOURIST ROUTES

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WORTH STAYING Naturally, tours in Pinsk are not limited to one pedestrian street. According to the Deputy Chairman of the City Executive Committee of Pinsk, Gennady Polikovsky, the city has good tourism potential, a lot has been done over the past five years, and by the pandemic, in 2019, the export of travel services exceeded one million 260 thousand. There are plans to create a whole pedestrian quarter here, to provide cycling routes. Water tourism is developing successfully, in the summer, the history of the city can be studied during boat excursions. And why not take a walk along the ancient suburb of Carolyn, which today is part of the city, and previously tried to compete with it and was very prosperous. A hundred years ago, young Chaim Weizmann and Golda Meir (the future President and Prime Minister of Israel) played here. In general, you can arrange a separate tour of the city dedicated to the Jewish heritage. A new museum is being created here at the Jewish School. Graffiti on the pedestrian street. In

Pinsk, there is a church where Yakub Kolas was married, and the Museum of Belarusian Polesye has a couch on which the classic was sitting. In general, among the exhibits of the museum there are many interesting artefacts, which include the Turov sarcophagus made of pink slate of the 12th century, the Statute of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of 1588, a wooden bicycle, a flag made during the Great Patriotic War from the robe of a priest who went to the partisans. And the largest exhibit, one of the first Soviet tractors, which ploughed the Polesye lands, is located on the street in front of the museum. There is also an art gallery at the museum. Do not be surprised if you see here treasures brought from the storerooms of the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum — paintings by Aivazovsky, Shishkin, Makovsky. In the post-war period, knowing how many valuables were taken out of the country from here, an employee of the museum Borovikov went to the Minister of Culture Furtseva and convinces her to give the paintings from the storerooms of Russian museums to open a gallery in Pinsk.

And the museum is located in the building of the collegium, the oldest architectural monument in Pinsk. Previously, the collegium was part of the ensemble of a Jesuit monastery built in the 18th century. For a long time, the main component of the complex — the chic Church of St. Stanislav — was one of the largest buildings of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (equal to modern 9-storey buildings in height). In 1706, the Swedish king Karl XII ascended to its tower. After the Great Patriotic War, the architectural masterpiece was destroyed, and in 1953 the building was blown up, since for the authorities then it ‘had no artistic and historical value’. Pinsk square surprises with its contrasts. Near the old collegium, there is a monument to Lenin, near which storks stroll from time to time. So, Pinsk is the place where these birds often settle. One of the stork houses is located on a pipe from the boiler room of an old bathhouse, into which the Jewish mikveh was converted in Soviet times ... Yelena Dedyulya

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

R A UNIQUE MUSEUM

Recently, the grand opening of the ancient castle-palace took place. However, the former royal palace itself has not been restored. The works are at the design stage. In general, there is still quite a lot of work ahead. So far, only one of the three planned parts has been completed. But even now you can see how majestic this royal castle once was. More precisely, in the 16th century, during the reign of King Stefan Batory. It was he who made the castle his residence and rebuilt it into an Italian palazzo. Modern reconstruction will just return us to its former luxurious look. Of course, part of the castle was rebuilt, for example, two towers, the socalled ‘Kamyanitsa’, which is connected to the wall, a gallery. The entire object is richly decorated with architectural elements — bas-reliefs, graffiti, balustrades. A dome with a weather vane is installed on the entrance tower.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

ROYAL RESIDENCE IN 3D PROJECTION The Historical and Archaeological Museum was closed to visitors for almost three years. The most ambitious reconstruction in the past few centuries took place here. The towers and a new wall on the hillside were completed... In general, the Old Castle is literally unrecognizable. But it’s not over yet. After all, only the first stage of reconstruction has been completed. The work will continue, but the castle has finally revealed its secrets, and visitors will be able to get acquainted with the unique museum exhibition in the restored premises.

By the way, the reconstruction project is taken from Makovsky’s engraving of the early 17th century. The castle itself is much older. The wooden and then stone fortress was built during the time of Prince Vytautas in the 14th century. In general, it was from here, from the Castle Hill, that Grondno began. The museum presents a reduced copy of the Grodno courtyard - the first defensive settlement of the future city. The model was made by Grodno artists, but the most valuable, of course, are the artifacts found during excavations on the castle hill. They constitute the main museum fund of the restored castle. By the way, research on this site has been conducted since the 1930s. Many finds have been noticed recently, during the reconstruction of the castle. This is a fragment of a wooden part of the house, a stone plinth, halasnikis (special hollow ceramic vessels or

chambers), a brick with a relief image of the Columns of Gediminas dated XIV century. Here you can also see stove tiles from those times, which are more reminiscent of clay vases. In this room you can learn about the history of the construction of the Old Castle. The entire exhibition is located in seven halls of two towers and a new castle wall. Several significant eras of Grodno history are presented here. According to Andrey Vashkevich, Head of the Department of Modern History of the Grodno Historical and Archaeological Museum, almost all expositions were prepared, as they say, from scratch. This is a completely new exhibition, and most of the exhibits are on display for the first time. A separate room on the third floor is dedicated to the former owner of the castle — the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Stefan Batory.

One of the new technologies is 3D projection, which allows you to create a panorama of the royal residence and the city of Grodno as a whole in different historical eras.

It was with him that the castle achieved its greatness and prosperity. Among the rarities there are the oldest chairs in Belarus of the beginning of the 18th century. After the last partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, they were taken from here to Vilnius, and then to the Rumyantsev Palace in Moscow. And yet they eventually returned to Grodno. You can learn about the life of the ancient city and its inhabitants during the founding of the settlement in the next room. Its materials will tell you about the development of crafts, agriculture, military operations. There are also unique archaeological finds, such as

women’s jewelry, chess pieces, money, seals. Andrey Vashkevich draws attention to a gold ring with a red stone framing the heads of animals. Earlier, the gold ring of that era was revived in 1949. The hall where the old printing press is installed will also be of interest to visitors. True, this is a copy. However, everyone will be able to print a portrait of Stefan Batory or a fragment of Zundt’s engraving dated 1568 depicting Grodno. It is expected that over time, an old printing house will appear here. The exhibition overview is complemented by interactive modern technologies. Lots of display cases with touch screens that display information about the exhibit. To read it, just touch the glass with a description of the desired object. This is know-how for Grodno museums. There are also interactive information terminals in the halls where you can find information about objects and historical events. The information

is provided in Belarusian. Later, the language range will expand to Russian, English, Polish, Lithuanian and Chinese. One of the new technologies is 3D projection, which allows you to create a panorama of the royal residence and the city of Grodno as a whole in different historical eras. This significantly ‘revives’ the history, says Andrey Vashkevich. Films created with 3D mapping technology will be shown in some halls. Now four expositions are open to visitors. According to a museum employee, there will be eight of them. They will be housed in the chapel of the castle, the alabaster hall, the royal bath and the royal secretary’s room. These premises are located in the Royal Palace, a separate building that is part of the second start-up complex for the reconstruction of the castle. There will also be a third stage, the final. After the restoration of the royal palace, work will begin on the construction of the walls with all the corresponding annexes. In the future, it is planned to open an underground pavilion to see the ruins of ancient wooden temples and the Prince’s tower. In the meantime, you can go to the new observation deck and explore the surroundings. From here a magnificent view of the Neman, the New Castle and the old Kolozha Church opens up. Margarita Ushkevich

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

ART OBJECT 1PROF.BY

In the historical centre of Minsk, on Rakovskaya Street, a new music bench was presented. This is the second bench of such type, the first one was opened for the 250th anniversary of Michał Kleofas Ogiński and is located in the Upper Town.

NEW MUSIC BENCH PRESENTED IN THE CAPITAL

As soon as the city-folk or guests of the capital sit down to rest, the bench will begin to play the music by the composer Oleg Molchan. If you wish, you can even listen to a mini-concert of 20 songs. When Oleg Molchan died (he was just 54), there was a lot of talk that the maestro did not manage to receive high awards from the country he glorified.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

One of the sources that inspired the composer was Belarusian poetry, and many of his songs are rethought verses of the classic authors. The maestro left a rich legacy, however, right now the repertoire of the smart bench does not include his spiritual, choral, and classic works. Although, over time, the tracks can be replaced. To begin with, the bench

will remind you of the most famous pop compositions. Some of them are performed by the Pesnyary ensemble, where Oleg Molchan worked for over 10 years. He became the first musical director of this group, created compositions and arrangements as a composer, conducted rehearsals, and selected musicians. Alongside Mulyavin, he became

1PROF.BY

This art object is not only a memory of the composer, Oleg Molchan, a cozy resting place, a photo zone— it is also a beautiful story about love and inspiration.

another key figure of the ensemble, to which they sang along in different parts of the former Soviet Union. One of the compositions of Pesnyary — Molitva (Prayer), written based on the work of Yanka Kupala, is nowadays considered to be the spiritual anthem of the country. However, even after leaving the Pesnyary, Oleg Molchan served music for another 20 years, held recitals, composed works that sounded on leading concert venues, television 1PROF.BY

and radio channels, on public holidays. The track list of the musical bench also includes works performed by the Chisty Golos (Pure Voice) ensemble and the composer’s muse — his wife Irina Vidova. Actually, this art object is not only a memory of the composer, a cosy resting place, a photo zone - it is also a beautiful story of love and inspiration. The bench is a gift to the city from the family of Oleg Molchan, who financed this project. “This is my tribute to Oleg. I see my mission in making sure that his music continues to sound. I now know that love is eternal and that it is stronger than death. Nothing is over for me, I continue to wear my wedding ring. I feel as if Oleg did not leave. I live in his music, energy, aura. Our creative life continues, and even more projects are being completed, and it was a salvation for me,” says Irina Vidova. In the two years since the composer died, Irina managed to do a lot. For example, a year ago, at the house on Rakovskaya Street, where Oleg Molchan was born, thanks to her initiative, a memorial plaque appeared in honour of the composer, there were held three memorial concerts. Two discs have been released, an agreement

has been signed with the Compozitor Publishing House in St. Petersburg, and 7 music books that will be published there will automatically be included in the leading Russian libraries. Metal artist Maria Tarletskaya helped to bring Irina Vidova’s idea to life. “To create such an object in the historic centre of the city is a great success for any creator,” the artist admitted. “I listened to the music of Oleg Molchan and was inspired by Irina’s feelings, and she has so many of them and they are big and beautiful.” The idea was found quickly: a thin, delicate line depicts the image of an open grand piano. The sculptor Sergei Oganov insisted that there be a medallion with a picture of a woman’s profile on the bench. This is a hint of the composer’s muse and the fact that the object appeared in the city thanks to Irina Vidova. The project is a great example of how to work with memory and urban space. I would like to believe that over time our city will acquire other musical and literary art objects and entire tourist paths will be laid, such as the Chopin route in Warsaw or the sounding street in St. Petersburg. Elena Dedyulya

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

INTERACTIVE CENTRE

HERE HISTORY LIVES AGAIN

A new point on the tourist map of Vitebsk was named 'Vargentorn’, which means ‘Wolf Tower’. The centre houses the eponymous historical reconstruction club, operating in Vitebsk since 2003 and having the honorary title of the People’s Team. The club brings together dozens of history lovers of different ages and professions. Vargentorn participants

are frequent guests at various events in Vitebsk and other regions. The repertoire of the collective includes theatrical performances based on chronicles, sagas, legends and historical documents. The miniatures of ‘Vargentorn’, dances, stage battles using analogs of medieval weapons are extremely spectacular. The club is known for its study and interpretation of the 17th century Spanish school of fencing La Ve r d a d e r a destreza and is the only official school of Irish

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dance in Vitebsk. Within the framework of the project ‘Daugavpils and Vitebsk: Cultural Cooperation and Development of Artificial Intelligence’, an interactive centre of living history was opened, where fans can show all this at any time of the year. Belarus and Vitebsk, in particular, as one of the most ancient cities, will always be of interest to tourists. Now there is an opportunity to personally see how the distant ancestors of Belarusians lived in the Middle Ages, to touch the past, to become, if desired, a member of the club. Such a facility has long been in demand. The interactive living history centre has an exhibition hall, a master class room, leather, carpentry, locksmith and jewelry workshops. During the opening of ‘Vargentorn’

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there were lessons on historical fencing ‘Ancient Vitebsk’: military entertainment, works of masters and dances were shown. According to the organizers of the event, the main goal of the master class is to get acquainted with the basics of medieval battles in the Dnieper-Dvina region in the 9th11th centuries, as well as with the concept of historical fencing and the squad culture of the Baltic region in the Middle Ages. At the same time, an exhibition of protective equipment and offensive weapons of soldiers on the route ‘from the Varangians to the Greeks’ was opened. Another interesting international project, implemented by the team of the Vitebsk Cultural Centre, is the first personal exhibition of the photographer Eduard Litvinovsky ‘Belarusian view of Daugavpils’. Among the organizers of the exhibition are the Consulate General of the Republic of Belarus in Daugavpils and the Belarusian cultural and educational society ‘Uzdym’. The author was born in Daugavpils, has Belarusian roots, and has been closely cooperating with the Daugavpils Centre of Belarusian Culture for many years. The idea of the exhibition is to unite Belarusians living in Latgale (a region on the border with Belarus) in one photo session: in national costumes against the backdrop of landscapes and the urban environment. Capturing the unique magic, inventing and finding each location for a picture, creating images that most fully reveal the nature of the models, showing the richness and diversity of the Belarusian national costume, reflecting the enchanting views of Daugavpils and its environs — these are the tasks the author set for himself. Aleksander Pukshansky

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

FOLLOWING THE FOLK RITUALS

Good Time To look Into the Future ... The tradition of celebrating the New Year appeared in Belarus only a hundred years ago. Long before that, the main holiday of the Belarusians was Kolyady.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

Yes, for Belarus the celebration of the New Year is a recent phenomenon. Belarusians began to celebrate the holiday only at the beginning of the 20th century. Until that time, our greatgreat-grandmothers and great-greatgrandfathers celebrated Kolyady. The beginning of the New Year was associated with them. It is hard to say when Belarusians started celebrating Kolyady. No cultural specialist can yet answer this question. Today there is no fixed information about the time of the holiday. Unfortunately, very little historically reliable information has come down to us on this. Kutia and mushroom kvass Kolyady is a two-week holiday, which has its own point of beginning, culmination and end. An important part of Kolyady was a ceremonial dinner. Kolyady had, figuratively speaking, a modelling character: if the table is full for the New Year, then the whole year will be the same. Hence the modern saying: ‘As you celebrate the New Year, so it will be’. Therefore, there were 12 dishes on the table. They symbolised the 12 months of the year. Lingonberry and mushroom kvass, cranberries, sausage, pancakes, machanka – that’s what was on the table on this festive evening. But the most important dish was the first lean kutia. The holiday began with it. Kutia was cooked from oatmeal in an earthen pot with honey, poppy seeds, dry pears and apples. The first spoon was laid aside for the deceased, then the rest of the family could eat. After the first kutia, carolling began. Although most often the carollers made a detour on the second day of Kolyady or on a generous kutia, on the night of January 13-14th. Carollers walked around the village in clothes turned inside out, personifying the souls of their ancestors. They also took a ‘goat’ with them, which in Slavic mythology symbolised the sun. The goat came to every house, greeted, then fell on the threshold, as if ‘dying’. As soon as the owners brought

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gifts to the carollers, the animal got up, that is, it was ‘born’ again. This meant that the sun was reborn and the New Year began. Then the carollers began to sing songs wishes that were addressed to the family, owner, mistress... A week later came the generous kutia, which falls exactly on that difference in the calendar of thirteen days and is celebrated on the Old New Year. The third kutia, which was also lean,

‘watery’, finished the holiday. Now it coincides with Epiphany on January 1819th. Green beauty Today it is impossible to imagine the New Year without a decorated Christmas tree. The custom appeared quite a long time ago - in the 16th century - in Western Europe. Later, Russia began to celebrate the New Year with a Christmas tree.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

FOLLOWING THE FOLK RITUALS

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This tradition reached Belarus only at the beginning of the twentieth century. But already in the 20s of the last century, the Bolsheviks forbade arranging Christmas trees and celebrating the New Year, hoping in this way to separate the state from the church and close themselves from the influence of capitalism. From that moment on, the New Year tree went underground.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

Only in 1935 was the tree rehabilitated. As for the decoration of the Christmas tree, the tree was first endowed with special magical powers, worshiped. Therefore, decorating the Christmas tree was a kind of sacrifice, appeasing ritual. Later, they began to decorate the Christmas tree with paper toys and clay whistles. Balls appeared much later.

HOLIDAY.BY

...Until the end of the 60s, few Belarusians put up a Christmas tree at home. These were difficult post-war years, people had no time for the tree. In general, the Christmas tree rarely appeared in village houses. Dressing up fluffy beauties was fashionable in cities. Only later, with the advent of the first televisions, the green beauty for the New Year became a popular and widespread phenomenon. Fortune-telling … Carols are the most favourable time for those who are impatient to look into the future. Since ancient times, at this time, our ancestors paid great attention to various ceremonies, rituals, since with their help they hoped to ensure peace and prosperity for their family in the new year. Unmarried girls showed particular interest in fortune-telling. They wanted to look into their future and predetermine their destiny. Holidays were considered to be a period of ‘timelessness’,

that is, a break in the normal flow of time. Therefore, they used this peculiar channel for reading the fateful information. Fortune-telling, mainly, on holy evenings: from 24th to 25th December, on New Year’s Eve, from 6th to 7th, from 13th to 14th January, as well as in the evening of January 19th, at Epiphany. The girls ran out into the yard, clasped the fence and counted the pegs: if even, they will find their love. The girls also baked pancakes, put them on the threshold (another contact zone with the world of their ancestors). Then the hungry dog was called. And whose pancake the dog eats first, that person will get married before everyone else. In order to see her future husband, the girl sat in the dark between two mirrors, lit candles and began to peer into the reflection, hoping to see her fiancé. Aleksandr Pimenov

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

Let the next few pages in the magazine not be unexpected for some of the English-speaking readers. We believe that our publications are still interesting in the Belarusian language, as it was before. Yes, that's such a pluralism in the availability of materials. This is an experiment, but, in our opinion, he has the right to life.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

BELARUSIAN ACCENT

БЕЛАРУСКІ АКЦЭНТ

LEGACY FOR ALL TIME

СПАДЧЫНА НА ЎСЕ ЧАСЫ

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

КНІЖНАЯ ПЛЫНЬ

Сяргей Пешын:

НАША СЛОВА ЧУЖЫМІ ЛІТАРАМІ НЕ НАПІШАШ!

Ужо больш за стагоддзе выдавецтва «Беларусь» працягвае распавядаць пра гісторыю, культурныя і духоўныя здабыткі нашага народа, знаходзіць невядомыя факты, здзіўляе, прымушае задумацца пра свае вытокі, а галоўнае — адкрывае чытачу прыгожую, загадкавую, усё яшчэ да канца не зведаную краіну. І падаецца, што гэта тэма невычарпальная. Чаму? — Мы і сёння робім тое самае, з чаго выдавецтва пачыналася, — заўважае дырэктар выдавецтва «Беларусь» Сяргей Пешын. — У 1921 годзе, калі з’явілася дзяржаўнае выдавецтва «Беларусь», ішлі аб’яднаўчыя працэсы савецкіх рэспублік, узнікаў Савецкі Саюз. Ён быў дзяржавай, якая складалася са шматлікіх нацыянальных рэспублік. Панавала расійская кніга, і не толькі рускамоўная, але менавіта з ухілам на расійскія падзеі, расійскую рэчаіснасць, таму паўстала мэта

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

адлюстроўваць сваё адметнае, нацыянальнае, беларускае. Такім чынам, выдавецтва «Беларусь» з першых гадоў існавання ўжо заняло сваю нішу, паказвала беларускую гісторыю, культуру, мову. Нават у першыя дзе-

сяцігодзі, нягледзячы на тое, што ў рэспубліцы было чатыры дзяржаўныя мовы, наклады кніг на беларускай мове дасягалі 90 працэнтаў. Выдадзены мільёны экзэмпляраў. У ваенныя часы выдавецтва было вывезена ў

КНІЖНАЯ ПЛЫНЬ тыл, у Маскву, працягвала працаваць там пераважна для фронту: выдаваліся кнігі, агітацыйная прадукцыя, што праз лінію фронту перапраўлялася на акупаваныя тэрыторыі. І там дамінавалі выданні на беларускай мове, яны ўздымалі самасвядомасць беларусаў, падштурхоўвалі да развіцця партызанскага руху, нагадвалі, за што яны змагаюцца. У паслеваенныя часы мы ўжо не былі манапалістамі, як адзінае дзяржаўнае выдавецтва. Некаторыя рэдакцыі адасабліваліся, і з іх рабіліся самастойныя ўстановы, напрыклад, BELTA

«Мастацкая літаратура», «Народная асвета». І ў наш час абвастрылася тая мэта, якая стаяла напачатку: незалежнасць, суверэнная дзяржава, Адсюль наш слоган «Беларусь» пра Беларусь«. Апошнім часам мы спецыялізуемся на культуралагічнай, гістарычнай тэматыцы і, безумоўна, звяртаем увагу на тыя падзеі, што адбываюцца ў нашай краіне, на тое, як мяняецца свет і наш чытач. — Ці даводзіцца выдавецтву канкурыраваць з інтэрнэтам? — Нам крыху прасцей у плане канкурэнцыі з электронікай, чым выдавецтвам, якія выдаюць мастацкую літаратуру. Прачытаць са смартфона мастацкі твор больш зручна, а нашы навукова-папулярныя выданні багата ілюстраваныя, могуць змяшчаць схемы, графікі. У невялікім фармаце экрана яны фактычна нечытэльныя, я ўжо не кажу пра эстэтычную якасць такіх выданняў. Напрыклад, мы робім турыстычнае выданне «Белорусский гостинец», якое паказвае ўсё, што ёсць цікавага ўздоўж нашай галоўнай трасы з Брэста на Маскву, па якой да нас заязджае найбольшая колькасць гасцей. Гэта выдатны падарунак для тых, хто едзе транзітам і не мае шмат часу, каб павандраваць па Беларусі. Кніга прэзентуе краіну. Як яе можна паказаць у электронным варыянце? Ёсць шмат пытанняў да дакладнасці інфармацыі, што падаецца ў інтэрнэце. Калі мы адкрыем «Вікіпедыю» і паглядзім артыкулы па адной тэме на беларускай, рускай і англійскай мовах, можам атрымаць супрацьлеглую інфармацыю пра нейкія падзеі, на што ўплываюць пэўныя адносіны паміж дзяржавамі, палітычныя аспекты. Інтэрнэт — адкрытая прастора, там сапраўды ёсць інфармацыя, вартая ўвагі, але і шмат смецця, і арыентавацца ў гэтым непадрыхтаванаму чалавеку даволі цяжка. Наша ж літаратура вызначаецца вельмі добрымі аўтарамі, якія працуюць у галоўных музеях краіны, у Белавежскай пушчы. Выдавецтва шчыльна супрацоўнічае з Нацыянальнай акадэміяй навук. Часта да нас прыходзяць аўтары з унікальнымі і цудоўнымі ідэямі. Таксама мы глядзім, якая тэматыка актуальная, і звяртаемся да адмысловых спецыялістаў у сваёй галіне. Да Года малой радзімы мы заснавалі серыю «Падарожжа па родным краі». Пра БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

КНІЖНАЯ ПЛЫНЬ BELTA

кожны куточак ствараецца кніга. Гэта дае магчымасць падрабязна расказаць пра знакамітых людзей гэтай мясцовасці, значныя для яе падзеі. Калі збіраем шмат кніжак у гэтай серыі, у выніку атрымліваем ізноў адну нашу вялікую краіну Беларусь, толькі шматтомную, падрабязна распісаную. — І гэтую серыю мы будзем працягваць, бо да такой тэматыкі вельмі вялікая цікавасць у бібліятэк. Кнігі запатрабаваныя ў сістэме адукацыі і ў галіне турызму, — далучаецца да размовы вядучы спецыяліст выдавецтва Анжэла Садоўская. — Форсмажорныя абставіны, звязаныя з пандэміяй, дазволілі многім па-іншаму паглядзець на Беларусь. Людзі пачалі з захапленнем адкрываць яе для сябе. А такія кнігі, па сутнасці, — гатовыя турыстычныя маршруты. Наогул, насіць токое імя, як «Беларусь», для выдавецтва — вялікая адказнасць. Нашы кнігі маюць выхаваўчае значэнне, ідэалагічнае, патрыятычнае. Слоган «Беларусь пра Беларусь» мае працяг — «Гісторыя краіны з 1921 года», таму ўсё, што адбываецца ў краіне, знаходзіць адлюстраванне ў нашых выданнях. Сярод

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

нашых аўтараў — вядучыя гісторыкі, супрацоўнікі Нацыянальнага гістарычнага архіва, прафесары, людзі, якія маюць сур’ёзныя веды. І сёння, калі гісторыя «перапісваецца», трактуецца інакш, маладому пакаленню трэба дапамагаць разбірацца, тлумачыць многія рэчы. Так, да Года народнага адзінства ў нас выйшлі зборнікі дакументаў «Польшча — Беларусь 1921–1953» і «Рыжскі мір 1921–1953 у лёсе беларускага народа». — Падзеі 1939 года, калі былі аб’яднаны Усходняя і Заходняя Беларусь, маюць вялікае значэнне, — гаворыць Сяргей Пешын. Гэтыя кнігі, заснаваныя на гістарычных дакументах, ахопліваюць і перадумовы, і наступствы тых падзей. Вялікая колькасць фотаздымкаў, копій сапраўдных дакументаў, каментарыі вучоных, як усё адбывалася, у такіх кнігах адкідваюць усялякія інсінуацыі, трактоўкі і выводзяць нас на разумны шлях погляду на гістарычныя падзеі. Такія дакументы проста так у інтэрнэце не знойдзеш. — Правільна падабраная інфармацыя, знаёмства з фактамі беларускай

гісторыі і культуры ўжо могуць мець моцны выхаваўчы эфект? — У нас наогул ёсць не вельмі добрая традыцыя пасыпаць галаву попелам і казаць, што мы, маўляў, — маленькі народ, у якога нічога свайго ніколі не было. Мы шмат гадоў выдаём серыю «Славутыя мастакі з Беларусі». Калі дакрануліся прафесійна да гэтай тэматыкі, паўсплывалі такія імёны, што нам толькі ганарыцца і ганарыцца. Сярод іх — асобы, якія цаніліся па ўсім свеце. Мы выдалі ўжо больш за 30 (а ў планах — больш за 100) кніг. Наогул, з тэматыкай культуры і мастацтва мы працуем плённа. У выданні «Напалеон Орда», якое на гэты год з’яўляецца лідарам продажаў, змаглі змясціць усе гравюры мастака, якія захоўваюцца ў Беларусі ў розных установах і прыватных зборах. Шмат увагі ўдзяляем традыцыйнай культуры. Вельмі цікавая кніга А. С. Сардарава «Храм», прысвечаная храмаваму будаўніцтву за ўвесь час усіх асноўных канфесій, якія існуюць у Беларусі. Спецыяліст супастаўляе нашу храмавую архітэктуру з сусветнай. Добра відаць, што ў

КНІЖНАЯ ПЛЫНЬ BELTA BELTA

нас агульнага з сусветным вопытам, у чым наша адметнасць. Так, нашы сінагогі розняцца, яны беларускія, тое ж і з мячэцямі. Але галоўнае, што паказвае гэта кніга, Беларусь — шматканфесійная краіна, і ў нас фактычна ніколі не было міжканфесійных канфліктаў, як, напрыклад, у Еўропе, і гэта тое, чым трэба даражыць. На жаль, культура чытання падае. Але я спадзяюся, што ўсплеск моды на гаджэты пройдзе. Пакуль чалавеку, які прагне ведаў, без папяровай кнігі ніяк не абысціся. У любой кніжцы ёсць і другое, і пятае дно. Гэта вельмі аб’ёмісты прадукт. У нас у гэтым годзе выйшла адмысловае выданне «ЛітАрт», прысвечанае кнізе як аб’екту мастацтва. Разглядаюцца аспекты, з якіх складаецца кніга: ад шрыфту да ілюстрацый. Першы яе раздзел — «Шрыфт як код ідэнтычнасці». Можа падацца, што мы занадта замахнуліся, але на самай справе заўважана такая з’ява. Калі мастакі толькі атрымалі камп’ютар і шрыфтоў было мала, яны вымушаны былі выкарыстоўваць лацінскія шрыфты для напісання кірылічных тэкстаў і наадварот. Здавалася б, літары вельмі падобныя. Аказалася, што замежнікам цяжка чытаць слова, якое набрана кірылічным шрыфтам. Абрысы літаркі розныя ў кірыліцы і лаціны, і гэта перашкаджае ўспрыманню, збівае тэмп — адсюль пачынаецца ўсведамленне свайго нацыянальнага. Наша слова чужымі літарамі не напішаш. Патрыятызм ідзе ад мовы, ад культуры, ад мастацтва, ад гісторыі і ад умення правільна карыстацца звесткамі, каб ніхто не мог цябе завярнуць у іншы бок. — Чым для вас з’яўляецца Дзень беларускага пісьменства? — Найперш гэта прафесійнае свята. Мы бачым, што кніга жыве і мы робім патрэбнае. Гэта надае імпэту і жадання працаваць далей. Гэта пэўная вяха ў нашай працы, своеасаблівая справаздача за год, а сёлета — і за сто гадоў. І мы працягваем працаваць у нацыянальнай дзяржаўнай плыні. Алена Дзядзюля

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

ЛІТАРАТ УРНЫЯ СУВЯЗІ

SOYUZ.RU

«ЕЗДЗІЎ У САКОЛЬНІКІ З ЯНКАМ КУПАЛАМ…» Хто не ведае Карнея Чукоўскага і яго казкі? Хто не ведае – той, пэўна, і ў школу не хадзіў, і ў дзяцінстве на ранішніках вершаў не чытаў і нават не слухаў!.. А тым не менш ён быў звязаны і з Беларуссю, якую Карней Іванавіч адкрыў для сябе на пачатку ХХ стагоддзя.

Масштаб таленту сусветна вядомага дзіцячага пісьменніка пацвярджаюць тыражы яго кніг. Напрыклад, у пазамінулым, 2020-м, годзе Карней Іванавіч становіцца самым тыражным пісьменнікам, мяркуючы па колькасці экзэмпляраў выдадзеных зборнікаў яго дзіцячых ка-зак. Згодна дадзеных Расійскай кніжнай палаты агульны наклад кніг пра Бармалея, Мыйдадзіра і Муху-Цакатуху у розных выдавецтвах склаў 1, 08 мільёна экзэмпляра. І гэта толькі за адзін год!.. У 2017 годзе тыраж кніг Чукоўскага быў роўны двум мільёнам экзэмпляраў!.. Нарадзіўся пісьменнік, як вядома, у Санкт-Пецярбургу. У сакавіку 1882 года. Памёр у Маскве ў 1969 годзе. Пражыў доўгае, напоўненае самых розных – у тым ліку і дра-

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

матычных – падзей жыццё. Заняткі дзіцячай літаратурай суседнічалі з мастацкім перакладам, літаратуразнаўствам, літаратурнай крытыкай, публіцыстыкай. У 1962 годзе за кнігу «Май-стэрства Някрасава» пісьменнік быў адзначаны Ленінскай прэміяй. У Вялікабрытаніі Карней Чукоўскі быў уганараваны ступенню доктара літаратуры Оксфардскага ўніверсітэта. Яго жыцця хапіла на сяброўства, добрыя адносіны з сотнямі, а можа быць – з тысячамі людзей, чые імёны і сёння засталіся ў гісторыі культуры і нават у палітычнай гісторыі. Ёсць у выдатнага пісьменніка і літаратуразнаўцы свая повязь і з Беларуссю. І не толькі таму, што яго кнігі перакладаліся на беларускую мову і выдаваліся ў Мінску… «Мыйдадзір»

выйшаў у Беларусі ў 1953 годзе. Кніга казак Карнея Чукоўскага – у 1959 годзе. На беларускую мову творы класіка сусветнай дзіцячай літаратуры перакладалі такія прызна-ныя аўтарытэтныя майстры мастацкага перакладу, як Юрка Гаўрук, Уладзімір Дубоўка, Аляксей Зарыцкі, Аркадзь Куляшоў, Янка Сіпакоў… А Беларусь для сябе Карней Іванавіч адкрыў яшчэ на пачатку XX стагоддзя. Захава-лася такое дакументальнае сведчанне ў кнізе-дзённіку віцебскага паэта Давіда Сімановіча. Чытаем запіс ад 18 лютага 1979 года: «… Нядаўна мне паказалі стары, але ў добрым стане фотаздымак, на якім я пазнаў маладога Чукоўскага. Карней Іванавіч стаіць над Заходняй Дзвіной і любуецца прасторам, які адкрываецца

ЛІТАРАТ УНЫЯ СУВЯЗІ

з крутога берага. На зваротным баку здымка надпіс: 1913. На пачатку восені таго года трыццацігадовы пісьменнік здзейсніў шматдзён-ную паездку і выступаў з лекцыямі ў найболей буйных гарадах. «Прывітанне з Мінска, -- піша ён у лісце 22 верасня. – Сяджу ў гатэлі – чую, як унізе ў рэстаране іграюць румыны. Але нядоўга мне іх слухаць – заўтра я ў Віцебску, паслязаўтра ў Смаленску, 25-га ў Дзвінску, 26-га ў Лібаве, 28-га ў Гомелі, 30-га ў Віцебску, 3-га ў Бабруйску і г.д. … Лекцыю дапісваў у цягніку. Пашкадуйце мяне – і пазайдросце: колькіх я людзей бачу новых, колькі сцэнак, вобразаў, пейзажаў і г.д.» Адна з віцебскіх афіш тых дзён паведаміла гараджанам пра тое, што пецярбургскі літаратар К. І. Чукоўскі прачытае лекцыю пра Аска-

ра Уайльда. Па ўспамінах з Карнеем Іванавічам «было надзіва цікава. У час прагулак ён расказваў пра Куо-калу, пра Рэпіна і шмат пра што іншае…» Гартаю першы том «Дзённікаў» самога Карнея Іванавіча. У 1913-м Віцебск, Гомель, Бабруйск, Беларусь не знаходжу. Запісы за 1913 год заканчваюцца 22-м чэрвеня. Але ў дзённіках вялікага пісьменніка перада мною адкрываецца мноства старонак, звязаных з «беларускай тэмай» праз імёны і персанажы. І тых, хто жыў і працаваў у Беларусі, а яшчэ – ураджэнцаў Мінска, Віцебска, Гродна, ужо адбыўшыхся як асобы ў іншых гарадах і старонках… Яшчэ ў 1909 годзе Чукоўскі робіць запіс пра Бакста Льва Самойлавіча, які нарадзіўся ў Гродна: «Зараз быў у мяне Ілля

Рэпін <…> Пра Бакстаў парт-рэт Белага сказаў: старанна…” Са старонак дзённіка мы знаёмімся і з Львом Уладзіміравічам Вальфсонам – ураджэнцам Віцебска, выдаўцом, уладальнікам выдавецтва “Мысль” (існавала ў Петраградзе ў 1922 – 1929 гг.), якое выпусціла кнігі Ірыны Адоеўцавай, Уладзіслава Хадасевіча, Фёдара Салагуба… Як перакладчык з выдавецтвам супрацоўнічаў і сын Карнея Іванавіча – Мікалай. Аўтар “Мыйдадзіра” часта перасякаўся са скульптарам Іллёю Гінцбургам, які нарадзіўся ў Гродна ў 1859 годзе. Першы запіс – ад 5 лістапада 1908 года: “Гінцбург расказваў пра Рэпіна: у яго надпіс над вешалкай “апранайце паліто самі”, у сталовай таблічка: “Абед у 5 гадз. вечара” і яшчэ адна: “Калі вы БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

ЛІТАРАТ УРНЫЯ СУВЯЗІ SOYUZ.RU

прагаладаліся, грукніце ў гонг”. У гонг я грукнуў, -- расказве Гінцбург, — але нічога не атрымалася, тады я пайшоў на кухню і папрасіў кавалак хлеба”. 21 студзеня 1925 г.: “Ілля Яф. чакае да сябе Гінцбурга – хвалюецца, чаму яму не выдаюць пашпарты”. 7 жніўня 1925 г.: “ 4 гады з дня смерці Блока. Учора прыехаў да мяне Гінцбург, скульптар, прывёз ліст ад Рэпіна, абедаў, расказваў шмат пра Рэпіна. Высвятляецца, што тыя фрукты, якія прывёз Рэпіну Штэрнберг, былі сапраўды адпраўлены І. Я-чам у гельсінгфорскую лабараторыю – для аналіза. З лабараторыі быў атрыманы такі адказ: “У дасланых вамі фруктах ні металічных, ні раслінных ядаў не знойдзена. Але м.б. у той краіне, адкуль вам даслалі гэтыя фрукты, існуюць яды, да гэтага часу нашым вучоным не вядомыя”. За аналіз з Рэпіна ўзялі сто марак – пяць рублёў. Гінцбург паміж іншым сказаў: “Калісьці Рэпін напісаў партрэт свайго сына – Юрыя. (З чубам). Прыйшоў да Рэпіна акад. Тарханаў і кажа: выдатны партрэт! Я як фізіёлаг скажу Вам, што Вы прадставілі тут клінічна-правільны тып дэгенерата… Ручаюся вам, што і яго бацькі таксама былі дэгенератамі. Хто гэты малады чалавек? Гэта мой сын! – сказаў Рэпін”. Дзённікавыя запісы, часцей разлічаныя на публікацыю выключна пасля смерці аўтара, вельмі часта ўражваюць шчырасцю, непасрэднасцю, суб’ектывісцкім выкладаннем тых ці іншых дэталяў. Яшчэ болей ускладняюць яны разуменне чытача наступных пакаленняў у тым выпадку, калі аўтар імкнецца быць у некаторых запі-

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

Карней Чукоўскі і Аляксандр Блок

сах толькі нейтральным летапісцам… На адной са старонак 1927 года мы знаёмімся з Соф’яй Шамардзіной і яе мужам – Адамовічам Іосіфам Аляксандравічам (1896 – 1937), наркамам унутраных спраў Беларусі. “Ноч на 24 лютага. Сейфуліна запрасіла мяне на заўтра, на 5 гадзін. <…> На дзвярах – медная дошка – вельмі вялікая – “Сейфуліна – 27 – Вал. Праўдухін”. Нарэшце адкрылі. Лірыка, віно. Сейфуліна пранізлівым уедлівым голасам пачала сварыцца на Чагіна: “Ваша газета – жоўтая, вы яе самі не чытаеце, колькі разоў я званіла вам: чыталі гэтую мярзоціну? (пра які-не-

будзь артыкул.) А вы і не чыталі, таму што вы свалата”. Чагін весела апраўдваўся. Відаць было, што абразы Сейфулінай для яго звыклыя. Сейфуліна ўвогуле ўзяла тон абразлівай шчырасці. Мне: “Я Чукоўскага люблю, і калі ён са мною, ён цалкам мною авалодвае, а калі сыйдзе, мне ўсё здаецца, што ён нада мною смяецца”. Часам шчырасць і, так бы мовіць, устаноўка на дзіцячасць <…> Прыйшоў муж Соф’і Сяргееўны, наркам Беларусі, Адамовіч. Вельмі плячысты, спакойны, разумны, моцны. З простых рабочых. Сейфуліна і на яго кінулася сваёй праніклівай дзі-

ЛІТАРАТ УНЫЯ СУВЯЗІ ISTORIC.RF

Чукоўскі чытае дачцы Мурачцы сваю казку. Ленінград, 1926 год

цячасцю. – Што за мова – беларуская. Выдумалі мову – наркамы. Сабрадіся, накуплялі французскіх і нямецкіх граматык, патрацілі трыста рублёў і выдумалі беларускую мову. Ды дай ты мне тры чырвонцы, я табе лепшую мову прыдумаю. А вось просты народ вашай мовы, як і ва Украіне, не ведае. Ён спакойна: — Ну што ж, значыць, мільёны людзей памыляюцца, вы адна ведаеце праўду. Яна: — Ну што за мова! На Украіне кожную мінуту, увойдзеш у пакой, на цябе гаркнуць па-звярынаму: “Будзь ласка зачыняй дзверы!” Выпілі. Адамовіч стаў падымаць сваю жонку да сябе на плечы. (У ім шэсць пудоў, а ў ёй чатыры). Пасля прапанаваў прарабіць той самы нумар з Сейфулінай”. Некалькі слоў пра Шамардзіну. Нарадзілася ў 1894 годзе. У Нясвіжы, на Міншчыне. У сям’і афіцэра, які выйшаў у адстаўку. На пачатку мінулага стагоддзя сям’я пераехала ў Мінск. У 1913 годзе Соф’я закончыла жаночую гімназію. Адправілася на Бястужаўскія курсы ў Санкт-Пецярбург. Уладкавацца ў сталіцы ёй дапамог Карней Чукоўскі – з якім бацькі былі знаёмыя праз свайго мінскага сябра. Соф’я сябравала з Уладзімірам Маякоўскім, стала правобразам Марыны ў яго паэме “Воблака ў штанах”… Выйшаўшы замуж за Іосіфа Адамові-

ча, зрабіла кар’еру ў партыйных і дзяржаўных органах. У 1937 годзе была рэпрэсіравана. Выжыла. У 1949 годзе – новы тэрмін… Апошнія гады правяла ў Маскве і Перадзелкіна, куды ў пансіянат яе ўладкавала Ліля Брык. Памерла ў 1980 годзе. Пахавана Соф’я Шамардзіна на вясковых могілках у Перадзелкіна. … Са стварэннем Саюза савецкіх пісьменнікаў Карней Чукоўскі, нягледзячы на тое, што яго творы, адрасаваныя юнаму чытачу з цяжкасцю прабіваюцца праз палітычную цэнзуру, -- у эпіцэнтры літаратурнага жыцця краіны. З ім лістуюцца палітыкі, яго імя згадваецца ў самых сур’ёзных партыйных справаздачах, яго запрашаюць на розныя пленумы, урачыстыя пасяджэнні… 5 снежня 1934 года Чукоўскі піша ў сваім дзённіку: “…Вечарам пазваніў Камяневым, і яны запрасілі мяне да сябе павячэраць. У іх я заспеў Зіноўева…” У 1936 годзе ў краіне ідзе падрыхтоўка да пушкінскіх урачыстасцяў… “10/ IV. Трэцяга дня атрымаў запрашэнне, падпісанае Бубнавым, з’явіцца ў Крэмль для абмеркавання маючых адбыцца пушкінскіх урачыстасцяў. <…> З новым партфелем (які я купіў у Мосгандлі) іду да Крамля. Здалёку бачу Севасцьяныча. У якасці чычэроне Эфрас. Ён тут бываў, усё ведае, хлюпаем па калюжынах – і вось мы ўжо ў

доўгім зале пасяджэнняў Саўнаркама. Утульна і ўзвышана. Партрэты Леніна і інш правадыроў… Будзённы, Куйбышаў… Пушкін. Цэлы рад сапраўдных пушкінскіх рэліквій па сценах. Павел Тычына, Янка Купала, Мейерхольд…” І хаця там было каму заняць увагу Чукоўскага, усё ж Купала аказваецца ў полі яго зроку… І вось ужо… «Ездзіў у Сакольнікі з Янкам Купалам… Ціхі, сціплы, прыемна-бясколерны чалавек. Паказваў мне ліст Валерыя Брусава, які ён атрымаў у 1914 годзе, калі Брусаў быў ваенным карэспандэнтам. “Вашы вершы сапраўдныя”, -- пісаў яму Валерый Брусаў і да гэтага прыклаў 3 пераклады яго вершаў, зробленыя ў адзін дзень. Янка Купала – вельмі рассеяны. Прынёс мне гэты ліст і забыўся ў мяне на стале. Прыйшоў за ім і забыўся кніжку. Давялося ісці трэцім разам за кніжкай. Быў ён на вечарыне “Памяці Маякоўскага”. Уражаны Яхантавым. Мы ў Сакольніках пазнаёміліся з адной матуляй ( з двума дзецьмі), якая раптам сказала мне: “вы такі хвалюючы”…” На старонках дзённіка Карнея Чукоўскага – і беларускі паэт, грамадскі дзеяч Андрэй Александровіч, з якім аўтар “Мыйдадзіра” сустрэўся на камсамольскім з’ездзе, і пісьменніца, журналістка Фрыда Вігдарава, якая нарадзілася ў віцебскай Оршы, і перакладчык, іспаніст Давыд Выгодскі, ураджэнец Гомеля (гэта яму прысвяціў свой верш “На Мохавай сямейства з Палесся” Восіп Мандэльштам), і пра Андрэя Андрэевіча Грамыку (“Высокі мужчына, бывалы – і жонка яго. Расказваў ім пра Пастэрнака…”) … Жывыя, хаця і лаканічныя, апісанні сустрэч з многімі сучаснікамі робяць дзённікі Карнея Чукоўскага цікавымі не толькі для гісторыкаў, але і для звычайных чытачоў. Алесь Карлюкевіч

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

тэатральныя старонкі

LIFEREACTOR.RU

LIFE IN THEATER The famous Belarusian actor, Dean of the Theater Department of the Belarusian State Academy of Arts, professor Vladimir Mishchanchuk is celebrating his 75th birthday.

“Vladimir, you have been working in the theater for more than ten years ... You were the youngest theater director and at the same time an actor in the former USSR and the first actordirector in Belarus ... You have been the dean of the Theater Department of the Academy of Arts for several decades. You are the leading master of the stage of the Actorэs Studio Theater ... You act in films, on television, your voice is heard on the radio, you draw, write poetry ... Family, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren ... How do you like all this?” “Thank you for your attention to my person! You have told almost everything about me in your question. This is true ... I am convinced that every person is the master of his own destiny, no matter what cataclysms, stresses, accidents happen to him, no matter what he worries about, a person should remember himself and remain a person. I am grateful to God, my

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

parents, the teacher of the village school in Polesie, the teacher of the former Belarusian State Theater Institute, where fate united me with my classmate - the future wife, the mother of my children ... We have been walking with her through the labyrinths of life for fifty-two years! We experience everything together: joys and sorrows, praise and insults, successes and failures, insults and recognition. By the way, Lyudmila Petrovna and I were born practically on the same day. She is on the third, and I am on the fifth of August. We try to develop vital immunity not only to the virus, but also to everything negative in our environment.” “How would the dean of the arts department describe the student youth today?” “They are children of their time! With its state-of-the-art technology, technical and incredible achievements. The whole Universe in their iPhones and phones in the palm of their hands. Information

ACTORS AND ROLES Volchak, Viktor Dashuk, we were at the origins of the Belarusian film school. And I’m proud of it! It all started with the Theater Department: then the first courses were taken for directors of feature films and documentaries, as well as for filmmakers. Today, for eleven years now, thanks to the proposal and decision of our President, the Screen Arts Department, the youngest in our Academy, exists and works fruitfully.” “I would like to ask you about your creative plans ...” “One interview is not enough. I am grateful to God, fate, that I am in demand in theater and cinema, on television and radio, where I have lived more than a hundred diverse roles. I am proud to have achieved everything I have, alone. There were

for acting specialization, are always big, for directing - a little less. We cooperate with almost all of our theaters and other creative institutions. Thanks to our efforts, with the good support of the Ministry of Culture, we have no problems with employment of graduates. Unfortunately, our graduates do not really want, relatively speaking, to work “on the periphery”. Many years ago we opened a correspondence course in the specialties “Acting” and “Directing”, which recruits graduates of art schools. As for international relations: before the pandemic, they were great. Now only online. We are friends with Russian higher theater academies.” “Vladimir, you were one of the pioneers of admission to the film school in Belarus.” “Yes. This is a part of my biography ... Together with Viktor Turov, Igor

mistakes, there were victories. Like for every person. But faith, hope and love never left me, no matter how trite it may sound. I did not go to the offices of the chiefs. And I wouldn’t like to do it now: to ask, to complain, to demand. I also know that a person’s happiness is not in what he does not have, but in what he has! My father survived the height of the war, then worked as a groom on the collective farm. He taught me and my brother Nikolai to ride horses. And then one day he said: “Guys! I would like you to ride this life on three horses. The first horse is kindness, the second is conscience, the third is shame. And, God forbid, if at least one gets out of the way. Make sure they are always in the same bundle!” I have followed this credo all my life. And I teach it to my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.” Interview by Arina Karpovich

BELTA

I am proud that I have achieved everything I have on my own. There were mistakes, there were victories. Like every person. But faith, hope and love have never left me, no matter how banal it may sound. I did not go to the offices of managers, and I do not like to go now: begging, complaining, demanding.

for every taste. Unfortunately, most of the future students of the Academy read little books, our classics, have little interest in the history of their homeland. Perception of life and dialogues among themselves are similar to “clips”, “text messages”. And for a future creator, artist, director, this is not enough. Here’s the problem: how to bring them back to analytical, human thinking? So that he or she could not “play” on stage or in a movie, but would live part of someone else’s life as their own.” “Vladimir, please tell us how our state theaters work at the Academy? What are the international ties with theater schools?” “Today there are twenty-three professional theaters in our country. Competitions for applicants, especially

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

саP REMIERE

"IF THE PERFORMANCE

DOES NOT MAKE VIEWER THINK, IT HAS NO VALUE FOR ME"

A CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR DANIIL FILIPPOVICH

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

BELTA

PREMIERE

Recently, the Kupala Theater hosted the premiere of the opera “The Marriage” by Nikolai Gogol. The play was staged by 27-year-old Daniil Filippovich. The director was educated at the Minsk State Art College, then entered the Directing Department at the Russian Academy of Theater Arts. Daniil collaborated with Belarusian theaters: the Youth Theater, Polessky Theater, as well as the Gomel Youth Theater. We spoke with the director about The Marriage premiere, creative plans and relationships with other directors. All that is covered in our interview.

“The announcement for The Marriage says that the director is once again trying to reveal new modern meanings and sounds in the classical text, turning a simple story into a dramatic plot. Did it work out?” “You can always discover new meanings if it is a classic text, because it is full of figurative concepts. This is not modern literature, in which there are fewer images. In The Marriage by Gogol, everyone is accustomed to seeing greed and materialism. But I meant something completely different. My topic: a woman wanted to get married and be happy. But due to the fact that she has no experience, she was mistaken and as a result was left alone. This is the tragedy of a woman, her body and soul. Only we ourselves can solve our own problems. And the idea that ‘you’d better marry the one who has more money’ is not relevant and not interesting for me.” “How did the audience react to the new interpretation of the classic?” “This time, probably for the first time I saw my performance from the audience as a spectator. I didn’t want to show off: I’m not going to surprise the audience.

The audience was impressed, but I don’t believe it. I have critics: my close friends, relatives and the first art director. Here I trust them. I am interested in the process itself: rehearsals, identifying my own shortcomings, understanding them. Judging by the feedback I have heard, the audience has a double impression. Someone did not like it at all, someone liked it completely. This happens with my every performance. I love it when the viewer leaves because something pissed him or her off. If we all rely on the tastes of the public, we will cease to exist as a theater. It is a big mistake to think about how someone in the audience will react.” “Do you like it when the audience is confused?” “I like to make the viewer think. If the viewer doesn’t think, this performance has no value for me. The theater has no function of teaching or educating. There is a function to impress, inspire, place a person in an environment in which the person has never been before. Immersive theater (immersion theater, remark by the author) works according to this principle. I had the experience of staging

The Drunkards by Vyrypayev. Probably, then we came closer to what we are talking about now. The performance took place in the premises of the Horizont plant, and the level of creative freedom was quite high. We have reached unity with the viewer. People could not leave the play, even if they didn’t like it. They were put in a very awkward position. There are directors who say: “We are not making modern theater.” How can you not make modern theater when you stage performances in 2021? The fact that you observe the canon created in the 18th-19th centuries does not mean that this is a classic performance at all. We are different. This does not mean that we are bad. We just want freshness and a new language. What is the point in staying in those centuries?” “What is generally happening with the modern theatrical process in Belarus?” “There is no one to compete with in Belarus. The worst thing that can be said about the production is “a good performance”. And we are stuck in this. Everyone thinks I’m sitting here and resting on my laurels. This has never БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

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happened. We only compete in words on Facebook, and it looks so funny. You’d better compete with art: with me, with others. Yes, there is the National Award. But this is not the kind of fight. I saw the list of nominated performances ... Another reason for jokes. Here, one in five can say: I am a director ... Could those who were nominated name at leat three directors from Gomel, Pinsk, Molodechno? Or at least four actors from any regional theater? Much more professional people work in regional theaters than in Minsk. Why, when in Moscow you ask who Freundlich is, almost everyone will answer you. And here you come up and ask: “Who is Zubkova?” And you will hear: “Uh-uh”. It’s a shame not to know what’s going on in theaters, it’s a shame not to know the names of directors ... I love Yura Divakov. We even wanted to make a joint project: he stages one act, and I stage the other. But I did not find a common language with the theater. However, I will not fight Divakov, because we are friends. He is a worthy opponent. He is a genius in the Belarusian theatrical environment, he does not think what critics will say.” “You staged Vyrypayev. Do you want to stage something from a contemporary Belarusian drama?” “With pleasure. But the author must come to you. At 23, I started working with a non-professional team that I recruited myself. We did some serious performances. We were not recognized at all. And we have full halls. And somehow it happened that I was a loner for everyone. I probably don’t know how to be friends with creative people.”

I like to make the viewer think. If the viewer doesn’t think, this performance has no value for me. The theater has no function of teaching or educating. There is a function to impress, inspire, place a person in an environment in which the person has never been before. Immersive theater works according to this principle. БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

PREMIERE

There are directors who say: “We are not making modern theater.” How can you not make modern theater when you stage performances in 2021? The fact that you observe the canon created in the 18th-19th centuries does not mean that this is a classic performance at all. We are different. This does not mean that we are bad. We just want freshness and a new language. What is the point in staying in those centuries?

“You said that you lack the freedom to experiment. Is there really no means to remedy the situation?” “During my career, I have done about thirty-five performances. I’m just not interested in working with Russian and Belarusian artists, with familiar languages. I want to try something new. Who is the German actor? What about English? This is a new bar.” “And what will happen if, say, Belarusian classics are staged in Germany?” “Can you imagine Paulinka in German with a modern interpretation? We know that Paulinka is a modest girl who later becomes a hero. All this is easy to paraphrase to a completely different society. Make everything with modern living language. This is called innovation. I would be glad to see this Paulinka.” “Do you plan to continue working in the Kupala Theater?” “I am planning, but for now

it will remain a secret. I’m not the only one who will work here. There are other directors and other productions. You will soon learn these names. I don’t like repertory theater. I like it this way: I arrived, staged it and left. And then, after a year and a half, come back and stage something new. It seems to me that the repertory theater will soon disappear. Moscow has already done this: the performance lasts no more than a year, then the next one is staged. For example, Gogol Centre is a structure that is constantly being updated. There will probably be one national repertory theater in the country. In Moscow, for example, Vakhtangovsky, here – Kupala Theater. There are many talented people in Belarus, but silence reigns today. Apparently, now is such a time, and everyone really needs to spend some time in silence.” Arina Karpovich

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

CAREER

Kristina Dmitruk:

MY MOTIVATION IS A PUZZLE OF LOVE AND PURPOSE

Her tennis career includes the 8th position in the world junior rankings, with five singles titles and 12 doubles titles. There are also performances at two Grand Slam tournaments, a worthy match against Aryna Sabalenka, a personal grant from the International Tennis Federation. And in order to fully imagine how interesting this athlete is, you should know that Kristina is only 17 years old. Last year she and the Russian tennis player Diana Schneider won the doubles at the famous Wimbledon junior tournament. The tennis player shared her impressions of the recent performance and, in general, her thoughts about her own career with the editorial staff of the magazine.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

“Kristina, how do you manage to combine performances at the junior and adult levels?” “I have a good junior rating. But I do not forget that my rivals do not stand still and are constantly developing, so it is not easy to stay on top. And I understand extremely well that there are even stronger and more talented tennis players at the adult level. However, I am interested in ‘entering’ adult tennis. It’s like a challenge to yourself. It is difficult, but interesting. Difficulties keep me from relaxing.” “Perhaps the example of some idol helps you?” “I just borrow ‘tricks’ that I like from the top tennis players. For example, I am impressed by the fighting character of Victoria Azarenko. I really like the plasticity and behaviour of the Frenchman Gaël Monfils. Much depends on your behaviour. Monfils does not think what to do, but simply shows a performance on the tennis court. Well, I can say that I like him the most. It would be interesting for me to meet all the top ten players in a match. I think it would be a wonderful and very rewarding experience.” “You have already started playing with the representatives of the top ten. Your credits include a

TENNIS.BY

match against the third racket of the world Aryna Sabalenka.” “Yes, it was interesting. I will not hide, I was worried, which you could see in my game. I understood my chances in that match, and therefore I was worried not about the results, but about how I would show myself in the meeting. To be honest, I am always worried before the match, regardless of the opponent and the tournament.” “And how do you fight it?” “Perhaps it is nothing original, but the music helps me. It calms me, distracts from the thoughts of the match. The choice of song depends on the mood. If I am calm, then something melodic, if the mood is fighting, then some groovy compositions.” “The trademark of every tennis player is his or her style of play. What is yours?” “At the very beginning of the match, it is important for me to show my opponent that I am stronger than her, this makes my opponent nervous. And I’m not starting with aggressive tennis. The first two or three games I watch the behaviour of my opponent, how she falls, what she does when she receives the ball.

And when there is an understanding of everything that is happening, I choose tactics and style specifically for this match. Therefore, I have a variety of styles in my arsenal. I can play both in defence and in attack, constantly changing my game. Many top players win with their aggressive style. Therefore, I think that I need to strive for it, but not say goodbye to diversity.” “Kristina, what are your impressions of your performance at Wimbledon and of the tournament as a whole?” “It was interesting for me to compete, because there is an unusual court surface - grass. And I wanted to try what it is. Of course, there were many surprises on the new surface. At the first training session, I did not even understand what was happening: technique, tactics - everything is different. But in general I liked the grass, it is ‘fast’, similar to ‘hard’ courts (one of the types of court covering), but with its own characteristics.” “How long did it take to get used to the still unknown covering?” “An interesting situation has developed with the preparation. In training, I did not understand the essence of playing on the grass. But before

Wimbledon, in London, I played at the ITF (International Tennis Federation. - Aut.) tournament of the first category. And there I played three doubles and three singles; the matches were interesting, and there I understood the essence of playing on the grass. Therefore, we can say that I learned everything during the process itself.” “How can you evaluate your performance at Wimbledon?” “I reached the quarterfinals in singles. But, apparently, it was not my day. There were certain nuances that spoiled the emotional state. And I didn’t manage to perform well due to the fact that I could not get in the right mindset. There were good serves, mistakes were made not only by me, but also by my opponent. However, the mood played its part. Everything was more interesting with the doubles. Diana Schneider and I did not know each other before. But at Wimbledon our teammates were unable to compete for their own reasons. And we had to pair up. We somehow passed everything easily, although our rivals gave us a good fight. It seems that we were on the same wavelength, there were weak and strong moments. But everything was БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

CAREER

somehow strangely easy, as it seemed to us. Therefore, I can say that the opponents were strong, the fight was serious, and the final was interesting. Especially considering that we had never played together before. Now we have agreed to pair up for the US Open.” “Before that, you have already participated in the Grand Slam tournament - Roland Garros in Paris. Where did you like it better?” “For me, Roland Garros and Wimbledon are equal. These are Grand Slam tournaments, and they are all very important for every tennis player. The coach liked Wimbledon more, he said that the English tournament was more ambitious, there were more people and the level was just the highest. I can’t single out any one tournament, because I’m focused on the match and don’t look around.” “Considering your performance schedule, did you manage to experience all the joys of school life?” “Not really. This year I graduated from high school, but missed the prom, because at that time I was in France at Roland Garros. I was sad at first, and then calmed down – it’s life. I was sorry not to see my classmates. I won’t say that I had many friends at school, but I can

call two close friends at any time and meet them.” “What are your goals, plans for the future?” “I do not see any other activity for myself, except for tennis. Therefore, today I, my coach, and my team are working to ensure that I improve as a tennis player and be on the first line of the rating in the future. And all the tournaments I participate in are steps towards the main goal.” “And where do you get motivation?” “The most important thing is that I love tennis, I like what I do. I have a goal to which I go, even if everything does not always work out. Therefore, my motivation is a puzzle of love and purpose.” Valeria Stetsko

TENN ISFO RUM .COM

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

SELECTED WORKS IN ART

THE AMAZING POWER AND EMOTIONAL BEAUTY OF MASTERPIECES The funds of the National Art Museum of Belarus contain many art objects of not only European but also world value. To a greater extent, this applies to painting. There is much to see for true connoisseurs – both in the permanent exhibition or in temporary ones, when the best works from the museum’s storerooms are presented to the attention of visitors.

For Belarusian art, the name of Yazep Drazdovich is unique and symbolic. The activity of this artist was connected with Western Belarus. His contemporaries compared Drazdovich with Leonardo da Vinci in terms of the universality of his interests and hobbies. Drazdovich studied the history, archeology and ethnography of Belarus. He was engaged in graphics, sculpture, painting and literature; he kept diaries and taught. It was in Vilna (modern Vilnius) in the 1930s that Yazep Drazdovich created his space series. He thoroughly studied astronomical literature at the library of Vilna University and developed his own theories of planetary interaction and projects of flying space rockets. At that time, science believed that all planets were inhabited. As an artist, Drazdovich saw his task as telling us in detail about life on other planets. Recently, two of his paintings from the series ‘Life on Saturn’ were presented in the museum exhibition. The artist creates landscapes that show in detail the world seen in imaginary space travels. The architecture, nature and geographical features on other planets depicted by the author in many ways resemble earthly landscapes.

In the corner of the painting, Drazdovich always put a sign or symbol of the planet, and on the back, he described the place itself, in detail. For researchers, works by Yazep Drazdovich are a unique example of science fiction that existed in Belarusian art. It’s an instance of how a creative person can transform the acquired knowledge and produce new unprecedented worlds. The work by People’s Artist of Belarus Mai Dantsig ‘My City, Ancient and Young’ painted in 1972 is distinguished by its impressive size, rich colors, monumental composition and unusual angle as if from a bird’s eye view. In this painting, the author captured a view of the central part of Minsk where he was born and grew up. Mai Dantsig sought to comprehend the historical and psychological content of the urban theme which he addressed throughout his life. Living colors of everyday together with the movement of people and cars animate the cold beauty of new architectural forms. From the angle chosen by Dantsig, both ancient and modern buildings can be seen. The Nemiga street depicted has been known since the 12th century. It takes its name from the river that shallowed and in early БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

SELECTED WORKS IN ART

Yazep Drozdovich. Space. 1940 – 1943

Yazep Drozdovich. Wiew under the Ring on the Planet Saturn. 1931

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS JANUARY   2022

20th century was taken into the collector. To the early 1970s, the street was built up mainly with old buildings of the 16th– 19th century. From the 18th to early 20th century, the part shown in the painting was inhabited mainly by the Jewish poor. During World War II, the Minsk ghetto was located in this area. The architectural complex depicted in the work is located in the Upper Town which retained a leading role in the life of Minsk from the end of the 16th to the middle of the 20th century. Its ensemble formed for over several centuries is a unique reserve of urban planning with features of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classicism. In the depths of the painting, one can see another architectural monument created already in the 20th century – the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater that is located in a city garden surrounded by streets on four sides. The monumental building is really impressive in its scale, despite the fact that it is almost half the size of the original project. During World War II, the entire area in front of the theater was surrounded by barbed wire and turned into a prisoner of war camp. Later it was planted with trees and turned into a public garden. Thus, the painting by Mai Dantsig has not only artistic but also historical value. It testifies to the existence of architectural monuments that have not survived to this day. Digging into history, Dantsig sought to capture the essence of the city. It is not just a panoramic landscape with masterpieces of ancient architecture meant to show the artist’s passion for antiquity and national traditions. In his work, the master focuses, first of all, on the extent of the life of architecture in time.

The work ‘My Home’ painted in 1972 by Honored Artist of Belarus Vasily Sumarev was included in the list of national largescale paintings allowing us to assert that the Belarusian painting school occupied a prominent place in the diverse panorama of the 1970s Soviet art. The work depicts a bird’s-eye view of Minsk. The central part of the painting is occupied by a two-story red wooden house. In this house located near the railway, the artist was born and grew up. In numerous scenes resembling movie stills, Vasily Sumarev presents the world of his childhood. In one window of the house, neighbors celebrating a wedding are depicted; in another, drying fish can be seen. In the street, the characters of the painting talk, do physical exercises or read books. In some images of children, the artist portrayed himself. The world of the native home is full of everyday realities remembered by the child’s eyes. Sumarev omits all the sad and sorrowful stored in the memory and shows us the purity of child’s dreams and aspirations together with the attention of the elders filled with warmth of heart. The polyphonic nature of the painting determined by its montage principle of creation does not interfere with the integrity of perception. The wooden frame of the work deserves special attention. It was made by Vasily Sumarev himself. The composition of the frame organically matches with the space of the painting completing it at the semantic and formal level. On the frame, the artist depicted himself and his parents. Subsequently, several author’s copies of the painting ‘My Home’ were made. Veniamin Mikheyev Photo credit: the author

COUNTRY

IN THE HEART OF EUROPE

№1 (1048),

, 2021

СТУДЗЕНЬ Беларусь.

Belarus

Ь С У Р А Л БЕ

ЧАС

С ОПІС ДЛЯ ВА

-7544

ISSN 0320

Палітыка.

. Культура

Эканоміка

ІМГНЕННІ ГОДНЯГА А В А Н Д А ПЕР РОЮ НАСТ аіне зі од ць у кр

ав адыцыя - пр й моладзі - мае Добрая тр я таленавіта мку дл лі ба ія ную падтры навагодн ую дзяржаў самую выск

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