Belarus (magazin#8 2021)

No. 8 (1055), AUGUST, 2021

MAGAZINE FOR YOU

Беларусь. Belarus

BELARUS Politics. Economy. Culture

ISSN 0320-7544

BREAD IN THE PALMS OF WOMEN THOROUGH CONVERSATION ABOUT THE IMPORTANT

WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD

TRAIN TO THE FUTURE

ALONG THE BORDER – ON FOOT

NEWSPAPER FROM BELARUS

ГОЛАС РАДЗІМЫ EDITION OF THE "ГОЛАС РАДЗІМЫ" IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.ZVIAZDA.BY

The newspaper for fellow countrymen: well-known and well-read

4 THOROUGH CONVERSATION ABOUT THE IMPORTANT

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We need to move forward The President of Belarus considers it inadmissible to freeze the situation in the country lest stagnation happens. Alexander Lukashenko supports the need for change, but only within the law.

He said this at the ceremony of conferring state awards on representatives of a number of security agencies.

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Among 40 planed The exposition of Belarusian manufacturers will be presented at the Armenia Expo 2021 international exhibition to be held in September in Yerevan. More than twenty Belarusian enterprises from various sectors will exhibit in the capital city of Armenia their best novelties adapted to the preferences and needs of their Armenian partners.

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Ambitious plans as a growth driver Projects of the future become the main coordinate point of the innovative economy in Belarus. Indeed, according to Sergey Shcherbakov, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee on Science and Technology, the most ambitious projects to be implemented within this five-year period are the so-called complex projects of the future.

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IN THE ISSUE

Беларусь. Belarus

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IN THE ISSUE

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Social and political magazine No. 8 (1055), 2021 Published since 1930 Founders: Zviazda Publishing House editorialand-publishing establishment Editor-in-Chief: Viktor Kharkov Executive Secretary: Valentina Zhdanovich Editorial office address: 220013 Minsk, Belarus, 19 Zakharova Street Tel.: +375 (17) 263-80-12. www.zviazda.by E-mail: belarus.mag@mail.ru Subscription index — 220034 Registration Certificate No. 8 issued on 16.07.2018 by the Information Ministry of the Republic of Belarus

WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD

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Train to the future The Republican youth train "#BelarusYouthUnity" created as a result of the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia has covered 2,000 kilometres all over Belarus this summer. Its participants – students, working and rural young people, young deputies, volunteers, teachers, bloggers, and the SDC youth ambassadors – spent seven days in the thematically decorated carriages visiting various parts of Belarus.

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Along the border — on foot The morning was cool on that 12th day of the trip. We spent the

night in the forest near the village Medriki. I didn't want to wake up: I felt tired from daily walking. However, the mood was good, as the place to spend the night was chosen without discussion. How many times have we been convinced of how much mood affects physical condition? Therefore, we set out on the route at 10.15, getting ready without haste. We even fixed something.

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Vera Polyakova: "I am a human-creator" What is the main thing in her life Vera Polyakova, media actress, TV presenter, head of the theatrical project "TriTformaT", associate professor of the department of vocal, speech and plastic disciplines of the Academy of Arts of Belarus would like to tell the readers of the magazine?

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Design and Layout by Yuliya Korbut 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 31.08.2021 Offset printing. Coated paper.

Format 60х84 1⁄8.

Conventional printed sheets 5,58 Accounting published sheets 7,82 Total circulation — 684

copies (261 — in English)

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© Zviazda Publishing House editorial-and-publishing establishment, 2021

PANORAMA

`` MINSK-HANOI:

WITH A TOURIST GREETING

Belarus and Vietnam agree on more active cooperation in tourismўнае Representatives of the two countries held a round table in a video conference on tourism. The event was held with the organizational assistance of the B ela r u sia n d iplomat ic m i s sion i n Hanoi. The meeting was attended by top officials of the National Tourism Agency of Belarus and the Vietnam Tourism Administration. The Belarusian side presented the potential of tourism and profile events taking place in Belarus.

On t he whole , t he rou ndt able participants discussed the status and prospects of Belarusian-Vietnamese co oper at ion i n tou r i sm ac t iv it ie s and exchanged views on the optimal interaction in the current environment.

A draft agreement on cooperation and exchange of information was discussed.

They also reached an agreement on mutual visits to take part in specialized international exhibitions and infotours.

`` FESTIVAL `` OF UNITY

`` MORE JOINT

A unique folklore festival "Beraginya" was held in the town of Oktyabrsky in the Gomel region.

Belarus and the Republic of Korea set up Business Cooperation Council.

This year the folklore festival was held under the motto "Festival of Unity".

Amateur teams from a ll regions of the country took part in it. Each team presented features of the national costume of their homeland, and original songs and dances. Following the tradition in the performing arts, the jury selected the laureates. Incidentally, many of the teams have grown creatively at this festival, and today their names are known throughout the country.

For three decades now, "Beraginya" has been a centre of attraction for all those who bring together, restore and preserve the dancing and singing traditions of the Belarusian people.

– No other country hosts as many regional festivals as Belarus does, – said Ivan Galaburda, a consultant to the Department of Culture and Folk Art of the Ministry of Culture. – Our main goal is not to achieve commercial gain, but to preserve the common cultural space and maintain the brand of every district.

In t he case of Okt yabrsk y it is definitely "Beraginya". Today one can say for sure that the festival movement exists and develops in the country. The rich program of the festival, attended by over 300 participants, included not only concerts of groups, but also contests of music, songs and dances, various exhibitions, presentations of several cultural and educational projects.

This year several national tournaments were held at the "Beraginya" in Oktyabrsky: the children's and youth folk music group "Z roga usyago mnoga", the solo choreographic improvisation competition "Barynya" and the contest of performers of the Belarusian folk pair dance "Lyavoninha", the festival of folklore and ethnographic ensembles "Spadchyna" and the folk art festival "Rudabelskі kіrmash". Part of the festival was a competition of regional farmsteads, exhibitions and sales of souvenirs, and master classes by artisans. The festivities took place in the public garden. The folk show ended with a concert of the festival laureates, a costume parade and fireworks.

PROJECTS

Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Com merce a nd Indust r y. V lad i mi r Ulak hovich and President of the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) Kim Young-Ju signed the relevant protocol at the inaugural session via video conference.

The council was set up in pursuance of the cooperation agreement between the BelCCI and KITA signed on December 15, 2020. According to the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, this is a new platform to discuss business issues and strengthen economic, investment, scientific and technical cooperation between the two countries. The Business Council will consist of t he heads of Belarusian and Korean companies that have successful experience of cooperation and contribute to the expansion of bilateral business and economic relations. There w ill a lso be companies interested in joint projects in the most promising areas. The heads of the BelCCI and KITA will be chairing the council. It is planned that the meetings of the new body will be held at least once a year.

The inaugural session of the BelarusKore a Bu si ne s s C ooper at ion C ou nc i l was attended by Vladimir Ulak hovich, Cha irma n of t he BelCCI; K im YoungJu, Chairman of KITA; Andrey Popkov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to the Republic of Korea; representatives of the National Investment and Privatization Agency, the Administration of the High Technology Park, the Administration of the ChinaBelarus Industrial Park "Great Stone", the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, the Economic Research Institute of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of Korea.

Business of Belarus and the Republic of Korea was represented by managers and specialists of foreign trade and marketing services of over 20 leading companies in electronics, machine tools, automobile manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, IT and other spheres. The participants of the session discussed the current state and prospects of trade and economic cooperation and possible bu si ness projec t s of t he t wo countries. Presentations of Belarusian and Korean companies took place.

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THOROUGH CONVERSATION

ABOUT THE IMPORTANT The President of Belarus practices communication in the format of direct dialogue with the media community and experts quite often. On the one hand, it is an opportunity to hear in a concentrated way about the moods and problems of citizens. On the other hand, it is an excellent way to directly and promptly convey to the widest possible audience the views and position of the state on a particular situation. The current big conversation with the President has become the longest-running event of this format. The conversation revolved around events related in one way or another to last year's elections in the country, the pandemic and global trends in the political and economic spheres. This event was broadcast live by about twenty information resources of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, including in English. About three hundred people, including Belarusian journalists, representatives of Western media, bloggers, scientists, public figures, political scientists, deputies, gathered in the Palace of Independence to exchange views, express initiatives, hear the point of view of Alexander Lukashenko. The President, as always, answered questions openly and emotionally.

There were no closed topics for discussion. Updating the Constitution, the work of the economy, relations between Belarus and its neighbors, the response to the sanctions policy, the situation on the border with Lithuania and dozens of other important issues. A detailed conversation about what is important for the state and the people lasted more than eight hours.

– The time for the Big Conversation has come, – the President began the meeting with these words. He continued, explaining the situation: – Today Belarus is in the focus of attention of the whole world. How and why, you know it as well as I do. I will only note that not of our own free will.

We have had a difficult year.

According to the President, much of what has been happening in Belarus lately has been more deliberately distorted, even turned upside down: – Surprisingly, sometimes even reputable world mass media cast a shadow on absolutely obvious things.

Therefore, this conversation is needed today – live, open, eye to eye and uncut.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that in the modern world the place of democracy has long been taken by digital diktat: – Outright lies, hype, hate, bullying, trolling, bots and other communicative innovations rule this world. Today they create a negative emotional background in society, or, as you say, information

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noise. The saddest thing is that this artificial virtual world inf luences the adoption of real fundamental political decisions in the international arena.

The President stressed: – We have passed a serious test of national unity. We know that we have everything to pass this period of our modern history with dignity. There are people – thinking, educated, devoted to the interests of sovereign Belarus. There is a general understanding that in the sphere of national interests we are all looking in one direction – the state.

New Constitution The first stage of the work of the Constitutional Commission has been completed. It received a huge number of proposals for improving the Basic Law. The head of state noted: – Many insisted on changes. Then everyone perceived the changes in the Constitution as the first, most important and fundamental step towards these changes. It means on the basis of laws,

everything else would be chaos and lawlessness.

– We have nothing to hide, we must hold a referendum on the Constitution openly, honestly, – stressed Alexander Lukashenko. He added that the final draft of the new Constitution will be preliminary published so that citizens can familiarize themselves with the proposed changes. Responding to the proposal to make national legislation a priority over international, the Head of State noted that he would return to this issue a little later – when the draft of the new Constitution of Belarus will be ready: – There is experience – the Russian Federation. Therefore, I think, together with our older brother, it will be easier for us to overcome both criticism and different heaps. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government are working: we must always weigh what we will gain from this and what we can lose... I am personally closer to your proposal at the moment, based on the information that

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I have (to make national legislation a priority. – Ed.).

The President of Belarus explained why the topic of updating the Basic Law of the country is so important right now: – It i s i mp os sible to t r a n sfer this Constitution (it is rea lly ver y authoritarian) to the president who comes. We do not know who else he will be and how he will behave. This is how it all started: we need a new Constitution, because "what if." If they had taken power with this Constitution, no one would have moved. Therefore, yes, it is necessary to balance and transfer part of the powers of a strategic nature to the All-Belarusian People's Assembly.

The President admitted that recently he was just rethinking this question for himself: what will the All-Belarusian People's Assembly do? For example, it will determine a strategy for the future, control some global issues. Perhaps, this will only be a temporary measure until "everything is settled in the country": – The whole question is what powers we will give to the All-Belarusian People's

Assembly. Here I don't know yet. I am sure that you and I will find what powers to transfer there. But we will transfer only in the interests of the Belarusian state, in this I am vitally interested. So that when I leave as the first President, this state does not collapse.

Alexander Lukashenko expressed his opinion whether it is worthwhile to include a reference to the country's neutra lit y in t he draf t of t he new Constitution: – As for neutra lit y, t his is not discussed. This decision of the AllBelarusian People's Assembly – then all strongly supported. There is virtually no neutrality. According to the Constitution – neutrality, and we are a member of the military-political bloc – CSTO and so on. Right or wrong – of course, right.

This is an additional layer of security.

According to the President, Belarus is also a member of the Eurasian Economic Union: – What kind of neutrality can we talk about? Therefore, there are two options: either we define in the Constitution that

we are not neutral, or we do not write anything there at all.

Economic growth and the fight against the pandemic During the pandemic, the country made the right choice – not to close the country and not to stop the economy, the Head of State recalled: – We did not go mad and did not impose a curfew, as demanded of us, you remember that... The only country and the only President, who is also a dictator, invited the WHO representatives, opened the doors of all healthcare institutions.

Alexander Lukashenko added that last year the drop in global GDP in some, including leading, countries was colossal: – We, in my opinion, only lost 0.1 or 0.2 percent last year to the previous one.

That is, we had a very high level last year.

Today we have grown to this high level of the year – about 3.5 percent. These are good indicators for us. It is clear: everything that happens is largely due to external and internal factors. In foreign БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

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markets, prices for products, for other types of goods have grown significantly.

Since we did not close last year, we had enough goods to offer to this demand at high prices on the market. Therefore, we got a good result. Including in terms of the external balance of payments. We have a positive one.

The President noted the high demand for Belarusian products: – There would be no happiness, but misfortune helped. All over the world, especially in our fraternal Russia, in the post-Soviet space, in Ukraine and so on, people once again saw Belarusian products. Especially food. We have traded about three billion dollars in food products in six months and we plan to surpass six billion this year. But this is not our main product. That is, we had something to offer the world with a deficit. The world bought it. Well, of course, growth in volumes. With such a demand, the growth in volumes simply saved us.

Last year's elections The President admitted that he did not pay attention to the campaigning, because it was not a priority at the time.

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According to him, the situation was well ref lected in the recent five-part documentary "2020": – I did not withdraw myself. I didn't have time for this. I needed to protect people, save them.

Indeed, at that time, unlike other states, Belarus did not close its borders, did not impose a curfew, although this was demanded not only by politicians from abroad, but by experts from the World Health Organization. They were invited to come and personally assess the situation.

The President recalled that Belarus was the only one to take such a step, providing WHO experts with access to healthcare facilities. As a result of this visit, WHO experts, albeit non-publicly, but among themselves admitted: how medical care is organized in Belarus should be talked about in the West so that those who criticize the President hear about it, because the level of treatment and safety in the fight against Covid in Belarus is unprecedented.

– We refused the lockdown, they beat us, thrashed us as soon as we wanted, everyone criticized us, only the lazy one didn't criticize for our approaches, – the

Belarusian leader reminded. – You can say: what's the difference? The difference, dear friends, is in relation to people.

The "dictator" decently set the task for the authorities and decently, excuse the immodesty, treated people, without any PR. The President believes that the basis for the stable development of the Belarusian economy in the first half of the year is that the economy has not been stopped: – We did not drive people into four walls when we developed a clear approach to treating people – outpatient, clinical and sanatorium stages. Name at least one rich state that went this way? This is a lot of money. But people are more valuable.

Relations with Russia Belarus has never been against the closest union with Russia, but the basis of any union is the same conditions and equality. The President drew attention to this: – You have a lways kept us at a distance, and now you are keeping us at a distance. Russia has no one else, maybe you don't like it, but the fact is the fact.

Even now, during the pandemic, even though you closed yourselves off from us, we did not close ourselves off from you.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that for ordinary citizens of the two countries, equality is largely ensured: – But how can we integrate and take steps if your natural gas prices are two or three times lower than in Belarus? Hints from individuals come to destroy this integration, to push us away from Russia with a hint that that they understand integration as the entry of Belarus into Russia. You are dear people to us, I have always pursued this policy.

At the same time, we are sovereign and independent states, our people appreciate the fact that after many centuries we have become sovereign and independent. When I hear these hints that Belarus will become part of Russia, I think: does Russia need another headache? No, and the President of Russia understands it this way.

The head of state believes that in order to develop integration, especially in the economic sphere, "there is no need for someone to be taken and included in the composition".

The President summed up that no one in Belarus opposed the union with

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Union state Integration cards were reformatted into union programs. There are 28 of them in total. One question remained unresolved, said Alexander Lukashenko: – If we are in a union, if we see a prospect, we need to equalize prices both here and there. Or, as you say, let it go. If we want, we can buy natural gas there, for example, from Gazprom.

Doesn't Gazprom have it? We can buy if from another company? you have a lot of them that produce natural gas. That is, there should be free trade in this product.

Hence the prices. We do not ask for low prices. We want equal prices.

The President reca lled that the common economic space, which Belarus and Russia are building, presupposes equa l conditions for a l l economic entities, enterprises and people – market conditions: – We agree to market conditions, but the conditions must be equal. We agreed with the President of Russia that we will overcome all barriers and equalize these conditions... I would like to hope, as the President (Putin. – Ed.) and I agreed that this year, at the end of the year, the Supreme State Council of the Union State will be held. It should be a milestone, where we must ma ke ver y serious decisions. I think that if the Russians there are too afraid to take some step to level the playing field, we will accept these 28 allied programs (the maps have been revised). This will be a colossal step forward.

imposing sanctions, were not a priority for Belarus, and domestic products were never particularly allowed there, stressed Alexander Lukashenko. He also recalled that Belarus has been under the influence of various sanctions almost all the time. The only period without them is when, at the suggestion of the leaders of Russia and Germany, Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel, Minsk was chosen as the venue for negotiations in the Normandy format to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine.

The President of Belarus noted: – It was then that some kind of window of opportunity arose, we became not some kind of mediator, but became a platform for these peace negotiations.

Here, in Minsk, a large-scale war in the Donbass was stopped. Yes, they shoot there both from one side and from the other, as I am informed, at least weekly.

But there is not this war, which was near Debaltseve and at the Donetsk airport, remember this meat grinder? It was then that they treated us humanly and said: yes, Belarus is the place where you need to go and look for peace.

Before introducing sanctions against Belarus, you just have to think, said Alexander Lukashenko: – They should not listen to our "protestors" from these main centers.

They grab it, we can see it in the text. We

read their text, and then what is accepted in the European Union and America is one-on-one with mistakes. It would be necessary to print and give to journalists.

I have a table, I asked – for what BELAZ was punished, for what the MAZ team was punished, and so on.There are just ridiculous and very interesting rationale and motivation for these sanctions.

Insanely interesting. Even here they cannot form a normal motivation – for what.

The Belarusian leader has set a task – to maintain the level of the economy. Of course, it will not be easy, especially given the fact that we are intimidated by new sanctions: – By the way, after these "cookies" the Americans decided to impose some kind of sanctions. I can warn you to be angry, because I know that there are media representatives here. Do not think that this noise, including information noise, is all in the relations between Belarus and the United States, Belarus with the European Union, Poland and so on. No, it's the noise up there. But there are levels at which we conduct dialogue with them, negotiations, and it never stopped. We have a burning topic with the Poles (with the Lithuanians in general now, but we will survive), the European Union, with the Americans, on which we always conduct negotiations responsibly. For

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Russia, except for some people, and the events of the last year showed a lot and pushed Belarus and Russia to more active cooperation.

As Alexander Lukashenko noted, no countries have such interaction as Belarus and Russia, so the states can easily jointly overcome any sanctions imposed against them.

Response to sanctions Speaking about the development of the Belarusian economy under the pressure of sanctions, the Head of State drew attention to the fact that expor t is rea l ly impor tant for t he country, since significant volumes of manufactured products are intended for delivery to foreign markets. However, the markets of the European Union and the United States, which are now БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

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example, the United States. They openly said that they greatly appreciated our work in combating the smuggling and movement of radioactive materials – 5 or 6 cases in the last year alone. They appreciated this, like the whole world.

Both Russia and China appreciate it.

But who, excuse me, needs some kind of dirty explosive that goes to the European Union? For Americans, this is a question of questions. We appreciated them for that, we worked together. We continue to work now, but I warned them: if they cross the red line too much, we will not talk to them on this topic at all. What can this lead to? An example is illegal migration.

Relations with Ukraine Addressing the topic of bilateral relations with Uk raine, Alexander Lukashenko said: – Political relations are at a very low level, and the red line was crossed when the European Union had not yet stopped air traffic with us, and Ukraine did. For what? Is it really possible to get to such an abomination so that, excuse me, "take away" everything that has been up to now, everything that we have done for Ukraine?

T he P re sident a n nou nc e d t he involvement of the official authorities of Ukraine in the transfer of weapons to Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko noted that he has always supported Ukraine and the Ukrainian authorities and even understands why they are taking unfriendly steps towards Belarus to please the West: – Okay, he ran after the West (President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky – Ed.), spat on everything, but why is he preparing militants on the territory of Ukraine and throwing weapons to us here? After all, weapons come mainly from Uk raine. Now, of course, we have tightly closed this border. Why are you doing this, because peoples are neighbors, they are native people?

The head of state drew attention to the fact that the Belarusian media have repeatedly shown how explosives and ammunition are transferred from Ukraine to Belarus: – Our chairman of the State Security Committee said very clearly: we see which of official authorities in Ukraine is organizing this.

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Least of all in Ukraine one should be afraid of Belarusians, who will never do dirty tricks if they do not step into our land with arms from the south, the Belarusian leader emphasized: – Uk rainians are hardwork ing, beautiful people. We are ready to talk with you, we are ready to negotiate with you.

The head of state also drew attention to the fact that there are Belarusian sanatoriums in Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Russia: – I invested money in them so that people go there – local, ours. We have a huge number of tourists. You have closed f lights to Odessa – to whom have you done worse? Ours have reoriented to the Krasnodar Territory, fly to Turkey – "Belavia" makes a little arc. We didn’t close Turkey, but we could not accept planes that fly through Ukraine at all. But they fly. How do you propose to me to deliver people on vacation? We have no other way – only through Russia. Poland also forbade us. Therefore, don’t set conditions to me now. You did everything and paved the route for me to Crimea.

Electricity supplies and retaliatory sanctions Belarus has reserve capacities to supply electricity to Ukraine, Alexander Lukashenko said. Regarding the likely retaliatory sanctions against the southern neighbor, the President said:

– We are not going to impose any sanctions on you from our side. If we wanted to bring you to your knees, let's be frank, we would have done it within 24 hours together with your unloved President Putin, having ceased to supply you with fuel and lubricants. As you know, 35 percent of fuels and lubricants are supplied to Ukraine by Belarus and up to 40 percent – by Russia. With regard to the supply of electricity, please start from tomorrow. We have spare capacity.

Especially during this period, not winter.

Now we are massively switching to electricity wherever possible, starting from housing, electric cars, etc. We build electric homes, the maintenance costs of which are even slightly lower than those for natural gas.

Inadmissibility of a forceful solution At the same time, the President warned Ukraine against a possible attempt to resolve the issue in Donbass by force: – If you dare to do this with the support of third countries, I will never be on your side. If you again run into Russia in Donbass, I will be between you. This is a position I have taken for a long time. Even if it threatens my life.

But I am sure that neither the first nor the second option is realistic. It will not be.

Because there are enough rational heads in Ukraine. Whatever army you have in

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Ukraine, any your attempt to resolve the issue by force will end in tragedy for Ukraine. I ask you, I pray: get it out of your head. In no case do you plan to resolve this issue by force.

The President noted that any war ends in peace and at the negotiating table: – Once you have to star t w it h something. You can say: Zelensky has offered this or that to Putin so many times. On the part of Vladimir, this is at least a chatter. He's just an inexperienced person.

The President of Belarus believes that it is necessary to sit down at the table and agree, while Ukraine needs to separate the issue of Donbass and Crimea – these are "two different stories".

Speaking about the Donbass issue, the Belarusian President noted that Zelensky, as the head of state, should have solved it: – Yes, someone thinks so, someone – that way. But as soon as Donbass is Ukrainian, everyone will think the same: you returned the territory, you saved people. For the sake of this fertile land, one must talk.

Vladimir Zelensky should do what he promised during the election campaign, the Belarusian leader is sure: – He promised a lot: there will be no war, and so on. So die, but do it. Get on the helicopter and f ly to Donetsk, Lugansk. If Vladimir Zelensky f lew

there, they would applaud in Ukraine, both in the Donbass and in Luhansk. By doing so, he would have put both me and the President of Russia, anyone, in such a position that it would be impossible to refuse to move forward, because it would be a step. You are not allowed to do this, it seems to me. And they won't allow.

Alexander Lukashenko also noted that local elections should have been held in Donbass. The President believes that Vladimir Zelensky had a chance to become a peacemaker in Ukraine and make serious progress in resolving the conf lict in Donbass. According to Alexander Lukashenko, the previous president of Ukraine, Petr Poroshenko, failed the Minsk agreements, because he was controlled from the outside.

Relations with Lithuania B ela r u s is ready to conduc t a dialogue with Lithuania, but without any preconditions. The head of state stressed that Belarus and Lithuania have always lived and will live as neighbors – peacefully and friendly: – But when – today depends on us.

Recently such a "dirty ray" flashed – let Lukashenka do this and that, and then we will talk about something. Don't put conditions on me. You are not entitled to this. I have not been in power for a year or five years. I did not hide either militants or oppositionists in Belarus – you also have them in Lithuania – I have

never done that. I did not take unfriendly steps towards Lithuania... If you want, let's start a dialogue at some level. But without any preconditions. Belarus does not deserve such a conversation.

A nswering t he quest ion of t he journalist of the Belarus 1 TV channel about whether the country is ready to return to Lithuania with a boomerang what was done against Belarus, the President said: – It's cruel. If we return with a boomerang (that would be fair), then how will we differ from them? We will be just like them. Therefore, not worth it. If we returned these "fidgets" – this is one thing, but any boomerang, it will turn against ordinary Latvians and Lithuanians who want to live and be friends with us. Fair, cruel, but not necessary.

Relations with the USA Alexander Lukashenko agreed to give an interview to the American television channel CNN, which representative was present at the Big Conversation with the President: – I do not exclude this. On one condition: if you give everything I say without cutting, without adding. Agree on these terms with the press secretary.

A lexander Lukashenko a lso suggested that CNN journalists, who recently released a fake story about the existence of a camp for political prisoners near Minsk, visit the area and see what is really there. There is an ordinary military unit, from which American journalists for some reason made a place of imprisonment. The fake was debunked on the air of Belarusian TV channels.

In a conversat ion w it h a CN N journalist, the head of state rejected accusations of repression: – It's very easy for me to talk to the Americans. Please tell me a rhetorical question (I am answering your question): why did you (USA. – Ed.) shoot a girl in Congress who was a participant in the wars in defense of the United States of America and their interests? After that, the question of repressions against the population on my part simply fades away. You are accustomed to the fact that you are the hegemon in the world – everything is allowed to you. How many people did you put in after the events at the congress? When you trampled on the legally elected president (I mean Trump), БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

9

MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT removed him from the media, YouTube and so on, deleted him completely and installed your president. Was that legal?

The head of state noted that during the presidential elections in the United States, citizens voted by mail, ballots were thrown into the trash, and there were numerous other violations. At the same time, the President noted that if people in Belarus voted by mail, the country would be torn to pieces: – You can. You are wreaking havoc in all parts of the world and you are talking to me about some kind of repression.

There was no repression on my part. I accepted the rules of the game of those bandits who, under the leadership of the American special services, moved to our sovereign and independent state.

I am the President and according to the Constitution I am obliged to protect this state. So I did. What kind of repression is there? Did I shoot someone, kill someone?

Alexander Lukashenko added that the opponents of the Belarusian state are now trying to bring it to an international tribunal, but they have nothing to cling to.

Answering the question about the incident with the RyanAir aircraft, the President stressed that Belarus is open for international investigation: – Why didn't you come to investigate?

Facts on the table, hands on the table – come a nd prove t hat Lu k ashen k a landed this plane. You are not going to investigate, because you have all the facts in your hands and you see: it doesn’t hit, it doesn’t work...

The President is sure that the United States are indifferent to Belarus: – You are far away, and you do not care what is happening in this Belarus.

You don't even know where it is located.

Eeven after ten minutes you forgot who you were feeding "cookies". You are simply exercising your monopoly right to print foreign currency and control its progress. You take advantage of the fact that as a result of events in Europe, Asia rose on this, created a powerful empire, which is slowly rolling down thanks to your incomprehensible policy.

Alexander Lukashenko admitted that it is still difficult for Belarusians to compete with the Americans. Speaking about the red lines in relations with Belarus, which it is better for foreign states not to cross, the Head of State

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"Belarus is located at the crossroads.

If we showed weakness during the "protests", we would be slashed. As a result, a new world war would start." noted that he did not mean the United States of America: – I cannot say that I painted the red line for America. It is very difficult for me with the Belarusian potential and with my own capabilities to draw this red line.

President and elections The head of state stressed that who and when will be the President of Belarus after him is a difficult question: – Whom the Belarusian people choose will be the president, this is really so. What position I will take in this case; I have not decided.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that he thinks about it: – It is natural. This is not an eternal position. I am human. Sometimes I just want to live in peace, but then I start to delve into my thoughts and think that I will no longer have a quiet life. Because that's the kind of work.

The President admitted that he even envied the ex-President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma in some way: – When we meet, I ask him how he feels. He says that he feels great. I see that it is really wonderful. I start thinking and see that I can't do that. I just grew into this country, and it grew into me. I don't understand how you can live and, after retirement, do something else. I can’t imagine it yet.

At t he s a me t i me , A le x a nd er Lukashenko stressed that people would come after him:

– No need to guess when Lukashenko will leave and so on.

He noted that one can never be precise, even when naming specific dates. As an example, he cited the loud plans of the opposition regarding the "Freedom Day".

The President also expressed his opinion on the alternative outcome of the elections: – If I will not nominate myself, if someone will be elected president? I will do everything to make the elections objective. If a representative from another cohort will be elected, it means that our people must go through what Georgia and Ukraine have gone through.

Since if you did not learn from other people's mistakes, it means that you must go through this stage.

When asked who will be the next president of Belarus, the Head of State replied – who will be elected by the people: – He can't come out of nowhere.

When I was elected, the times were different, then they took a chance. Now people think differently.

The President also noted that a pragmatic normal person will definitely win in the next elections in Belarus.

About "repression" Alexander Lukashenko stressed: – There was no repression, and there will be no repression in my country.

Because I don’t need it, it’s bad for me.

I didn't shoot myself in the leg, let alone in the head. To deploy repressions in Belarus is to shoot yourself.

The head of state said that he would never cross "this line and this barrier."

The President stressed that last year's mass actions in the country were not peaceful and this was originally planned: – What are these peaceful actions – explosions, firecrackers and so on? Well it can be seen where they flew from. You may say this is response to "cruelty"?

No, they brought it there. There was no such "cruelty" yet, no clashes. They came there with this ammunition. Sharpeners, knives, other explosives. Why did they bring it there, for peaceful actions?

Therefore, there was no scent of peaceful actions there.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that Belarus reacted to such events much softer than, for example, the United States:

MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT

About fakes Alexander Lukashenko commented on the allegations of torture in the IVS on Okrestina Street in Minsk in 2020: – I am answering about torture at Okrestsina Street. It's fake. It is not true. Listen, why torture them? The investigation was not conducted there.

Why torture people there? If there was someone with bruises, they got them on the street when they rushed to the internal troops and OMON. Then they were detained. There was no such need in this building, in the building on Okrestsina Street. There was no torture there. You invented it all, because you had to come up with it.

Alexander Lukashenko stressed: – If you take down the President now, there will be trouble in Belarus. Maybe there won't even be Belarus. But you won't succeed. So take it easy. Impose sanctions. Let's wait and see where this will lead. We need to calm down, take our heads in hand and think about how we can get out of this situation. You will unleash a third world war. Are you pushing us with the Russians to this? Do you want to win this war? There will be no winners. And if they will be, it won't be you. Let's sit down at the negotiating table and start talking about how to get

out of this situation, because we are so bogged down that there will be no way back. This is my advice to you.

During the protest period, Belarus managed to prevent the start of a new world war, the President noted: – Belarus is located at the crossroads.

If we showed weak ness during the "protests", we would be slashed. As a result, a new world war would start. I understood that bayonets were being sharpened on the other side, so I raised an army and brought out the "Polonaise".

One my order – and we would have struck, but they did not cross the line. If it had happened otherwise, Russia would never have retreated and would not have lost Belarus. There would be a mess, and this is a nuclear power. That's what we got away from then.

Relations with Poland The President of Belarus spoke in favor of building normal relations with Poland. Answering a question from a journalist of a Polish newspaper what Alexander Lukashenko is ready to do to improve Belarusian-Polish relations, the President said: – I did everything so that we could have good relations with Poland. You decided that it would be different, you saluted and everything that the CIA told you, you did. So you think about what to do. I am ready for anything, I mean for any conversations, and they are held.

The head of state noted that even now, contacts with representatives of Poland continue at various levels, in particular, humanitarian issues are being discussed: – We are conducting this dialogue behind the scenes. We see that the leadership of Poland has understood what kind of swamp they have entered, and we are sitting there with them. Since we are probably not completely stupid people – both Poles and Belarusians – we need to build normal relations.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, there are examples when representatives of Poland are building a successful business in Belarus and are ready to continue their business and invest: – Why are we going to fight with business or with the Poles? What for?

These are the normal people with whom we live.

At the same time, he drew attention to the hypocritical statements of certain Polish politicians, and in particular Andrzej Duda, who was concerned about the results of the elections in Belarus, although he himself came to power with a minimal discrepancy in the counting of votes: – Mind you own business! Well, you said two words and that's enough, realizing that we also live together. There, in America, they would appreciate (after all, you said two words), and here they would not be against you. It is necessary to pursue a f lexible policy. This is our

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– How ma ny pr isoners i n t he Washington case, when they wanted to arrange a coup, are now under investigation and in prisons, can you name? You do not know. In Belarus, any journalist will tell you: at least half a thousand languishes in prisons, they stay there according to the law. It was not the case to break into the US parliament, they broke in – they got it. What do you want to punish us for? For defending ourselves by not firing guns in the heads of women?

Do not. As for peaceful actions, we saw how peaceful they are. We will show you footage of how they drove in from the rear and broke riot police and others, when people sat with broken faces and lay in hospitals. Police officers received 11 serious injuries in two days. We saw the crazy people do it. Check out these footage on the Internet. Tell me, did we start this massacre? Did I need a war?

On the contrary, it was good for me to be quiet.

The head of state noted that the unauthorized actions were sponsored by the West.

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

11

MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT fate – both Poland and we are in the center of Europe, at the intersection of many interests. No, you got into the bottle.

What are you bothering about? Will you bring us to our knees? Never. Therefore, let's look for a normal relationship. They know what is needed.

However, t he pat h to d ia log ue t h rou g h s et t i ng precond it ions i s impossible, the President is convinced: – This is not a situation for me to put forward any conditions. We will find a common language, because we cannot get away from this.

The Day of National Unity Also during the Big Conversation, the President told why he decided not to declare September 17 as a day off: – According to the Constitution, the President defines holidays and days off.

But let's be honest: I've traveled many countries – nowhere else there are so many days off as we have. The same in Russia: as you start from the New Year there, it is a disaster for us.

At t he s a me t i me , A le x a nd er Lu k ashen ko noted t hat t his issue remains open: – I a m ready to tra nsfer t hese powers to the legislative body – you will announce the weekend later. This issue is not closed, it can be resolved at any time.

Let's start with this for now.

The President is convinced that the Day of National Unity was established on September 17 quite fairly, this date can be considered the day of the reunification of the Belarusian people: – Therefore, there is no need to shout at us here. It will be a holiday. It is truly a holiday. If this day did not come, our country would not exist. This is a Holy Holiday for us.

Tax maneuver Alexander Lukashenko, answering a question from an RBC journalist, spoke about the process of compensation from the Russian tax maneuver in the oil sector.

– The ta x maneuver shou ld be calculated and compensated if there is such a decision. But there is progress in t his direction. There were a lso obligations on our part, we fulfilled them and took the first step. This is about 50%, the President said.

He said that Belarus wants to work with Russian enterprises on equal terms.

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"You are rich, you can pay CNN and other money – and they will rattle their tongues. Stop at last! It's better to live in peace.

Look what nature, what beauty in the same Great Britain!

Yes, you dirtied Western Europe, but not all. There are good places, there are mountains. Why are you making dividing lines after so many years?"

The President also said that Belarus is counting on assistance with lending through the Eurasian Bank.

Alexander Lukashenko mentioned that the issue of assistance in the face of sanctions pressure from the collective West was also discussed with Russia.

– It was about oil refining and the supply of petroleum products, about reaching affordable gas prices, banking and financial benefits. After all, 40% of the banking system of Belarus is Russian.

I asked the President of Russia, they have already started to allocate funds.

Alexander Lukashenko also said that he turned to Putin with a request to ensure equal opportunities for Belarusian

enterprises in public procurement, to prohibit the blocking of Belarusian products at the borders, especially agricultural ones. According to the President, negotiations are ongoing.

About Russian military bases The President answered the question u nder what cond it ions a Russia n military base could appear in Belarus.

The Belarusian leader also recalled that there are many military bases in the EU today: – Whose – is understandable. These bases are not just Abrams tanks – nuclear weapon is stationed there! So I ask them: why do you worry if your have so many bases! You are rattling with nuclear weapons! You put some conditions on us, are you afraid that there will be some kind of base here? You first figure it out yourself!

Alexander Lukashenko also stressed: – If necessary, here will not only be a base – all the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will be deployed here. In what case? In case of danger of unleashing a new world war. Now what's the point for Russia is spending money and creating bases here? I would be interested if some serious rocket launchers were placed here, but they cannot be brought directly to the theater of operations, right into the NATO garden, because they will be fired upon from the most ordinary weapons.

Russia will never move weapons here, especially nuclear installations: they will be under fire from the territory of Poland and Lithuania. And planes – the time of arrival from Russia here is 3 minutes.

There is no need to spend any money.

And we worked with the President of Russia all the routes, the "white swans" (Russian military aviation. – Ed.) flew around the borders. And we showed them – God forbid you twitch...

Who is the ombudsman in Belarus The head of state explained: – W he n t he ombud sm a n w a s discussed in Belarus, why did I refuse it?

Because I took on these functions – the protection of human rights. No one can defend them better than the President – real human rights based on justice. I have said many times that soon justice will be in demand everywhere. It is in great demand in Russia. We build our policy on honesty, decency and justice.

MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT Alexander Lukashenko stressed: – As for the true human rights – the right to life, to work, to decent wages, health care, education, etc. – have we missed these problems? No. It is thanks to this that we managed to convince our people (to protect themselves. – Ed.) from harmful movements. Those who rushed then, nevertheless, realized that we still have God.

tongues. Stop at last! It's better to live in peace. Look what nature, what beauty in the same Great Britain! Yes, you dirtied Western Europe, but not all. There are good places, there are mountains. Why are you making dividing lines after so many years? Why are you bringing carnage in the center of Europe? Belarus is not even Ukraine, Belarus is a holy place. And if, God forbid, something will happen here in spite of this bright thing – there will be war. Nobody will leave Belarus. I want you to realize this. We do not want war.

PS. All that was said in the course of more than eight hours of conversation cannot be contained on the pages of the magazine. We tried to select all the most important and interesting. Of course, many nuances will still be discussed and will require detailed analysis and comprehension. In one way or another, in one form or another, the return to the Big Conversation will continue.

By Vasily Kharitonov

BELТА

Instead of an epilogue The Belarusian leader said that he wou ld li ke to w ish t he foreign representatives who attended the event, if they have something human, to go deeply and understand what happened and what is happening.

At least just not interfere with us: – If you have interest, let's cooperate.

No interest – step aside and do not interfere. You will not tear us away from Russia and win us over to your side anyway! We wanted to cooperate with you, we offered a lot before the elections – and

you accepted us. Why are you suddenly mad in the West? Why did you have to make an attempt to break our country?

We had normal relations, and there was a prospect of building them. But you yourself ruined everything with your own hands!

Alexander Lukashenko added: – We were not against Russia, this is our fraternal country. This is our common Fatherland from Vladivostok to Brest, you finally understand! This is our society with the Russians. We are no different from Russians. You must take it for granted. If you do not accept this greatest of ours, there will be war. What for?! This war will not happen today, with us, but why should our children fight? You have to admit it! You have to recognize that China has risen also thanks to the European Union and especially America.

The President remarked: – You are rich, you can pay CNN and other money – and they will rattle their

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

13

ACCENTS ACTUAL

WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD The President of Belarus considers it inadmissible to freeze the situation in the country lest stagnation happens. Alexander Lukashenko supports the need for change, but only within the law. He said this at the ceremony of conferring state awards on representatives of a number of security agencies.

"I would like to draw your attention to one circumstance (this is from your environment – the police, the Armed Forces) – some of our servicemen (they do not say so, but I will say it harsher) do not understand: well, why the President needs this referendum, well, why this Constitution (updating the Constitution – Ed.), it should not be done. Guys, no! We cannot do that. First of all, we made a promise. Secondly, you remember their (opponents') slogan: "Changes, changes, changes". And we said: yes, changes are necessary," the Head of State said, in particular.

"And they are really necessary. We cannot freeze the situation in the country or the situation will repeat the Brezhnev times.

Young people do not remember it but we, the older ones, remember well this period of stagnation. So we need movement forward, we need these changes. And then we said: yes, we need it, but these changes must be legitimate. In other words, if we are going to make changes, we should start with the Constitution," Alexander Lukashenko stressed. However, the President noted that even this is not the main thing. "We have not been standing still. We have created the first sovereign and independent state.

What else do we need? We will stay in history. The main thing is what will happen after us, who will come after us, who will be the president, what kind of system of management we will have. God forbid it happens again (the attempt to undermine the state and the government – Ed.), will the new generation hold the country together or not? A topical question," remarked the President.

Alexander Lukashenko stressed that he is no saint, but over a quarter of a century there have been no major systemic mistakes either. "We have not made them. Yes, there were mistakes, flaws.

We were pioneers, we had no place to learn something. So it

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is possible that there were mistakes. But we have not made systematic mistakes. We did not break, we did not crumble. There is no dictatorship in our country, I already said," the President said. – I have no nuclear weapons, I have no cyber hackers and so on, so I press a button and the whole world overturns. What kind of dictatorship are you talking about?".

At the same time, Alexander Lukashenko acknowledged that Belarus has built a very strictly controlled state. "If we had not done it, we would not have created this state," he stressed.

The Head of State raised a number of questions about what will happen after a new president is elected in Belarus: "Do you guarantee that the person who will calmly move the country forward will come? Who can guarantee that in this situation?

If we are being pressurised from the West, they want to tear us apart, to divide us: this – into Poland, this – over there, this – here, or completely, as they say, to annex Belarus to Poland. We are being heated up from Ukraine. You see what is happening.

God forbid the NATOs would cross the border from there, Russia will not stand aside."

"Because here is Russia's security, here is a clash with the main adversary – the NATO one. As you see we are in such surroundings that we need to be flexible and always be able to feel everything at our fingertips in order not to stumble somewhere.

To preserve our statehood," the President said.

In this context Alexander Lukashenko recalled the events in Afghanistan that now have the world's attention: "But do not think that they will forget us. Certainly, there is a new international configuration. So we have to be very careful and careful not to behave like an elephant in a china shop".

"One sometimes has to tread on a very thin ice. This is why we have to organize movement later on in a way to at least prevent the new government from destroying the country," concluded the President of Belarus.

By Vladimir Khromov

ACCENTS

MISSION POSSIBLE The Palace of the Republic hosted a meeting of the heads of diplomatic missions and consular missions of the Republic of Belarus with representatives of export-oriented enterprises and organizations – members of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. All in all, 58 heads of Belarusian diplomatic missions and consular offices took part in the meeting, as well as representatives of about 200 companies and organizations from all regions of the country.

The meeting was opened with a business briefing on cooperation between the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and foreign institutions by Vladimir Ulakhovich, Chairman of the BelCCI, and Alexander Guryanov, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus. They emphasized the importance and effectiveness of the joint work of the Chamber and Belarusian diplomatic missions in carrying out activities aimed at development of international business contacts and promotion of Belarusian exports, and outlined key areas of interaction to support foreign economic activities of domestic enterprises.

First Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Guryanov emphasized that the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a reliable partner for foreign missions.

– We have the task to actively develop the business dimension of cooperation. The business community is our support, so we should work more closely and in a coordinated manner.

Exhibitions and business exchanges are being resumed, the necessary financial support for such events is being provided, but these tools should be used even more actively. We should return the practice of direct communication, take our exporters directly to the markets, – said Alexander Guryanov.

Chairman of the BelCCI Vladimir Ulakhovich, in turn, emphasized the considerable interest in the meeting on the

BELТА

ON THE EXPORT FRONT

part of the business community: – Almost 200 companies participating in the event are exportoriented, they are interested in specific questions on how to work in foreign markets. And they need advice from our embassies. Nowadays, time requires close interaction and working as a team. This is the main task to be resolved by opening new markets, new countries, using the existing opportunities, not giving up any export direction, but only building them up.

The briefing was followed by bilateral B2D meetings between the chief executives of Belarusian diplomatic missions and heads of Belarusian companies. In the course of the talks, prospects of interaction to promote exports and problematic issues of sales in the host countries of the heads of the Belarusian diplomatic missions were discussed.

Vladimir Ulakhovich said he hoped that the agreements reached between domestic producers and diplomatic missions would be of maximum practical nature and would benefit the enterprises by supporting the export dynamics achieved in the first quarter and first half of the year.

Following the talks with the business community, the diplomats visited OJSC "Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange" to familiarize themselves with the possibilities and mechanisms of export of Belarusian products using exchange instruments.

By Alexey Fedosov

MADE IN BELARUS

AMONG 40 PLANNED The exposition of Belarusian manufacturers will be presented at the Armenia Expo 2021 international exhibition to be held in September in Yerevan

More than twenty Belarusian enterprises from various sectors will exhibit in the capital city of Armenia their best novelties adapted to the preferences and needs of their Armenian partners.

OJSC "Gomselmash" will take part in the exhibition for the first time. However, two of the company's machines under the brand "PALESSE" have already been working in the fields of Armenia since last year.

The Slutsk Cheese Factory will present in Armenia the products of Yas Belous brand, such as cheese, milk powder and butter. These types of Belarusian products are traditionally in demand in the Caucasus. In 2020, they, along with cream and cottage cheese, dominated exports of Belarusian products to Armenia.

Among the participants of the Belarusian exposition at the international exhibition Armenia Expo 2021 are also Kalinkovichi Dairy Plant and enterprises of the concern "Belgospischeprom", which will display confectionery, grocery and alcohol products.

The Belarusian exposition in Yerevan is organised by the exhibition company "Belinterexpo" of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. According to "Belinterexpo", the effectiveness of participation in the exhibition will be strengthened by traditional elements of the exhibition Made in Belarus: promotional campaigns in Armenia, an information seminar for participants, visits to Armenian companies.

The Armenia Expo internationa l exhibition is being held for the 20th time as a universal regional trade and industrial forum. The event is supported by the Belarusian embassy in Armenia as well as the government of the Republic of Armenia.

Meanwhile, a total of more than 40 Belarusian expositions at international exhibitions in Armenia, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Iran, Kenya, UAE, Serbia, Uzbekistan and other countries are planned by the exhibition company "Belinterexpo" of the BelCCI in 2021.

By Alexey Fedosov

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

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INNOVATION

Te ch n ol o g y, t h e most advanced project now is the development of electric transport.

In fact, it is a project with some intermediate results. For instance, there are already examples of electric cars designed at t he Ac a d e my of Sciences. Although the project is not l i m it e d t o t h at .

I n p a r t i c u l a r, it includes the development of electric transport components.

– There are traction motors, batteries and, of course, examples

BELТА

Indeed, according to Sergey Shcherbakov, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee on Science and Technology, the most ambitious projects to be implemented within this five-year period are the so-called complex projects of the future. These are special and largescale projects which will become the starting point of the national innovation economy. They have already been formed, though, as Sergey Shcherbakov mentioned, they have not been easily formed: – Because we had to choose what will become the driver of further growth.

Among the projects of the future are national electric transport, biotechnologies in agro-industrial complex, precision farming, innovative healthcare, biotechnologies for pharmaceutics, smart cities of Belarus.

These are the projects which will get priority financing.

According to the Deputy Chairman of the State Committee on Science and

BELТА

AMBITIOUS PLANS Projects of the future become the main coordinate point of the innovative

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of vehicles. By the way, when the project was being developed, we realized that the priority is not the development of mass electric cars, but commercial, agricultural transport," Sergey Scherbakov emphasized.

At the moment, by the way, two samples of the electric trucks at Belkommunmash and MAZ are under development within the project. New samples of vehicles for BELAZ are also under development.

Meanwhile, as the major research centre and the leading s cientif ic organization in the country, the National Academy of Sciences is not only involved in all the complex projects of the future but is also the leading organization in the Biotechnology for Pharmaceuticals project.

– We have an ambitious project of creating domestic technologies, monoclonal antibodies and drugs on their basis, – says Chief Scientific Secretary

INNOVATION

AS A GROWTH DRIVER economy in Belarus

of the National Academy of Sciences Andrey Ivanets. – In fact, not only such technologies, but also production of drugs based on monoclonal antibodies is absent in Belarus. We are planning to implement this project together with scientists of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry and some other organizations within the current five years.

According to the plans of scientists and their close cooperation with partners, not only technologies and new dosage forms based on these drugs will be developed, but also a pilot production will be set up to enable production of import-substituting products.

– To estimate the demand for these drugs in Belarus we purchase imported monoclonal antibody preparations to the amount of about $80 million annually, – said Andrey Ivanets. – This is a considerable amount that is supposed to be substituted in the course of the project.

In addition, the Nat i o n a l Ac a d e my of Sciences plans to implement a project on establishment of pilot production of solid dosage forms using innovative technologies. It is a question of making medicines for treatment of socially significant diseases: HIV infection, hepatitis B and Alzheimer's disease.

The project will be implemented on the basis of science-intensive pharmaceutical enterprise "Academpharm" which has been established within the Academy of Sciences. International partners will also be involved in its implementation. For instance, employees of India's Cipla LTD corporation, with which the Academy of Sciences successfully develops mutually beneficial cooperation.

The Academy of Sciences is also involved in projects in the agro-industrial sector. This particularly concerns precision farming.

– We are planning to develop a model digital platform together with our colleagues from higher educational institutions and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, – explained the Chief Scientific Secretary of the Academy. – We are working on genomic biotechnology

for marker breeding in crop and livestock production.

The scientists are also planning to set up their own large-scale production e nt e r pr i s e s w it h i n n ov at i ve an d knowledge-intensive products. In this regard, they are developing mutually beneficial cooperation with their foreign partners. They carry out a number of international programmes and projects and take part in international organizations and associations.

Today the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus actively cooperates with the Russian Research Centre Kurchatov Institute. There are plans to create a branch of this institute in Minsk on the basis of the Academy of Sciences, where a very wide range of technologies, including nuclear and biomedical research, will be developed.

About five hundred developments of Belarusian scientists are planned to be implemented in 2021. This was also said at the press conference "Belarus Smart.

The Modern Ecosystem of Innovations", Chief Scientific Secretary of the National Academy of Sciences Andrey Ivanets said.

More precise statistics, from his words, are as follows. In 2021 more than 470 developments by scientists of the National Academy of Sciences will be implemented.

It is a very wide range, and the academy estimates their output will be at least $700 million by the end of the year alone. In БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

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INNOVATION

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the framework of state programmes. For the current five-year period, 12 such state programmes of scientific research have been approved.

– The National Academy of Sciences fully coordinates all fundamental research in Belarus and all subjects of the research sphere, – Andrey Ivanets said. – We are working on the most promising areas relating to genetic research, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical technology. We are also actively developing nuclear energy and agro-industrial complex – in fact, in all the areas that are now in demand in the national economy.

It is worth noting that the Academy of Sciences has more than a hundred production facilities of various sizes for the implementation and production of prototypes and experimental models.

The range of science-intensive products is very wide: from varieties, breeds, machines and technologies, including genetic biotechnologies for the agroi n du s t r i a l c ompl e x to h i g h - te ch industries. These include information and communication technologies, supercomputers, pharmaceuticals, fine chemistry, composite materials, space, drones and electric transport.

The implementation of all developments and their introduction into

Sciences, but also institutions of higher e d u c at i o n a n d large industrial enterprises in v ar i ou s f i e l d s , both public and private.

– In particular, such enterprises as MTZ, BELAZ, MAZ, MMZ, BMZ, Integral, Planar and many others are included in these activities. Thus the National Academy of Sciences is practically implementing the model "Belarus Smart", – said Andrey Ivanets. He reminded that this model was adopted as a strategic perspective for the development of the scientific sphere at the Second Congress of Scientists in 2017.

And there is another interesting aspect.

In the next five years Belarus plans to reach a GDP science intensity level of one BELТА

particular, some 30 developments in the sphere of biotechnological production are being implemented this year. The total volume of output planned to be completed by the end of the year is over $4.5 million.

In the agroindustrial complex, there are more than 250 developments (about $1.5 billion). In pharmaceuticals and medicine – more than 40 developments, which are also planned to be completed partially this year. The total output is expected to be about $5 million.

Andrey Ivanets said that the National Academy of Sciences works as a major research and production corporation. It generates new ideas, discovers patterns in the whole range of scientific knowledge, and creates technologies, prototypes and experimental models and, of course, introduces them into production. In fact, we can say that the NAS implements the full innovation cycle: from scientific idea to technology, pilot production and implementation.

In this regard, according to the Chief Scientific Secretary of the National Academy of Sciences, fundamental scientific research is the basis of further prac t ice-or iente d and innovat ive projects. And here the main role is played by scientific-research institutes, which carry out fundamental research within

the real sector of the economy is carried out by scientists in close cooperation with all sectors and enterprises in the country. To that end, some 75 joint cluster structures have been set up, bringing together not only the research institutes of the National Academy of

INNOVATION per cent. This was announced at the press conference "Belarus Smart. The Modern Ecosystem of Innovations", Deputy Director for Research at the Institute of Economics of the National Academy of Sciences Alexander Gotovsky said.

The Institute of Economics of the National Academy of Sciences provides general methodological support for the country's five-year social and economic development programme. Like any other programme, it has, among other things, an innovation component and its target figures, which are to be achieved within five years.

– There are three indicators for

for example, in the Eurasian Economic Union only Russia has an indicator of 1% of GDP. Kazakhstan has 0.14%, Armenia 0.23%, Kyrgyzstan 0.12%. So we have a good average for the EAEU. By the way, the funds to finance science in the future will come not only from the budget. Already in recent years, the share of extrabudgetary funding for science is 55%-59%, i.e. more than half.

If we talk about funding from the real sector, from commercial organisations, in Belarus this share was 64% last year. So we have practically the European average.

In Europe it is 66.5%. Yes, there are some countries where the real sector is more innovative. For example, in Japan, it is 79%, in South Korea, it is 80%. But in principle, we have a good average E u r o p e a n i n d i c at or a n d even surpass the Eastern E u r o p e a n countries.

The next target indicator, w h ich is stipulated by the innovative block in the Programme of S o c i a l a n d E c on om i c D e v e l o p m e nt , is the share of

innovation. The most important one is the science intensity of GDP, – clarifies Alexander Gotovsky. – In recent years, it has varied between 0.55% and 0.60% of the gross domestic product. We are planning to reach 1% in the future. It may seem like a small fraction. But if you compare it with other countries,

innovationactive organisations in the manufacturing industry.

Over the past decade, the country

has grown quite substantially in this area, Alexander Gotovsky pointed out.

Whereas in 2010 it was 16.6%, by 2020 it reached 29.6%. The program for 20212025 will take us to the level of more than 30%. On the whole, it turns out that we are already approaching that mark.

International statistics gives an average index for the industr y – mining, electricity, utilities in addition to manufacturing. Here Belarus had a slightly lower index. In recent years, it's 26.2%. For comparison, in Russia it is slightly over 9%, in the European Union – 50%, in China – slightly under 40%. All in all, we are following the global trend quite well here as well, believes the Deputy Director of the Institute of Economics.

The third indicator mentioned in the programme is the share of innovative products in the total volume of the shipped products of manufacturing organisations.

We have made good progress here as well. In 2010, it was 17.1%, and by 2020, it reached 20.9%. Our plan is to keep steadily climbing to 21% or higher.

– We are already on our way to that figure, – said Alexander Gotovsky.

As you know, international statistics gives a figure for the industry as a whole.

For Belarus it is 18% since traditional industries are included in this range of enterprises. The European Union has an average of 13%, and Germany – slightly less than 15%.

As you can see, on the whole, our figures against the background of international statistics look pretty good.

And this is encouraging.

By Vladimir Velikhov

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BELТА

BREAD IS A HEAD OF EVERYTHING!

BREAD

IN THE PALMS OF WOMEN Women in a combine? Unbelievable! And yet it is a fact!

More than once I have heard: harvesting is a creative process that requires not only experience but also talent. Of course, it requires both physical strength and stamina – the main reasons why men should do the work of a harvester. However, more and more often we hear that the fairer sex works on harvesters. Only in Mogilev Region – in Bykhov, Krichev, Mogilev, Mstislav, Slavgorod, Khotim and Shklov Districts in the harvesting campaign in the fields of the region among 1605 machine operators 10 women have lighted up. Although a farmer is not an easy profession, their number is growing every year in different regions of Belarus. Of course, we cannot speak of a mass phenomenon, but, nevertheless, the fact remains.

Professionals say that, in addition to all the subtleties of the combine – the ability to manage it, as well as to have good health, it is important to feel and

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understand the land. And women seem to be quite good at it, as the men say: a woman on a combine harvester is good luck.

Not for the first time "Traditionally, for the seventh year, we celebrate women harvesters, who make their contribution to the bread loaf of the country. There are only ten of them in the whole region – they are wives and daughters, young professionals and even mothers with many children.

Their hard work deserves respect and high results in the battle for the harvest deserve our gratitude," these were the words with which Olga Petrashova, member of the House of Representatives and the board of the Belarusian Union of Women, greeted the women combine harvesters of Shklov District during the national campaign "Bread in the palms of women" held in Mogilev Region. All toilers received household appliances,

bedding, cosmetics and flowers from the deputy and trade unions, as well as wishes for success in their work and family well-being.

In Shklov District female harvesters work at three farms – OJSC "AmkodorS h k l ov " , C J S C " Ni v a " a n d OJ S C "Govyady-Agro". So, husband and wife Elena and Sergey Golubtsov from CJSC "Niva" have been working at one harvester for six years. During this time they have begun to understand each other without words. "My wife can turn a nut and give me a spanner – we do everything together," says the spouse.

It is not easy for a woman to drive a combine harvester, but one gets used to everything, so we have been working side by side for a number of years," says Elena Golubtsova. – We have been harvesting grain for about a third week now and we have had to work hard from dawn to dawn. The hot weather, of course, has dried out the harvest, but

BREAD IS A HEAD OF EVERYTHING! Women. Other regions of the country have joined the project to honor women workers, who take an active part in the harvesting campaign along with men.

Liliya Ananich, deputy of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly and member of the Presidium of the Belarusian Union of Women, also took part in the "Bread in the palms of women" campaign. At the agricultural farm "Poultry Farm Velyatichi", Borisov District, she presented gifts to the best har vesters – manager of the grain warehouse Svetlana Pavlovets and driver Pyotr Ilyushenok. And in Vileyka, for example, Karina Pogudo works as an assistant combine har vester in the fields of OJSC "Alaya Zarya" as part of the youth crew. For the graduate of the VileykaState College this harvesting season for the first time. But she has a reliable support – because there is Ilya Chaykovsky, who will support both in word and deed. Chairman of the district council of deputies Elena Chebotar, who heads the district organization of the Belarusian Union of Women, chairman of Ludvinov village council Natalya Sheveleva and actors of Ludvinov village house of culture congratulated Karina on the debut on a bread field.

With a diploma and a gift, the youth crew returned to the combine's cab –

the bread field cannot wait: not a grain past the hopper – such is the task set for everyone by the harvesting season.

In the same field, another crew could be found, with youth and experience involved in the harvest. Very soon, Kristina Prusova will be telling preschool children about the world around them – including how bread appears on the table. And she will tell them about it firsthand, because now the pedagogical student works as a tandem assistant with Valery Khomich. "She copes with the duties of an assistant," states the combine harvester.

This hot honeymoon Deputies and trade unions also visited OJSC "Govyady-Agro" of Shklov District, where newlyweds Evgeny and Angelina Shevchik work on the same combine. They got married just a couple of weeks ago, before the mass harvesting of grain. However, the loving couple decided to spend their honeymoon not on seashores, but in the boundless fields of Shklov while driving the combine.

What is the secret of their family happiness and well-coordinated work?

Young people have been working in the harvesting campaign at OJSC "Govyady-Agro" – holding managing company – for the third year already. If BELТА

we are focused on the result – we will harvest every last grain".

OJSC "Amkodor-Shklov" employs 11 crews, of which only one is a family. For the second week father and daug hter Vitaly Petrashenko and Ekaterina Kruzmer have been working in the fields. The girl is a future teacher of physical education, a third-year student of the Mogilev State University after Arkady Kuleshov. She is not a novice in the harvesting, her third year as a harvester. She accepts congratulations with gratitude: such attention is pleasant and inspires her for new victories in the battle for the harvest.

"I already know my job, everything goes well and works out," says Ekaterina Kruzmer. – My friends and acquaintances are not even surprised that I work at the harvester all summer long. The only thing I still can't get used to is getting up early: I work very hard from 7 am till 10 pm. I don't spend the money I earn yet: I'm saving it for my dream – I want to buy a car. I already have my driving licence, now there is only one thing left to do".

By the way, the initiator of the " B re a d i n t h e p a l m s of w om e n " campaign was the Minsk regional organization of the Belarusian Union of

Angelina Andreykovets enjoys admiring ripe heads

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

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in the two previous harvests they were listed as a youth mixed crew, this year they have become a family crew as well.

Evgeny Shevchik works at the farm as a machine operator. He knows what he is doing and, according to his superiors, will never let him down. Work is the same everywhere and so are the requirements," says the young farmer. – The main thing is not to be lazy and to do your job diligently, then you will get good pay, and you will also earn respect in your colleagues".

Evgeny Shevchik is not a local, he comes from Brest Region. He has found work here and met his destiny.

Angelina's father used to work at OJSC "Govyady-Agro", and her mother still works on the farm as a dispatcher. At first the boy became a good friend of the family, and then he discerned in the girl his one and only. My soul mate, as they say, immediately clung to Angelina with all my heart," the young man said. – She is one in a million: kind, intelligent, homely and always supportive in any situation.

When the farm offered the boy to drive a combine harvester, he took his future wife as his assistant. At that time Angelina Andreykovets was a student of the Skaryna State University in Gomel.

Working as a combine harvester was not frightening, on the contrary, she decided to try something new. "Three years ago I knew nothing at all: neither how to clean and blow machinery, nor how to monitor the process of grain harvesting," the girl recalls. – Moreover, I was panically afraid of heights – the combine had to be climbed somehow.

Now all my fears and doubts are behind me: I have gained good experience and my husband supports me".

Now the young woman works as a teacher of Belarusian language and literature in the gymnasium in Gomel Region. A year of training is left but such a period does not frighten the newlyweds – time rushes by quickly.

The farm gave Evgeny a house, which the couple have already started to equip.

They used the money received for the harvest to buy a big sofa in the hall. The other part of the money they earned will be put aside in the family budget. They are also planning to start a farm.

Angelina has not yet got used to her new family status, but she says she is very lucky to have a husband. I

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BELТА

BREAD IS A HEAD OF EVERYTHING!

Angelina is no longer scared of the harvester hight as Zhenya is now always nearby

compare him with other guys and every time I am convinced that there are no more like him", she says. – We talk a lot, we listen to each other and we solve everything together. Zhenya is my first assistant in everything. If necessary, he will do the laundry, cook, and clean the house. Our work in the harvest brings us together even more strongly, we

don't bore each other, that's for sure.

Moreover, this year's harvest has become a real honeymoon for us. It cannot be otherwise, as agricultural workers have winter holidays and teachers have summer ones. It is difficult to get away from work and relax together at other times, but we still have a long way to go".

БЕЛТА

BELТА

BREAD IS A HEAD OF EVERYTHING!

Even hard work on the harvester seems easy to happy people

When asked what the secret to family happiness is, the newlyweds smile and look at each other. "The main thing is to do everything together – to work and relax," says Evgeny Shevchik with conviction. – And also to always make concessions and talk. You should not quarrel, quarrel and harbour grudges.

It is necessary to talk, not to keep silent.

Such behaviour will not do any good.

If you observe these simple rules, you can live to a ripe old age in peace and harmony".

Elena Andreykovets, Angelina's mother, is very happy with her son-inlaw. "Zhenya is like a second son to me,

kind and calm, always helpful," says the woman. – There aren't many good children like him nowadays – I probably got him as a reward from life. And I do the same to him: I support and help him. I have three children, I love and pity both my own and those of others.

I always lend a helping hand to the young: if necessary, I will give you some advice about your work, I will speak affectionately. Maybe my children will get it back in life – there will also be good people around".

"All the people in our farm are helpful and hard-working, – says the head of the primary trade union organization, Inga Garanskaya. – We support them, help them, and, of course, stimulate them financially. Thus, the average salary in 2020 was Br1,75 thousand.

210 people work at the joint-stock company. In addition to good wages and a full collective agreement, people are provided with free lunches and dinners during the harvesting season, as well as additional incentives – monthly food packages. If a person works beyond the norm, the cost of the food package can go up to Br120 per month. Upon retirement our workers are paid 1 basic amount for each year they have worked on the farm".

According to Valery Izmaylovich, director of OJSC "Govyady-Agro", the main cash income of the farm comes from livestock production. Today the farm sells 35 tons of milk per day from three dairy complexes. But the plan is to increase the volume to 40 tons: the prices are rising and for the sustainable development of the enterprise it must keep up with the times and constantly improve. To achieve its goals, the farm will improve the genetics of the herd and improve the fodder base.

"Today we are among the five largest farms of Shklov District, – says Valery Izmaylovich. – We do not lag behind on grain harvesting which we plan to finish by the middle of August. We have 3 drivers and 6 harvester crews who will harvest more than 2,5 thousand ha. The plan is to thresh 9 thousand tons of grain with an average yield of 35 cwt/ha. The weather is favourable, so the harvesting is going at a good pace. Today we have harvested more than 40% of the area".

By Mikhalina Cherkashina Using BelTA materials

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

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The Belarusian national team ranked 45th in the medal count at the XXXII Summer Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Our athletes have won 7 Olympic awards.

At the XXXII Summer Olympics Belarus was represented by 108 athletes in 20 sports. The only gold medal for Team Belarus was won by gymnast Ivan Litvinovich, who won the competition in trampoline. He repeated the success of Vladislav Goncharov, who was the best in the sport at the Games Rio 2016.

Three silver medals came from the efforts of wrestlers Irina Kurochkina and Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov, as well as the canoeing team of Nadezhda Lepeshko, Marina Litvinchuk, Margarita Makhnyova and Olga Khudenko. In the pouring rain, the girls won the 500m canoe four in Tokyo. They even surpassed their previous results in Rio, where they had taken bronze.

The Olympic bronze medal went to high jumper Maksim Nedosekov, who soared more than 2m 37cm, women's wrestler Vanessa Kolodinskaya, who left American Jakarra Winchester no chance, and gymnast Alina Gornosko.

By the way, such a great present for her birthday and great joy to the fans was brought by this talented pupil of Marina Lobach.

BELТА

WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD

OLYMPIANS

"I was very happy

the moment I saw the final score. I was surprised at the gold medal. To be honest, I was aiming for second or third place. I want to dedicate my medal to my grandmother. I always wanted to do it."

Ivan Litvinovich

OLYMPIANS "This award is special, the first for the Belarusian team in Tokyo.

In competing with the world's strongest athletes, you have demonstrated outstanding skills, amazing strength of character and the will to win.

You have proved that you have no equal today".

From congratulations of the President of Belarus

SPUTNIK.BY

Alexander Lukashenko

As a reminder, five years ago the Belarusian athletes won nine Olympic medals in Rio de Janeiro. The most successful was the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where the Belarusian team won 14 medals. All in all 85 medals have been won in seven Summer Olympics where Belarusians competed as a separate team.

The representatives of 93 teams out of 206 participating in the Games rose to the Olympic podium in Tokyo. The athletes competed for 339 medals in 33 events.

Summing up the results of the competitions in Tokyo, trampoline jump er Ivan L it v inov ich told reporters that he was satisfied with his

performance, during which he thought only about making no mistakes.

"The program was quite difficult, and I'm satisfied with the result. During the final performance I only thought about the combination, especially when I flew close to the mats. There were no thoughts at all, except what to do anyway," said the athlete.

Speaking about how he feels after winning the gold, Minsk Region native admitted that he has no special feelings about it so far, and he dedicated his victory to his grandmother. "I don't have any special feelings about becoming an Olympic champion. Maybe I'll get some later? I was very happy the moment I saw

the final score. I was surprised at the gold medal. To be honest, I was aiming for second or third place. I want to dedicate my medal to my grandmother. I always wanted to do it. She unfortunately did not live to see it," said the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion.

Ivan was congratulated on his Olympic gold medal by the President.

"This award is special, the first for the Belarusian team in Tokyo. In competing with the world's strongest athletes, you have demonstrated outstanding skills, amazing strength of character and the will to win. You have proved that you have no equal today," the letter of congratulations runs. БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

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BELТА

BELТА BELТА

Our other medallists also fought for the honour of our flag.

It's enough to just look at the photos that depict a lot of mixed emotions among athletes – wrestlers Irina Kurochkina and Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov as well as kayakers Nadezhda Lepeshko, Marina Litvinchuk, Margarita Makhnyova, Olga Khudenko and Maxim Nedosekov.

BELТА

Alexander Lukashenko also congratulated the coaching staff led

by Olga Vlasova on this triumph. "The Belarusians are proud of your victories," he stressed.

The President wished the athlete good health, wellbeing and new achievements.

Due to this success young trainees of Vitebsk Children's and Youth Sports School of Olympic Reserve No.1 will get good support, the President's Sports Club told reporters.

The newly crowned champion of the Tokyo Games decided to allocate Br20 thousand to the sports school where future Olympians are trained as part of the "Olympic Choice" project. Ivan Litvinovich, who has recently turned 20, was born in Vileika, but lately he has been training in Vitebsk on the basis of the Specialized Children and Youth Sports School of the Olympic Reserve No. 1 under the guidance of the head coach of the national trampoline team Olga Vlasova from Vitebsk. During the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio this sports school already received material support after another trampoline trampoline trampolinist Vladislav Goncharov's gold medal performance.

As for Alina Gornosko, our grace scored 102.700 points in the allaround. The Israeli athlete Lina Ashram (107.800) sensationally claimed victory in the event and Russia's Dina Averina (107.650) got silver. Bronze for 19-yearold Alina Gornosko was the seventh medal won by a Belarusian athlete at the Tokyo Olympics. Another of our grace

BELТА

OLYMPIANS

OLYMPIANS Alina Gornosko approached he Olympics in optimum shape.

Yes, she was one of the medal contenders. But the competition for the Olympic podium in this event, as you know, is enormous.

In Minsk, Alina Gornosko was welcomed as a true champion.

The last time Belarusian gymnasts rose to the Olympic podium was at the London Games – 9 years have passed since then!

SB.BY

Anastasia Salos placed eighth in the all-around finals.

Alina Gornosko approached the Olympics in optimum shape.

Yes, she was one of the medal contenders. But the competition for the Olympic podium in this event, as you know, is enormous.

In Minsk, Alina Gornosko was welcomed as a true champion. The last time Belarusian gymnasts rose to the Olympic podium was at the London Games – 9 years have passed since then!

A l i n a G or n o s ko ' s m e ntor Marina Lobach was the Olympic champion at the Seoul Games, at which she was trained by the current head coach Irina Leparskaya. Such an Olympic succession!

She is still cautious about the Games in Paris in 2024. After the Olympics our team has practically no time to rest. In September the team will go to Japan again, where they will be competing for world championship medals. We wish our graces good luck!

We also wish good luck to Maxim Nedosekov, whom Alexander Lukashenko congratulated. "You are the first Belarusian high jumper who has succeeded in getting onto the Olympic podium, opening a new page in the histor y of Belarusian athletics. Being a true sportsman and a patriot, you have conclusively proved that you have to believe in yourself and fight for the honour of your flag to the end – and success will surely come," the letter of congratulations runs.

Our other medallists als o fought for the honour of our flag.

It's enough to just look at the photos that depict a lot of mixed emotions among athletes – wrestlers Irina Kurochkina and Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov as well as kayakers Nadezhda Lepeshko, Marina Litvinchuk, Margarita Makhnyova and Olga Khudenko.

All their performances were aimed at winning.

Yes, not many medals were brought to Belarus this time. But, as they say in such cases, all of them are worth their weight in gold.

By Mikhalina Cherkashina Using BelTA materials

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

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OVERHEAD

TRAIN TO THE FUTURE The Republican youth train "#BelarusYouthUnity" created as a result of the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia has covered 2,000 kilometres all over Belarus this summer. Its participants – students, working and rural young people, young deputies, volunteers, teachers, bloggers, and the SDC youth ambassadors – spent seven days in the thematically decorated carriages visiting various parts of Belarus. With the sound of wheels they discussed various pressing issues: from patriotic education of youth to implementation of socially significant initiatives. Residents of Novosibirsk Region of Russia, as well as Azerbaijan and Tajikistan, also took part in the project. So, the project can be safely called international.

Its organizers – including the Ministry of Education, Minsk City Executive Committee, Belarusian Railways, and the Belarusian Republican Youth Union – say the project was born spontaneously.

Several years ago, during the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia, the participants suddenly had an idea: why not to travel by rail from Brest to Vladivostok?

However, when the summer of 2020 came, it became clear that this voyage would not become international for the time being.

But it will be a republican one. So the first youth train called "#BelarusYouthUnity"

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started its seven-day journey through all the regions of Belarus on July 17, 2020.

Why? It was decided in this non-standard way to contribute to unification of the youth of the Union State. And, of course, to influence the formation of a positive image of the country, to raise the civil and patriotic spirit of youth. That is, in fact, the main idea and the super task of the project.

Any adult Belarusian under 31 could take part in the second Republican Youth Train this year. It was enough to apply and describe one's achievements in education,

science, sport, culture, or social activities.

There were 200 applications, of which 100 participants were selected. Among others was Viktoriya Mekhedko, Deputy Chairperson of the national creative youth public association "Promotion of Youth". This organisation is dedicated to developing the creative potential of young people, and aims to involve them as much as possible in the social life of the country. And also to inculcate a love of their homeland, and to honour traditions.

An important role, according to Victoria, they give to the preservation of historical

OVERHEAD truth about the war. And they also focus on healthy lifestyles among young people and contribute to strengthening relations between Slavic peoples.

Judging by the photos and videos that Victoria generously shared on her Instagram, the programme of the sevenday tour was very rich. So after returning to the capital, I immediately invited her to a meeting. After all, as you know, the first impressions are the brightest.

– Our voyage started from Grodno.

After organizational matters, namely: arrival, accommodation of participants, meeting we were immediately invited on an evening sightseeing of Grodno.

We were entertained by an intellectual quiz and a dance and entertainment program especially for participants of the project "Grodno – Youth Capital".

We started driving around only on the second day and went straight to the local zoo. I am very fond of animals, so such a nice start of the trip was very helpful to get the bearings and tune in a positive mood. After the zoo we went to improve the alley planted by the participants of the last year's project "Republican Youth Train #BelarusMoladzNatkhnenne".

Little by little the project picked up speed, allowing the participants, as they say, to get into the track. And then – where only we were! We visited the Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, St. John's

It is pleasant to admire the landscapes of Belarus to the sound of wheels

Lutheran Church, the House-Museum of of Eliza Ozheshko... We laid flowers on the common grave of Soviet soldiers and partisans. The ceremony of handing over the State Flag of Belarus to the participants of the youth train as part of the national campaign "Symbols of My Country" was very touching. At such moments you

feel yourself an inseparable part of the whole, you feel personally responsible for what is happening. Later we had an open dialogue "Youth: Realities of Today" with famous people of Grodno Region and outstanding athletes.

– And all of these things you just listed happened on the same day?

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OVERHEAD – Yes! And, I should point out, I didn't list all of the active first day's items! There was also a night parade of the youth train participants on electric scooters. And even the departure of the train took place in a festive atmosphere.

– Where did we go then?

– To Polotsk. There we took part in the charity action "Restoration of the sanctuaries of Belarus", and after it – in an open dialogue "Youth. Enlightenment. Unity". We had an excursion to the Spaso-Euphrosyne Stauropegic Convent. Many know about it, but not everyone has been there. So for some people it was a pleasant bonus. The next point in our busy program is a meeting and laying of flowers at Urochishe Peski memorial complex. And, of course, we walked around historical Polotsk, where we found the geographical centre of Europe.

– During the youth tour you met with the authorities, as far as I know?

– That's right. We had an open dialogue with the Minister of Education of Belarus and the Minister of Education of Novosibirsk Region. Some of the participants were just from there. It took place in Vitebsk on the 17th of July.

– Just those days the XXX International Festival of Arts "Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk" was held there. You didn't go there?

– We took part in the closing ceremony of the Youth Days and awarded the winners of the national festival-contest "Flame of Youth Talents". So, we can say that we "breathed" the air of the competition and soaked up the festival atmosphere that was in Vitebsk in those days.

– What day was the most eventful and memorable?

– It's a difficult question, because we were busy from morning till night, every day. It started traditionally with a rally and the laying of flowers at monuments. Then in Gorki, for example, we visited the agro-industrial resource centre... And in Petrykiv we got to the mining and processing enterprise "Belaruskali". I took so many photos there! And I took a "piece of memory" – a pebble. It is unbelievable emotions: when you see with your own eyes what you heard or saw on TV. You experience things in a completely different way when you can touch them with your own hands. In general, in each city we visited historical cultural sites and places of remembrance. Everywhere, we had open dialogues with representatives of the local authorities where we discussed pressing issues of human resources policy, labour, and maintaining unity in our multi-polar world. Even the army and the defence of the country were discussed. For instance, in Maryina Gorka – the military unit of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Belarus.

– Victoria, did you like it? Would you like another good trip like that?

– Yes, of course! I am with both hands in favour! I am convinced that such projects should be, and they should be created as much as possible. Because it's not only educational and fun (although sometimes sad). It really brings us, the youth, together. And not only young people, it seems to me. When we do something together, it can't help but unite. You feel yourself a part of the whole, as I said before. You feel involved in a global process. You do not just hear the phrase: "we are the future", "our future begins today". It really is! I want to back up my thoughts with the words of Deputy Minister of Education Alexander Kadlubay. He said it was extremely symbolic that in the Year of National Unity the Republican Youth Train brings together

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young people from all regions of the country. After all, we had a slogan "Belarus. Youth. Unity".

– In Minsk, in the National Flag Square, in a solemn atmosphere, I know, Education Minister Igor Karpenko presented certificates to each of the participants. The event was covered in the media...

– Yes! Now I have another certificate, which will take a prominent place in my collection of diplomas and certificates.

But seriously, I am inspired and fired up with new ideas. So there is something to do at work, in my association "Promotion of Youth".

By Alisa Gungor

Near the geographical centre of Europe in Polotsk

With the Minister of Education in the project final

OVERHEAD

"When we do something together, it can't help but unite.

You feel yourself a part of the whole. ...You feel involved in a global process.

You do understand the words: "we are the future", "our future begins today"...

In the Year of National Unity the Republican Youth Train brings together young people from all regions of the country.

After all, we had a slogan "Belarus. Youth. Unity" In Grodno Zoo

Project participants

Each participant of the project was granted a certificate

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

31

25 YEARS LATER Continuation. Beginning in No. 2,3,4,6

The morning was cool on that 12th day of the trip. We spent the night in the forest near the village Medriki. I didn't want to wake up: I felt tired from daily walking. However, the mood was good, as the place to spend the night was chosen without discussion. How many times have we been convinced of how much mood affects physical condition? Therefore, we set out on the route at 10.15, getting ready without haste. We even fixed something.

After passing the town Soly, we entered the church. We sat there during the service. The organ sounded beautifully.

The church was built before the war at the expense of the parishioners. The church drew attention

deviated from the main route – we went from Medriki to Soly, then to Osipany, Gaudevichi and Kushlyany.

From Ivan's notes after a conversation with a village grandfather, whom we met by the road: "Well, let it be a stork with me...", – says the grandfather. He lifted the old frames on old trees near the house, but for some reason storks do not come to him. In July, he says, they are chased by bees. Not all neighbors like storks. But the magpie is not a hindrance: they managed to bring chicks. We try to reason: maybe the grandfather is not doing well with the energy, because the stork does not take root. His reasoning

E H T G N O L

A

in 1900... His grave was in Zhuprany near the church in the cemetery. These are well-known facts now available online.

They are noted in the diary.

Franciszek Bohuszewicz Museum is located not far from the village, exactly where Franciszek Bohuszewicz estate was.

We remember the beautiful landscapes around us, and how we walked along the alley to the gazebo. This is how they write about it on the Internet: "On the territory of the estate there is a park, the writer himself planted trees in it. One of the alleys, chestnut, leads to the

– R E D R O B

T O O F N O

to the memorial plaque of the local residents who died during the wars. Those we asked do not know where name Soly comes from. Even the elderly.

Going to Kushlyany, we continued to count the storks: 56 already. We began to get confused about where we had spent the night earlier and what was remarkable there. Therefore, we wrote down something as a keepsake. In the morning of the same day, we listened to the radio program "Belarusian Youth": on April 26, our colleagues conducted a radio marathon dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Chernobyl tragedy.

Silence and grace in nature, a beautiful morning forest in which we spent the night, contributed to a good mood. To get to Kushlyany, the places associated with Franciszek B ohuszewicz, we

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about nationality: "We are Poles. After all, we go to the church and pray in Polish. We have a Polish faith. The parents were Poles. Poland was here until 1939"... But the poet Ales Zhamoitin has no doubts who he is.

Meeting with Ales Zhamoitin, who wished us strength and light on the spiritual path.

A r r i v i n g i n K u s h l y a n y, w e immediately go to the post office. We put a stamp: a sign that we were here. Then they found out where to find the local celebrity Ales Zhamoitin.

The next stop is the museum-estate of Franciszek Bohuszewicz. We meet the caretaker, Regina Sidorovich, a very friendly woman. While we are waiting for Ales, she says that Franciszek Bohuszewicz was born in Svirany – now Vilnius region – on March 9, 1840. He studied at Vilnius gymnasium... He died

poet's favorite gazebo – the place of his creative inspiration on Lysaya Gora.

Local historians claim that Bohuszewicz built it together with friends in memory of the victims of the uprising of 1863-64, in which he took an active part. Previously, there was a wooden cross in the pavilion (not preserved), and the place was called "Crucified Will". Nearby, at the edge of the forest, is another important element of the ensemble: the secret stone. They say that the Belarusian classic hid his manuscripts under it in order to avoid persecution for freethinking. After the death of the writer, an unknown master carved an inscription on the stone in memory of Maciej Burachka (Bohuszewicz's pseudonym).

Finally, we waited for Ales Zhamoitin.

Before that, by the way, we went to his house, but no one was there. We noticed: an ax lay in a bucket of water in the yard near the house. Apparently, the owner was going to chop wood. From his village experience, Ivan knows: an ax swells

a

at no h t y e n r jou

the Brest region: he is from the village of Malakhovtsy, Baranovichi region. He started working in the museum as a research assistant, and since 1989 has been the head of the museum and director. The Kushlyan period of the life and work of Ales Zhamoitin is associated with the restoration of the estate, the organization of a new exposition, which gave the museum a truly memorial status.

Museum-estate "Kushlyany" was founded in 1990 in a reconstructed house that Franciszek Bohuszewicz built in 1896 and lived there the last years of his life. This house is apparently the only authentic example of a 19th century writer's estate in the whole Belarus. Here Ales Zhamoytin conducts his business, knowing many secrets of the poet's life and heritage, familiar with his descendants. He has two thousand excursions a year, and he is looking for his own approach to each group. By the way, in the Baranovichi central regional library there is detailed information about this and about our creative interlocutor in general, the "Grodno Pravda" wrote about him.

the guests. We ask them about life, and they are interested in our plans. Teresa talks about mystical events in those places. For example, what the patients of the hospital in Smorgon saw in 1996 before Christmas: in the afternoon a rainbow appeared in

ed yet t a e p e r ne has

o

the sky, the ends of which connected the church and the church. In one of the hospital wards there was an apparition of the Theotokos of Jesus Christ – on Orthodox Carols and on Candlemas.

Later we wrote in our diary that the lifestyle of Ales Zhamoitin is an attempt to combine earthly life with life in the spheres of the spiritual, the spheres of knowledge. He has his own horse, cow, goat, pigs, chickens... And even a dog, a German Spitz – but there are also scientific pursuits, the desire to spiritualize the earth, to understand where we live. Where we come from and where we are going.

His wife is more engaged in agriculture and children, Ales – in science and bees.

He also participated in a folk music ensemble, for which he even bought a synthesizer. He boasted tha his daughter Zarina wrote music. At that time, the network radio in Kushlyany had already been liquidated. We're talking about global things in general.

For example, about the global crisis. The fact that the sociologist Bestuzhev-Lada, according to Ales, "gives civilization 60 + 20 years to come to its senses and not fall into the abyss." The poet's wife is called Teresa, they also have a daughter, Olga.

We still remember the dinner with boiled potatoes: the hosts set the table for MUSEUMS.BY

Notes on

During the conversation with Ales and after we make notes. At that time he was engaged in scientific work, studied yoga, occultism and mythology "with a projection on Belarus". I've been collecting materials for 20 years.

In 1996, the scientist, according to his admission, went through the "stage of systematization."

Museum-estate of Franciszek Bohuszewicz "Kushlyany" in Kushlyany.

GRODNONEWS.BY

from moisture, the ax sits on it more firmly. And the hives were in the estate: Zhamoitin was a beekeeper. At that time, the current head of the museum-estate of Franciszek Bohuszewicz "Kushlyany" kept a horse, using it both on the farm and for the needs of the museum.

The poet began working in the museum in 1988, according to him, with all his heart attached to this land.

Ales himself is from

TOMKAD.LIVEJOURNAL.COM

25 YEARS LATER

Ales Zhamoitin, who knows well the legacy of Franciszek Bohuszewicz

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

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TOMKAD.LIVEJOURNAL.COM

25 YEARS LATER

The Gothic Church of Saints Peter and Paul, the so-called Peter and Paul Church, is the main attraction of the agricultural town Zhuprany, built in 1854.

The town itself is located in Oshmyany district of Grodno region – on the section of the P63 highway between Smorgon and Oshmyany. Zhuprany are known for the fact that since 1407 the village belonged to the Radziwiłł family. The village gained real popularity in the 19th century.

Zhuprany landscape with the catholic church

He says he loves the rural intelligentsia.

Here they celebrate the anniversaries of famous people, pay attention to spiritual life.

But we still did not understand: was Ales realizing his creative potential in the village? Were people already experienced in science focused on the fruits of their labor? Could he give "to each according to his consciousness"? I want to believe in that. So we thought and wrote then. He is glad that he found in Krevo (at last!) a pagan shrine. It looks like, he said, to the famous Stonehenge! With different levels of stones, with a place for the main FireZnich. He also claimed that the Druids were experienced Celts. The Celts are from the Aryans, and it is possible that the Druids in the names in the north of Belarus left traces of their presence: Druya, Druyka, Drivyaty, Drisvyaty... In addition, according to Ales, the religion of the Zoroastrians is the basis of the ancient faith of Belarusians – our paganism.

In his diar y on page 60, Ales Zhamoytin drew an isosceles triangle with symbols inside it. And below there are inscriptions. "And God said: Let there be peace. And let there be peace! (Bible of Skaryna). Then the wish: "Strength and light to you on the spiritual path! Ales

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Zhamoytin. 26.06.1996. Kushlyany ". For 25 years, the seal without paste has burned out: "Museum-estate... Kushlyany".

We leave Zhamoitn late and move straight into the April night: we hasten to spend the night in Zhuprany, at the school. It is 10 kilometers from Kushlyan to Zhupran, first along the highway (on the maps the P-63 highway: Oshmyany – Smorgon), then to the left along it towards Oshmyany. The darkness is already hopeless. If you look at the map of the area from Osipan to Zhupran, you can see large forests to the right of the road. How we remember them! The air was damp – it was raining. Somehow alarming, as it is described in any fantastic work. Clouds. Darkness. It is very dark in the forest. And, as they say now, the "cool" long blackening car stops several times to accompany us. How he dances: first forward, then backward. Someone is probably looking at us through the tinted glass. We talk about it quietly and try not to look in the direction of the car. Who is in it? Why are they watching us from her?

The 90s and everything on the roads was enough. Just in case, Ivan pulls out an ax from the packages so that, if something happens, try to defend himself. We even read prayers, and try not to fall into

anxiety – not to obey fear, although the obvious danger, as they say, is very close – we just have to reach out...

Everything worked out. The car spun and drove away. Perhaps we say that Saint Euphrosinia protected us. We believe that her intercession was with us throughout the "Walk to the Thirtieth Kingdom."

And the black car in the black forest is often mentioned. By the way, this was the only strong fear that gripped us on the way. Therefore, the dream that night was disturbing.

13th day. Zhuprany – Kamenka.

School in Zhuprany. Schoolchildren, their ideas about happiness and the basic law of the universe. A church in Zhuprany and a monument to Franciszek Bohuszewicz. We plant chestnuts.

The description of the day is given in accordance with the detailed content of the diaries made by Valya in autumn 1996.

Yesterday we covered 29 km. The day was full of both walking and meetings.

We spent the night at the boarding school Zhupran. We arrived there late in the evening, the curator of the museum in Kushlyany sent us to school: her daughter, a teacher, works there. We went to bed very late, as we were in the school yard

25 YEARS LATER From a conversation with the director, we still remember how she proudly mentioned that the school was attended by a famous fellow countryman Franz Klintsevich, a Russian politician, a candidate of psychological sciences – he comes from the village Kreivatsi, Oshmyany region. He was born in 1957. In 2006, by the decision of the Oshmyany District Council of Deputies for making a great personal contribution to the development and strengthening of friendly relations and cooperation between Belarus and Russia, for the courage and dedication shown during military service (participated in hostilities in Afghanistan), for public activities in the benefit of the city of TOMKAD.LIVEJOURNAL.COM

only at 22.30. From the diary (Valya writes): "Ivan immediately went to the boarding school to negotiate. I stood alone in complete darkness, waiting for him for 20 minutes – and a black cat was spinning next to me. I was a little scared: as if some scraps of "fear of a black car" had stuck to my thoughts. We slept in the boarding school between the beds right on the floor: it was too lazy to unwind sleeping bags. In the morning, when we woke up, we quickly got together, because we were invited to school: to a meeting with high school students. Teenagers – with enlightened faces. Our business card was presented to one boy and a girl.

(Which of the Zhuprans remembers our meeting? Answer me!) Ivan told a girl named Tonya about one of the basic laws of being: the law of cause and effect. The fact that a person is constantly making a choice every moment. Also about the teaching of Zoroastrianism... The headmaster is a very nice woman. She is characterized by a soft femininity, in contrast to the directors of the strict and "authoritarian", if not iron. She treated us to goodbye sweets! " At the meeting, we ask students in grades 8, 9 and 10: what are people looking for in the thirtieth kingdom?

Answer: happiness, better destiny, loved ones... And on the second question, what is the basic law of the world, they say: love for one's neighbor. It is obvious that the disciples in Zhuprany were brought up in a Christian spirit. By the way, today it is "Zhuprany secondary school named after F.K. Bohuszewicz". At that time, the school had 222 students and 24 teachers.

The teacher of geography and singing Viktor Kovalenok is a traveler, just like us. Travel, boat and bike trips.

Here's what else the headmaster of the school, Sofya Iosifovna Kovalenok, told us. Her reasoning is recorded in the diary. We quote: "I would like more.

But household chores take a lot of time and effort. In winter, for example, it is very cold: because, say, the boiler is out of order. The batteries were heated for a week with blowtorches – parents took care. With regard to spirituality, I believe that the laws of good are fundamental in the world. I can forgive the guys for everything except deception. So as not to beat each other." Ms Sophia is trying to educate her daughter, who is in the 8th grade, she sings and participates in competitions.

Grave of Franciszek Bohuszewicz in Zhuprany

Oshmyany and the Oshmyany region, reserve colonel Klintsevich was awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of the city of Oshmyany". He was awarded two Orders of the Red Star, the Order of Honor, Friendship, the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the Order of Honor of the Republic of Belarus, the Order of the Star of the III degree of the Republic of Afghanistan, 12 medals of the USSR and the Republic of Afghanistan.

After the meeting at the school, we go to the church, built in 1875. We meet the priest Krzysztof. Today's information about this church is as follows: "In 1875 the church was completed and consecrated on October 12, 1875 in the name of the apostles Peter and Paul." And also: "Around 1550 – the first wooden church was laid. The end of the 16th century was adapted for the Calvinist church. 1854 – the beginning of the construction of a brick church on the foundations of Count A. Chapsky. The future Belarusian writer Bohuszewicz took part in the work. Due to lack of money and the uprising of 1863, construction was suspended. " There is a ls o a monument to Bohuszewicz in the agricultural town of Zhuprany, erected in 1958 in the park. The author of the monument is the famous Belarusian sculptor Zair Azgur.

From Ivan's notes after a conversation with the priest: "Most of the inhabitants of Zhuprany are Poles. They do not pray in Belarusian in the Church, although every priest is open to the national language. The liturgical part is in Latin.

The catechism is not taught in schools either. The priest does not go to school...

There is such a division: Catholic – Pole, Orthodox – Russian. The Apostles Peter and Paul are the patrons of the church ".

The priest also said that 30-40 children go to the church. There is no alcohol at the burials in the settlement: he established the following order: "Vodka," he explained, "the deceased does not need, not the drunkard is still alive. So there is savings. Those who appreciate alcohol should look for another priest: I don’t want to participate in such an event".

Some entries in the diary are dedicated to the peculiarities of Catholic worship and the life of believers. We also noticed that the priest himself allocates his time.

Tatiana B ohuszewicz, a school technician, at that time a correspondence student at the Warsaw Pedagogical University, talked to us and took us to Bohuszewicz's grave. The cross on the grave of Franciszek Bohuszewicz was erected on the occasion of his 150th birthday. The portrait was returned to the church – for the 150th anniversary.

Tatiana said that in the house where the priest used to live, they opened a house for young people. In those days, faith returned to the daily life of parishioners.

We come to Oshmyany. Judging by the diary entry, nothing perceptible happened БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

35

IVAN ZHDANOVICH

25 YEARS LATER

State educational institution "Zhuprany secondary school named after F.K. Bohuszewicz"

Photo for memory. Maria Misevich (to the left of Valentina) with her son Igor and niece Tatyana.

to us there: only the telephone number of the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Oshmyansky Vestnik" Yuri Nikolaev is indicated, and the editorial office is at 36 Sovetskaya Street. We arrived at the regional center on Saturday, April 27, at noon: I remember, how 5 chestnuts were planted on the road from Oshmyany (4-5 km). It was very cold, we walked in warm jackets. Having dined, we even warmed ourselves by the fire.

With great gratitude – about librarian Maria Misevich. Her hospitality and her then great interest in life and people.

On the way to Golshany we spent the night in the village Kamenka. House of Vladimir and Maria Misevich on the road, on the right. Vladimir then worked on a farm, Maria – as a librarian. Let's get acquainted. It can be seen how worried Maria is: journalists from Minsk do not come to the courtyard every day, but ask to spend the night. Therefore, he is in a hurry to tell about everything. The youngest son Igor is 6 years old, his niece's name is Tatiana. Sasha is the senior. Maria graduated from the Mogilev Library College. It is 6-7 kilometers from the village to Golshany. There is a settlement and a castle in Golshany. not far away, in the village of Lyudvikashchyna, on the Zelenka farm, which we passed,

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the medicine man Ivan Kazimirovich Matskevich lives. We ask Maria: will it be possible to go to him in the morning. She promises us a "horse expedition" – to go there on a cart.

The Misevich family is not rich, but hospitable. We are given a whole room in the house. Maria, respecting the guests, covers the beds with clean sheets, puts in high pillows. We, grimy and tired, feel uncomfortable, do not want to violate the cleanliness, and therefore, according to our habit of vagabonds, we settle on the floor on our sleeping bags.

S u n d a y m o r n i n g w a s s u n ny, somewhat festive. For the first time in almost two weeks of daily walking, we bathed in the bathroom with hot water.

We treated ourselves to breakfast with delicious pancakes baked by the hostess in honor of the birthday of her eldest son Sasha. Since we had nothing to give the guy, Ivan wrote a poem right on our business card. So we wanted to cheer up a quiet, kind, hardworking teenager who, according to his mother, was not very confident at the time. Sketching these notes, both thought about how the fate of Sasha was? Does Maria remember our meeting?

Of course she remembers! We called at random on one of the home phones

in Kamenka, and Yadviga Dokurno undertook to inform Maria that Minsk journalists were looking for her. By the way, Yadviga spoke very well of her fellow villager. Along the way, she told that she lives with her youngest son Igor, who works as an assistant to the combine operator. Son Sasha, like her husband earlier, passed away. Maria still works in the library, and although her fate is not easy, she does not take offense at life. The fact that Maria remembers us, she said herself, calling us for tomorrow. She also remembers how she took us to the healer in a cart.

We have not forgotten how, after breakfast, the residents of Kamenka saw the following picture: the burly Mrs. Maria, "sitting" with a whip on a cart, was taking us on the straw, who had become exhausted from bathing and breakfast; to Kazimirovich, for an "interview". The meeting with the healer did not take place (the owner was not at home), but we were very pleased with the short walk!

Especially Valya, for whom a wheelchair ride is exotic. Especially after two weeks of walking...

It should be noted here that the idea of walking around Belarus was not disrupted by this voyage! After all, we drove back to Kazimirovich – who wants to, look at the

25 YEARS LATER map! – this was the road that we passed.

Then we returned to Kamenka, collected and packed the Kewpie, photographed for memory with Maria and the children and went further along the highway, to Golshany with its famous castle. Let Sasha Misevich poem remain on the pages of the magazine: as a memory of him.

To Sasha from village Kamenka on his 16th birthday Sixteen! And springtime...

And there are so many roads ahead!

So let your doubts all burn out In the fire of victories over the difficulties of life.

May your dreams come true! Just believe me!

Everything is in us: both our pain and joy.

You just choose your own path! Now! Then everything will come true! Be strong, Sasha!

April 28, 1996 in village Kamenka, Oshmyany region.

Unfortunately, Sasha did not become strong...

And his daughter Leona Matskevich told us about the healer. She said that the father was given the power of God to heal people. He makes infusions – from herbs and flowers. Helps patients with psoriasis, epilepsy, nerve damage... He has "strong, strong hypnosis." He has been treating people for six years. The thread will be knitted and taken by the patient's hand.

It so happens that he holds the hand and already says where someone hurts. One woman had a terrible toothache. She took the pills – it did not help. And he cured.

The nervous system, if someone fails, he calms, then relieves stress... Somehow someone broke his leg, relieved the pain.

And the leg healed by itself, without a cast: the fracture was closed. Accompanies healing with prayer. Reading books. He's a Catholic, goes to church. He worked on a collective farm. Now retired.

Currently, as Maria said, he lives in Oshmyany.

As we understood, the healer checks everything on himself – all the recipes that he uses, and then advises people.

According to his daughter, a German doctor aroused father's interest in treatment, the professor lived in those places that "remained from the war."

Ivan Kazimirovich was small then, but something stirred in him. As a child, when he hit hard, he noticed how he put his hand on the bruised place – and the

pain disappeared... His whole life was spent in great work. Until the 33rd, he did not pay attention to my health. And now he eats once a day, or even does not eat at all, until he accepts all the sick. He is strict to drunkard, he does not accept drinkers.

So, let's go to Golshany. We feel refreshed. The hospitable Kamenka was left behind, and after 45 minutes, according to the tradition, which began to take shape from the beginning of the walk, we were resting. The terrain is hilly: we were told that the most elevated places near Kamenka are called the Caucasus.

From walking on such a road as on huge waves, from the elastic joy of overcoming oneself after fatigue, a corresponding mood arises in the soul. Valentina made the following entry in her diary: "Ivan

To Sasha from village Kamenka on his 16th birthday Sixteen! And springtime...

And there are so many roads ahead!

So let your doubts all burn out In the fire of victories over the difficulties of life.

May your dreams come true! Just believe me!

Everything is in us: both our pain and joy.

You just choose your own path! Now

28.04.96, in Kamenka village of Oshmyany district

wrote a wonderful poem dedicated to me." And this is Ivan's today's remark about Valya: "She withstood all the tests with me with dignity and courage in a rather difficult 120-day trip. I remember how I was taught, already in Polesye by one counter: "Everything is clear with you: you are a strong man! But why torture a woman? " Bow to you and thanks, my dear friend! And my wife. " On our journey, we often asked the question: "What is happiness?" And we have heard different opinions on this matter. And, finally, comprehending

the accumulated experience, we found a formula: happiness is not to languish in work, but to enjoy it. Of course, this does not mean: being lazy or working without enthusiasm. Here, first of all, the optimistic attitude of the soul to work is important. The mental attitude will isolate the joy of what has been done.

"This work strangles us, we work like slaves" – and this we heard from the people we met. This, unfortunately, is not a working attitude, but a life full of stress, imbalance and even diseases of the soul.

In such a mood, you quickly get tired, and you do not feel the joy of work, and therefore the illness approaches. We also met optimists who are doing their job in a good mood: "Glory to God, who gives strength to work, to earn bread for himself and his loved ones. Thank God that I can put my business in order, that there was income in the house. "Agree, this is a completely different labor melody!

If you strain your mind, maintain such a mood in your soul, then even if you are very tired, as we have already said, you will experience joy. The mood of the soul – it must be either tired or invigorating at work. And the best, sweetest rest – of course, after a lot of stress.

In Golshany we saw a miracle.

Several, maybe five courtyards – house numbers of about 60-65 – stand on the Castle Hill – by the stream. Its water is in motion all the time. There is a spring at the top under the mountain. Untitled.

(Perhaps this is the Ship? This name is found in the descriptions of the Golshany ethnographers). The stream flows into the Golshanka River. Cows drink from it, people wash themselves with water from the river. Drinking water is taken from the stream. If you lower the boat downstream, it will sail to the Berezina River. This is a miracle. But even the children are used to the stream. Because it is always there. This is already familiar. Therefore, it does not surprise either children or adults.

We walked and talked about how pleasant it would be for us to live in a house by such a resounding stream.

Then we went to the house of the director of the local historical museum Eduard Korzun – and it was Sunday, and he was resting... He agreed to show us the museum... Now Eduard Semyonovich, the tireless explorer of Oshmyany region, is gone. The Historical Museum in Golshany rightfully bears his name.

By Ivan and Valentina Zhdanovich

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

37

PERSONALITY

Vera Polyakova

"I AM A HUMAN-CREATOR"

What is the main thing in her life Vera Polyakova, media actress, TV presenter, head of the theatrical project "TriTformaT", associate professor of the department of vocal, speech and plastic disciplines of the Academy of Arts of Belarus would like to tell the readers of the magazine?

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БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

About life, theatrical performances, new formats of theatrical performances, about her husband, children and friends, as well as why the year 2020 was very important in her destiny – about this and about being, in which it is impossible for her to live without straining – is our conversation with her.

Once one of her colleagues said about Vera Polyakova that she is a real boon to journalists: bright, lively, charismatic and very open. And so it is. This is what we have seen while communication with Vera. But what else would be added to this list is sincerity. A genuine natural quality that cannot be played, even as a brilliant actress: it either exists or it does not. So Vera is inherent in sincerity, which also makes her a warm, sunny, magnetic person.

– Vera! Psychologists say that we are all made up of subpersonalities.

Which one would you like to talk about in more detail, which one is most dear to you in yourself and why?

– Oh, I don’t know... In fact, I like everything I do, what I manifest myself in. I love what I do so much that I cannot dissect it somehow. It always surprises me when people say, "God, how tired I am! I don’t want to go to work." I get tired too, but I always want to go and do something. Even on vacation, I do not lie idly on the beach and just sunbathe. Of course, I lie on the lounger, but at the same time I invent new projects, negotiate, get in touch with someone. There is not a single city in which I would simply come and have not agreed on a tour for my theatrical project "TriTformaT". For example, if I'm planning a vacation, I go and already think: I will definitely meet someone there and agree on a tour. For example, I would really like to show my performances in St. Petersburg. Because our director is from Tikhvin, and this is a town near St. Petersburg, where she graduated from the university, and then studied with Sergey Solovyov in Moscow.

Therefore, I understand how cool it would be for her to show our performances in St. Petersburg.

Whether teaching, or my theatre, or the Theatre of Film Actors, or cinema, television, these are all important parts of my life. As well as my concert activity.

And I endlessly lead some concerts, and I myself perform in them, I sing. This year we have continued for ourselves the "Boat evenings". In the past, when a

PERSONALITY pandemic hit, we did not know where to apply ourselves. I had 5 online events – two performances, three concerts – and I thought: that's it, I can't do anything online anymore! Need something offline.

And so we came up with these Musical Evenings on motor boat "Svisloch". We made arrangements with the people who organize the tours. And began to perform on the sly. It turned out that vacationers l i ke it! Fi rst, i n t he f resh a i r – as i f t here is a l ready no coronavirus.

Secondly,the communication is close.

And thirdly, everything is live: sound, singing, reactions, no decorations. You instantly react to the audience reactions.

And you don't know who this time came to the ship. For the first time, the ship gathered a lot of people – and it can accommodate about 30 people.

There were also many children. And our program is aimed at adults. What to do?

So, Artem Davidovich – he is an actor, plays the guitar – and I looked at each other, and I said: let's perform for our children "Mukha-tsokotukha", a fairy tale. And sang it in full. Everyone liked it: children and adults. It was an absolute improvisation. Usually there is some kind of scenario plan that we adhere to.

But in general, we stick to improvisation.

– How often do such performances take place?

– Every Friday.

– Like wandering artists?

– Yes, but we are floating! (smiles).

– Is it possible for everyone who wishes to boat with you?

– Sure! Come. From 7 to 9 pm we "are on a trip" every 30 minutes. From the pier in Park Pobedy, opposite the Hotel Victoria – this is on Pobediteley Avenue.

The ship is registered there, one can see it there all the time. The weather is wonderful this year. We announced last year: it never rains on our ship. And we never got wet. It was chilly, though. And there is a breeze. We boated on June 18, then on July 3. On Independence Day, we made a military program: 50 frontline grams, bread, a piece of cured pork fat...

We always come up with something. We serve a glass of champagne. Or juice, or just water. Deliver in beautiful glasses.

There is a girl who comes and does it all. So you get exclusive live evenings.

People write grateful reviews. "A charge of energy... We do not want to leave... It is not easy to leave..." We are very pleased with this.

– Vera, are you always such a living inventor? Since childhood?

– Yes, I have always been active and always wanted to be an artist. First, a singer. In early childhood, I was going to be a groom and go to live in the village, and at the same time teach there at a music school. Work with children. Then I already wanted to become an actress.

And I entered the Academy of Arts. But still, the desire to teach children has not gone anywhere. Now I even have a whole theatre school "Scarlet Sails" – before we worked on the basis of Gymnasium No. 16, I taught there for 4 years, and we have already worked for a year on our own, without the g ymnasium.

The stage and premises were rented in Minsk Concert Hall. My actors from the theatrical project "TriTformaT" teach there. And one director from Moscow, Tatiana Sambuk, visits us.

She also staged the last performances...

We ended the year by playing with the Presidential Orchestra – in restricted numbers – on the stage of the Palace of the Republic. They played two fairy tales with us on Children's Day. There were grateful spectators in the hall: from large families, orphanages, from a boarding school in Cherven (for children with special needs). It was important for me that the children from the studio took part in this. There was a full hall. And the audience – there was barely room to move, 462 seats in the hall.

– It t u r n s out t h at a l l you r subpersonalities are on friendly terms with each other...

– Absolutely. And one flows into the other. I don’t do what I don’t like at all.

And if I don’t like something, I don’t participate in it. There are times when I'm wrong. But this happens very rarely.

And I quickly understand: no, not mine.

Everything that I do all the time – all this first of all gives me pleasure. And then it already brings some financial benefits, and so on. And I laughingly tell: I participate in concerts, lead them, sing in them – in order to spend everything on you, my dear artists, in the theatrical project "TriTformaT". (smiles). I am constantly investing in this project. I dream that someday I will earn something on it. There was even a period when I felt free – I earned money, I could use the money – but the pandemic came. And I started all over again. But if before I had a misunderstanding – well, when will it end, why it is necessary to start over, then then I came to my senses.

And I realized: the year 2020 was very important in my life. It tested me so hard! Emotionally, I understood a lot for myself. Including, confirmed what I knew before: that there is nothing more important to me than family. And there is nothing more important than those people that surround me – close people.

And one should have not many friends – one, two three – and they are over. All the

Vera Polyakova, actress, TV presenter together with her husband, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Vladimir Makei, during the popular TV show "Markau. Nothing personal"

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PERSONALITY – Your position is close to us. It allows you not to du mp ever y thing in one pile, but to choose priorities, highlight accents. Apparently, this is an important part of ever yone's life...

– R ight. By the w a y, t h i s i s a l s o a sign of his/her s o c i a l m a t u r i t y, worldly wisdom, and professionalism. As for my situation, I managed to save the tea m a nd do a lot of new projects. On March 8 we played Princess Mary. And this once again threw us to creative heights.

A scene from the play "Princess Mary". No one has ever done Vera Polyakova as Princess Ligovskaya. a performance in the Great Hall of the Palace rest are just acquaintances. This is just of the Republic and gathered a full hall communication with colleagues, fellows there on March 8 for their performance.

– but not a circle of friends.

Full hall! The artists came out and did – Did you want to gather everyone not believe it. We didn't expect that this together at one table before that? could be. Yes, we were tired. It was very – In any case, it seemed to me that difficult for us. But the whole orchestra I have more friends. (Laughs). But last was sitting on the stage. We found an year has shown who is who. The closest amazing operator on ONT – I didn't ones stayed with me. Everything else is even know that such talents as Aleksandr sham. I also learned to survive Internet Krivetsky were working nearby. An attacks. In social networks. They did not operator was needed for an SD-camera, kill me, they did not destroy me – they so that the viewer sitting further than the tempered me. I just got stronger. And in third row in the Palace of the Republic 2021, I came out with projects that no would understand what is happening one did. I released "Three Sisters" during on the stage. That this performance is t he pandemic, a performance t hat not a concert. Not songs, not dances. immediately raised my project to a very This is a performance, but with the high level. This is the level of the "Golden use of the orchestra as an important Mask ", St. Petersburg, Moscow and musical component. So this operator other theatre centers outside Belarus. I and the director made such a symbiosis, played on New Year's eve, when everyone a multi-layered video sequence! It's like "died", that is, no one did anything, 53 a birthday cake with layers of different New Year tales. Another question: what meanings and emotions. Here is live have I earned on it? Nothing. But all my music – the whole orchestra. Here is a artists, 60 people, were involved. And live acting in the forefront. We sit with I have two venues: in the Palace of the our backs to the viewer – and the camera Republic – the Small Hall, as well as the moves so that all our faces and feelings Big Hall of Minsk Concert Hall. All my are visible in close-up. What are we services, except for me, were working. going through when this scene is played.

And what? The main thing is that I saved How do we relate to its heroes. Then the the team, I lost only one actress: she had audience told me: they have never seen different outlook on life. We parted with anything better in their life. This was the her peacefully... first premiere – and immediately in the

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Great Hall. We wanted to do it on a big scale, like this: w-wow!

– So you created, synthesized a new format of staging action... With the use of new technologies.

– Yes, absolutely. And then we moved on to the small stage to play, but we continued this camera work. Now we have 12 musicians working on the stage – not the whole orchestra consisting of about a hundred people. But all the same, we still have a live sound. We work in full force. This performance is very dear to me.

– How d id Mos c ow aud ienc e appreciate your performances?

– Very well. Both "Three Sisters" and "Princess Mary". Good articles came out afterwards. A month passed after "Three Sisters", we released "Princess", and all the articles were complimentary, they wrote that the Belarusians had finally brought something worthy of attention.

Theatres in Moscow did not yet gather spectators – only about 50 people came, and we sell out a concert hall for 215 seats in the business and cultural center of the Embassy of Belarus in Russia.

For outselves, we decided that we are on the Belarusian land and there is no quarantine in Belarus. The halls are open.

And we can play. And we played there with an orchestra. And what was cool about "Princess..." We made friends with representatives of Tronic Show – this is such a wonderful Russian platform.

First, I went to see them – we shot 4 videos. Then I invited them to see "Three Sisters". They say after seeing: we want to film you. I came to them on May 9 with a concert for the military – online and offline. We made it right on the street.

Olesya Pukhovaya read poetry. We sang war songs. The guitar was playing. The program turned out to be very good. We worked out the program in Minsk and transferred it to Moscow, adding some acts. Then we brought "Princess..." to Moscow on tour at the end of May. They filmed with 4 cameras, plus they took our SD-cam. They brought it all into online. So during the performance, two and a half thousand people saw it online.

We played offline and at the same time there was a broadcast online. Moreover, the viewer could buy a place in the hall!

But there were people on YouTube who just watched it all for free. More than 10 thousand people saw the performance during the day. And this, I think, is the

PERSONALITY

most important thing that we have done in Moscow. The reviews from critics and the press were not so significant for me, how important it was for this platform to make a hit, so that such a huge number of people watched us. Almost all the reviews are positive – and there were more than 70 of them. They wrote like this: "Thank you very much. I live in a remote village.

Nobody ever comes to us on tour. I don’t know if I will have the opportunity to go to Moscow or to you to see the play.

Considering what is happening now, you pleased me so much! I had the feeling that I was attending a performance".

And the performance was really filmed competently and with a large number of cameras. The viewer was able to fully experience this atmosphere of the performance. Its volume and depth. As for me, for the sake of this only review it was already worth doing all this.

We pl aye d " T h re e S i s t e r s" at Slavianski Bazaar. We performed on July 15. And the Tronic platform also came. They now follow us everywhere, and have already filmed our boat and the children's story. We have agreed with the Palace of the Republic to invite children from orphanages, large families, and children's hospice free of charge, and the Red Cross – these are all with whom we work with on a charitable basis. We invited everyone to the hall. And we played a fairy tale for children. And it was online and offline at the same time.

When there is both a reaction from the viewer and a huge Internet audience, it is easy for us to play.

– Does the audience play along with you?

– Yes, and we accumulate all this energy and transmit it to the Internet space. People around the world will be able to feel it. Then it hangs on YouTube and one can watch it.

– How does your mother feel about your work?

– She makes me happy! I watched the play "Princess Mary" online from Moscow – and said: "Vera, how cool it is!

What a good performance! May I, when the Covid-pandemic subsides, come and watch it live?" Here is the answer to the question: will people want to see the performance online and come to see it? If you like the performance, you will want to watch it live. Because this is a different energy flow.

– It can said that the audience hall in conjunction with the stage is a generator for the production of special, spiritual energy...

– Moreover, during the performance, and I felt it more than once, there is an interchange of energies between the artists and the audience. Could it be that the film that we liked, we would not want to re-watch live in a performance with our favorite artists? Personally, I will want to! I proceed from such considerations, br i ng i ng such i n novat ions to my theatrical projects.

– Tell us a little about your mother, your ancestral roots and why do you have so much creative energy.

– I am a native of Minsk already in the fourth generation. Mom, Tatyana Dmitrievna Polyakova is a professor, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences. So, I am a professor's daughter. My mother was the youngest professor at one time. All her life she was engaged in pistol and rifle shooting, more precisely, she taught this art, was a famous trainer. Then she completely devoted herself to science. She has developed many different methods for the psychophysical training of highlevel sportsmen-shooters. Those who shoot pneumatic weapons are engaged in high-speed shooting. In general, my mother is incredibly smart. Well, the grandchildren took after their Granny.

My eldest son Dmitry graduated from the medical university. And he defended his graduation thesis in sports nutrition with the mark 10. And my mother, of course, very actively helped him – both with the method and with the materials.

She's also very active. But I derives my character from my father, and the integrity – frpom my mother.

– Well, your mother did not bring up the shooters in vain, she taught you to hit the top ten...

– So I always bring everything to the end. She told me from childhood: Vera, even if you can't, don't want to – you always have to bring everything to the end. Never drop anything halfway. Then you will feel yourself differently in life – if you complete everything, even the most unloved, the most uninteresting. And that's why I was took a post-graduate course at one time – it was only my mother's thrusts that worked. And the fact that I started teaching – my mother's energy spring works in me. I would most

likely started teaching myself. But it was my mother's dream. Surprisingly, I liked the teaching later! It turned out that I can! Now I can teach anyone to fence.

Anyone who comes to my classes...

– Do you mean stage fencing?

Yes, I teach stage combat a nd fencing – this is a sword, a sword-dagger, a sword and a two-handed sword, a shield, a dagger-cloak – all these directions I know and can teach them.

– Your Mom's parents were here in Minsk during the years of occupation, if you have ancestral roots from here…

– Ye s , my g r a nd mot he r Ve r a Nikolaenok, after whom I was named, served in SMERSH counterintelligence

Vera Polyakova and her colleague Aleksandr Serebrennikov on the TV program "Our Morning"

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PERSONALITY service. She was a real intelligence officer.

Recently, Mir TV company filmed a small film about me for Victory Day, and in Moscow it was all assembled. There is a shooting near the house on Maksim Bogdanovich Street, which was built by my grandfather and grandmother after the war. By the way, they met during the war. Grandfather was also in SMERSH, then he was the commissar of Falcon partisan detachment – in one of the divisions of the brigade named after Father Minay. And he was among the first to liberate Minsk. The first three partisan detachments entered Minsk, and they wrote about it in the newspapers. I have both a clipping and a photograph in my family archive. And the very first there is my grandfather – Dmitry Rudin! By the way, my oldest son is named after him. The grandmother remained her last name.

– D i d s h e t a k e p a r t i n y ou r upbringing?

– Yes, the most direct, but relatively short. And I didn't know my grandfather, he died early: at 51, suddenly. My grandmother died when I was 7 years old. I clearly remember that she always watched out for me. She helped my parents. And I went to f irst grade when she was alive. I have the warmest memories of my grandmother Vera. In one film about the war, I played lancecorporal Yulia. There are several shots where I am in military uniform. They did my hair of that era. And my grandmother has similar pictures. Mom said: "God, how you look like a grandmother!"

Although I took after my father's breed.

Very similar to all of his relatives. And his Dad. But in those military shots, in that famous war film of "Belarusfilm" "More about the war" we are very similar with grandmother Vera. It is often shown on June 22, on Victory Day. – Now tell us a little about your dad, whom you also resemble very much…

– My Dad, Aleksandr Semenovich Polya kov, had a h ig her tech n ic a l education, and in the perestroika times he began to do business. Now he is the chairman of the housing owners partnership – of those housing where he lives. He, like me, really likes to communicate with people. Before that, he had a well-known travel agency. And as a child, Dad dreamed of being an artist. And when I nevertheless entered the theatre academy, graduated from it,

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he was very pleased with me. Dad always tells me: you are the embodiment of my dream. That is, I became an artist for a reason. Dad, wherever I performed, from my student days, constantly came to my performances. Mom didn't always succeed.

– Are you the only child of your parents?

– The only. But my parents already have two grandchildren! (laughs). I hope they will have three children each.

– And so let's talk about your family further.

– My husband, Vladimir Vladimirovich Makei, is, as you know, a civil servant, he is an officer. Moreover, with a capital letter. As if from those distant, good Soviet times. He is a

The play "Three Sisters" was a success in Moscow

reserve colonel. Military translator by education. Intelligence officer. His main foreign language is German, the second is English. How he works with people, how he builds relationships in the family – we all, of course, look up to this. Because he is a man of his word, a man of honor, a man of action. He never says anything in vain. Expresses briefly, succinctly. If something promises, then the promise will be fulfilled. Always! No matter what state he was in, no matter how he felt. He brings everything to the end, to its logical end – and this is what I really like about him. And, of course, the feelings that we have for each other are... Well, this is very serious. Each of us gave the word – both before God: we are married in church, and in law: until death do us part, we will be together.

And we will not allow ourselves to betray each other. Yes, I am an artist, I play a lot love on the stage. But, believe me, I never wanted any other relationship. The further we live, the deeper I understand for myself: there is nothing better than my relationship with my husband. Every year we get to know each other more – and love more. The feeling that connects us does not decrease – it increases. It grows. And there is no desire to seek something else elsewhere. We value our relationship very much. And over the years that we are together – and there are already... eleven, as they say – we have passed so much! So many things!

This is more related to his work. Many people tried to destroy our life together.

Interfere with it. And even in 2020, how

Evenings on the "Svisloch" steamboat

many in different social networks were: she divorces him... They were saying that her friends said that... And so on. What friends? Before you write any nonsense, you should ask at least: how many friends do I have?

– In a word: fakes...

– Yes exactly. And therefore, I wish our people not to believe in such conjectures, to learn everything firsthand. And I also want to add: don't count on it. No matter how much someone tries to separate us, they will not succeed! We think the same way, we go through life hand in hand. Two in a harness. And everything that we say, do and feel is mutual. We, in our life, have no disagreements on any issues. Our thoughts, feelings, what my husband does in politics and what I try to express and convey with my creativity are

PERSONALITY absolutely commensurate thoughts and feelings. We do not disagree on the main point either for political, ideological or other reasons.

– The wise men have such advice to people: may all your thoughts, words and deeds be in harmony! Judging by your words, you and your husband succeed in creating such harmony in your family.

– This is t r ue. Moreover, it is worth keeping in mind the following reasoning – I heard it from a well-known person in Belarus. There are certain rules of the game. And if you get into this game, you must play by its rules. If not, then you better not play. Likewise, politics are certain rules of the game that you must follow. And if you love a

Artem Davydovich

person, you live with him/her – you do not seem to participate in political life, but you play this game.

– Though indirectly, you are also in this team…

– Yes, you and your husband are on the same team. Therefore, you have no right to break the rules. And when someone, for example, says: yes, my husband, minister, or deputy minister, but I have different views on life... and I will act as I see fit. I consider this approach a betrayal. When you say so, you betray your husband's business. For me, it’s worth deciding: either you are his comrade-in-arms in life, his radio operator Kat (the heroine from the film "Seventeen Moments of Spring – Auth.), and you follow him to the end. Or you take your possessions and break up.

– Is the actress Vera Polyakova capable of playing the role of radio operator Kat? Yes, I'm radio operator Kat! Initially.

As I have said, my husband is a scout (smiles). During our wedding, one friend got up and said, addressing Vladimir Vladimirovich: "Of course, you are Stirlitz for us, but Vera is the radio operator Kat" (laughs). Somehow from those times it went like that. I can come to my husband and say: "Volodya, let's discuss this." I do not agree with something. Explain to me: why like this and not otherwise? But this cannot be in principle that I would say "ough" in some difficult, ambiguous situation Who am I after this? Well, in general, if to touch on some political issues cursorily, then I am

Vera is always grateful to her listeners

not so stupid as not to understand: there was everything in our life. But I cannot, as a sane person, cross everything out and say: wow, everything is bad with us.

It was not all bad! Why lie? To yourself and others? Just because somewhere you were beckoned with something and promised: it will be better there, there and there? But you yourself do not know how it will be. And it will not be better "there" – to your regret. However, you yourself, who succumbed to such promises, will be convinced of this.

And what will happen here? That is the question – not even that somewhere out there someone feels better. I believe that it is never good after a person has come and destroyed everything. It is never good after that! We all remember how the Union collapsed.

I am by nature a person who creates.

I've been creating something all my life.

I am a creator. And sometimes I do not allow myself to destroy what, perhaps, did not turn out quite smoothly. And if we talk about the transfer of power in the country, then for our common good it must be calm and balanced. No hysterics.

I am an emotiona l person myself.

And very explosive. But I give myself a sober and stern report: nothing good happened to me after I exploded. Usually after that I licked my wounds for a long time. Apologized to people. Collected all the piece. Life teaches us sometimes very cruelly. And it's important to be able to learn such lessons.

– Yes, and you pick yourself up piece by piece after such explosions.

And there is a lot of pain, and complete weakness...

– I learned to restrain myself. I try to keep my temper in check. Otherwise, nothing good will happen.

– What else would you say about your character?

If you are talking about the horoscope, then I was born on the last day of Libra, October 22. No longer Libra, but not yet Scorpio. And the husband is Leo. Leo! (laughs) The king of beasts. But I want to tell you something well-known: the stars do not force us, how to behave, how to live, to act – the stars prompt and advise. And we, sometimes learning the hard way, choose our own, most suitable "life strategy and tactics". Here's a case in point. I recently got my younger son Artem prepared to the camp. We went shopping with him, we chose things. And he said to me: "Mom, how I liked buying things this time with you! You and I have never even quarreled." (laughs).

– Maybe you told him: it was you, son, who grew up, became more balanced...

– No, I didn't. He is now having a difficult period: 12 years old, the transitional age begins. And from time to time, of course, we clash with him.

But I, too, draw conclusions, learn a lot, including watching him. Once I ironed the clothes, my son sat late at the computer, played. And suddenly he says to me: "Mom, how I love you! You are unusual. For Dima and me (this is our senior), you are a friend. All my friends are very afraid of their mothers. And I know that I can always talk to you. Even to argue, even to swear. But we will still БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

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PERSONALITY find a common language. Because you are more of a friend to us than a mother." (laughs). I don't know if this is good or bad... But I am very pleased to hear this from children.

– Great! Such a high degree of trust…

– …but we have a strict dad. And his word in the family is decisive. Sometimes, when I can’t manage something with the children, I say: "So! Let dad judge us.

Go to him!" (laughs). Of course, I spend a lot more time with my children than my husband. But he is the last instance.

If I understand that I cannot make a decision, I send them to him. And he already accepts them. And as for the words of the younger about his motherfriend, then, apparently, it is. Dima and I meet, it happens, with his friends. I even go to discos with them. And on holidays we intersect. And friends, I know, sometimes exclaim: "Damn, if only we had such a mother! Which is so funny (laughs) and looks good. And Dima, who is 22, has older friends – some of them are 30. Of course, next to them, we do not really see the difference in age.

Moreover, I am a mischievous person, I like to dance, laugh, joke...

– Socia l mask s, stereot y pes sometimes crush us…

– Yes! A sea of maternal roles and responsibilities has been prepared for us.

Clean up. Cook. Wash... "I'm a mother!" I must! I have to dig up the garden!..

– Do you have a house helper?

– Yes, I do. She comes once a week.

Anna Aleksandrovna is an amazing woman, she is already like a member of the family. How old is my son – so long she is with us. Helps me with cleaning.

Although I did not want this at the time. I told my husband that I can do everything myself. But when it came to some kind of global cleaning, I offered him a certain area of work. He cleaned up once, cleaned up twice. Then somehow, I come back from vacation – and I already have a woman in my house: "Hello, I'm Anna Aleksandrovna. Now I will work with you." That's how beautifully my husband solved the cleaning problem.

And he freed himself both for his family and for himself. Although Vladimir Vladimirovich is not afraid of any work.

Including the rural one – we have a house in a small village. I even have chickens there. In the summer we go there with the dog, and more often. It is far from Minsk,

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but we are adapting. In the morning on a day off, Vladimir will mow the garden space – with a trimmer, and will do something about the garden. He likes it. He will split firewood... If he wants to rest – he rests, if he wants to work – he works. Because this is his day off. He does on this day what he wants. And he has the right to do so.

– Reasonable approach. Are you both driving?

– Yes, but more often I do. If we go somewhere together, I am always driving. Firstly, without a steering wheel it makes me sick, and secondly – I love to drive. My vestibular system is not very good. But I learned to fly and sail.

Cold Coca-Cola helps me sometimes.

If, for example, this is a sea voyage on a yacht, then I am swim behind the yacht.

If it stops and I am seasick – I will drink and jump in water. And everyone laughs: everyone has a sailing trip on a yacht – and Vera behind the yacht.

– However, as they say, let's down from a mall, straight to the theatre.

Have you ever played roles that you didn't like at all? Forgot the text?

– Such happened, but extremely rarely. And one and a half phrases per performance. And this, as a rule, did not play a global role. I am a good partner, you can rely on me. Everyone in the theatre knows this. I will always pull myself and the one who is next to me.

One actor in our theatre, having watched the play, once said about me: "Amazing artist! She put the artist on her shoulders and carries him through the whole performance. And the main thing is that she does not lose the rhythm." (laughs).

– What are you most afraid of on stage?

– To forget the text. And I also have dreams when someone does not let me on stage – this is the worst dream. That the performance is going on, I have to go out – and someone, something will not let me in. By the way, other artists also have similar dreams.

– How do you perceive the criticism?

– Good, if it is useful criticism. I do not like such criticism, when, well, everything is indiscriminately criticized.

When they say: I didn't like it. Explain what you didn't like. Because there can be no "phew, I did not like it." What exactly? I don't participate it in any such performance – "phew, I did not like it."

There are productions that are difficult to

consider outstanding. There are ordinary ones. But there are also outstanding ones. But this does not mean that I do not work well in them. I always do my job with full dedication. I never go below a certain level.

– Some of the actors said about the theatre that everything there is built on the energy of light and love? What would you say?

Rare moments of relaxation during a tour over Batumi

– Neit her my t heat re, nor t he theatrical project "TriTformaT", nor the Theatre of Film Actors have such a

PERSONALITY performance, which does not carry any idea. Even putting on a simple children's fairy tale, we put a deep, bright thought into the production. We are talking about kindness. About friendship. About love. The last fairy tale "Not a Hedgehog", which we made with the Presidential Orchestra, carries a global idea. It doesn't matter whether you are prickly or fluffy.

Whatever you are, there will always be someone who will love you the way you are. The most important thing is to be yourself. And there is no need to change.

And in the play the Hedgehog tries to do it. The hare advises him to make long ears, someone advised him to make a fluffy fur, wings like a crow's... And the Squirrel – red paws... And in the end, we got some kind of monster. Wonder beast.

Even his mother did not recognize the hedgehog.

–Yes, a desire to adapt to the tastes and expectations of others is inherent for people…

– And the fairy tale is about this. I play there Mother-hedgehog and voice this global idea, and this is an interactive fairy tale. We communicate with the viewer as the action progresses. Recently, we were at Zubrenok camp with this fairy tale, and then the heads from "Hopes of the 21st century" called us. They said: what a wonderful fairy tale! The kids and I continued the topic and talked with them for another hour. About these values that are so important. A funny, simple fairy tale. The children in the audience laughed so hard – and what a powerful moral and ethical message lies therein! How it is needed: to remain yourself. And today's mass culture, after all, has a completely different message.

– It is very important to give such a moral attitude from childhood…

– Until we do this, different TikToks will take its toll. By the way, I am there too. I have a normal face there. And I'm dressed like a woman. And my partner is dressed like a man. There the majority is sort of boys and sort of girls... By the way, I also have Instagram account. And Facebook account. Not for fame and money. I am an actress, and I can do something useful and necessary.

– What's new in the Theatre of Film Actors?

– They put on the play "Uncle Vanya", and I travel with fairy tales with my theatrical project "TriTformaT". On July 10, we played "Princess Mary" at the

City Hall for all spectators. On July 17 – "Three Sisters" at the Slavianski Bazaar.

And on July 20 we f lew to Batumi, where we also played "Princess Mary" and opened our Honorary Consulate there. And on my birthday – October 22 – "Anna Karenina" will be released.

We are working on it. I still have the opportunity to play this main role – I am still suitable by age. It will be an unusual performance. And from September we will start playing "Princess Mary" and "Three Sisters". Besides, we won the competition for holding the Main New Year's party of the country in the Small Hall and in the Big Hall of the Palace of the Republic. In the Small – "Blue Arrow"

by Jani Rodari, in the Big we will play the tale of the Russian playwright Anna Bogacheva. I love her very much, and we have already put several fairy tales by this author. This time it will be "Magic Power" – a tale about the magic power of good. Simple and good. About kindness, about friendship and how important it is to love and be kind.

– Are you still working with the Presidential Orchestra?

– Sure! We really like co-creation with it. We made friends with the guys, they are all young and creative. Like we they are willing to do something new.

There is no snobbery and academic stiffness in them. They are ready to do the most daring experiments with us.

– Almost like the musicians in the movie "Funny Guys"...

– That's it, almost exactly so! .. I wish you could have seen our fairy tale "Not a Hedgehog"! What Vitalik Kulbakov is doing there – everyone comes to look at him. He plays the Wolf. And this is the Wolf-Conductor. He has a stylized hat, a matching tailcoat... How he dances, how he does exercises with children!

Whatever he does! It's just a delight! And all the Bunnies in the orchestra. The Orchestra of Bunnies. And they move, play – dance. Well, you've never seen anything like this! Moreover, performed by the musicians of the Presidential Orchestra. It's very, very cool.

– How did you get to "Our Morning" program?

– Once I came here to tell about my project "TriTformaT", about my creative activity. And when they finished filming, Tanya Rudakovskaya, the director of our program, says: "Would you like to try yourself as a presenter!" I want –

but I just have to ask my husband. And the husband said: ok. Tatyana is now my co-presenter, the second couple. So I started to work. I got involved, and I really like the program. We have a good team. I believe: in our world, any creative action is teamwork. It's wonderful to work on your own. But if a charismatic, handsome person does not know how to work in a team, nothing will ever come out brilliant.

– Appa rent ly, your t heatrica l pr oj e c t i s pu s h i n g you to suc h generalizations…

– Yes, of course. And besides, now there are more than 25 of us in the project, with all services. We work on the basis of the Palace of the Republic in the Small Hall. We store the scenery there, and our main platform is there.

– What is your relationship with cinema?

– Now – not very good. We shot the last film "Domokles Sword" without any money at all. And it somehow got lost.

A couple of films "Caspian 24" were released on NTV – it's a solid piece of work there, and Anastasia Zavorotnyuk is in the lead role. Now there are no special offers for cinema. This is due to many factors. But, missing cinema, I do not despair. In Moscow, we met a famous film producer – she invited me and the director to shoot a 15-minute short film.

We showed a teaser (or a trailer, this is a commercial for the play), which was filmed for "Three Sisters" – she liked it.

She offered to work in the same style.

We shot it quickly enough. Everything turned out great. Such a kind of movie.

– What habits do you have for keeping oneself in good physical shape?

Do you do yoga?

– No, not m i ne. I move a lot .

Besides, I have worked out my own set of exercises – I do it. But after the Covid, I still didn't quite come to my senses. Sometimes my head is spinning.

I am rapidly losing strength. I was ill in November, and it was very serious, and the recovery process seems to be continuing. Moreover, there are many antibodies in the blood. I try to walk more. I took the dog in the village – and walked: to the lake and back. And around the lake. And I wish everyone to move more!

Interviewed by Ivan and Valentina Zhdanovich

БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

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CREATIVITY AS AN EVENT

WHEN PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND LYRICAL MOODS

COME TOGETHER

An exhibition of works made of glass by Vladimir Murakhver, a Honoured Artist of Belarus, presented by the National Museum of Art, surprised visitors with its original content.

The exhibition coincides with the author's 90th birthday anniversary. It mainly demonstrates works from the funds of the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus.

Vladimir Murakhver belongs to that pleiad of artists who – each in his own field – for many years determined the main ways of development of national culture. In 1959, after graduating from the Vera Mukhina Leningrad Higher School of Art and Industry, he was sent to the famous Belarusian glass factory "Neman". It has a long tradition of glassmaking, dating back to the 19th century, and is famous for its experienced master glassblowers, ready to bring even the most daring ideas to life. It was with the arrival of professional artists that artistic glass began to blossom in Belarus as an independent form of art with its own expressive means. This meant that authorship, individual aesthetic concept and experimentation were coming to the forefront.

In factor y production, creative freedom is not unlimited. This is no place for "art for art's sake", totally detached from reality. The artist has to think not only about the implementation of his original ideas, but also about duplication and the mass production of products based on designs developed by him; in other words, not only about "the sublime," but also about "the earthly". However, for masters such as Vladimir Murakhver, these were not paralyzing fetters, but a challenge requiring special creative solutions, giving an additional impetus to creative search.

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БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

What is important is that Vladimir Murakhver managed to find a happy, harmonious balance b etween the utilitarian and decorative functions of glass – the ability to transform everyday objects into works of art. It was he who became one of the first innovative artists, who transformed Belarusian glassmaking, we can say, made a revolution in it.

Vladimir Murakhver proceeded from the nature of the material itself, not distorting it, but striving to convey the different state of glass, its variability and plasticity, to demonstrate the beauty of colour and texture, the play of light, the movement of mass.

The basis for Vladimir Murakhver's first experiments was the traditional, ancient glassblowing, in which the artist uses a special tube to blow the molten glass mass to a temperature of over 1000 degrees, giving it shape in a short time before it cools down, as if taming the fiery "lava". The artist's works in tandem with the glassblower who realised his ideas have always contained an element of improvisation, and quite a few pictorial solutions came to the master directly in the process of work itself.

Works made using glassblowing carry a special emotional charge, because they are literally a frozen moment, a materialization of human breath. And Vladimir Murakhver expressed his admiration for the work of glassblowers, which is something like magic, in many works with stylized images of these artists, sometimes resembling musicians with whimsical wind instruments.

Throughout his life he has experimented a great deal with different techniques, because the creativity of the artist working with glass is a continuous search not only for new images, but also for innovative techniques and original ways of finishing the material. Of course, such experiments are not an end in themselves for Vladimir Murakhver, but conform to his main desire – the desire to

CREATIVITY AS AN EVENT

create an object that is not limited to its utilitarian purpose, but transforms into an art object.

For example, even the most traditional "tableware" forms are modified in many of the master's works. He 'guessed' human figures and faces in the outlines of drinking vessels. People, angels and monsters are the artist's favourite images.

Another source of inspiration for Vladimir Murakhver is nature: animals and birds, "plant" textures and, of course, natural colours – shades of green, blue, brown, red... But whatever images he embodies in glass – even if they are human or animal figures – it is not just a "realistic" image, but always a certain sign, a symbol. Philosophical reasoning, lyrical mood expressed in glass, grotesque – it seems that the artist can do anything.

There is no doubt that Vladimir Mu r a k h v e r d e v e l o p e d h i s o w n

recognizable signature and created his own unique artistic world. At the same time, he was one of the originators of a special style of "Neman" glass and was one of the artists whose works created at "Neman" are known and appreciated far beyond Belarus, an object of national pride, like Murano glass in Italy or Bohemian crystal in the Czech Republic.

He himself was born in the small city of Ananiv in Odessa Region. He received his basic art education at the Tashkent Republican Art School. And, as mentioned above, in 1959 he graduated from the Leningrad Vera Mukhina Higher School of Art and Design, where his teacher was the famous artist Boris Smirnov. That same year, Vladimir Murakhver started working at the Neman Glassworks in Berezovka, Lida District, Grodno Region. From 1963 to 1975, he was the chief artist of the enterprise,

known throughout the Soviet Union.

Many of his works were awarded medals and diplomas of the USSR and Belarus.

In 1979, the artist was awarded the Gold Medal of the International Triennial of Glass and Porcelain in Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic. In 1990, he was awarded the Silver Medal of the USSR Academy of Arts for his decorative composition "Wanderers. Peace to Him Who Enters".

Undoubtedly, the range of Vladimir Murakhver's creativity covered a wide range of interests. He was one of the founders of a new style of "Neman" glass – Belarusian art glass of the second half of the 20th – early 21st centuries. The master had a great love for and boundless devotion to this material, impeccable mastery of his professional skills and great artistic culture. Today he is known as the author of numerous specimens for mass production and the creator of unique БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

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CREATIVITY AS AN EVENT exhibition pieces filled with a living sense and thought of the world, nature and mankind. In addition, each work of this artist is a unique study of glass and the discovery of its mysteries.

However, along with glass, Vladimir Murakhver was actively engaged in painting and drawing. Being a talented master, he managed to embody deep images, new ideas and significant subjects in these kinds of art as well. Not for nothing are Vladimir Murakhver's works of art in the collections of many museums in Belarus, as well as in private collections in foreign countries.

It should be noted that besides all that important and responsible for Vladimir Murakhver was public activity. In 1969, he initiated and directed the work of art studio for children in Berezovka, which regularly participated in Republican exhibitions of children's art. In other words, the artist has always been astonished by his inexhaustible vitality both in his creative work and in his ordinary life.

By Veniamin Mikheyev

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БЕЛАРУСЬ.BELARUS AUGUST 2021

August evening at Komsomolskoe Lake in Minsk

COUNTRY

IN THE HEART OF EUROPE

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