Belarus (magazine #07 2020) by BELARUS Magazine

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No. 7 (1042), 2020 Беларусь. Belarus

belarus Politics. Economy. Culture

ISSN 2415-394X

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Голас Радзімы edition of the “Голас Радзімы” is available at www.zviazda.by

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contents

Беларусь. Belarus Social and political magazine № 7 (1042), July, 2020

Procession. Festivities. Fountains. Salute

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, 10a Bogdan Khmelnitsky Street Tel.: +375 (17) 287-19-19, +375 (17) 292-66-92 Тel./fax: +375 (17) 287-15-26.

Belta

www.zviazda.by E-mail: belarus.mag@mail.ru

the Belarusian contribution to the “common space” is much longer, and its prospects are incredibly wide

In memory — forever There are a total of twelve days between July 3 and June 22 in reverse computation of time. These dates, in fact, cannot be separated from one another. And if the former symbolizes pride in the country, its sovereignty, the day of liberation of the Belarusian capital from the brown plague of fascism, the latter reminds us of the great tragedy, the human grief that befell people during the Great Patriotic War

Anna Zankovich

For fair victories Personal contribution

Platform for cooperation

Channel that brings people together TV channel ONT is 18. Without changing its traditions, on its birthday the favorite channel’s button invites viewers to the screens: to talk about the important, to fulfill someone’s dream, to laugh and cry with the characters of popular TV series. And most importantly — to show what real television can and should be like

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Slovakia to Belarus Jozef Migaš has been awarded the Order of Francisk Skorina

The Economy of High Flight There are 90 space powers in the world, including our Belarus. We joined this prestigious club eight years ago. However, the history of

Opportunity to save biodiversity by recovering… swamps

Subscription index — 74977 Registration Certificate No. 8 issued on 16.07.2018, by the Information Ministry of the Republic of Belarus Design and Layout by Tatiana Storozhenko Liubov Malysheva Proof-reader Alisa Gungor Беларусь. Belarus is published in Belarusian, English and Chinese. The magazine is distributed to 50 countries worldwide. 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 20.07.2020 Offset printing. Coated paper. Format 60х84 1⁄8. Conventional printed sheets 6,51 Accounting published sheets 0,00 Total circulation — 1620

copies (786 — in English)

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

беларусь. belarus 2020

Talent, beauty, warmth...

24 Hospitality is a hallmark

more in the issue 1

Horsehealers

Сell against pneumonia

Let the heart beat! Belarusian heart surgeons performed a unique surgery on a child

беларусь. belarus 2020

What books of the classics of Belarusian literature, the most popular writer in the country, and how many of them have been published from 2010 to 2020? We will answer this question making use of bibliographic calculations of the National Book Chamber of Belarus

To be or not to be happy Essay

Small motherland

Native patterns On July 2, Embroidery Day is celebrated in the country. Our photographer Anatoly Kleshchuk visited the center of the celebration, near the capital Sports Palace, and documented its highlights

Pneumonia as a complication of COVID 19 was the focus of attention in the pandemic. To fight it, physicians are accumulating all possible forces and means, including the use of the latest methods of treatment

Ten years of Vladimir Korotkevich

Ability to reflect history and modernity

Editor’s note

About symbols There are many good traditions. For example, to respect seniors, to know history, to be proud of modernity. The holiday that we celebrate in July shows honors, among other things, to these values. The third of July is Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus. Though this holiday is very young — born just at the turn of the previous and present centuries — it is symbolic and significant as no other holiday. Because Independence and Sovereignty are sacred concepts for the state. And we value, honor, respect them. Yes, we have a rich history — with more than a thousand-year-old Polotsk, with the natives of local lands, who in old times became known to all Europe, or even the world. And we are proud of it. But it’s not without reason that one of the origins, one of the starting points of the holiday was nothing else but liberation of the Belarusian capital from fascists in the Great Patriotic War. Because it was a heroic victory over the brown Nazi plague with the display of unprecedented sacrifice for its sake. And this is closer, more understandable to those living today in modern Belarus, where almost every family cherishes the memory of their loved ones who went off to that war, and, as it often happened, did not return from its battle fields to their homes. That is why a living embodiment of the Holiday is both a grey-haired veteran, who will always be in the symbolic ranks of the winners of that war, and a young warrior who knows how to professionally manage complex military equipment, who guards his Fatherland. That is why in honor of Independence Day there is both a military parade and bright colorful fireworks. It is also a tradition that has its own convincing origins. In fact, the embodiment of the holiday is a successful student, a competent expert at the enterprise, a reputable teacher, a devoted to his or her calling agrarian… All of us, who care about the Fatherland. Some more words about symbols of memory and aspiration for the future. …These dates are very close to each other in the calendar: June 22 and July 3. The first one always reminds about the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. On this day, in the early morning of 1941, peaceful life in Belarus came to an end at once. Hitler’s Germany attacked the USSR, and the republic on the western border of the huge country was the first to experience destruction and death. At present, this mournful date was marked, the 79th anniversary since the beginning of that terrible war. It is known that Belarus, like no other country in Europe, suffered the greatest losses in those years. During the Second World War, every third resident of our land died. But even now, seventy-nine years later, researchers say that not all losses were counted. It’s well-known that during the Great Patriotic War the Nazis destroyed 628 Belarusian villages with their inhabitants, 186 were never rebuilt. The figures are terrible. But it turns out that these are only the villages that have been immortalized in the world-famous Belarusian Memorial Complex Khatyn. Investigation is still being made to find out how many Belarusian villages and their residents were destroyed during the war.

In the 1980s, such tragic statistics was published: 9200 villages were burnt down, of which more than five thousand — with people. And now it turns out that these figures also need revision. In the book “The Tragedy of Belarusian Villa ges. 1941–1944”, the scientists published many previously unknown documents, which change the concept of the genocidal scale in that terrible war. One of the symbols of its mournful memories is still Viktor Kharkov, the expression “Nobody is forgotchief editor ten, nothing is forgotten”. It is also a moral reference point for the young generation. Yes, there is another date — July 3, when in the new history of Belarus the country celebrates Independence Day. This is also the day of liberation of Minsk from the Nazis in 1944. This is a symbol of national revival. It embodies the fact that freedom is the highest value. From the perspective of Independence Day, we view this concept in the literal sense. Back in the 40s, our compatriots died for freedom, defending the land from the enemy at the cost of their lives. It is not for nothing that the defenders of the legendary Brest Fortress displayed unprecedented heroism and stout-heartedness in the first days and even hours of the war. The words “I’m dying, but I do not give in”, inscribed on one of the walls of the citadel, became a symbol of courage and sacrifice in confronting the enemy. Of course, the origins of today’s state independence and sovereignty also come from that time. And they look ahead. Life goes on. It brings new events that reflect the contemporary spirit of the time. Although some of modern events have a symbolic connection with the past: two new memorial complexes on the site of the villages burned during the war — Borki in Kirov District of Mogilev Region and Ola in Svetlogorsk District of Gomel Region — appeared on the map of the country. The tragedy of the village of Borki and surrounding settlements is called one of the largest in Belarus during the Great Patriotic War. As a result of the punitive operation, more than 2.000 civilians were killed. The story of Ola is no less bitter. In the morning of January 14, 1944 a German punitive detachment surrounded the village, where people from 11 nearby settlements had previously moved to. The people were driven into their houses, which were then set on fire. Those who tried to escape were shot down or thrown into the fire alive. A total of 1.758 civilians were killed there, 950 of them were children. After the war, the village was never reborn. And the memory of all this must remain forever.

беларусь. belarus 2020

Holiday

Procession. Festivities. Fountains. Salute

Belarus celebrated Independence Day on July 3 Commemorative events and celebrations of Independence Day were held throughout the country. In Minsk, one of the main events was the patriotic procession “Belarus Remembers”. …It had been raining since the very morning, but stopped as if with a wave of a magic wand, by ten o’clock in the morning. At that time, a column of thousands of Minsk citizens and guests was heading along the capital’s Independence Avenue to Victory Square. Popular Soviet and Belarusian military patriotic songs were heard. People held in their hands flowers and portraits of the victorious heroes as a symbol of gratitude and memory. Veterans travelling by cars were welcomed by the youth. And the President of Belarus was together with them. In the bustling column there were the President’s sons, veterans, soldiers-internationalists, state authorities, representatives of public organizations, labor collectives and the clergy, famous artists and athlets. Pioneers and cadets are by the side of the adults. That was

беларусь. belarus 2020

a true relay of memory, symbolizing the unity of society and a strong bond between generations. Ahead of the column there is a line of soldiers of the silent drill team with a 16‑meter floral garland in their hands. It was laid at the Eternal Flame in Victory Square. Participants of the procession laid flowers at the monument. The President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, made a speech at the ceremony of laying flowers at the Victory Monument on the occasion of Independence Day: — Dear compatriots, dear veterans, distinguished guests of our capital! On behalf of the Belarusian people, allow me to congratulate you all on Independence Day of our Belarus! Here, in this sacred place we pay tribute to the heroes who fought for our land and brought this day of the Great Victory closer. During the Great Patriotic War, the Belarusian people made a historic choice to put their freedom above their lives. The descendants of the ancient Slavonic people — strong,

Holiday proud and independent — could not have made any other choice. A nation that had never enslaved anyone. A nation that itself had never been enslaved. Therefore, the irreconcilable struggle against the invaders was taking place on our land from the first to the last day of occupation. Partisans, underground fighters, civilians helping them — millions of people deliberately sacrificed their lives, unwilling to serve the Nazis. In the ranks of Minsk underground thousands of Soviet Minskers fought with the enemy. Hundreds of heroes of the underground in Minsk were tortured in the basements of the SD, shot and hanged, and we will not find another city in Europe, where such a mass resistance movement was operating under the most brutal occupation regime. Now it is the right time for the names of Ivan Kovalyov, Isay Kazinets, Dmitry Korotkevich, Vladimir Omelyanyuk, Ivan Kabushkin and many others to sound louder and louder. These are true patriots, real-life heroes. Our compatriots, whose life was so short, managed to do so much for our Fatherland. Together with them, we lost every third citizen of the country in that war. I say it time and again for those who pretend not to know what a huge price our people paid for the life and freedom of future generations, you and me. Belarus also remembers the soldiers of the brotherly republics who accepted their last fight on our land. Belarus remembers all those who liberated the Baltics and Poland, Bulgaria and Romania, Hungary and Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany from fascism and remained there forever under the obelisks. We grieve for the veterans who are no longer with us. Let’s pay tribute to them, to all the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, with one minute’s silence! (Minute’s silence). I address our special words of gratitude to the veterans who are with us now. Thank you for standing up and protecting the Motherland! Your boundless courage, firmness and patriotism have become for us the landmark that helped and helps us face the challenges of modern time. Together we are building our independent state. We are proud of our history and preserve the memory of our heroic past. Belarus is and will always be a peace-loving state. We stand for the dia-

logue of countries and peoples, for mutually beneficial cooperation on an equal basis only. But the modern world is becoming more and more complicated and dangerous. And today many people ask the question: what will happen tomorrow? The answer is simple. Our future depends only on ourselves. No one is able to shake the stability and independence that Belarus has today. Only we can decide the destinies of our people on this land. Everything depends only on us. The power and strength of the state, the inviolability of its sovereignty are determined by the people, by their work, unity and devotion to their native land. Dear friends, it is a symbolic day today, and the entire life of a person, let alone the state, is created, as it seems to me, from symbols. We can see today this great symbolism all over the country. Here, in this column of thousands, along with elderly people, veterans, there is a post-war generation, our youth. And this is the main symbol of today. Remember, as long as we come to the memorials and obelisks together with our children, the Lord will be with us, he will always be able to protect us from storms and hardships. But as soon as we forget the people’s path to these majestic places of our country’s history, wait for trouble. Wherever you are: in a small town, a small village, an agrotown, in regional centers or the capital of our Motherland — passing by, do not forget to stop near a tiny monument, near the majestic obelisk, in the village of Borki and Ola of Mogilev and Gomel Regions, in the legendary Brest Fortress, here, in the center of our capital, do not forget to come with your children and put a flower on these graves, a field flower. And we will be rewarded in our lives. The people’s path shouldn’t be overgrown. We must prove by our actions, by our deeds that Belarus remembers! After the patriotic procession ended, the President spoke warmly to the veterans, representatives of the diplomatic corps, residents of Minsk who came to the celebration. — As long as you are alive, there will be no war for sure, — said the Head of State to the veterans. He addressed words of gratitude not only to those who won the Victory on the battlefields, but also to those who were restoring the country and cities in the hard post-war years.

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Holiday — Everything will be fine, we will not give anything of our own to anybody, but we do not need anyone else’s, — stressed Alexander Lukashenko. And the day before, the President of Belarus spoke at the solemn meeting on the occasion of Independence Day. And there were congratulations on the main state holiday, which has become a symbol of freedom of the Belarusian people. The people who defeated death in the most terrible war in the history of mankind. What else was said about? About the fact that the Great Patriotic War became a war for life, for the very existence of the nation. The war for the place of the Belarusians in history, for the place of the young Soviet republic on the world map. The years of occupation clearly and brutally showed people the true meaning of such notions as security, freedom, sovereignty and independence.

These values could have been lost forever, but they were gained on the day of liberation of the capital — Minsk. Since then there has been a succession of almost four generations of Belarusians. But the memory of the heroes who gave the future, lives in hearts. There is a lot of pain in it, but even more pride. It contains the awareness that all of us, modern Belarusians, are carriers of a winner’s gene. Yes, the fact that in distant 1945 the Belarusian people defending their independence and rose in arms, is a serious argument against any interference in the country’s life. But today it is not enough to take up the historic Victory banner of fathers and grandfathers, proudly carry it and pass it on to children. It’s time to defend the honor of the winners’ banner. When we see that even the descendants of the peoples who were saved 75 years ago from fascist slavery and genocide, destroy monuments to Soviet soldiers and extol the Nazis, we realize that the war, unfortunately, is not over. It continues in the cultural, information, political and economic spheres. The realization that our ancestors were great people gives every new generation a sense of self-sufficiency and pride in their origins, makes the nation strong and independent. These heroic events of the past form national identity of the people and unite them. Therefore, we will consider any attempts to bring into disrepute the generation of winners as an infringement on sovereignty, whose holders are Belarusian people, said the President

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of the sovereign Belarus. And it should be understood that the descendants and ideological followers of those who stood on the other front line will not abandon attempts to rewrite the history of World War II or put it into oblivion. But we cannot, we just have no right to let it happen, no right in the memory of those who gave their lives for the freedom of the Belarusian land, for its present and future. The history of the Great Patriotic War includes more than 260 death camps, more than 140 punitive operations on the territory of Belarus, more than three years of inhuman suffering of Belarusians under occupation — in swamps and dugouts. This memory has been immortalized in more than eight thousand memorial monuments, in archival films and documents. It lives in the national initiative “Belarus Remembers”. And today it is important not only to preserve, but also to make public all archival funds. This is a package of counter-arguments which will help future generations of Belarusians to preserve the heroic heritage of their country. On this festive day the Soviet epoch is traditionally remembered, which gave Belarusians the opportunity to build the economic foundation of the future legitimate state for the first time in their history, i. e. a republic with all the national attributes: the Belarusian flag, coat of arms and anthem. But in the newest times our generation had the honor to realize the absolute right to state sov-

ereignty and independence. Fortunately, without blood and shocks. And we did it, the President stressed, having chosen the path of continuity of political, cultural and social traditions — our own historical path, not the one imposed by external forces. If we want to be sovereign and independent, we should do it calmly, without shocks, without conflicts with any neighbors, distant or close ones. And the important thing is that during the years of independence we have managed to preserve the harmony of different traditions and languages in the society, have learned to accept and appreciate the achievements of different historical epochs, to respect each other’s religious choice, which signifies the national and political maturity of our people. In other words, we are ready to finally build our independent country. The centuries-old history of Belarus has predetermined our spiritual closeness to the brotherly peoples, multi-faceted character of our foreign economy and policy. We are not only the historical,

Holiday but also the modern centre of Europe. Over a quarter of a century a culturally and spiritually united independent Belarusian nation has been formed. But time presents us with a new challenge. The challenge that puts many states, unions, as well as friendly and economic relations between countries to the test. The world is on the verge of changing epochs, which will divide its history into before and after. And every thinking person asks today the question: what place will Belarus occupy in the geopolitical space in the near future? In other words, how important it is to remain Belarusians who were the winners in the most difficult times. Belarusians who have always had great respect for the accomplished by their predecessors. Belarusians who have always relied on the original traditions in the cultural, scientific, industrial, political and public life of the country. It is this succession that has made us an independent

nation, self-sufficient and independent while choosing our destiny. And today, as never before, we should have a tight grip on our past, present and, most importantly, future. We must preserve the sovereignty of the country, its independence! Meanwhile, a famous Russian banker Herman Gref came to Belarus on July 3 with the mission to participate in the opening of a spectacular fountain on the Svisloch River. This is a gift for Independence Day from Sberbank of Russia and a symbol of good cooperation. And before the beautiful ceremony Alexander Lukashenko found time to discuss important economic issues with Herman Gref: — It is my pleasure to see you in Minsk as a person who is not indifferent to Belarus’ development. I often think about our relations and start asking myself a question: how could people with relatively different not even political, but economic views get together and even be friends? I’m glad about our relationship, honestly, I’m glad. And as a banking issue has arisen, I start comparing more and more. Recently I’ve said it publicly: we have Russian banks that work honestly and decently. According to the President, Belarus is actively implementing the technologies brought by this large Russian bank: — And you always tell me something new, promising, that we then implement in Belarus step by step. And, of course, today

one of such innovative projects, which you decided to present to the people of Belarus on Independence Day, is a system of fountains. Herman Gref said that Sberbank had already built fountains in various cities of Russia, but this kind of fountain is the first one: — We have presented fountains to many Russian cities in squares, but we have never built a fountain on water. And it turned out to be a superb one… I think that it will really be a gift from us to the residents of Minsk and the people of the republic. Herman Gref also added that he was very pleased to be in Minsk on this day. — Last year we held the Sberbankiad here, more than 2.5 thousand participants came. And we agreed with you a year ago that on July 3 we will open a fountain here, — he said. After the talks, Alexander Lukashenko and Herman Gref took part in the opening ceremony of the light and music fountain located in the Svisloch water area. Thousands of spectators gathered in Minsk’s Yanka Kupala Park late at night to watch the multimedia show, which is second to none in the country. Alexander Lukashenko noted that thanks to this project the Svisloch river bank would play out in fresh colors and become a center of attraction for young people and a new platform for implementing interesting projects:

— I really want as many of them as possible. Interesting, dynamic, creative ones that will make the life of the city even brighter. Of course, this festive summer evening belongs to our youth. Let it give you all unforgettable impressions and become the beginning of a new cultural history of night Minsk. The multimedia fountain complex, made in the form of a 90‑meter long and 16‑meter wide rectangle, is the largest in the country. About two hundred jets form a water fairy show, they rise to a 30‑meter height and can create all kinds of effects. The concept of the smart fountain also means that educational programs can be “broadcast” on a special water screen. Even a more spectacular full stop, or rather, an exclamation mark, was put in the celebration of Independence Day by magical fireworks — colorful and eloquent. By Vladimir Velikhov. Photo by BelTA.

беларусь. belarus 2020

Unforgettable

Here the heroes fought

June 22. Memorial complex “Brest Hero Fortress”. Here at the exact time of the beginning of the war, by tradition, a memorable event was held. The President of Belarus laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame, observed a minute of silence in memory of the brave heroes, talked to the veterans and participants of the ceremony. The Brest Fortress has become an insurmountable obstacle for the Nazis. Representatives of more than thirty nationalities fought here. And they all fulfilled their sacred duty. They defended their homeland, although they were born thousands of kilometers away from Brest. According to the President, the feat of the Brest garrison became a symbol of invincibility of the brotherly peoples and a common property of the former Soviet republics. — But, unfortunately, not all citizens of these now independent states see themselves as heirs to that heroic history. It is a pity, — said Alexander Lukashenko. — But I am deeply convinced that people’s memory will win nowadays as well. The memory of the events of the war is especially important so that such things will never happen in history again, the President said. — That is why we came here early in the morning today so that what was taking place here could never occur again, — he said. — This is not just an ordinary ritual, — he said. — It is a memory, so that you and I, our children, would never have to face such problems. The President addressed words of special gratitude to the veterans for having withstood with honor the hardships of the military and post-war period:

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Alexander Lukashenko at the memorial event in Brest Fortress

— The deceased are looking at us from there (from heaven — Edit.) and evaluating our actions. We tell them that their heroic past has become a symbol of our independence… We know for sure that their aspiration for freedom and justice, devotion to the Motherland live in each of us. And this is the heredity that makes the sovereignty of our state an undeniable factor. Everything that we have today, although we have created it with our own hands, belongs not only to us. It also belongs to them and to our children in the future. Time has chosen us, and we must solve the problems that face us. Addressing the officers and soldiers who are serving in this heroic land, the President noted that he had served in that region and knew Brest well. — You are the heirs of the Victory today, you are guarding the boundary that did not give in to the enemy while at least one warrior was alive. This is not required of us today, but we should be ready for anything… Let your service be peaceful and safe, — the

Head of State wished. — I always remember and want you, if you have to fight, to fight to the bitter, but not thousands of kilometers away on other people’s lands and territories, we have nothing to do there. Alexander Lukashenko stressed that independence was very dear and should be protected. Speaking to veterans, the Head of State said: — Thank you. We still need you. Two new memorial complexes on the site of the villages burned during the war — Borki in Kirov District of Mogilev Region and Ola in Svetlogorsk District of Gomel Region — appeared on the map of the country. The opening ceremony was also attended by the President.

Duty to ancestors and descendants The tragedy of the village of Borki and surrounding settlements is called one of the largest in Belarus during the Great Patriotic

Unforgettable War. As a result of the punitive operation, more than 2.000 civilians have killed. A group of young architects decided to put into the memorial all the horror of those days. — Forgotten emotions are the first step to forgetting the events that caused them, — said Alexander Lukashenko. — Even after the fall of Hitler’s regime, the ideas of fascism are not in the past. They live in those who destroy monuments to warriors and liberators, who glorify traitors and collaborators, who worship Nazi symbols… Individual states and governments still do not notice, and sometimes encourage radical ideas in society, as it was on the eve of the Second World War. And sometimes, terrorism. Open terrorism. With no mercy or pity. I will say openly: Belarusians cannot allow fascism and hatred coming to their land under the banners of democracy. And they won’t allow it. It is on the values of peace and human life, the Head of State promised, that Belarus will continue bringing up its children: — I am deeply convinced that for a child who will visit one of the Belarusian memorials with the similar history at least once in their life, the very idea that there are people on earth who are unworthy to live and be free will never come to the head. And we will raise every new generation of Belarusians, passing on to them the memory not only of the exploits of their ancestors, but also of the pain that has made our people stronger, has taught them, like no other nation, to preserve peace and tranquility. And although there are no people more peaceful than Belarusians, in Alexander Lukashenko’s opinion, the present realities make us fight for peace in our home. The President noted: there is nothing dangerous or terrible, there is no disaster today. At the same time he specified: “We are constantly being planted something, the situation is being aggravated”. The President added: — Assessing my actions and steps at this very dangerous moment for the sovereignty and independence of the country, I want you to understand me. No one will be allowed to betray, break and destroy what we have been creating for a quarter of a century. We must preserve our calm and peaceful country in the name of those who died for it, in the name of the children who didn’t know

what a kindergarten, school is… And we will preserve it. One of the authors of the memorial in Borki Ivan Artimovich said to the Head of State: — Thank you for letting us finish it in the conditions of the pandemic. We were afraid that we would not do it… Alexander Lukashenko praised both the memorial itself and the authors who worked on it. By the way, the Head of State gave instructions to recommend the authors for state awards. He reacted sincerely: — I have seen many such monuments, but it is a soulful monument. I am amazed how they managed to put these ideas into the stones, sculptures and reinforced concrete. There’s nothing to explain — you go, see, and understand. The opening of the memorial to the burned villages of Mogilev Region in the village of Borki of Kirov District, made a deep impression on the participants of the event. Igor Marzalyuk, Chairman of the Standing Commission on Education, Culture and Science of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Scien ces, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor: — Belarus and the Mogilev Region in particular have received another important place of historical memory. This monument gets under your skin. Its main concept is the history of the personal tragedy of destroyed families. There are monuments which, in

spite of their fundamental nature, do not get under the skin. But as much as Khatyn does it, so does Borki. For me personally, Borki has always been associated with one of the greatest books of Belarusian military prose — “The Punishers” by Ales Adamovich, the plot of which is mainly based on the destruction of this village. And I experienced a moment of catharsis there. Especially since the opening of the memorial was attended by my close friend — Ales Kazeko, head of the Mogilev branch of the Writers’ Union who presented the President with a poem “Mariyka” dedicated to his mother, who came from this village. She was married to a guy from a neighboring village and just on the day of burning Borki she was going there to see her relatives, but the Germans did not let her through their cordon, which saved her. There was also Oleg Sakadynets, exDeputy of the Parliament, master of sports in freestyle wrestling, whose relatives were killed in Borki. Such memorials show the depth of the war tragedy and the importance and value of peace for our country. This means the value of sovereignty, the opportunity not to participate in wars and other people’s conflicts. Borki is both a hymn and a requiem. Nikolay Borisenko, head of the Mogilev Regional Historical and Patriotic Club “Vikkru”: — Memorialization of such places as Borki is vital. Here, in the territory of Kirov District, today the memory of the villages of

During the opening ceremony of the Memorial Complex in the village of Borki, Mogilev Region беларусь. belarus 2020

Unforgettable

Memorial Complex Borki

Mogilev Region, wiped off from from the face of the earth by occupants, has been immortalized. 48 villages have never been reborn to life. Young people need to know this so that they will remember: there is nothing in the world more precious than peace. Dmitry Voronyuk, member of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly: — The Belarusian land is soaked in the blood of the fallen. The remarkable memorial in Borki is a testimony and reminder to all present and future generations about the war and the atrocities of fascism. Our task is to preserve this holy memory of every dead person and to prevent such events from happening again.

We can’t let it go to oblivion The story of Ola is no less bitter. In the morning of January 14, 1944 a German punitive detachment surrounded the village, where people from 11 nearby settlements had previously moved to. The people were driven into their houses, which were then set on fire. Those who tried to escape were shot down or thrown into the fire alive. A total of 1.758 civilians were killed there, 950 of them were children. After the war, the village was never reborn. The President prom-

Memorial Complex Ola

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ised to support the creation of the memorial complex in this place back in December last year while meeting the students and teachers of medical universities. At that time, one of the students of Gomel Medical University raised this subject — a girl who comes from Svetlogorsk District. Alexander Lukashenko promised to come to the memorial opening. And this day has come. The President thanked everyone who took part in creating the complex. Special words of gratitude were voiced to the youth: — Our youth can do such sacred things. You and I have a lot to do. We have many heroic stories worthy of being turned into a monument. And if someone in the world prefers today to forget the terrible pages of the Second World War, tries to shift the emphasis in terms of the responsibility of countries, Belarus will preserve the true history in stone. The President concluded his speech at the solemn ceremony in Ola with an important message which was also voiced in Borki: — Do not relax. Remember that there are still so many people around who out of envy, because they do not like our people, because we talk about our independence, pursue our independent course, will try to interfere into our affairs. Eloquent words were said on this day by the participants of the event. Elena Zhinko, headmaster of secondary school No. 2 in Svetlogorsk: — It is impossible to be in this place and hold back tears. It seems as if nature itself has merged with the person in grief and sorrow, and in rustling of a birch one can hear the crying of lost children and mothers. We waited a long time for the memorial to appear, and it makes us happy to see that the memory of the victims of Ola is immortalized properly. This is the embodiment of the wishes of thousands of local people. I am grateful to the district, regional authorities, President for supporting the initiative of erecting the memorial. I am especially glad that everyone who took part in Saturday voluntary work days contributed to the common cause. The memorial is very necessary for those who, fortunately, have not seen war. And the whole world needs it to see that Belarusians treat history with care.

Natalya Bauer, worker of the artificial fibre plant Svetlogorsk Khimvolokno OJSC: — There are few families that were not affected by that war one way or another. For example, my grandfather was a train driver, till the last day of his life he did everything to make his train go as far west as possible. He was buried somewhere in Poland. Unfortunately, every day there are fewer living witnesses to those terrible events, and thanks to such memorials we have the opportunity to pass on the memory of the war to the next generations. Here, the energy drive is so strong that you clearly understand: we must not allow a military tragedy to happen again, we must preserve peace. The Head of State called the Ola complex important for everyone. While speaking with the residents of Svetlogorsk District, he emphasized: — It is a monument for the entire Belarusian nation. And not only. Let them come here and see how strong the Belarusian people are in spirit and how they live, so that nobody would want to lord us over. By the way, thanks to the electrification of the railway section Zhlobin — Svetlogorsk, one can now get to Minsk with special comfort and save time on the way. The opening ceremony of regular electric trains from this district center to the Belarusian capital was attended by the Head of State. He traveled in person on the train. He listened to the report on the development of railway. The opening of the electric train traffic between Zhlobin and Svetlogorsk is one of the stages of the investment project to electrify the Zhlobin-Kalinkovichi-Barbarov section. It is planned to be completed by the end of 2021. The project is being implemented jointly with Chinese partners. As a result, emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere are expected to decrease by 900 tons per year. As a result, the President was informed, the Belarusian contribution had significantly increased. It reached almost 50 percent, and only the items not produced in the country were purchased abroad. — We need to deal with import substitution. This five-year plan will include — quality, import substitution, export. These are the main directions, — the Head of State stressed. By Aleksey Fedosov. Photo by BelTA.

Award

Personal contribution

The diplomat was awarded the order for his significant personal contribution to strengthening friendly relations and development of cooperation between Belarus and Slovakia. Jozef Migaš, the head of the mission of the Slovak Republic in our country, is remembered by Belarusians as a true diplomat whose mission is to build rather than destroy bridges between peoples. His contribution is organizing the visits of representative Slovakian delegations to Belarus, specific projects in technology, finance, civil society development, visa policy proposed by the Slovak side. And most importantly, human ties. This was stressed by Honorary Consul of Slovakia in Brest and Grodno Regions Ivan Kozič: — Our task, our mission is to serve people. Speaking about the ties between people in Belarus and Slovakia, it is very important to take into account the historical context, which gives the key to unlocking the closeness and mutual understanding of our peoples. The histories of our states are similar, i. e. once big countries decided the destinies of the small ones. Slovakia became a separate republic after the Munich Agreements of 1938 and during the Second World War it was a Slovak state dependent on the Third Reich. In response to the introduction of new Nazi orders, broad popular anti-fascist resistance developed in the territory of Czechoslovakia. Its highest point was the Slovak National Uprising of 1944. Ambassador Migaš is the son of a partisan, a direct participant in the SNP (Slovak National Uprising). And Belarus is a land of partisans… Belarusians and Slovaks, each in their own way, fought for independence and sov-

PROFIMEDIA.CZ

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Slovakia to Belarus Jozef Migaš has been awarded the Order of Francisk Skorina

Jozef Migaš

ereignty, which allow them to control their own destiny. This is confirmed by the participation of the Slovak Ambassador in the parade in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Victory in Minsk. This is what Jozef Migaš told the Slovak edition of Denník N — Nezávislý denník: — Participating in the celebration of the 75th anniversary since the end of the war, I thanked and paid tribute to Belarusians. I am the son of a partisan, a direct participant of the SNP. The freedom from fascism is a fundamental value for me. 50 million people who died in World War II will remain eternal memory for us and for the next generation. Let us stop national fascism today before it starts growing into our heads. As they say, who has ears to hear, let him hear… Especially the call to stop fascism — “before it starts growing into our heads”. This call is extremely relevant at a time when a civilization crisis is unfolding on our continent. Unfortunately, the term “fascist” is impersonal in modern Western Europe. It has become just an insult, opponents, those who disagree are often called

fascists, i. e. the leftists call so the rightists. The rightists — the extreme rightists… All this is a very dangerous devaluation and underestimation of the brown plague’s real evil. Against this background, the man who came out to honor the memory of those who fell in the fight against real fascism, performed an deed with a capital letter, which caused in the memory the immortal words of Czech anti-fascist Julius Fučík — “People, be vigilant!” The President of Belarus called the participation of the Slovak ambassador in the parade in honour of the 75th anniversary of the Victory a worthy act and expressed perplexity about the official position of the Slovak leadership: — He grew up in a patriotic family, his father fought against Nazism, he was a partisan as far as I know. He spoke, he said frankly about it. Well, what can this man be criticized for? It’s unacceptable to punish a man for such things, let alone Slovakia. Well, we have much in common, we fought together against Nazism. This is an undeniable value both for Belarus and Slovakia, whose independence was declared on January 1, 1993 and which is now an equal member of the EU and NATO, as well as the Schengen area and the Eurozone. Today Belarus and Slovakia play the role of a bridge in Central and Eastern Europe. As members of the Central European Initiative, our countries strive for the promotion of sustainable ties among the states of Central, Western and Eastern Europe, as well as the prevention of the formation of new dividing lines in the European region. Diplomat Jozef Migaš has fulfilled that mission flawlessly. By Nina Romanova

беларусь. belarus 2020

Festival

We were, we are and will always be!

In Alexandria, the birthplace of Alexander Lukashenko, the Kupalye Festival has taken place for the eleventh time

The top of the summer. The weather is nice. And these days in Belarus everywhere — in big cities and small towns, Kupalye is celebrated, one of the most favorite summer holidays in the country. It is a preliminary to a no less beloved international music festival in Vitebsk “Slavic Bazaar”. Kupalye was held for the eleventh time heartily and with a special scope in the land of Shklov, in Alexandria, the birthplace of the President. According to Alexander Lukashenko, this holiday brings us back to the roots of national traditions, and “largely due to these roots we were, are and will remain Belarusians — a distinct and independent people.” Every year in July the President comes to the homeland of his childhood and youth. As well as this time, in the year which, as he put it, completes the trilogy of small motherland. By tradition, Alexander Lukashenko addressed the audience from the festive stage before the concert. He shared his thoughts about the important things in life, which he was thinking about while approaching the concert stage: — The most important thing is that time is inexorably moving forward. It seems that we held our first festival here not long ago, and today there have been more than a dozen of them on this favored, good land, on the banks of this beautiful river that unites the fates of three Slavonic peoples: our Russians, our Ukrainians and Belarusians. And I am happy with all my heart to welcome you today on this hospitable land of Alexandria. The President was very glad that the holiday had brought together many guests, among whom there were his countrymen:

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— It is not without reason that they say that for every person the paradise is the place of his or her heart. Not only mine, but also the hearts of all who have gathered, is here. My heart is utterly and completely given to this land and these people. To all Belarusians. To our wise and strong people. The nation which over many centuries of its history has experienced many troubles and misfortunes, but has never knelt to anyone. The people who know the price of words and deeds, who have suffered the right to live in their state and independently choose and determine their future. Everything that the President talked about was colored with a warm and trusting tone. In his speech he emphasized how important it was when people were friends, met and looked into each other’s eyes: — We looked into each other’s eyes, talked to our seniors and old friends, made new friends. We inhaled the air of Belarusian fields full of summer, filled with the aroma of honey and ripening ears of wheat. We heard birds singing, saw and will see the starry sky without city lights… This wonderful opportunity has been given to us for more than 10 years by this folk festival with surprisingly warm, kind and light atmosphere. Hundreds of thousands of spectators, masters of handicrafts and farmsteads, Belarusian and foreign artists who come to us (and this difficult year is no exception), have become not only friends, but have related. After all, sincere friendship and desire to meet have always been stronger than any obstacles and distances. Alexander Lukashenko also recalled another holiday that unites the Slavonic peoples:

— This, one can say, is a rehearsal of our main meeting, our main holiday, which will take place just in a few days in the great Slavonic city of Vitebsk. And this is how heartfelt the President spoke about a three-year anniversary of our small motherland: — Look around you. Look at how many good, necessary things we have done for our native land. Remember what it was like two or three years ago. And five, ten, a quarter of a century? Your great merit is that more than one generation of Belaru-

Festival

Alexander Lukashenko. Speech before the concert.

The audience welcomed Pesnyary with enthusiasm

Joy rained all over Alexandria

sians is growing up in a prosperous, clean, peaceful and beautiful country. The country that you and I have created almost from scratch, on the ruins of the great empire, the name of which is the Soviet Union. Of course, we managed to do something well, even better than we once imagined. Something is at a good level. And something needs much work on. After all, you and I know for sure: a loaf of fresh, fragrant natural bread is the result of long, hard and painstaking work. And there’s no other way.

The President stressed that it is the same in the state: — To work for results, to unite against any challenges, to overcome all difficulties is the only way to create a better future for your country, for your people. And it is obligatory to be all together. What can be the driving force for such creative actions? Only true love for your homeland, the President noted: — True love for the Fatherland is creative. Therefore, let us continue building our

Belarus together as a fair, safe and strong country. And one more thing, Alexander Lukashenko said: — Now it is very relevant when the powerful are trying to divide the world, break the foundations, impose their way of thinking and lifestyle on the weaker ones. And in such times it is very important to listen to your heart: it will always show you the true and right way to the future. By Mikhalina Cherkashina. Using BelTa materials and photo.

беларусь. belarus 2020

Objects of friendship

For fair victories Construction of the National Football Stadium and a world-class swimming pool has begun in Minsk

These major sports facilities will be built with free technical and economic assistance of China. The stadium is expec ted to be built within 40 months and the pool within 36. China will allocate about 240 million dollars to build these facilities. The construction of the facilities was started the day before by First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Nikolay Snopkov and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Belarus Tsui Tsimin. At the so lemn ceremony they noted that these facilities were an example of strong friendship between Belarus and China. “The agree-

ments of our leaders have been steadily implemented and are an example of building a community with a common destiny. Unique facilities that we are starting to build today and the planning concepts of which were personally discussed by the leaders of our countries, will become not only indicators of Belarusian-Chinese friendship, but also a clear demonstration of China’s technological and economic potential for all its neighbors. The sporting spirit, the Olympic spirit is close to both our peoples. Because it is the spirit of development, the spirit of partnership, fair competitions and victories. Such sports

At the ceremony

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facilities are created for the nation to learn to develop and win. We wish new victories to our athletes and our people”. The sites for the construction of the facilities are ready, the general contractors have been selected, and the work on the technical side of these projects, despite the epidemiological limitations, has not stopped for a moment. Nikolay Snopkov noted that it was organized online. Belarusian and Chinese colleagues worked in a very orderly and careful way. — Integrated strategic partnership, mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Belarus are maintained at the highest level. Both countries are true all-weather partners who strongly support each other on issues that deal with the main interests and key issues, — said Tsui Tsimin. — These are the largest social projects that China is going to build in Belarus today. The event, timed to coincide with the start of construction, was also attended by Minister of Sports and Tourism Sergey Kovalchuk, Deputy Chairman of Minsk City Executive Committee Artyom Tsuran, as well as representatives of Chinese general contractors. The National Football Stadium will be located on a land plot with a total area of 12.48 hectares within the bounds of Partizansky Avenue, Vaneyeva and Daugavpils

Objects of friendship

The construction of objects has started!

Streets. The total capacity of the stadium will be 33 000 seats, it will be possible to conduct qualifying matches of European and World Championships, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup. The facility will meet the criteria for category 4 stadiums in accordance with the football stadium infrastructure regulations, technical recommendations and requirements. Functionally, the stadium includes a stand-roof, a grandstand, spaces for spectators, a VIP room, rooms for athletes and administration (during the competitions — for the organizers), spaces for media and an underground parking for 150 cars, as well as a playing area and other spaces. The building will be made in the style of national symbols of Belarus and the People’s Republic of China, which symbolize friendship between the countries, while the facade of the building will be made in the form of five connected diamonds, which symbolize the Belarusian patterns. The 7.0146 ha world-class swimming pool will be built within the borders of Domashevskaya, Kalvariyskaya, Kharkov

skaya and Zagorodnaya Alleys. Its construction is carried out on a turnkey basis by the Chinese side in accordance with the construction requirements and norms of the People’s Republic of China and the International Federation FINA. Thus, the facility will be able to host official international competitions ranging from European and water sports championships to world championships in swimming, di ving, art (synchronized) swimming and water polo. The multifunctional sports complex will become a base for training national and national water sports teams, disabled athletes from national and national swimming teams, as well as for rehabilitation and swimming of the capital’s population. The complex is expected to be divided into the zones for competitions, rest, warm-up and training. It consists of space with stands for 6020 seats; a pool for competitions (50253 m) with a movable pontoon; a warm-up pool (50253 m) with a movable pontoon; a diving pool (25255 m); a mediumsize pool (25101.8 m); a small-size

pool (1261.3 m); a hydraulic channel (631.5 m); sports and fitness gyms; rehabilitation, scientific and research centers. The building will provide six gyms to train athletes for water sports and modern pentathlon, including trampoline, gyms for choreography and fencing, as well as recreation areas for athletes, a recreation center, administrative and office premises that can be converted into the premises for organizers of competitions during the competition: the office of the International Federation of FINA, premises for media, VIP-rooms, technical premises for competitions and administration. It should be noted that for eight years before 2015, Belarus received about 130 million dollars from China. Since the meeting of Alexander Lukashenko with Xi Jinping in 2015, we have been receiving such aid annually for the construction of social housing and urban infrastructure. At present, the total technical and economic assistance of China to our country amounted to over half a billion dollars. By Darya Lobozhevich. Photo by Anna Zankovich.

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Belarusian space

The Economy of High Flight There are 90 space powers in the world, including our Belarus. We joined this prestigious club eight years ago. However, the history of the Belarusian contribution to the “common space” is much longer, and its prospects are incredibly wide.

The newest space history of Belarus is being written today. Nowadays, the equipment created in Belarus observes the Earth from eight orbiting vehicles. A two-meter resolution makes it possible to solve many tasks, including national security. Survey instruments with 70‑centimeter resolution have also been successfully flight tested and accepted for operation, and a new satellite has an even higher resolution. Dmitry Sikorsky, Head of Research and Development Department Kosmos of Peleng JSC, PhD in Technical Sciences explains: — An ant, of course, will not be seen. But when satellites give us less than 1 meter resolution, we can see cars, their windBelta

y the standards of civilization development, a person has overcome earthly gravity quite recently. However, Belarus has already put five astronauts into orbit. Veterans of space flights Pyotr Klimuk, Vladimir Kovalenok, a participant of the recent expeditions Oleg Novitsky are our fellow countrymen. His colleague Oleg Artemyev and also the first female cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova have Belarusian roots. The first person in the world who experienced weightlessness in an airplane laboratory is also a Belarusian — Valentin Danilovich.

Model of BSA

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shields well. And when the resolution is less than half a meter, we can see people walking along the road. The first consumers of information from the BSA were the military, rescuers, surveyors and cartographers. And today it is used by 11 ministries and over 20 organizations. The national aerospace industry’s strong point is traditions, which Belarus couldn’t afford to lose even in the difficult times of sovereignty formation. The fate of our space industry was decided in 2003, when the President was asked at a meeting whether Belarus needed a space system of Earth remote sensing. Sergey Zolotoy, Director of the Geoinformation Systems Unitary Enterprise of the National Academy of Sciences, PhD in Technical Sciences, recalls: — We understood that the project was ambitious and had a great political color ing. In a number of oppositional publications it was widely discussed why Belarus needed a satellite, it would be better to build several hostels for students. There were a lot of questions — in what direction to move, what technologies to develop? What followed that meeting will later be called a breakthrough and the beginning of a new space age for Belarus. The President said: — We will create our own satellite to study the observation of processes on Earth. We will create a ground infrastructure. Because it is profitable. And not

Belarusian space

Belta

only in terms of the image of the state, but also in terms of economy! After the first failure with the Russian launch vehicle, the launch of the second Belarusian satellite caused a storm of emotions and boosted a new round of space history of Belarus. Years later, analysts, not only in the post-Soviet space, admitted: the Belarusian leader asserted the right of Belarus to the economy of high flight. Sergey Zolotoy notes: — The space sphere is not easy, it is based not only on domestic issues. And it needs the wisdom and courage of the leader to make important decisions. Because it is a risk, it is always a risk. The Belarusian satellite with the equipment, which had never been in space before, entered the orbit when China, France and America launched their spacecraft. By the way, our spacecraft has served twice as long, which is a good mark. Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the NAS of Belarus, Academician Sergey Kilin explains: — In fact, we have saved another satellite due to the work done by engineers and scientists in servicing this device. It is used for many purposes. We are developing a multi-level system, thus we ensure Belarus’ independence in receiving information from space. According to Sergey Zolotoy, loo king at the successful launch of the BSA, at the good work of the equipment, the Russians have launched five more Canopus satellites: — Now the Russian constellation of two-meter satellites consists of six apparatuses. Recently an agreement was signed with Roscosmos that these six satellites and our Belarusian one will work together. Roskosmos is interested in making not individual and unique satellites, but in finding the possibility of their serial production. In this respect, the optical and mechanical research that is being conduc ted in Minsk may become the basis for the production of such serial vehicles. Thus, Integral creates actually a “retina” for the “eye” of the future satellite. Director of the branch of Belmicrosystems STC of Integral JSC Alexander Ketko says:

replacement of optical glass. One of the good options is silicon carbide. If a product made of optical glass weighs hundreds of kilograms, the one made of a new material weighs only a few dozens. The institute managed to create substrates for mirrors, which by their specific mass are better than the world’s analogues. The Institute has also developed unique equipment for magnetorheological polishing, i. e. high-precision processing of products. Laureate of the State Prize academician Sergey Kilin has repeatedly spoken at international meetings. He says it is impossible not to notice changes in the attitude to Belarus: — A remarkable example, which shows the level of development of space research of the National Aca demy of Sciences, is the Japanese satellite for Mercury research, launched in 2018. It became possible thanks to the electromagnetic shield, created by scientists at the Institute of Materials Science of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. In September 2018, Minsk hosted the 31st International Congress of the Association of Space Flight Participants, which brought together 90 astronauts from 17 countries. Speaking at the Congress the President specified: — There was a lot of resistance and talk. But nevertheless, I made decisions primarily because these are the newest technologies, which have pulled the whole sector of the economy with them. This helps Belarus to rise to a higher le Baikonur Cosmodrome — launch pad of BSA vel, so that Belarus could join the ranks of highly developed, civilized states. Nuclear engines even by the flame spectrum du power, space exploration — these are new ring the launch of a rocket carrier! Thus, areas of the development of Belarus in the today the attention of scientists is focused period of its independence and sovereignty. on mirrors for space optics. Head of the China, Ukraine and South Africa want Department of the Institute of Heat and to work together with Belarusian scientists. Mass Transfer named after A. V. Lykov of Russia is going to enlarge the team of asthe NAS of Belarus Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Pavel Grinchuk extronauts — engineers-biologists, chemists, physicists are needed. Many unique experiplains: ments with the participation of Belarusians — To achieve accuracy, it is necescan be conducted on the ISS. We have a great sary to make massive products. And if on Earth it is possible to put up with it, in deal of interesting and unusual tasks ahead space each kilogram costs a lot of money. of us — to develop the Belarusian space. Scientists have long been looking for the Using sb.by/article/belorusskiy-kosmos materials — We carry out the full complex — from manufacturing of crystals to their installation in the target equipment. We carry out tests, measurements: high-precision equipment allows us to perform assembly operations with the accuracy of one micron. In general, more than 20 teams work for space in our country. Over fifty deve lopments have been made by Belarusians within the framework of only one allied program “Monitoring-SG”. Scientists have learned to determine the quality of rocket

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Platform for cooperation

Belta

Context

The 7th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia is planned to be held in September

Minsk hosted a meeting of the Belarusian part of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the 7th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia. The event will be held in Minsk and Minsk Region and will bring together about 500 participants. This was reported to the journalists by Deputy Chairman of the Council of the National Assembly Anatoly Isachenko. According to the vice-speaker of the upper house of the Belarusian Parliament, in recent years the forum has proved to be a good discussion platform where parliamentarians, governors and the business community get together: — The forum includes sessions of sections on various topics: agriculture, construction, industry. Also, within a framework of this event a youth forum, a meeting of Business Cooperation Council will be held, signing of agreements on cooperation between the regions and conclusion of commercial contracts are on the agenda. But the peculiarity of this year’s forum is the theme of our common Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The section dedicated to preserving the historical heritage and strengthening the unity of the brotherly peoples is expected to be held at the National Library of Belarus. Joint projects as a factor of stable economic development of Belarus and Russia will be discussed in Zhodino, BELaz. The section “The feat of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War — the basis of patriotism and civic responsibility education” will be held at the National Academy of Sciences. The participants of the section “Creation of the conditions for increasing socio-economic activity of young people for sustainable development of the regions of Belarus and Russia” will be hos ted by Agrocombinat Dzerzhinsky JSC. Another section devoted to countering the glorification of Nazism at international venues will take place at the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War. The plenary session of the Regional Forum will be held in the Congress Hall Minsk of the capital President-Hotel.

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By Maksim Osipov

Anatoly Isachenko and Head of the Permanent Commission of the Council of the Republic on Economy, Budget and Finance Tatyana Runets

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Holy Place Believers have been coming to the Polotsk SpasoEuphrosyne Monastery for nine centuries. It is the oldest in our country. A place of strength.

he cradle of spirituality and guardian of the memory of the origins of statehood in the Belarusian lands. It is also the largest cultural centre and pilgrimage place for thousands of Orthodox Christians. When visiting Vitebsk Region, Alexander Lukashenko came to see the relics of St. Euphrosyne. In the Cathedral of the Elevation of the Holy Cross the President lit a candle in memory of the celestial intercessor of Polotsk and the main patroness of the monastery. The Polotsk Spaso-Euphrosyne Stavropigial Nunnery was founded in the 1120s. But the main thing here is not even an ancient foundation, but really priceless frescoes. About a thousand square meters of wall paintings by unknown artists of the beginning of the 12th century. Since the early 1990s, resto rers have been working on the territory of the Transfiguration Church. All these years they have been carefully removing later paintings layer by layer to open the 12th century frescoes. Centimetre by centimetre — and all by hand. Most of the frescoes have already been restored. Once disappeared faces have regained their clarity and colour. After a brief inspection of the stands that tell about the progress of restoration work, the President personally inspected the frescoes of the Transfiguration Church. He also spoke with the archaeologists at Polotsk State University, who are working these days on the research of ancient layers of history. In memory of his visit to the monastery, its abbess, nun Evdokiya, presented two icons with the face of the Saint Euph rosyne of Polotsk to the Head of State. Another present — a book dedicated to the 440th anniversary of educational traditions in Polotsk — was presented to Alexander Lukashenko by students of archeology at Polotsk State University. By Yuliana Leonovich

Context

It’s delicious!

TV channel ONT is 18. Without changing its traditions, on its birthday the favorite channel’s button invites viewers to the screens: to talk about the important, to fulfill someone’s dream, to laugh and cry with the characters of popular TV series. And most importantly — to show what real television can and should be like.

Marat Markov, the Chairman of the Board of Second National TV Channel CJSC: — First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the President of Belarus, as due to his decision on June 25, 2002 the ONT TV channel went on the air for the first time. I would also like to thank all the staff for they always say proudly: “I work for ONT”. Almost a third of them have only one entry in their work record book for over 15 years. Separately, I would like to thank and congratulate all viewers of the channel. Because our viewer is special. And for me it is important that despite the fact that yellow is the corporate color of ONT, we are definitely not the yellow press. And you, our viewers, are very thoughtful and intelligent. And this is not an unsubstantiated statement: the project “Our News” is the leader in terms of ra ting among all programs of the TV channel and among all domestic news releases. And the new serious projects “Two from the Palace”, “Property of the Republic”, “Antifake”, “To be completed”, “In all fairness” are not replaced by popular series, but are watched, discussed and commented by our viewers. Even on the Internet, where this year alone our site has already more than 50 million views, and on Youtube channel more than 360 thousand subscribers. Yes, I know for sure (thanks to the figures in the ratings) that our viewers always talk about “ObjectiveNo”. That their Saturday evenings are whiled away with “Saturday Edition”, and Sundays are summed up by “Contours”. And though the weather is nice to go out, they will definitely watch “Meteo-guide” or read the telegram-channel “Ryabov will answer”. And our viewers are also very talented — we see it due to the “Talent Krainy” project. When our viewers feel good, they sing together with “Song of the Year”, when they are in a philosophical mood, they answer the questions “What? Where? When?”. And it seems to be “Nothing personal”, but our success is a personal contribution of each of you. Thank you… And let’s move on!

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Slavgorod District is considered by many to be the capital of Belarusian cheese making. Many experts in this craft work here, and there is even a gastronomic route with places where tourists can taste cheese and visit a cheesemaking master class. The public center of home cheese making “Cheese Shop” and many thematic farm stays are successfully operating.

ladislav Balanyuk from agro-town Lopatichi has been making cheese for about eight years and considers it his main passion (of course, second to his wife, he specifies). By the way, Vladislav and Valentina have already been married for 40 years. In addition to the ruby wedding, the happy couple is celebra ting two more anniversaries this year — their 65th and 60th birthdays. The cheesemaker tells us about his family’s vaga ries of fortune. — My wife comes from the neighbouring Poteryaevka, when a student she went on holiday to Abkhazia, where I come from. That’s where we met and soon married. We lived in Abkhazia for the first 12 years. When it became unsafe there, we decided to move to Belarus. We thought it would be for a while, but we settled down in Lopaticha and do not regret it. Vladislav Balanyuk used to work at a collective farm as a milk collector — there were about 120 cows in the village then. The family also acquired its farmstead. — For me agriculture was a curiosity. We used to live in urban conditions in Abkhazia. But I liked taking care of cows. A well-known cheesemaker in the area Galina Taran, who once stayed with them, introduced the spouses to cheese making. Soon the eastern blood gained the upper hand, and the newlyminted cheesemaker wanted to do something authentic. He went to Sukhumi to learn thoroughly how cheeses are made there. And now his gastronomic arsenal includes treats with adjika, candied fruits, herbs, fennel, smoked cheese, with Adygea salt, garlic. Of course, there is also a Belarusian version — sweet and salty cottage cheese. But his brand identity, is, of course, sulguni! Vladislav Balanyuk admits that his wife, as well as the guests of their hospitable house, don’t get bored with the cheese menu: — In our family cheese is on the table every day. We make pizza, add it to pasta, even fry white bread with cheese until it melts. It’s delicious! sb.by

Channel that brings people together

By Lyubov Solovyeva

беларусь. belarus 2020

Belarus — UN: Joint projects

Opportunity to save biodiversity by recovering… swamps Addressing climate change impacts — in focus of the country and the United Nations Development Programme

Climate change and the resulting extinction of certain animal and plant species often go hand in hand. Although people are not always aware of this pattern. What kind of changes does Belarus face and how can UNDP, for example, help? Let us try to see into this topical issue.

t is already obvious that as a result of both global and regional climatic changes over the past two decades, there has also been a noticeable shift in weather conditions in the territory of Belarus. According to the experts of the Institute for Nature Management of the National Academy of Sciences, the climatic norm in the country has increased by 1.3 ºC. The greatest rise in temperature occurred in winter and spring months. However, the climate change, which manifests itself in Belarus mainly by a decrease in precipitation and an increase in air temperature compared to climate norms, is one of the key natural factors affecting biodiversity. And, by the way, one of the main reasons for its loss. The fact is that the disruption of the climatic

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balance has consequences for the ecological and water balance of areas, changing the species composition of flora and fauna. Climate change leads, in particular, to overgrowing of open meadows and swamps with reeds and woody and shrub vegetation. Rivers and lakes are also overgrowing and the spread of invasive alien species, which displace the native ones, is expanding. limate change is causing serious consequences for Belarus’ forest ecosystems, which are based on trees whose life cycle spans many tens or even hundreds of years. Being formed in the “old” climate, forests are unable to adapt to the new reality in a short time frame, as is the case with herbs.

Belarus — UN: Joint projects

Peatland renewal in Belarus

climatic factors, and in the years 1992, 2003, 2018 — their share reached 97 percent. Tree weakening is caused by droughts, which creates favorable conditions for mass reproduction of trunk pests. As a result, mass drying of spruce stands and, in recent years, of pine trees has become an ecological disaster in southern and central regions of Belarus. The situation is also worsened by the mass drainage amelioration conducted in 1950–1980. As a result, we already notice a shift of the border of such spruce stands in the northern direction, — notes Maxim Yermokhin. limatic changes lead to degradation of habitats of rare species and become the main reasons for their decline. As a result, the number of globally threatened species is decreasing in Belarus, including spotted souslik, aqua tic warbler, double snipe, black-tailed godwit, curlew, red headed diving duck, meadow pipit, European mink, Astacus astacus. At the same time, the common mantis, which previously was found only in the vicinity of Gomel, has settled all over Belarus during the last few years. There is a migration of the South Russian tarantula to the south-eastern part of the country. According to Oleg Borodin, a leading researcher of the laboratory of terrestrial invertebrates of the research and production center for bio-resources of the National Academy of Sciences, the animals, whose life cycle is associated with the transition of 0 degree, are particularly affected by climate change. — In recent years, during the late autumn and early spring periods, the transition to zero degree can occur in Belarus sometimes hundreds of times, which leads to a violation of the winte ring regime, which seriously affects, for example, bees and many animals hibernating in winter, — notes Oleg Borodin. Climate change contributes to infestation, when alien species of insects rapidly increase in number and develop new

C According to Maxim Yermokhin, head of the Laboratory of Productivity and Sustainability of Plant Communities of the Institute of Experimental Botany of the National Academy of Sciences, sustainable change in climatic indicators through changes in groundwater levels, fires, reproduction of insects pests and tree diseases leads to the most serious changes in the structure of forests, almost always resulting in the loss of trees, partial or complete. Droughts, which have also become more frequent and intense in recent years, adversely affect forest vegetation, as well as frequent storms and squalls. In the last 20 years, 90 percent of the total area of dead forest stands was lost due to unfavorable

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Belarus — UN: Joint projects regions. Today, scientists have registered more than 130 species of alien terrestrial invertebrates in Belarus. Warming has resulted in the invasion of chestnut moth, which is listed among one hundred most dangerous invasive species in Europe. The ladybug “harmony”, which can cause allergic reactions in humans and poses a danger to native insect species, is rapidly spreading throughout the country. The buffalo cicada, a North American cicada, which was brought to Europe in the 1960s, is not typical of our region, either. In Belarus, this species was first noted near Mozyr in 2001, but now it has spread almost to Minsk. It has actively been spreading over the past five years. — Climatic changes have led to the migration to Belarus of such species as the golden jackal, which was previously found much to the south and was characteristic only of South Asia and the Near and Middle East. This is a natural distribution, but the true reason for the species to develop new territories has yet to be understood, — emphasizes Oleg Borodin. ccording to experts, a new agro-climatic area has actually appeared in the south of Belarus today. At one time, drainage activities were held there, the hydrologic regime was severely violated. As a result, a critical situation for nesting rare birds is already observed in these areas. It is not without reason that the last expedition of ornithologists within the framework of the UNDP-GEF project “Wetlands”, which investigated floodplains of the rivers in Mogilev and Gomel regions, found a decrease in the number of waders there. — Absence of spring floods, dry autumn and non-snowy winters, a decrease in precipitation in spring to half the norm, which has been observed since 2015 — all these factors strongly influence the breeding of waterfowl. Today we observe a decrease in the abundance of black-tailed godwit, curlew, meadow pipit, pewit. All these species suffer from climate change. We see that perfectly suitable nesting places are not occupied due to very dry conditions, — says Dmitry Zhuravlev, senior researcher of the Wildlife Mo nitoring and Cadastral Survey Sector at the Bioresources Research and ProNorthern lapwing duction Centre of the National Aca demy of Sciences. Belarus is already taking a number of measures to overcome the negative effects of climate change. And by 2022 it is planned to have adopted a long-term development strategy with low greenhouse gas emissions and the National Action Plan on Climate Change Adaptation.

nder the Paris Agreement, the country has made voluntary commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 35 percent by 2030, including commitments to rewet and restore peatlands, which will lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions across the country. The implementation of these commitments will be facilitated by a new Peatland Conservation and Use Act, which will ensure the conservation of natural wetAstacus astacus

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lands and the carbon stored therein. The development of the law was facilitated by the UNDP-GEF projects “Peatlands 2” and “Wetlands”. The topic of climate change will also be featured in the new UNDP country programme in Belarus for 2021–2025, which was developed jointly with national partners. With the support

Belarus — UN: Joint projects of the development partners, including the European Union and the Global Environment Facility, UNDP has already raised about 7 million US dollars for the country’s adaptation to climate change and emission reduction. In addition, a new UNDP-GEF project “Preparation of the Seventh National Communication for the Implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and

Terek sandpiper

construction and agriculture. With a budget of almost 900.000 US dollars, the project is meant to become an effective platform for joint action and exchange of views among government bodies, scientific institutions, the private sector, the public and other parties concerned to urgently address climate conservation and adaptation issues. iven its geographic location, soil and climatic peculiarities, Belarus gives priority to the conservation and restoration of marsh ecosystems, which are recognized worldwide as one of the most valuable and, at the same time, the most vulnerable natural biotopes in terms of carbon sequestration and maintaining the sustainability of biodiversity in the face of climate change. UNDP international projects have already made important contributions to this area. For example, the projects “Clima-East” and “Peatlands 2” financed by the European Union and the Global Environment Facility in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus carried out research work and activities to restore habitats of globally threatened bird species, rewet previously disturbed swamps, restore open grassland and marsh ecosystems. The UNDP-GEF project “Wetlands” is now actively involved in this work. ew methods of ecological rehabilitation of degraded peatlands are being developed. In particular, in the framework of the project “Peatlands‑2” on the area of two hundred hectares, the technology of ecological rehabilitation of degraded peatlands through planting the black alder on them was tested. The fact is that black alder forests play an important role in carbon sequestration, maintaining a favorable water regime, support rare species of animals and plants, including species at risk of global extinction. By the way, this year in the framework of the project “Wetlands” a unique technology of accelerated restoration of lowland bogs will be applied for rehabilitation of the cutover peatland “Dokudovskoye”. Seeds of marsh plants will be planted on the peatland, which will make it possible within five years to restore the sedge bog and the basic biosphere functions of bog ecosystems, i. e. the same climatic function, as well as the stabilization of the regional hydrologic regime. Today, it is clear that only by bringing together nature conservation organizations, international donors, civil society and science can the harmony of nature in all its diversity be preserved.

N the Third Biennial Report” will help to strengthen the national capacity to implement the commitments under the Paris Agreement. The implementation of this project will also allow for better integration of climate aspects into the development of national and sectoral strategies and programmes in energy, industry,

By Vladimir Mikhaylov

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Tourism

Hotel Complex "Strumen" in Turov, Gomel Region

Agrotourist Complex "Nanosy-Navaselle",

Hospitality is a hallmark

Myadel District, Minsk Region

The English have restraint. The Germans have pedantry. Italians have emotionality. And the Belarusians have hospitality. It is this trait of our national character which is specified by guests from abroad, who come to Belarus for the first time. Hospitality, thoughtfulness and courtesy towards those who were invited to the house are in the genes of our people, and this is something we can be rightly proud of.

B Welcome!

Belarus, which has a favorable geographical location, today has not only the status of an important transit state. The country is becoming more and more attractive for tourists. Belovezhskaya Pushcha and Mir Castle. Unique glacial lakes of the Braslav Region and the Brest Fortress. The Augustów Canal, a miracle of 19th century engineering, and St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk, Belarus’ oldest sacred place. And also — ancient manors, palaces, virgin forests with rich flora and fauna, landscaped towns and villages, original folk festivals. We are actively opening our beauties to the world: last year 405.5 thousand organized tourists visited Belarus — almost five times more than 15 years ago. Bright impressions of the unique nature, historical and cultural sights of our region will remain in the memory of foreign guests for a long time, as well as the responsiveness, generosity and hospitality of its inhabitants. Hospitality has become a distinctive feature, a national

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brand of the country. This feature was emphasized by the President at the Kupalye holiday in Alexandria last year: — We wholeheartedly offer each guest our most valuable treasures — cultural, spiritual, handicraft and culinary. And we supplement them with the famous Belarusian hospitality, which you will not find anywhere else in the world. I am not saying this because I am here and this is my small motherland. I have visited every corner of the world over these years, and there are no such hospitable people as the Belarusians. This is our brand, our specialty. Last year guests from Russia, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, China, Germany, Ukraine, Great Britain, Switzerland, the UAE could see it for themselves. Representatives of these countries visited our country most often. The average duration of foreign tourists’ stay was 4 days, while in the early 2000s guests used to stay for a day or two. This is one of the results of the large-scale work to create a hospitality infrastructure in Belarus.

Tourism

Farm stay "Mіkhalovo", Volozhin District, Minsk Region

Beautiful and in good taste The developed tourist infrastructure opens wide opportunities not only for the country’s economy, but also for its residents. Comfortable and equipped with modern appliances health resorts make it possible to strengthen health, recreation centers — to make leisure time interesting, useful and memorable. The rich historical and cultural heritage of Belarus, unique natural resources, picturesque landscapes have always been in our country. But the level of tourist service was noticeably lagging behind. For example, even in the capital city since 1987, when a new hotel “Belarus” was put into operation, not a single hotel had been built for a long time. Only 20 years later (in 2007) a respectable five-star “Europe” was opened. The President drew attention to the need for changes in tourism back in 2004. The development of the tourism industry was discussed at a meeting with the Head of State on November 5. Alexander Lukashenko expressed concern about the fact that outbound tourism in Belarus is 17 times higher than the inbound one: “We export currency instead of bringing it in. It is an improper situation when the state invests huge amounts of money in the restoration of historical monuments, and all this does not bring income”. At that time, the restoration of historical sites, including ancient castles in Mir and Nesvizh, was underway for many years. However, it took tourists a few hours to get acquainted with the cultural heritage. In order to keep the travelers for a longer period of time, infrastructure facilities were needed, i. e. comfortable hotels, souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes. In short, the whole range of services, which provided the opportunity to comfortably get acquainted with our country. During the meeting Alexander Lukashenko drew attention to the inadmissibility of the situation when the share of tourism in the total exports of services does not exceed 1 percent. In the volume of paid services rendered to the country’s population, this figure was only 0.5 per cent at that time,

and its share in the GDP was 0.06 per cent. Profits from foreign tourism in 2003 amounted to USD 11.5 million. One tourist accounted for less than 200 US dollars. While in the world tourism has a significant impact on the economy and generates good income. The domestic hospitality industry had to rise to a high level of international standards. According to the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, from that moment on, the development of the tourism industry was taken under the care of the state, In 2004, the first National Tourism Development Programme was adopted in Belarus. The President signed a number of documents to create favorable conditions for the growth of the tourism industry, to meet the needs of the country’s residents for recreation and recuperation. In particular, in June 2006, Presidential Decrees No. 371 “On Some Measures of State Support for the Development of Tourism in the Republic of Belarus” and No. 372 “On Measures to Develop Agro-Ecotourism in the Republic of Belarus”. The latter document became a breakthrough for the development of rural tourism: thanks to preferential conditions, the number of farm stays in the country grew from several dozens in 2006 to 2.760 at the beginning of 2020. Behind this dynamics is not only the inflow of foreign tourists into the country, but also new jobs and income growth in rural areas. During his working trip to Mogilev Region in May 2009, Alexander Lukashenko drew attention to the fact that rural tourism made it possible to use abandoned villages and farms and to put new lands into circulation. “And the most important thing is that if there are even two or three people left in a village that is used by an entrepreneur to develop agro-tourism, to build a farmstead, they have the opportunity to serve tourists and get good income,” the Head of State said, adding that that was the way the so-called depressed villages could be raised. Our country approached 2014, proclaimed by the President as the Year of Hospitality, with the actively developing tourist industry.

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Tourism

Manor house "Zapovedny ostrov", Vitebsk Region

According to the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, since 2010, the number of facilities — accommodation facilities, holiday centers and health resorts, roadside service trade and catering facilities — had increased by almost four hundred units. World hotel chains came to the market of hotel services, setting a high standard in the sphere of service and thus spurring our hotels to introduce European service. Within 2 years (from 2012 to 2014) almost three dozen hotels, including four- and five-star ones, were opened in Minsk alone. While preparing to host an important sporting event of the planet — the Ice Hockey World Championship, our country once again de monstrated its openness and hospitality. In 2013 Belarus introduced the Tax Free value added tax refund system. In 2014 the number of organized foreign tourists amounted to over 137 thousand people. Of course, the hockey championship contributed to this, but fans, who discovered Belarus for the first time, took back home a lot of pleasant emotions and impressions, thus doing a lot to promote our country as a travel destination. And the next important step for the tourism industry, which showed that Belarus was even more attractive to tourists, was Decree No 8 “On establishing a visa-free entry and exit procedure for foreign citizens” signed by the President in early 2017. A number of subsequent government decisions on visa-free travel (introduction of a 30‑day visa-free stay of foreigners in Belarus provided they arrive and depart through the National Airport of Minsk, the association of visa-free zones of Brest and Grodno) have significantly increased the tourist flow. For example, last year, compared with 2018, the tourist flow of visa-free travel almost doubled. This activity was boosted by the II European Games, during which 30 thousand tourists arrived in Minsk. Among the countries whose citizens most often used visa-free travel — Germany, Italy, Poland, UK, USA, France, Latvia, Netherlands, Sweden, Lithuania.

Incentives for growth The World Tourism Organization estimates that international tourism accounts for 7 per cent of world exports of goods and ser-

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vices and 10 per cent of world GDP. Every eleventh workplace is in the tourism sector. Therefore, our country, having provided a very solid foundation within a short period of time, intends to further develop the hospitality industry. This year the State Program “Hospitable Belarus” for 2016– 2020 is coming to an end. In addition to the new document, which defines the way of development of the industry for the next 5 years, the National Tourism Development Strategy until 2035 is being developed. According to experts, one of the main objectives will be to further increase services exports. Today much has been done to make our guests’ stay in Belarus comfortable. Last year, for example, accommodation services were provided by 597 hotels, tourist and hotel complexes. Farm stays are booming, there are already 2760 of them in the country. This is almost 12 percent more than a year ago. Rural tourism, which has been actively developing for only 15 years, today is one of the most popular tourist destinations. Four years ago, Belarus took first place in agro-tourism in the ranking of National Geographic Тraveler Award, ahead of such a recognized leader in this direction as Italy. Last year our farm stays were visited by almost 515 thousand people — 22 percent more than in 2018. Of these, almost 60 thousand people were guests from 78 countries, among which there were such exotic for us as Mozambique, Se negal, Bahrain. Today, when the borders of many countries have been temporarily closed due to the spread of coronavirus, farm stays seem to boost domestic tourism. The Ministry of Sports predicts a 25 percent increase in demand for their services from the residents of our country. Clean air, beautiful landscapes, national cuisine and the opportunity to learn something new about national traditions can make leisure time no less enjoyable than an overseas resort. “Recently, we have been talking about the need to reopen Belarus. Not in the sense that we are some kind of a closed territory, no, we are open to the world. Almost 70 percent of what we produce is exported, so for these reasons alone, we cannot be a closed country. What is Belarus for those who have never been here, what kind of associations does it evoke? Draniki, Belovezhskaya Pushcha, good roads, bisons, giant dump trucks, multifunctional tractors, quality products… But in fact, Belarus is much richer and more interesting. One can tell a lot about its nature, art, traditions, famous Belarusians, new enterprises and modern technologies, about how we keep historical memory and what we teach our children. We want you to see it all with your own eyes”, — Alexander Lukashenko said at a press conference for representatives of Russian regional mass media almost four years ago (in November 2016). This is a sincere invitation to everyone who wants to know more about Belarus. And it does not matter what encourages this desire — the ancient castle, the maze of Belovezhskaya Pushcha or bright fireworks and beautiful melodies of the national holiday “Kupalye”. Every traveler in our country will enjoy kindness, responsiveness, smiles and wonderful mood. By Liliya Khlystun. Photo by BelTA.

Charity

Component of humanity

How Red Cross Sisters of Mercy protect their wards from coronavirus… Recently we have celebrated the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of the nursing profession and also International Nurse Day, which is timed to it. The traditions established by the legendary philanthropist are continued in our country by the staff of the Red Cross medical and social service “Dapamoga”, i. e. 147 medical nurses of charity and 18 junior nurses. They provide home care to 1.500 wards: the elderly living alone, people with disabilities, people with serious chronic diseases and mental disorders. Today, when the elderly are asked to stay home, the Sisters of Mercy have a particularly busy time. How the work of the service has changed, is told us by General Secretary of the Belarusian Red Cross Society Olga Mychko. — Our Sisters of Mercy service is 56 years old this year, and the Ministry of Health drew attention to the fact that it took over the provision of medical and social care at home — a niche of services not represented by the state. This is why we have proposed that the new version of the Health Care Act should include the possibility of supporting this structure through the state social order. Our organization is not budget-funded, we exist due to the membership fees, but a nurse cannot be a volunteer: the work should be paid, protection means and training should be provided. We receive funds as foreign grants but this situation is not stable, because today no country has solved its own social problems. Such monetary aid is given only for some innovation, for the development of some component. But we deal with the routine daily work, the amount of which is growing from year to year, because the population is getting older, the number of people living alone and with disabili-

ties is increasing. It is at least not normal to place everyone in boarding houses, and 80% of respondents want to stay at home… The Ministry of Health supported us, and proposed to amend the new version of the law by the second reading. — What is the peculiarity of the nur ses’ work? — In addition to providing social and medical services, our nurses add a soul-

Olga Mychko

ful component to their work. Not only do they go to the polyclinic to get a prescription or bring food to the ward, but they also have human contact with the ward, if necessary, help to call, for example, a distant relative and write a letter. In fact, it means to become a friend and partner. And the nurse today is not only a source of kindness and service, she is a communicator with the outside world, who unites the efforts of other people to do good. It is a complex approach to help, when it is possible to integrate a social worker, if necessary, a doctor, if there is a lack of competence of an average medical worker, and involve volunteers. A good example in Vileyka District: a nurse, with two other junior nurses, whom she had

trained, as well as volunteers, was able to reach more wards. And if an average nurse can take care of 6 serious patients, the team can deal with 12. — It’s not easy psychologically, but also physically… — Our sisters of mercy are constantly being trained. It is important that we can not only use the resources of our healthcare system, but also learn from colleagues and partners from other national societies. Switzerland’s experience in developing an integrated approach to service deli very is an enormous asset. It is invaluable to master such things as kinesthetic, i. e. the right approach which helps not only in abilitation after the trauma, but even in rehabilitation, and a health worker does not ruin his or her own health (the problem of our nurses and nurses in hospitals is radiculitis, because many have back problems). To place properly in bed, arrange space and handrails, adapt the mats… The use of kinesthetics tools helps people after strokes to use a wheel-chair, which is important for the quality of life. — How has the service changed in terms of coronavirus? — Today’s time is really difficult, because the conditions of work at home have changed. The challenge is not to bring coronavirus into the home of our wards, because they are all at risk. As soon as we got the information about the adverse epidemiological situation, our health workers faced a hard choice, especially those who are 60+, whether to continue working, because they themselves were also at risk. That’s why elderly employees went on vacation, some on unpaid holiday, and others started to provide distance assistance. By Olga Pasiyak

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Сell against pneumonia Pneumonia as a complication of COVID 19 was the focus of attention in the pandemic. To fight it, physicians are accumulating all possible forces and means, including the use of the latest methods of treatment. One of such methods is stem cell therapy, which was proposed by Belarusian scientists, specialists from the Institute of Biophysics and Cell Engineering of the NAS of Belarus. We asked Andrey Goncharov, the project manager, director of the institute, PhD in medicine, about the essence of the method. Anyone can become a donor Allogenic, i. e. donor mesenchymal stem cells, will be used to treat pneumonia. After all, it is impossible to wait until their necessary amount grows from the material taken from the patient, it means missing precious time. Besides, the biomedical cellular product offered for therapy will mix cells from different donors. Andrey Evgenyevich explains that this approach has been developing in recent years in the world. The fact is that cells have different activity in different donors. If they are mixed, the growth process will result in a culture-expanded cells with the highest stimulating effect. Compatibility of donor and recipient in this case is not required unlike, for example, the me thod of treatment with immune plasma. — Any healthy people can be stem cell suppliers, it doesn’t matter whether they have had a

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coronavirus infection or not. For example, I have already become such a donor, as have many of the people in the immunology laboratory where biomedical cellular products are produced. The way we get them is unusual. Basically, stem cells are in all organs and tissues, they can be taken from a variety of sources, but the most common are fatty tissue and bone marrow. In our case, mesenchymal cells are taken from the olfactory lining of the nose because it is easy and fast. This is a fiveminute manipulation with almost no unpleasant feelings — Andrey Goncharov can speak about it with confidence, because he tested the whole process by himself. First there is anesthesia with lidocaine: the drug irrigates the mucous membrane of the nose, then it is treated with antiseptic, and after it the actual biopsy is performed, i. e. nipping off a piece of mucous membrane. Then a gauze trailer with naphazoline is placed in the nose, and after five minutes, the donor is free. Compared to fatty tis-

Scientific method sue surgery, not to mention bone marrow, it’s elementary. This means that it will be possible to replenish the stock of material, which then will help patients cope with pneumonia, without unnecessary complications. Mesenchymal stem cells will inhibit the activity of immune system cells involved in lung damage.

— The cell suspension will be injec ted intravenously. The fact is that mesenchymal stem cells have the ability to migrate purposefully into pulmonary tissue. They accumulate in the lungs — where there is the greatest damage, contribute to the fight against the disease, and then, after two weeks, they die — not a trace is left in the body. The most effective use of such therapy is at the stage when the immune system reacts to the invasion of the virus. In some cases, it does it too actively and itself begins to damage the lung. During this period, mesenchymal stem cells are needed. They suppress the activity of those cells of the immune system that are involved in damage to tissues and organs, — explains Andrey Goncharov. It’s important that the groundwork which already has been done at the Institute of Biophysics and Cell Engineering of the NAS of Belarus, contributes to the rapid start of the method. Thanks to the fulfillment of the scientific task on the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus with the help of donor stem cells, the technology of their production has been worked out, as well as the cell bank has

sb.by

Groundwork helped

been accumulated, which is constantly updated. Patients with lupus erythematosus red showed the efficiency, good tolerabi lity and safety of the resulting biomedical product. So it is not necessary to work out the basis for the new method — it has already been created, and it will be used for a new purpose. Taking into account the situation with coronavirus, the project promptly passed the state expert examination, was approved by the Ministry of Health and in the coming days is entering the stage of clinical testing. The work will be carried out jointly with Minsk Clinical Hospital No. 6 and the Department of Internal Diseases Propaedeutics of the

By the way Another project of the Institute of Biophysics and Cell Engineering of the NAS of Belarus is aimed at treatment of pulmonary fibrosis — pneumonia complications. Patients will be helped with exosomes containing biologically active substances, which mesenchymal stem cells throw into the external environment during their growth. They can also be used to treat patients with fibrosis. Many scientific papers in recent years have shown the effectiveness of this approach.

BSMU under the guidance of Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Eduard Dotsenko. To begin with, the project will involve about 20 patients. Intensive clinical tests will last for several months, then — as much as it will be affordable in terms of funding — more patients will be involved during the year. — The project will be completed in June 2021, and its outcome will be an instruction on the use of biomedical cell product for severe interstitial pneumonia. This method will then be applied throu ghout the country. After all, viral pneumonia, which is difficult to treat, is quite common: it can be caused by influenza and plenty of other infections. The new way of treatment will make it more successful to cope with it. Despite the fact that there are not yet cell banks everywhere, cell technologies are developing in Belarus, organizations are working with them, and if we show the effectiveness of the new method, it will trigger further development and the allocation of funding for stem cell treatment on a non-reimbursable basis for patients with a variety of diseases — concludes Andrey Goncharov. By Yuliya Vasilishina

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Unique!

Belta

Let the heart beat!

Belarusian heart surgeons performed a unique surgery on a child...

l e x a n d e r Ko s t k a spent more than half of his 13 years in hospitals: since his birth he had serious heart problems, he lived through four complex open sur-

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geries. When a new surgery was urgently needed, doctors of the RSPC of Pediatric Surgery saved the teenager’s life by performing a unique minimally invasive surgery, which no one in the world had ever done before. On Tuesday, Alexander Kostka was finally checked out of the hospital — just a

month before his birthday. And in May he entered the RSPC of Pediatric Surgery in the worst condition. All his life the boy had health problems, and heart surgeries started almost from the first days of his life. — One of the ventricles was underdeveloped, — says Pavel Chernoglaz, head of the X‑ray operation of the RSPC of Pedi-

atric Surgery. — In fact, it did not work enough, the main function was taken over by the other ventricle. Therefore, the child developed problems with mitral and tricuspid valves. First, we had bypass surgery and the first stage of plastic surgery. As the child was growing, it was necessary to perform a second intervention. Sasha began to have problems with the tricuspid valve — initially there were serious changes in it. Simply put, it didn’t let enough blood pass through it, the valve wings didn’t close, which caused it to come back during ventricular contraction. The only chance of salvation was either replacing the valve or its plastic. But after four very difficult open surgeries, any new intervention is a huge risk and a series of inevitable complications. There were other complications as well. — The child had his own, “native” valve, — explains Pavel Chernoglaz. — We have already made procedures, when a new valve is placed in the previously implanted. In this case, no surgery was performed before — there was no biological valve or ring, which could be the basis for fixing the device. Besides, the previously implanted mechanical prosthesis of the mitral valve was also very close. Every year the RSPC of Pediatric Surgery performs about 1000–1200 heart surgeries, more than half of which are performed by a minimally invasive method.

After numerous consultations it was decided to perform the operation endovascularly — to do it without traumatic chest incision and without cardiac arrest. Through a puncture in the femoral vein, a delivery device placed the new valve in the right place. This was preceded by a lot of work of doctors, because it is necessary to place the implant with pinpoint accuracy, carefully measuring all the parameters. A small miracle happened right on the operating table: as soon as the delivery system was removed, the valve immediately began to work, and the vital parameters instantly improved right in full view of the doctors. Before his discharge, Sasha shared his impressions: he said that eve-

rything around him was as if lightened up and he felt much better.

Comment Konstantin Drozdovsky, Director of the RSPC, said that colleagues in Europe and the United States confirmed the unique character of the operation: — We were invited to make a presentation at the conference on cardiothoracic surgery in Europe in autumn. In addition, a publication about this case is being prepared for one of the world’s leading journals in the field of pediatric cardiac surgery. By Olga Savitskaya

Belta

A small miracle happened right on the operating table: as soon as the delivery system was removed, the valve immediately began to work, and the vital parameters instantly improved right in full view of the doctors

Belta

Unique!

беларусь. belarus 2020

Nontraditional rehabilitation

Horsehealers Equine-assisted therapy — therapeutic horse riding — is becoming more and more popular with the patients who suffer from severe diseases. And when official medicine is at a loss, horses come to the aid, bringing back not only the joy of life, but also health. Natalya Sinkovets is the ideological inspirer of the rehabilitation

project with her daughter Emiliya and beloved horse Barkhan

reen Ranch is located 35 kilometers from Minsk on 70 hectares of land: a large farm stay with a hostel and small guest houses, a football field, a playground in the form of a huge wooden ship, an indoor riding hall and stables. The rest of the territory is occupied by enclosures. Horses walk freely in them, lazily waving their tails and chewing hay. Some are wearing mosquito nets, others are hiding from the scorching sun under a canopy — one can see that horses are taken good care of. Between the enclosures there are narrow paths which form a maze, and it is not immediately clear where the “central street” with the administration is. After all, I came there to find out how equine-assisted therapy sessions — rehabilitation with the help of horseback riding — are conducted here. Although a couple of kilometers away from a presentable white house, still visible from afar and towering over a picturesque green hill, I felt the therapeutic effect of nature itself. A lake with clean, as I was told later, water near the ranch, birch trees on both sides along a winding road… A landscape which directly descen ded from a painting. We, city dwellers, miss it so much! Wandering around the perimeter of the enclosures, finally I found a covered arena, where I met Olga, an instructor in equineassisted therapy. She is finishing a class with her little patient, and next to her is another one, a five-year-old Kira. Olga helps the girl to get onto Martin and we are accompanied by Elena (by the way,

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candidate master of sports in show jumping), go for a walk in the woods.

Therapeutic horse Equine-assisted therapy can be practiced at any age and by almost anyone. Contra-indications are minimal: kidney disease, as horse-riding creates additional stress on these organs, bone fragility, allergies to animals. Uncooperativeness and epilepsy are controversial contraindications. If after ten sessions there is no improvement in terms of psychological adaptation, and in case of epilepsy — seizures repeat or renew, then, alas, you have to give it up. In Green Ranch, treatment sessions are mostly attended by children. Classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and last 30 minutes. Children come there constantly and for several years, so at present it is impossible for a new patient to get there. The youngest of them is three years old. Although once a 70‑year-old man used to take rehabilitation sessions on horseback: he had problems with his back. Olga has been working for 6 years as an instructor in equineassisted therapy with small patients, most of whom are diagnosed with cerebral palsy. She has three higher educations: medical, sports-medical and has a diploma in aquine-assisted therapy, which she received in Russia (our education system does not pro-

Nontraditional rehabilitation

This is how the equine-assisted therapy session goes

vide training in such a specialty yet). I ask, if a horse is able to improve a quality of life in the most severe forms of cerebral palsy. In response, Olga smiles, recollecting how many difficult steps her patients have successfully taken. — I remember a six-year-old girl with a difficult diagnosis since birth. People say “not a person, but a vegetable” about them, who also had epileptic seizures. A fully unadapted to life child, medicine failed to help. But her parents did not give in, stimulated her physical and mental activity in every possible way, among other things, took her to equine-assisted sessions. And so, by the age of 12, after a year of riding, the child could already quietly communicate using a table, hold a spoon. The girl became more sociable, active, went to school for inclusive education. Olga interrupts the story, as Kira, who has been sitting quietly on the horse’s side, tries to turn around and say something. — Do you want to take the front seat? Not “yes”, but say: “Olya, I want to sit in the front,” say it again, please. Kira, who has cerebral palsy, muscle atony (low tone), thoughtfully, very slowly, but distinctly repeats the phrase. We stop, giving the girl the opportunity to change her posture, and then, toge ther with the instructor and horse-driver, we start galloping. Kira smiles, posting happily on Martin. She has been practicing for two years now and, in my opinion, feels quite confident in the saddle. Olga told me that initially the girl did not sit or talk at all. — Sometimes we go deeper into the forest: we smell flowers, there are also berries, we can count them. But that’s when it’s not raining. In bad weather, we study in the indoor arena. We have everything necessary for training: pyramids, spiky balls, sticks — different devices for the development of fine motor skills. There are letters hanging on the walls. We also teach in which direction a horse turns: to the right, to the left… Touch its mane, feel its vertebrae, which can also be counted. You will agree, that at home on the carpet, it’s not so exciting to study it all.

Olga had another difficult patient. Difficult because in addition to the diagnosis of cerebral palsy, tetraparesis (all four limbs are in a severe spasm, very tight, which creates a constant pain), a 20‑year-old guy didn’t want to study. He couldn’t even sit. Needless to say, how his attitude to horses changed when he was able to bend and unbend his arms and legs on his own, move his leg to get onto a horse and even ride without the help of an instructor! And at first he even fought, Olga recollects, thinking that everybody was mocking at him, when they asked to do the impossible.

The four-legged exerciser Children who are diagnosed with cerebral palsy, quite frequently have a symptom of a “crossing”: their legs are crossed. Physical therapy removes this symptom, but with the help of a horse-riding success is achieved much faster. By the way, ordinary healthy people have muscles located in the inner surface of the hip: abductor muscles, gluteus, which are not activated. And they develop perfectly while a person is riding. Otherwise, you just can’t sit in the saddle! Sitting on horseback is a difficult skill for any person. After a ten-minute circle ride for the first time, you feel pain and tension in almost all muscles. Although, you seem to sit comfortably, cheerfully posting… And you can ima gine how difficult it is for children diagnosed with cerebral palsy! But while a little patient communicates with the instructor, loo king around — the body works hard. To keep balance, to turn around, to lie down and stand up — the abdominal and the neck muscles have worked, as well as the oblique abdominal and back muscles, the muscles that straighten the spine… When raising your leg to sit onto a horse, you tense small tibiale, quadruple muscles, fingers of the foot. Often children with cerebral palsy have either talipes valgus or vargus feet. They have to straighten their leg in a special way to lift it faster because they want to ride

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Nontraditional rehabilitation

During training

longer! The square muscles of the lower back also work. These, by the way, are very large muscles, they are responsible for the movement of the legs. It’s amazing, isn’t it? We used to think that the spine is responsible for the legs. But there was a study where an adult had his large lumbar muscles “turned off ” with analgesics. His legs were perfectly developed, the spine and brain were not affected by scientists. However, the test person was unable to walk. Besides, horse-riding develops coordination and balance. An interesting fact: our brain is responsible for coordination, or rather the small brain or cerebellum, and acoustic field is in charge of balance, inside it there is fluid. Thanks to it, we do not fall off the horse.

On horseback

Horse stable

Horseback riding — an activity for body and soul

This is where they cook food for horses

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Another direction of equine-assisted therapy is working with mental disorders, ranging from severe stress and nervous breakdown, stuttering, enuresis to autism, organic brain disorders due to various reasons. In this case the focus is no longer on physical development, but on trying to establish contact with the outside world. These children learn to give command to a horse. They often have speech problems, so they have to speak “the language of Mom and Dad” to be understood. And it is also important for such children to be aware of their importance in some way, because when you sit high and control a large animal, you feel strong, brave, fast… And independent too, because mom can be 4 km away, and nothing happens. Over time, little riders even ask the instructor to remove his or her hand: say, I can do it myself. They become more sociable, more gentle: they hug, stroke, thank the horse, which was initially treated squeamishly because of, for example, abundant salivation or a specific smell. In winter there is no equine-assisted therapy. We tried it, but then abandoned the idea: it is impossible to turn an activity, even if it is fun, into a routine. And it’s cold, it gets dark early, there are a lot of bad days… And so, the children have time to miss the horses over the winter, so in spring they meet their four-legged healers with open arms. The equine-assisted therapy is a difficult job not only for a little rider and his or her instructor, who directs in it a lot of physical and emotional energy, but also for the horse itself. It can’t take more than ten patients a day. The mare is believed to be the best for this kind of work. But in practice, it is more temperamental and capricious. Either it is in no mood, or the weather has affected the mare… And a gelding (castrated horse) at the age of 5–15 years is the most suitable option. It is given food and a good sleep and it needs nothing more to feel happy. Specialists who treat people with the help of animals believe that horses (and not only them) pull off the “heavy energy” of patients and often get sick themselves. But in the case of the four-legged inhabitants of Green Ranch, I’m sure that each of them returns to the ranks in no time. After all, they are loved, nurtured and cherished there.

Nontraditional rehabilitation

Green Ranch Dendi, Izyumka, Mister Lelik… There are 15 club horses on the ranch. Among them there are those involved in equine-assisted therapy and for free hire. Having signed up in advance, you can come and ride, take horse-riding lessons. Some horses are involved in a social project — a free riding school for foster children and those who live nearby. The other horses are private and their number varies constantly. Hosts rent stables for their pets and pay for care and inspection. As a matter of fact, the main income comes from the permanent private horses. In general, it is not profitable to run a stable. It’s more of an activity for the soul. Club horses “earn their own bread”. On the ranch there are both animals saved from slaughter and former athletes who served the owner for many years, but because of their age became unwanted. Volunteers from the International Charity Society for Assistance to Animals “ZOOhans”, better known in Belarus as “HeaTR Horse Help Team”, take care of such animals. Green Ranch is actively expanding. So when I came there, Natalya Sinkovets, deputy director of the farm, supervising all issues related to horses, and also the ideological inspirer of such a largescale project, was away: another four-legged friend was waiting for her in Brest Region. Natalya was going to transport it to Green Ranch — by the way, its whole family kindred live there and are used for equine-assisted therapy sessions. Natalya herself is a native of Minsk. But all her life she wanted to live closer to nature. And since childhood she had been keen on horses. But her parents didn’t share her daughter’s love for horseback riding, being afraid that she could hurt herself. Vitebsk Veterinary University wasn’t allowed either: it was so tawdry of the capital’s girl to go to the province to study. She had to go to the Medical University. Only after marriage, having found like-minded horse-lovers among the relatives of her husband, Natalya managed to realize her long-time dream. However, the main person in the family “horse” business, according to her, is father-in-law, Nikolay Sinkovets. Frankly speaking, I wanted to come to the ranch for one more, purely personal reason. Once, as a child, I used to ride a horse in one of the children’s parks in Minsk. Several circles lasted no more than five minutes, but an unpleasant feelings of posting stayed for life. In general, I did not like it. Since then, I couldn’t understand people’s passion for horses. And, of course, I was very surprised to learn that they also heal… At the ranch, when I barely touched the horse, the mare’s body shuddered, and it moved me. The animal is very sensitive! I wanted to calm it down by stroking, to show it that I was a friend. I told Olga about my first unpleasant experience. She laughed, confirming that without practice riding could really seem tough, uncomfortable, stressful. But, as they say, having ridden a horse, and having overcome your fear with it, you can experience unique emotions. So, Olga added, you should try again. I accepted the invitation, and I think that I will return — to meet a new friend. But that will be another story.

The playground is interesting for adults as well

First acquaintance with a four-legged healer

By Alise Gungor. Photo by the author. See you again at the rancho! беларусь. belarus 2020

Literary heritage

Ten years of Vladimir Korotkevich What books of the classics of Belarusian literature, the most popular writer in the country, and how many of them have been published from 2010 to 2020? We will answer this question making use of bibliographic calculations of the National Book Chamber of Belarus.

n total, 45 books have been published. In Belarusian as well as in Russian. There are fairy tales and even a comic book for the young reader. Selected editions of novels and short stories. 18 volumes from the “Collection of Works in 25 Volumes”… The total circulation of 45 editions is 76 760 copies. Today, this figure looks impressive. There are only five books in Russian. The other editions are in the Belarusian language. “King Stakh’s Wild Hunt” has been published six times (one of the editions is in Russian). “Black Castle Olshansky” has been published four times, “Ears of Rye under Thy Sickle” — four times (one of the editions is two volumes of a collected edition in 25 volumes), “Christ Landed in Gorodnya” — five times. It is interesting

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that “Christ Landed in Gorodnya”, “The Boat of Despair”, “King Stakh’s Wild Hunt”, “Ears of Rye under Thy Sickle” were pub-

Thanks to Vladimir Korotkevich's works, there is a real opportunity to tell the world about Belarus and Belarusians!

lished in new Russian translations made by Pyotr Zhovnerovich, Doctor of Philological Sciences. The readers, who have long been familiar with the works of Vladimir Korotkevich, remember the translations made by the Moscow writer Valentina Shchedrina. Of course, the main feature of the “decade of Korotkevich,” when we speak about attention to the creative heritage of the classic of Belarusian literature, is the publication of 18 volumes of “Collection of Works of Vladimir Korotkevich in 25 Volumes”. It was launched in 2012. “Mastatskaya litaratura” published the first volume, which included the poems written in the 1950–1960s. Some lyrics are in Russian. The editor of the volume was Vyacheslav Ragoysha, well-known Belarusian literary critic, Doctor of Philological Sciences.

Literary heritage

The “parent”, the initiator of the publication and, above all, the collection “Collected Writing”, is the famous researcher of Korotkevich Anatoliy Vorobey. From the first to the thirteenth volume there are 2000 copies of each volume. From the fourteenth one there are 1000 copies. And there are 1200 copies of the 18th volume, which contains drawings by Vladimir Korotkevich. “The Boat of Despair” has been published four times. One of the editions is very interesting (it was presented by Gleb Lobodenko): the novel was published in 2010 by “Madison” publishing house for the first time (!) without censorship. There were 296 (!) corrections of censorship in the text. This brief review shows us that, as before, Vladimir Korotkevich’s creative heritage attracts the attention of a wide range of readers. The 2010–2020 editions are an extremely worthy space for research work on the life and work of the author of “Ears of Rye under Thy Sickle”. And one more small de-

tail. In 2010, when the 80th anniversary of Vladimir Korotkevich was celebrated, only one of his books was published. Many books were published in 2018 — up to ten editions. Time will show how productive the honoring of Vladimir Korotkevich’s book memory will be in 2020. As for the near-term prospects for the publication of works by Korotkevich, it should be mentioned, of course, that there are no mass, widespread publications aimed at young readers. Why not reprint “Land Under White Wings” with photo illustrations of modern masters? And Korotkevich’s publicistic writing requires wider promotion. Why not republish in a separate edition the classical Belarusian writings about Mstislav? For example, in the series “Journey about the Native Land”? Undoubtedly, such publications will be popular with the mass reader as well. Belarus could initiate the publication of V. Korotkevich’s works in other languages. The poetry of Yanka Kupala has been translated into 100 or more languages. The languages into which the works by Yakub Kolos have been translated, is quite close in number. Prose and poetry by V. Korotkevich have been translat-

ed into only over twenty languages. While thanks to his works, there is a real opportunity to tell the world about Belarus and Belarusians! And one more aspect of Korotkevich’s pre-anniversary work. “The Belarusian Encyclopedia named after Petrus Brovka” is preparing an encyclopedic handbook “Vladimir Korotkevich”. This is a kind of personal encyclopedia dedicated to Korotkevich. In our country there are publications of this kind dedicated to Yanka Kupala, Francisk Skorina, Maxim Bogdanovich. And why not publish a chronicle of life and work of V. Korotkevich? Such publications were made on the basis of biographies of Yakub Kolas, Yanka Kupala, Maxim Goretsky, Ivan Shamyakin… But V. Korot kevich’s biography has not been compiled and published yet. In different years books of literary criticism were published, in which the works of Vladimir Korotkevich were reviewed separately or in contact with wri ters of his generation. The authors of these monographs are Anatoly Vorobey, Arkady Rusetsky, Alexey Nenadovets and other researchers. Why not reissue them in the jubilee year?! By Kastus Ladutko

беларусь. belarus 2020

In search of the lost

Gulp of truth — for all the time A new philo-card album of the Belarusian collector Vladimir Likhodedov is devoted to the theme of the Siege of Leningrad in the Great Patriotic War

herever you live, whatever paths your life takes, the Siege of Leningrad has always been and remains in memory. Even if you have never been to Leningrad, St. Petersburg… Anyway, once you find out about the courage of the whole city, you will hardly ever forget about it. You won’t be able to forget… Leningrad and Belarus, St. Petersburg and Belarus are connected by many bridges of memory. And in long-gone times, when people went to the city on the Neva to study sciences, to become engineers, shipbuilders, military sailors, military doctors, travelers, geographers… Here, in the city, every day of life of which formed a common history for

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Belarusians and Russians, there are many Belarusian addresses. Addresses with Belarusian historical memory. The names of the national poets of Belarus Yakub Kolas, Yanka Kupala are associated with Leningrad. In the city on the Neva Yevsey Moiseyenko, people’s artist of the USSR, a native of Uvarovichi, Gomel region, used to live and work. For many years, writers born in Belarus worked in Leningrad — Anatol Kirvel, Evgeniya Kovalyuk, Ivan Sabilo, Arkady Pinchuk… And also actors — Irina Mazurkevich (she played “a girl with pigtails”, Olympic champion Olga Korbut in one of the films), Leonid Nevedomsky… And today in St. Petersburg many of our eminent compatriots work, serve in the Navy, and are engaged in various good deeds… And the Great Patriotic War, those dramatic events, those fiery, filled with pain, unbearable, discontinuous sorrow trials united all our forbears, grandfathers, great-grandfathers. The Russians and Belarusians, one Soviet people, who were at the forefront of incredible strength, the strength of fascist aggression, backed up by a counterproductive, murderous, destructive Nazi ideology, were able to hold on to the last, withstand and raise the Victory on their shoulders, raise the City of Courage and forever make Leningrad a symbol of the invincibility of human spirit. It was probably no coincidence that in the late 1970s and early 1980s the “Blo ckade Book” appeared, compiled and written by the Russian front-line writer Daniil Granin and by the Belarusian parti-

In search of the lost san, theorist of literature, prose writer Ales Adamovich. Today, this folio of memory is known in dozens of countries. The “Blo ckade Book” is read in Germany and the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Spain, China and Japan… And many of us from the pages of the “Blockade Book” heard Tanya Savicheva’s voice, realized what Life Road meant, imagined vividly what 125 grams of bread is, learned that the “hired killer of the Nazis”, “the enemy sent by the Nazis”, was also a “siege hunger”… And postcards, photographs, letters collected by Vladimir Alekseyevich Likhodedov, the Belarusian collector, laureate of the prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus “For Spiritual Revival”, appear before us as a convincing storyteller about the Siege of Leningrad. Examining the many vivid, convincing images, we involuntarily plunge into those distant war days that tested out a person and understand that people suffered, took upon themselves the whole burden of that time for the sake of something. And if life has been given to us today, it means that we must both in fun and in sorrow remember how fragile the world is and how easily the flames of war flare up. Speaking at the parade in Minsk on May 9, 2020, President of our country Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko said: “History taught a lesson to the followers of Nazi ideology, invaders with exorbitant geopolitical ambitions. Its meaning is simple and fair — the people who protect their native country, their lands and the future of their children are undefea table”. In sieged Leningrad, on the front-line outskirts of the city, people defended their homeland, shoulder to shoulder, Russians and Belarusians, Ukrainians and Kazakhs, people of different nationalities stood against aggressors. And the memory of them, the memory of the military fate of the city on the Neva is on the pages of the philo-card album of Vladimir Likhodedov and in the hearts of today’s generations of Belarusians. Reproductions of old postcards (many of them are artistic, depicting military events and the life of ordinary citizens), photographs from the time of the Great Patriotic War are like living witnesses to a terrible, but not forgotten time. Some

of the illustration material in the book “Siege”, which is going to be published at the Publishing House “Zviazda” on the eve of the Forum of the Regions of Belarus and Russia, comprises letters, hand-written postcards… An expressive print allows us to read about the citizens’ life, about the thoughts of Leningraders and those who felt with the tragedy thought. Like the previous books, the new philo-card album of Vladimir Likhodedov, marked with the medal “For a great contribution to the collection business of Russia”, is a good assistant in studying the real, true history of the past. Old postcards, photographs serve as eloquent storytellers about distant events. By Ales Karlyukevich

беларусь. belarus 2020

Jubilee

Talent, beauty, warmth...

I will start from the end: after talking with “Charaunitsy” participants my already good mood improved even more. Walking along Independence Avenue in the capital — by the way, the candidate for the UNESCO list — I recollected a recent conversation. I remembered a phrase: a talented person is talented in everything. I would also like to add: a happy person is always happy. That’s exactly what I thought

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of the participants of VIA “Charaunitsy”, they seemed cheerful, positive, even a bit rapturous. But first things first. We met with the artistic director, director and vocalist of the ensemble Polina Bazyleva, as well as with another vocalist of “Charaunitsy” and at the same time a mother of many children Anzhelika Zaytseva and the third member of the group — saxophonist, winner of the spe-

The first and only women’s vocal and instrumental ensemble in Belarus “Charaunitsy” is 45 years old. The participants of the musical group told us about the history of its creation, as well as about its revival two decades later.

cial fund of the President to support ta lented youth Darya Bobko on the summer terrace of the cafe, keeping the necessary distance during the coronavirus pande mic. Polina put on a mask, because, as she said, her speech could become extremely emotional when it came to her favorite thing — work in the “magic” (that is how “charouny” is translated from Belarusian) team. Having ordered ourselves refresh-

Jubilee ments (it was a hot afternoon), we went deep into the retrospective, remembering how it all began.

There are only girls in “Charaunitsy” The end of the last century was a period of real heyday of the Belarusian Soviet variety art. Even outside the country the participants of men’s VIA “Pesnyary”, “Verasy”, “Syabry” were well known… And so in 1971 Belarusian musician Gennady Letinsky decided to introduce female voices and created a band, in which the performers of popular and folk music played musical instruments. This was the main “zest” of the group, thanks to which the “Charaunitsy” remain a unique ensemble to this day: on the modern stage, no one, except them, comes on stage with heavy wind instruments, i. e. trombone, trumpet and saxophone. The first group was formed of gradua tes of the Grodno Music College. Although, sometimes it happened that charismatic girls were invited to perform in the group. After all, the main thing for a performer, as we know, is wattage. During the first period of VIA exis tence, which lasted twenty years, more than one dozen girls performed in the “Charaunitsy”. Frequent change of soloists, as it happens in women’s groups, was connected with marriage, maternity leaves… Nevertheless, the fame of “Charaunitsy” was spreading around the world. They toured the Soviet Union, visited Africa, Pyongyang (Korea), the world’s larg est space launch complex Baikonur, even opened the Summer Olympic Games in 1980. Few of today’s pop singers can boast of selling out arenas. When the hard 90s came — a time of deep economic and political crisis — the ensemble was disbanded. But each of its participants continued to be engaged in creative work, some of them started tea ching. And in 2011, as luck would have it, the group returned to life. Though, as they say, nothing happens in life by chance. Honored Artist of Belarus Nadezhda Mikulich invited former soloists of “Cha-

raunitsy” to perform at her anniversary concert. The girls got together, rehearsed a couple of songs known in the past and went on stage. What a surprise it was for them when the audience began singing! It turned out that many people remembered their songs and were happy to see them on stage. Needless to say, that after the concert it was unanimously decided to resume the acti vity of VIA “Charaunitsy”. In such cases, the performers usually say: once you feel the pleasure of applause, love of the audience, a sense of euphoria, you want to feel it again.

Blonde, brunette and redhead… Olga Makushinskaya, a vocalist known for her virtuoso performance of jazz, was among those who recreated the group in 2011. She is now a music director of “Charaunitsy”, but still teaches jazz at the Belarusian State University of Culture. Svetlana Ragula is also one of the first members of the “Charaunitsy”: she plays all kinds of saxophone and is fluent in Japanese. Later, Natalya Lukashevich joined them — the only girl trombonist in Belarus, who, according to Polina Bazyleva, combines beauty, professionalism and moral virtues. It was interesting to see the difference between the first “Charaunitsy” and the present ones. It’s been — wow! — 45 years. Now the group does not adhere the age cri-

terion: participants of the original cast are over fifty, and the youngest ones are over twenty. All have higher musical education, three of them sing, the other three play: saxophone, trombone and trumpet. In the 70’s the performers were not allowed to give birth for five years after signing the contract. Now the girls marry, take paid leave after childbirth, come back without stopping their musical career. There are few songs left from the old repertoire: a couple of folk songs in modern adaptation and several hits, which are known and sung by the whole Belarus. The rest are new — for the young audience, which have recently begun to show interest. “But still at concerts we see adults, educated, self-sufficient and accomplished people, and couples come as well,” — this is how Anzhelika Zaytseva describes her viewers. I couldn’t help but ask how the “oldtimers” feel on the modern stage, full of artists who look as if they are from the cover of a fashion magazine. “Alisa, we have no rivals!” — Polina even laughed when she heard my question. — “The main thing in our business is drive and kindness. Today, you can’t surprise anyone with professio nalism and appearance. It’s not enough. You can look flawless, but inside you can be callous, indifferent. And the viewer will certainly feel it. After all, you can’t fool a human soul! In addition, we can’t perform songs without content, without meaning.

The first Charaunіtsy ensemble's lineup. 1977.

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Jubilee

This is how billboards look like in the days of the coronavirus

“Charaunitsy” is an intellectual ensemble, and people know about it. And also our music is always creative: about happy love, about nature, about our motherland… We never cry In our songs — we only rejoice.”

An authoritative variety art The fact that fans, especially young ones, tend to imitate their idols is well known and understandable. But do many popular artists fully understand that they have a certain responsibility not only for performing on stage but also for what is going on after the last soffit goes out? I remember the cases when the musicians in ecstasy smashed their guitars to the screams of the chanting crowd of fans. Some “spectacularly” opened their veins in front of a large audience.

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Personal life of many artists is as transpa rent as glass thanks to social networks. “Charaunitsy” also actively communicates with fans via the Internet. Many, especially teenagers, make friends with them: talk about themselves, ask for advice: how to become beautiful or how to learn to sing, to play. And sometimes they just write about the kind of day they had. The girls from VIA are well aware that for many they are an authority, and therefore they try to give concerts not only in big but also in small Belarusian cities and villages. To show by their personal example what a woman in her fifties can look like, what a mother of many children can sing about… “We are open to the audience: we communicate during the performances, tell about each other. We want them to feel our warmth, to be charged with positive energy.”

Once they performed in a small village. Before the concert, the girls were as if accidentally pointed at a girl stan ding nearby. She was said to come from a problem family. “Charaunitsy” were a little upset that the child was stereotyped like this. And after the concert the very girl, inspired by songs and music, presented each participant with a beautiful envelope made in quilling technique (which is very painstaking work!) and added: write down your most cherished desires and put them into these magic envelopes — everything will come true! “She was charged with energy! — Polina remembers. — She saw how big and beautiful the world can be! That’s what we sing for. And also, never give up on anyone! Especially on the next generation”. “Charaunitsy” often take part in charity concerts. One day before the New

Jubilee Year the head of the Palace of Culture in Molodechno called them and asked to take part in a charity event: to buy a box of sweets from the band which will be placed in the main Christmas tree in the city and then publicly presented to a child of the local orphanage. But “Charaunitsy” decided to give a present not to one, but to all children. “I stood in a shop thinking: 25 bigger mice or 35 smaller ones. I was in doubt, I could’t decide. A shop assistant came up, asked what my dilemma was. When she understood my problem, she gave me 10 more toys for free. She was a shop owner and a mother of four children. It touched me to tears. Because many people refuse, even hang up when they are asked to take part in charity,” says Polina. By the way, at that time Molodechno activists wanted to write about the kindness of “Charaunitsy”, but the girls refused: they are convinced that good deeds must be done quietly, without any publicity.

world outlook. And she always comes to the rehearsal on her bike. Darya Bobko is a sky jumping fan, a holder of a special certificate. Natalya Lukashevich is fond of fine arts and tries to paint. Olga Maku shinskaya, an experienced jazz singer, despite all the professional peaks she has conquered, continues to delve deeper into the study of this subject, and sometimes

Polina Bazyleva holds an event from the cockpit

To eat, to sing, to love… Cakes are Anzhelika Zaytseva’s secret passion. She bakes them a lot and with pleasure. Polina Bazyleva, from time to time takes off her Louboutin shoes, puts on rubber boots, and wanders in the swamps with her husband in search of game. She doesn’t hunt herself — she feels sorry for animals. But she likes to catch fish. Svetlana Ragula is a fan of a healthy lifestyle: her long stay in Japan definitely influenced her

Darya Bobko enjoys sky jumping

Blueberry cake by Anzhelika Zaytseva

Anzhelika and her family are on stage together

spends hours reading foreign literature, translating it for her students. “She has also capped a can of cucumbers!” — Darya speaks proudly for her colleague. — “We must hurry to visit her!” The nearest plans of VIA… “to make shorter skirts”. Unexpected! We’re laughing,

of course, and the girls in the same humorous tone explain: we must be in line with modern time! I finally asked them: what about Eurovision? It turned out that the “Charaunitsy” was the only group in Belarus that had never participated in the national selection for this contest. It’s just that some people do not want to “wait in line”, when they’ve already sold out arenas. “And those who bake, jump and run are for any initiative. We have some songs in English that nobody has heard. Because according to the Eurovision Song Contest rules, the song must not be performed before. So… Why not?” Walking in the scorching July sun along the longest avenue in Minsk, I thought about the role of a musician, not music. Not a song, but a performer. I confess that before I had not thought much about the importance of the artists’ personality, their worldview, values and priorities. But having got into the whirlpool of positive energy of these charming girls (well, though they are already not very young…!), I once again was convinced: happiness is contagious. It’s not without reason they say you live and learn from those you live with. So I wish the beautiful soloists of VIA long years and prosperity. Happy jubilee, magicians! By Alisa Gungor. Photo from personal archive of VIA “Charaunitsy”.

беларусь. belarus 2020

Territory of the soul

To be or not to be happy

Essay

There are seagulls screeching outside the window. It’s a favoured summer in Belarus. And the feeling that the sea coast is not far, does not leave me during the whole working day, creates its special fragrance. Constant rumbling of the printing house, which is heard on the 9th floor of the Press House, where our publishing house is located, brings to life, encourages me to forget about the monitor and think about urban decibels and the scenery outside the window… By the way, it is good A colleague and I once talked about it, and I wanted to record it. Oh, that’s our brain, a tireless worker. It records everything. There is a satellite communication receiver over there… Behind it there are high-rise houses. And abundance of clouds. The city gulls are screeching… And I cling to what’s inside me — a pleasant background created by the voices of birds, memories of the sea, where this summer I’m not going to on vacation. And I’m writing what I like about… What’s that? I like to sit at my desk and bang out. To watch my thoughts appear on the monitor screen, and at the same time, to think about someone’s memorable phrase on the topic. For example, life is a process, not a race. And its value is not in achievements, but with what feeling you wake up and go to bed. Today, fortunately, I wake up with a feeling of happiness. In a dream, I was swimming in sea water… I think serotonin and dopamine are normal. I start inspecting myself: it doesn’t hurt anywhere, doesn’t stitch, doesn’t stab, no tickle in the throat, my nose is not blocked, I can smell.

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On the whole, I’m healthy! Happiness! And the coronavirus baby, so I want to think, has already taken root in my body, without serious consequences for as well as in the bodies of more than 50.000 recovered people in the country. It has to live somewhere, this creature, which gave us new evolutionary opportunities, including not only careful hand washing, but also generating a feeling of happiness in the harsh conditions of the pandemic. Yes, my morning is beautiful. A saved redheaded two-year-old cat Yatsek, a descendant of Ceylon cats, jumps on the bed — to say hello: it touches my cheek with a cold wet nose, makes a short sound, as if saying, well, at last, you’ve woken up… And hurries on his cat business. In an crate outside the window in the early sun there are two of his older brothers — cat Mars and cat Ashka. Yatsek enters the free territory and sniffs the air. Its nose twitches funnily. Sometimes all three of them make funny noises, when the pigeons on the entrance canopy eat breakfast bread, which is thrown to them by the neighbor from the second floor. It inherited this habit from his mother, a tricolor cat Aisha, which was run over by a car. The sky is clear. It is seen through the dense thickets of trees — poplars, lime trees, chestnuts and birches, planted 60 years ago by new tenants of five-storey houses-Khrushchyovkas. These green islets, as on our Logoysky Tract and Kalinovsky Street, are not rare in Minsk. And personally I, who was born and used to live in a private Ukrainian house with its yard and garden, feel comfortable to live here. A lot of greenery, blooming jasmine bushes — a lot of oxygen and

pleasant scents. Isn’t it happiness? And to say a few words to the neighbors on the way is also nice in our time online, when people learn via the Internet and meet there, and if they go somewhere, they rush without noticing each other. The morning continues. And a cup of aromatic coffee after a healthy “oatmeal, sir” with a very healthy “ghee” butter adds a pleasant feeling inside. Here they are, those little joys that are far more important than the big ones, as Ray Bradbury aptly put it in his novel “Dandelion Wine”. Light makeup, and you’re ready for your new day of work. I like that our office at the Press House is not far. It’s fifteen minutes by car. If I walk quickly it takes 45 minutes. Isn’t there a reason to feel happy that you’re not delayed in traffic jams or try to catch the leaving tram, putting on a mask… Another reason to rejoice: running into a senior colleague in the elevator. Hello. And he, who in other days is strict and closed, now is friendly, open to communication. We say a few words, wishing each other a good day. And I rejoice, thinking that stereotypes and templates limit our free manifestation in social contacts. We conceal our iridescent mood, smile just a little, not wishing to embarrass others… As for me, I like to smile. I smile wal king down the corridors of the Press House to my office, or going out if I have to see a colleague’s, or just wash my hands. And I “lock” in every possible way, do not allow some statements to reach my consciousness, such as: it’s silly to smile for no reason — it’s stupid, only the blissful are happy all the time, for joy you need a good reason, ill-timed laugh is silly and rough… How

Territory of the soul many of such catch phrases, imposed since childhood, constrain the human psyche,, accompany us throughout life. It’s only over the years that we begin to fight our way through them like through a dense vegetation. And when we’re out in the open, we sometimes pull out the deep-seated stereotyped expressions like thorns… One day I heard from a smart, intelligent, well-read lady: life is a great suffering. I remember being struck by her words: the lady was quite successful — she was married to a prominent writer, had two children, an apartment in the center of Minsk… In general, the facade of her life did not imply suffering. I understand that she made such a conclusion on the basis of some deep inner feelings, may be bad health. As for me, when I get sick, I lose the ability to feel joy, don’t feel happy, can’t enjoy the moment “right here” and “right now”. It is not easy, I admit, even when you realize that our inner state and mood is the result of our choice only. Including our health condition. It’s not by accident that our health is getting worse… Besides, it’s hard to enjoy life when the news tells you: the coronavirus in the world took thousands of lives, a plane crashed, in the USA there are tornadoes and pogroms, in Ukraine a flood broke out, and children are starving somewhere… It is clear that we cannot avoid floods of information. But that is what psychologists say in this regard (tserf.ru): “If you have a habit of reading news every day, if negative information completely captures you, if you are emotionally involved in it — then you “fall asleep”, i. e. stop living your own life. It’s one thing to

just watch the news to be informed and to know what’s going on in the world, and it’s quite another to immerse yourself in this information, to worry, and actively discuss it with everyone you know. Remember, your energy goes to where your attention is directed. But is it worth wasting your energy, emotional and mental strength to find out all the details of another disaster if you still can’t help the victims?” I understand people’s pain. And the people dear to me have already passed away. Both my family and friends are lea ving this world for a variety of reasons. A friend of my youth has recently been bu ried… We all go through such dramatic moments. But life goes on. And again, we have to piece ourselves together. Those who know the toy Losharik will understand what I’m talking about. At the moments of piecing together we think about neuro-linguistic programming, its simple techniques with which you drag yourself to joy — to the world of other vibrations, where people feel happy. Your body and mind do not obey, treacherously return to the past, but you are persistent, because you know the value of the inner state, when it is easy to breathe and work, when the world around gets pleasant co lours. They are brighter and more intense even on a cloudy day… It takes more effort and you are free again: you begin to feel quiet happiness. And it seems that no thing can cloud your mood. But suddenly some miner thing happens: a colleague slams the door, or answers your question with irritation, or you face an unexpected problem — and your soul goes… But, alas, from heaven…

An “emotional swing” in family and social relations is not uncommon. And it swings from plus to minus, so that our inner state changes rapidly. We cannot speak of joy or happiness if we depend so much on external circumstances. And when the problems are solved, we start to wonder if they were really so important. So it turns out that any minor thing can knock us out. There are many methods to counter it. When there is a will, there is a way — to multiply joy in the soul, taking advantage of any situation. So it’s up to us to choose whether to be happy or not. When my husband and I were wal king along the Belarusian State Border in 1996, we asked people a question: what is happiness? Their most frequent answer was — it’s health. Besides, we also talked about everyday things that make us happy — friendship, love, family, children… And a boy answered like a philosopher: happiness is just to live. We asked if there were many reasons for happiness in the world. As many as you want: fishing, hunting, photography, cycling… In gene ral, real happiness can be made up of little joys. And we, humans, are similar in our quest for it. But we keep it in different ways. Some people manage to do it, others fail. As psychologists advise, everyone has enough room for joy, and if it is not enough, you need to urgently get rid of more than necessary. So let’s try it! And let’s all be happy! And the seagulls outside the window are screeching… By Valentina Zhdanovich

The reasons for the joy that is always with us беларусь. belarus 2020

Theater and life

Alexey Dudarev

Small motherland Comedy in two acts

Characters: ATELA — He MASHA — She GABI — Doll Continuance The beginning in the No. 6. Day Two The same apartment. A carefully cleaned couch. There’s a candle burning on the nightstand. Masha is sleeping on the folding bed. Her mobile phone is on the floor and it’s tuned in on a adio news program. RADIO. The beginning of the hour is presented by the lingerie shop “Rodnulya”. News! According to the world media, the rate of the most popular crypto currency in recent days fell by almost thirty percent. This fall once again confirmed the experts’ claim that the crypto currency is nothing but a virtual financial pyramid… In the urban settlement of Zhgoon, Zarechensk Region, a mother forced her young son to eat naswar found on him, as a resul the child died. A criminal case has been initiated. And to world news. In the island nation of Ur-Lagash, where there was a coup d’état a few days ago, King Richard Al Mababa III and his en-

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tire family were taken into custody, with the exception of his eldest son, who is studying in a Central European country. As Brigadier General Chombe, the coup leader and head of the defense department, stated in a televised address to the nation, that his idea was to eliminate all criminal elements around King Richard Al Mababa III who were committing crimes that caused social and economic problems in the kingdom of Ur-Lagash. The royal family, according to General Chombe, is wholesome and alive. According to analysts, King Richard Al Mababa III will abdicate the throne in favor of his eldest son, who is now abroad in relative safety. It is also worth noting that in the kingdom of Ur-Lagash gold, platinum, chrome, nickel and diamonds are mined. And now, African rhythms! Music. Gabi appears. Gabi (dancing and singing). The wind sang it a lullaby: Sleep Mashenka, sleep tight! The snow was making clothes for it: It was a pretty sight! The snow was making clothes for it:

It was a pretty sight! ATELA appears with Gabi in his hands and some… unimaginable flowers. Mutant flowers. Gabi disappears. ATELA (singing solemnly). Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, our Masha! Happy birthday to you! MASHA (wakes up). What’s wrong with you? ATELA. Happy birthday to you… ATELA congratulates Masha. Happy day! MASHA was born. MASHA. Ahhh… (Points at the flo wers.) What’s that? ATELA. Flowers… Colors… For Masha. MASHA. Thank you. What kind of flowers are these? ATELA. Atela does not know. MASHA. Where’d you get them? ATELA. Shore. River. Many, many flavors… MASHA. Mutants. ATELA. Mutant, mutant… MASHA. Creepy!

Theater and life

ATELA. Creepy, creepy! (Gives the doll.) Gabi… Cry a lot about Masha, come here, talk no more… MASHA. Did you bring this for me? ATELA. Gabi for Masha. MASHA. This is not Gabi! It’s some kind of plastic copy of your prostitute! Do you understand?! ATELA. I got it. Gabi is a prostitute. MASHA. And you… ATELA. And you… MASHA. A parrot. ATELA. A parrot. MASHA. I’m sorry. ATELA. I’m sorry. MASHA (takes the doll). Thank you. I’m touched. But I had a different doll. Old. There was a crack in the elbow right there… The shoulder was burned. It was made of plastic. The plastic burns well. Some fool decided to set fire to it. Dad managed to put it out. Where’d you get it? Did you go to the city? ATELA. To cities, to cities… MASHA. Did you go to the city? ATELA. Swim to the city. MASHA. Wha-a‑at? ATELA. Swim. Money — mouth. Next to the flowers, take off clothes and swim. There’s a gendarme on the way. MASHA. You are stupid! You are blockhead! Crossed the river? ATELA. Yeah, ice! MASHA. In icy water?!

ATELA. Gabi cry. MASHA. You are fool, you could get drowned!! ATELA. Gabi cry. MASHA. Well, you are a palm… A big palm! Stop! Where’d you get the money from? ATELA. Scholarship. MASHA. So, your scholarship was not enough to buy a ticket to this one... what’s the name… ATELA. Pekheteriya… MASHA. Not enough for Pekheteriya, or what? ATELA. Not enough scholarship. A big ticket. MASHA. Oh, darling. ATELA. Darling, darling… MASHA. So you spent all your scho larship on me? You are a knight! Just Don Quixote! ATELA. Cervantes… MASHA. Mm-hmm. So, what are you gonna do now, stupid hidalgo? ATELA. Confession to make. Dulcinea listen — Don Quixote Atela to repent. MASHA. Well, go ahead. ATELA. Masha, forgive me… MASHA. You confess your sins first, and then… you claim forgiveness! Did you sin, my son? ATELA. Little scholarship — a lot of sin… MASHA. It’s understandable. Next. AT E L A .   W h a t i s GABI? MASHA. So who’s repenting, you or me? A T E L A .   Yo u with I.

MASHA. I’m with you. Gabi is a doll. The kewpie that my father gave me. It has been with me my whole life. All my life it has been around. That was my favorite toy. I never left it! I… when I was young… Well, I was stupid! I didn’t live the way Daddy wanted me to, the way he saw it… What can I say… He raised me alone. I cut my first tooth when my mom left us. He looked after me alone, and he used to tell tales, and sing lullabies… (Sings.) “The wind sang it a lullaby: “Sleep Mashenka, sleep tight…” Men shouldn’t be lulling us! It’s none of their business… “The frost was snowing…” And women shouldn’t leave us! Not in any case! Even when death claims its rights! You’re fools! You’re miserable! You’re helpless! You fold a kid in snow to keep him warm. And then one day, when we were still living here, he called me to his place and asked me: my daughter, if I die, come to my grave with Gabi. Only with Gabi… I laughed. And he died! We were evicted from here, I wasn’t allowed to take Gabi, and he died!!! Saving others here, and not saving himself! And I just now realized that he did not need Gabi, not a doll, but me… Me! Me! Me! (Sighs) But only with Gabi… And you know, Ate la… Look, what did your mom call you? ATELA. Ati.

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Theater and life MASHA. And you know, Ati, I’m still not worthy of being on his grave… alone. That’s why I came for Gabi… And it is not here. Who needs it? He’s buried here, out of the city. Once a year we’re allowed to visit. I’ve never been. Never been. ATELA. Masha, goodbye… MASHA. So where are you going again? ATELA. No! No! I’m not going, I’m not going! I ask you to forgive. MASHA. Who? ATELA. Atela. MASHA. For what? For the doll? ATELA. For the doll. MASHA. Don’t worry about it! An ordinary doll. But it looks like a prostitute, no offense. ATELA. Atela forgive for Gabi. MASHA. Well… Did you steal it? ATELA. I steal. MASHA. Why do you need it? ATELA. Exam to pass, fly to Pekheteriya — no money. You can’t be a migrant here… Swim here, live here… There’s a zone, there’s no gendarme, you can live here. MASHA. Where’s Gabi?! ATELA. You can live, cold… freez… MASHA. Freezing cold. ATELA. Freezing cold, big cold. Cold — cold! Big cold! MASHA. Next. ATELA. You have to eat warm, you have to drink tea, you have to warm your hand, you have to take a fire… MASHA. Well… ATELA. Firewood wet-moist… fire don’t want… Gabi chikh-pykh! Chikhpykh! Beautiful! MASHA. So you’ve burned it, then? ATELA. Steal. MASHA. Burned my favorite doll like a witch in the Middle Ages! In a fire! ATELA. Not a witch! Not everything’s in fire. Leg little chikh-pykh, chikhpykh, hand little chikh-pykh, chikhpykh… MASHA. Head little chikh-pykh… ATELA. Head… MASHA. Creepy! ATELA. Masha can kill Atela. MASHA. No way! Because of the doll? ATELA. For Gabi… chikh-pykh…

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MASHA. Yeah. I’ll chikh-pykh you for Gabi, and I’ll be made dead because of you. ATELA. I am a migrant! MASHA. So, what of it? If there’s a migrant, then can we do anything? Not every migrant is allowed to be chikh-pykhed. That’s the way it is. Maybe it’s even better. What would Gabi do on Dad’s grave? I’m sure some freak would found it and chikhpykh it. For no reason. At least you made some tea with its help. ATELA (grabs a new doll). Let it be Gabi! MASHA. Hello! To have some skank with the name of my favorite doll? That’s it! Forget it. It is there. With him. ATELA. There. Together. MASHA. It’s my birthday! How shall we celebrate, miserable migrant? ATELA (grabs his bouquet and sings). Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, our MASHA… MASHA. Put away! Put them away! I’m scared to look at them. ATELA throws mutant flowers into a small window. Do you have something to eat? ATELA. I have. canned food. Sugar. MASHA. Well, you’re a gour-m‑et… You could have brought a bottle of champagne instead of that plastic. ATELA. No champagne. MASHA (pulls a small bottle of cham pagne out of her backpack). And what’s this? ATELA. Oh… Oh… What do you mean? Oh! I am blown away! MASHA. Be blown away. And take some glasses. They’re in the cupboard, unless you make them chikh-pykh, too. ATELA. Glass not chikh-pykh! Glass not chikh-pykh! ATELA brings the glasses, opens the bottle. Gabi appears. GABI (dancing and singing). The wind sang it a lullaby: Sleep Mashenka, sleep tight! The snow was making clothes for it: It was a pretty sight! The snow was making clothes for it: It was a pretty sight! Blackout. To be continued.

traditions

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Creativity

Ability to reflect history and modernity In my opinion, there are more than enough reasons to talk about the artist and teacher Georgy Loyko. I believe that the fact that this year he was awarded the high title of “Honored Worker of Arts of Belarus” speaks for itself. Isn’t it reason enough? Although the creative biography of Georgy Loyko began in the distant seventies of the last century.

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t should be said that in the 70s young artists who took up painting, possessed a particularly keen vision. They boldly denied the thoughtless fixation and lacquering of reality. They were characterized by relaxed and philosophical thinking. And in creativity there was a synthesis of new artistic concepts and national traditions. They showed increased attention to the human inner world, to heroic and tragic history of the Fatherland. Their canvases were overfilled with love for Belarus, for life, for the person. The artist Georgy Loyko belongs to this generation. He loved to draw since childhood. The inborn feeling of color, composition, just like a perfect ear, gave no peace, demanded their expression. He was happy to attend the art-studios of art teachers Sergey Katkov and Vladimir Versotsky. When he turned eleven, everything was finally decided — Georgy was brought to the First

Creativity Minsk Сity Art School. Later he studied at Minsk Art School, he was taught by famous Belarusian artists Algerd Malishevsky and Leonid Shchemelev. It was Algerd Malishevsky who advised young Georgy not to finish the school, and after the 4th year to enter the Belarusian Theater and Art Institute. At that time there was no painting department at the Institute, and he had to apply for interior and equipment departments. The exams were successfully passed, but in the first year Georgy Loyko realized that this specialty was not for him. He wanted to study at the Moscow Art Institute named after Surikov, thought of continuing his studies in Vilnius or Riga. However, at the beginning of his second year at the institute, a group of painters, including Georgy, was formed from different departments. Such masters as Viktor Gromyko, Mikhail Livshits, Ivan Akhremchik were teaching specialized subjects at that time. But the young painter was mainly influenced by Nathan Voronov, who supervised his graduate painting “To Protect the Republic”. So everything fell right into place. Georgy found “his” material: canvas, brushes, oil paints, “his” teachers — he still remembers them today with great gratitude and warmth. While being a second year student, he took part in the republican exhibition with his pictorial “Self-portrait”: with his arms crossed on the chest, the young artist was peering at the surrounding world, at the multi-colored stream of existence before applying strokes on a clean canvas invisible to the spectator… Six years later, Georgy Loyko painted another self-portrait. In terms of its author’s expression, it was in some way related to the first. However, the psychological characteristic of the image already highlights a little more self-confidence, reflects the clarity of understanding of life. This is stressed by the decorative background, organically included in the pictorial story about a man, complementing and developing his inner world. he generation of Georgy Loyko entered the world of art at a time when truth was considered to be a corner-

stone. However, not at once, but gradually it became clear that truth alone was not enough in painting. Not all felt it, but many of their peers and slightly older colleagues began to look for other ways. It was not always conscious, but rather intuitive. There were no standard ways, and Georgy Loyko together with others moved along this bumpy creative road “by the feel”. It turned out that the most important and difficult thing in search is to know oneself, one’s human nature, essence. Long trips to rural areas of the republic and industrial construction sites helped. After the success of his graduate painting at the exhibition of students of art universities of the USSR, Georgy Loyko stayed at the department of the Institute to teach. Everything was going very well, but in creative terms Nathan Voronov’s strong influence didn’t do the young artist a good turn. Voronov’s “Leningrad” painting style kept Georgy in captivity, not allowing him to find his individual self in art, although there were persistent attempts to break out of this circle. As time passed, there was work invisible to others, but important for Georgy. To free himself, to get away from the influence of Nathan Voronov’s painting, to feel free in color, Georgy made a two-month trip to Cuba, where he painted several dozens of free and uninhibited sketches. The so-called “sunny” paints, i. e. yellow, pink

and red, became vivid in color, which gave the images a certain passion. Cordial humanity permeated not only genre scenes of Cuban life, but also exotic landscapes filled with sunlight. he painting “Conscription” became one of the first large works after coming back home. In it Georgy Loyko combines various events: shows a group of young men-conscripts at medical examination and gives the retrospective connected with a theme of civil and domestic wars. In fact, there is no definite plot here, the heroic and tragic history of their Fatherland can be seen through the eyes of young men who are leaving for military service. In general, the “early” Loyko is characterized by the external ordinariness of the plots and the simplicity of their compositional designs. However, it is not uncommon for his pictures that lacking dramatic development painting serves merely as an external boundary, so to speak, a shell of content. And its main meaning is revealed in the general mood, in the tone of the image. In this case, the role of expressive possibilities of painting is extremely increasing. — The way painting “works towards the image”, influences the viewer, causes a certain stream of thought is very important” — Georgy Loyko reveals his creative approaches of that time, as well as today’s ones. All this is taken into account in his works. For example, the painting “Partisan Oath”. There is no action in it, the details are painted sparingly and do not form a consecutive description which often serves in painting as a special form of a plot story. There is a large group of partisans with weapons against the forest. And that’s it! Meanwhile, there is genuine drama in the painting, which reached its climax. This feeling is created by the sharp contrast of a silent, motionless, crimsonred forest, the dawn sky in flames, and tense austere faces of the people who swear allegiance to their homeland. The forest is a metaphor. And the partisans, compositionally placed to the bottom edge of the canvas, look majestic, because they are seething with feeling of revenge, striving for victory.

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Creativity The canvases dedicated to the Novopolotsk Chemical Combine take a special place in Georgy Loyko’s work. In the 70’s he repeatedly visited this “giant of big chemistry”, made numerous industrial and portrait sketches, putting them together for future paintings. The work fascinated him. — I failed to do something, — the artist recalls that time, — but I worked with great interest. I tried to grasp the meaning, to reveal the subtext, to generalize and reveal romance, new poetic beauty in technical motifs. Perhaps the painting “Installers of the Novopolotsk Chemical” was the most significant of this cycle, which was exhibited at the picture-show “Youth of the Country”. The artist was able to see the spiritual and

creative character of the engineering process, and industrial designs were perceived and shown as an integral part of the human world, related to it by its character, its dynamic forms. In general, image parallels and metaphors, which abound in Georgy Loyko’s paintings of the chemical plant (“Architecture of Big Chemistry”, “Pipeline Installation”, “Labor Day Began”, “Rhythms of Novopolotsk”) have a peculiar romantic structure and scope. Nothing resembles in them the coziness of home interior or the peace of quiet corners of nature. Silhou-

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ettes, contours and units of technical constructions have their characteristic expressiveness. — My main task was, — says the artist, — to spiritualize this industrial environment, to show technical facilities and their engineering component in a sharp and dynamic way: as a new reality that requires special methods of implementation. he works made during creative trips around the republic are, of course, directly related to real impressions. But the deeper essence of these works will remain unappreciated, if we interpret them only as a travel diary of the artist who diligently set his slice-of-life goals. The basis of these paintings is the desire to paint the homeland and its people. That is why the

happen again,” the plans to paint a picture dedicated to the Belarusian revolutionary Ivan Pulikhov were taking a shape in his head. He had to work a lot at the institute. In addition to his own pedagogical activity, he successfully worked on the development of drawing methods. And against this background, the Union of Artists of the USSR gave Georgy the opportunity to go to Spain. This trip served as a kind of impetus to serious changes, transformations in his work. What struck him in Spain, giving a boost to work? The great art of El Greco, Velazquez, Murillo, Goya and at the same time alienation from some famous works and names. This fascination was, of course, in different planes of understanding, but

natural portraits of villagers are so authentic, that is why the sketches for the paintings “Watchmen of Roads”, “Between Battles”, “Feast in the Collective Farm”, “Before Sowing” are so realistically true. At one time, these and other paintings by Georgy Loyko caused special interest at the exhibitions. And today many of them are in the expositions of the country’s museums. At the very end of the 70s, the artist worked little. He was no longer satisfied with what he had painted before; he was in torment, had doubts. Slowly, with difficulty he was working on the painting “It must not

one thing was important — the awareness of the author’s essence of art. Georgy Loyko made his own “discovery” which earlier used to be only a textbook thesis: great artists adapted even religious topics to modern life, thus emphasizing the depth of human spirit. At the same time, he also started thinking of the unique character of figurative language. But it had been a long time before such an combination of Spanish impressions, close study of himself and his colleagues, gave rise to a new period in the work of the artist.

Creativity The painting “Quintet”, dedicated to young musicians of the student ensemble, became the first in the series. In it figurative impact acquires light lyrical intonation and poetic completeness The artist expressed himself in full in the painting “Yanka Kupala in Levki. 1941”, dedicated to the poet’s last stay at his dacha in June 1941, where he came to from blazing Minsk. There was war, gloom and uncertainty ahead, but Yanka Kupala was still aspiring to the future, remaining an accomplice to what was happening. — When I stand at the easel, I trust more the movements of my soul, — says Georgy Loyko frankly. Nevertheless, it means that there is always long, hard inner work as well as a

thorough awareness of the emotional plot of the painting. The principle of connection in the same canvas of different events linked by a single spiritual space, is used by Georgy Loyko in many of his works. At the same time, the artist always strives to ensure that the composition and the entire plastic score of the canvas receive not illustrative but figurative, expressive and psychological meaning. So the painting “It Must not Happen Again” is built on the method of heterogeneous temporal motifs. And the unifying basis for them is not the reality of an action taking

place in full view, but a common figurative idea. Such a method was used by the artist as early as in the “Conscription” and then in the painting “Memory”, which seems to be a cross-talk of the current generation and those who by the sacrificial feat in war years earned the high right to merge forever with their homeland. ndoubtedly, landscapes hold a specific place in his work. In this genre the artist achieves the connection of the heartfelt confession with the objective natural essence in the most lyrical way. — When I paint a landscape, — the artist shares his creative secrets, — I often add, increase or decrease individual de-

united and form an organic whole — the author’s “own world”. There are different forms of Georgy Loyko’s landscape color pattern. In “Burnt Land of Logoyshchina”, in all respects the most generalized landscape painting, there are the contrasting combinations of large decorative masses of color — yellow, purple, brown, green, brown. The environment that unites shapes and colours is sunlight, highlighting the large forms of green trees, fields, hills, blue sky with a soft haze of clouds. The image of the long-suffering land of Logoysk is interconnected with a change of hopes, anxieties and memories. Sincere feeling of delight with the beauty of winter, soft scattered light carried away the artist in the landscape “Winter Road”.

tails. But it is not about correcting nature’s mistakes, I just need it to enhance my creative perception. It’s what my idea, my perception of the world, demands. And indeed Georgy Loyko refers to nature as a sculptor to an untreated block of marble; he uses it as the primary material for his compositions. Each element of his landscapes has its own real prototype. But first of all, the artist gives a complete form to all details, it is freed from its accidental, vague character and in each case acquires its “image”, its approach to the artistic plan. Secondly, all the details are

The whiteness of snow combined with the orange roof of the barn and dark red forest gives the impression of piercing freshness. The painting “Cherry Blossoms” depicts lush spring nature, a bee garden — a typical Belarusian corner. The artist used a sketch made at Lake Naroch and conveyed this cheerful mood on the canvas in the studio, while the dazzling impression didn’t go away. By the way, most landscapes by Georgy Loyko are dominated by the mood of reflection, and if there is contemplation of everyday life, it is deeply soulful. The range of shades of calm, thoughtful lyrics is

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Creativity quite wide. And this basic mood does not change, no matter what the artist depicts — cold morning foggy forest, the delicate mirror of the lake, the pale yolk of the sun, the bright young grass on the Berezina, the golden splashes of May night, blue horses swimming in a warm evening, the approaching gunmetal clouds, the winding branches of trees. Such a chamber-like limitation of the creative range is the framework for the individual perception of the artist Loyko, his kind of “rules for the game” that the viewer must understand and accept. Nevertheless, the restraint character of this author’s landscapes is based on a great variety of sensations and reflections. But they do not shout, do not come to the fore. They are fully disclosed by those viewers who are able to concentrate and immerse themselves in this quiet and seemingly silent world. And then a lot will come closer, become alive, be filled with special meaning. he expressive concept of the artist, connected with comprehension of the life phenomena and the nature, is traced also in his various still-lifes, to which Georgy Loyko, though infrequently, addressed in different periods of his creative work. For example, “Autumn Still- life” attracts by the tangible value of objects., The artist models three-dimensional expressive forms by color, density of paint. A common texture “sculpts” the objects in his still life “In the Workshop”. In the paintings “Wildflowers” and “On the Balcony” there is a feeling of witnessing some miracle of embodiment. And in other still lifes — “Gladioluses”, “Morning”, “Rowan”, “Bouquet. The Flowers of My Land” one can see only light shades of color. It feels as if the artist expresses his first childhood memories. The still- life dedicated to the outstanding Belarusian poet Maxim Bogdanovich is highly recognizable. It is dark-blue night. A

candleholder with a burning candle is on the table. There is a collection of poems “Wreath”. In the jug there is a bouquet of bright blue cornflowers, and in the sky the golden disk of the moon mysteriously shimmers from behind the cloud. An amazing feeling of night silence and calmness comes from this canvas. Certainly, in due course Georgy Loyko’s palette noticeably expands. He increasingly turns to the topics that go beyond local significance, develops the themes of global character, dramatic conflicts. Breaking the time frame, the painter overcomes the specificity of a particular phenomenon and a certain period of time. The author always tries to raise the singularity to generalization. The artist’s ability to succinctly convey the nuances of human emotional experi-

above his head — …there is a sign of Chernobyl. At the foot of the cross instead of Biblical characters there are ordinary inhabitants of abandoned villages, who found themselves in the zone of Chernobyl. They leave their homes forever, leaving at the foot of the cross their simple gifts, asking for God’s forgiveness for their sins, intercession and mercy. The idea of the eternal plot as if unites, synthesizes the End and the Beginning, the pain of Christ and the pain of people, our inescapable guilt and inescapable redemption… oyko belongs to those masters whose voice of creative conscience sounds in their souls stronger than the temptations of serene well-being. Slowly, sometimes painfully, he parts with his creative past and as if passes into

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ence can be seen in the early “Portrait of the Wife”, in the portrait of “A girl in Red”, in the portrait sketches for large paintings of different years. To show the most important thing in a human, in his or her soul, to connect a biography of an individual with the present-day life — this is the task the artist sets for himself every time he paints a portrait. Yes, Georgy Loyko interprets modernity in his own way, admitting not only beauty and harmony of a person and the nature, but also disturbing bitterness of the memories and reflections connected with them. This is what the painting “Repentance” is about: the tragedy of Chernobyl. In the center of the composition there is a cross with the body of crucified Christ,

a different, so to speak, unreal spiritual space. — I do not accept revolutionary upheavals, — says the artist, — and my turn to non-figurative art is a hard-fought emotional process. It’s just an opportunity to talk to the viewer, to awaken his imagination not with literary clues, but with the very essence of painting. Of course, before starting his new experiments, Georgy Loyko studied the works of Kandinsky and Malevich, the regularities of their abstract combinations and theory. And at the same time there was a deep study of the icon. Christian philosophy is centuries old and alive. A special spirituality proved to be the force that changed a lot in the artist’s work. It was this force that

Creativity made him gradually abandon the external plot of a given theme, deepening the inner energy of feeling and thought. Perhaps, a series of five paintings “Resurrection” was the beginning of the development of this theme. Building the plots which deal with such problems as the return of monuments of spiritual culture, the artist resorts in his compositions to the method of comparing still- lifes (wild flowers in vases, brushes, a palette, a candlestick) with cult objects and structures (churches, icons) that have returned from non-existence to our living environment and have become an integral part of human existence. This deliberately limited “repertoire” allows Loyko to focus on the accuracy of the compositions, literally down to a centimeter.

But the path of knowledge is open. People will never comprehend the world to the end, will never understand their destiny, the meaning of their existence. All these are not absolute truths, which are unavailable in their last resort. But a movement towards these truths, the approach to them is an endless process. Georgy Loyko is in this process. Of course, he didn’t start it, he wasn’t the first to get involved in it with his work. He relied on the legacy of intellectual painting of the old masters, including Cézanne, who set himself high ideals and all his life suffered from the impossibility to realize them, and artists-avant-gardists of the 20th century. From these traditions, Loyko is trying to extract a pure idea, throwing away the rest, relying largely on his own way.

It would be completely ridiculous and pointless to present the plots of Loyko’s most recent works. As a matter of fact, they do not have any plots. They are not stories, not accurate reproductions of reality, but visions and fantasies, at first glance, quite surprising and strange, and without a definite address. However, there is an address. Georgy Loyko calls his last cycles “Improvisations”, “Baltic Associations”, “Metamorphoses”. Looking at them, the viewer feels connected not just to the emotions that the artist experienced, not to the phenomena of life that surround us every day, but to some of the deepest secrets of the world. The knowledge of these mysteries, the solution to these puzzles is unattainable.

This way found its specific form in the cycle “Improvisations on the Theme of Orthodoxy”. While Georgy Loyko was moving forward with amazing courage and risk, the final goal of the movement became more and more defined. And thus — unattainable. Certainly, the artist did not flatter himself with the hope to answer by means of painting the most difficult questions of human existence connected with Christianity and its basic and oldest denomination, i. e. Orthodoxy. But a kind of artistic equivalent of this task was formulated in the ideal painting, which was so aspiring to his whole nature. This ideal presupposed such a degree of “disobjectivation” of objects, which opened the possibility of their absolute spiritualiza-

tion. Light defeated color, which in itself called into question painting as a kind of creativity based on paint and color. The “harmony on the edge”, which is present in five compositions of “Improvisations”, combines in itself some opposites — on the one hand, firmness, on the other — unsteadiness. The world of Loyko is unshakable as an idea, unshakable in its superhuman magic as a certain irrevocability, which exists as if not by the artist’s will, but by virtue of some general laws. On the other hand, it is unstable in its ideality, it can fall apart like a house of cards, getting in contact with today’s reality. Isn’t it a symbol of modernity? To understand the infinity of life’s interrelationships — this is what the artist sees as his task. And he searches for this unity through the perception of icons. It’s as if Loyko covers his pictures with multicoloured fabric, a blanket, from under which part of the hidden from the viewer, transformed world appears: individual fragments of architecture, icon faces, gold medallions. Creating such paintings, reminiscent of tapestries, the master as if invites the viewer to be present either at the birth of recognizable objects from the chaos of colors, or, on the contrary, the destruction of elements of reality, disappearing in a shapeless colorful chaos. Constant balancing on this unstable boundary of birth and destruction, the beginning and the end creates a special direction in the artist’s work. hese paintings can be called neither reality, nor dreams or fantasies. Perhaps, they resemble a short interval between dream and reality, when real events, memories, objects, faces begin to move away from the mental gaze, get blurred, mixed, forming a blurred mosaic — semi-real, semi-fantastic, as if reproduced by the painter on the canvas. Georgy Loyko suffered, doubted, tormented by anxiety, almost blindly made his lonely way on the road, asking himself whether he was working on mirages

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Creativity

or on worthy works of art. But there was no turning back. There was no turning back to yesterday’s realism in the old rather tired understanding of the word. This thought did not come upon Georgy Loyko suddenly, not overnight. It had come to his mind a long time before, especially during foreign trips, visits to museums and art galleries. When looking at icons for hours, it struck him that the centuries-old Middle Ages in Europe did not draw viewers into the paintingicon, but as if pushed them out of it. But at that time he, having been brought up in strictly realistic traditions, on the samples of Russian classics, used to see the world spuriously and not to reason about the seen, he did not know yet how to leave all this in the past, and break away to other shores. In the cycle of paintings “Metamorphosis” Georgy Loyko gives abstract character to colour forms, which is not connected with real associations, he is motivated only by sensual impression. The artist works in the manner of “nonobjective impressionism”, the essence of which is to cause impressions of universal character that arise while facing natural or other objects. For example, such

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as music, sleep, anxiety, joy. And in this case abstract painting, is not painting but a mystery that leads the viewer into another world, i. e. the world of associations, sensations, symbols. There’s not much left of realism. There is a different visual philosophy in these free and colourful symphonies of spots, shapes, lines, planes of colour which are crossed in different directions by curves, winding or rectangular hieroglyphs. The borders of the spots are sometimes marked more precisely, the color spreads smoothly or it contains some gradation from more intense to lighter, colorful forms sometimes overlap each other, touch, pass through each other or part, forming something that resembles the sky, earth, leaves, objects surrounding us. There is no point in looking for meaning in these pictures, though the names of the paintings speak for themselves, i. e. “Inspired Matter”, “Irreality”, “Impression”, “Colourful Mirage”, “Inner Silence”, “Free Space”, and attentive, sensitive viewers can find in them their own psychological formula, the closest to their feelings. While working on some of these compositions, the author had to use up to five colorful layers! Here for the first time Georgy Loyko used texture as an element of his idea, and the maximum freedom and spontaneity of his brush are subordinated to internal logic, feeling of time which stirs up thinking. ow much can an artist do in his life? Georgy Loyko has already achieved a lot, though he thinks that something important is still ahead. However, this is the way every real master thinks. Georgy likes work when all his strength is brought into play, when the purpose of creativity is defined by selflessness. Praisable greed for the work leads him to various spheres of art: in addition to easel painting he is known for his monumental stained glass windows. Both in life and in his work Georgy Loyko is unpredictable. But one thing is well known: he inspires everyone around him with his temperament, love of life. And the keynote of his work has always been — and still is — the unity of the world and a human.

— If you want something to happen, do it, — says the artist, — Do not look for the true behind the door, the true is always in you. And he seeks the true by working fruitfully. Last year was fruitful, when he took up making illustrations for a historical novel by the famous Belarusian writer Vladimir Lipsky. He was satisfied with what he had done, and the pictorial theme of the Belarusian history was so fascinating that he decided to continue developing it further but in a series of paintings. I saw the finished ones in the artist’s studio. They are very impressive. In a word, Georgy Loyko is still in the ranks. By the way, he continues to actively participate in the Studio of Military Artists of Belarus, set up in 2003. Georgy Loyko’s paintings take a special place at exhibitions of the Studio. They can be distinguished by a certain theme, and the manner of painting. Among the themes developed by the author one obvious direction can be traced: it is a figurative embodiment of the army everyday life, in which real character and will of the modern defender of the Motherland are formed. The viewer sees the figures of modern pilots, permeated with the lightful energy of the heavenly expanses. It is possible to assume, that they by means of the accurate verified gestures build up strategy of a future difficult flight. In the foreground of the painting “Special Forces” we can see a unit of scouts — a special military branch, a special caste of universally trained soldiers whose actions can sometimes determine the outcome of the battle. As the artist sees it, they seem to have dissolved into blossoming greenery, “have become just land and grass”. This is their mission: to appear and strike from oblivion. nd Georgy Loyko is also actively engaged in pedagogical work — he heads one of the chairs at the Belarusian State Pedagogical University named after Maxim Tank. In addition, he is the editor-in-chief of the journal “Mastatskaya і muzychnaya adukatsyya”. How does he manage everything? He is also surprised. But he just fails to do it any other way.

By Veniamin Mikheyev

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