Belarus (magazine #11 2013) by BELARUS Magazine

Soyuz

Belarus — Russia

pp. 25—32

No.11(962), 2013

BELARUS Magazine for you

Беларусь. Belarus

Politics, Economy, Culture

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INTERNATIONAL

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Contents

Беларусь.Belarus Monthly magazine No. 11 (962), 2013 Published since 1930 State Registration Certificate of mass medium No.8 dated March 2nd, 2009, issued by the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus

Founders: The Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus “SB” newspaper editorial office Belvnesheconombank Editor: Viktor Kharkov

Convenient venue for dialogue

Executive Secretary: Valentina Zhdanovich

Design and Layout by

Eurasian space: view from Minsk

Geography of partnership The visit by the

President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, became a new stage of relations between the two countries

Tradition of staying in the forefront

Exemplary relations Belarus and Turkmeni-

True holiday mood Fewer than 200 days are

stan strengthen friendship and co-operation

left before the Hockey World Cup, which is played in Minsk and begins in May of next year

In order to stand out, we need to stay ahead of the curve In the USSR, Belarus was

called an ‘assembly’ or a ‘processing workshop’, and many of the produced goods were wellknown brands. These include ‘Belarus’ tractors, MAZ trucks, Horizont TV sets, Stolichnye candies and Borodinsky bread. We’ve managed to preserve them. However, over more than twenty years of independence, completely new areas of development and points of growth appeared, and these can drastically change the views about our state

Close people, native hearts

There is no easy bread Where is the traditional Belarusian karavai (round loaf)?

Best view of the city Belarus magazine

Saving and enriching our heritage

Personal passion guides me People’s

contributor writes popular history of Minsk

Artist of Belarus Leonid Shchemelev is confident that art always reflects the spirit of the nation

Photographic skills of famous Lithuanian actor People’s Artiste of the Lithua-

nian SSR Juozas Budraitis — a screen and stage actor of the USSR and Lithuania — awarded special prize of President of Belarus ‘For Preservation and Development of Traditions of Spirituality in Cinematic Art’

Vadim Kondrashov Nadezhda Ponkratova Беларусь.Belarus is published in Belarusian, English, Spanish and Polish. Distributed in 50 countries of the world. Final responsibility for factual accuracy or interpretation rests with the authors of the publications. Should any article of Беларусь.Belarus be used, the reference to the magazine is obligatory. The magazine does not bear responsibility for the contents of advertisements.

Publisher: “SB” editorial office This magazine has been printed at State Entertainment “Publishers “Belarus Printing House”. 79 Nezavisimosti Ave., Minsk, Belarus, 220013 Order No. 3653 Total circulation — 1937 copies (including 702 in English).

Write us to the address: 11 Kiselyov Str., Minsk, Belarus, 220029. Tel.: +375 (17) 290-62-24, 290-66-45. Tel./Fax: +375 (17) 290-68-31. www.belarus-magazine.by E-mail: mail@belarus-magazine.by Subscription index in Belpochta catalogue — 74977 For future foreign subscribers for ‘Belarus’ magazine, apply to ‘MK-Periodica’ agency.

Earthly charm of Alexandra Chizhik

E-mail: info@periodicals.ru Telephone in Minsk: +375 (17) 227-09-10.

2013 беларусь.belarus

editor’s note

Statistics more interesting than belles-lettres

he number of political events organised last month would have been enough for the whole year, being filled with top level meetings, summits and visits. The first event of note was a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (at the level of heads of state) and the CIS Heads of State Council session, hosted by the newly-constructed Palace of Independence in the Belarusian capital. Viewed by experts as a turning point, it featured key resolutions in the move towards integration for the ‘troika’ of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan. Without exaggeration, all post-Soviet territory is affected by this new geopolitical reality. During the CIS Heads of State Council meeting, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko proposed additional mechanisms to bolster economic co-operation. As part of its chairmanship of the CIS in 2013, Belarus is focused on ‘integration for public benefit’. Read Eurasian Space: View from Minsk and Convenient Venue for Dialogue to learn details of these important meetings. The meeting between the presidents of Ecuador and Belarus in Minsk also opened a new page. Mr. Lukashenko paid his first official visit to Ecuador in 2012, with President Rafael Correa showing interest in our closer co-operation for mutual benefit. The return visit by Mr. Correa confirmed previously announced intentions and, pleasantly, our Latin American guest showed that he has been researching Belarusian history. He regrets that few Latin Americans are aware of the self-sacrifice and heroic contribution made by our nation in helping liberate the world from Nazism. Read further in Geography of Partnership. President Lukashenko’s official visit to Ashgabat, to meet the President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov,

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showed that no obstacles exist to our inter-state relations, which are built on mutual trust and a shared vision. Mr. Lukashenko and Mr. Berdymukhamedov had previously agreed to meet annually to discuss joint projects, as explained in Exemplary Relations, which describes how Belarus and Turkmenistan are strengthening multilateral collaboration. Political life is intensive, but sport can be just as unifying a power. Not even 200 days remain until Minsk hosts the 2014 IIHF World Championship, bringing a construction boom to the capital: new hotels, roads and sports facilities. The city is changing in front of our eyes and lives in anticipation of the grand event. Of course, all potential problems need to be foreseen in advance, so that the May tournament is remembered for the right reasons! True Holiday Mood tells us more about the preparations underway for the World Ice Hockey Championship. Looking at statistics, we cannot deny that Belarus boasts neither oil nor gas, nor other mineral deposits, in any abundance. However, one branch annually generates over $2bn of exports: agriculture. In terms of gross grain harvest per capita, only Ukraine, with its famous black earth, and Kazakhstan, known for its virgin soil, surpass us. Our usual harvest is one tonne of grain per resident. Meanwhile, Belarus is the undisputed leader in the dairy industry across the CIS, being ranked fourth worldwide, in terms of milk production per capita. Discover more amazing figures in To Advance, It's Necessary To Run Faster Than Time: statistics can sometimes be more fascinating than belles-lettres! By ViKtor Kharkov

PANORAMA

 Rating reflects good dynamics Belarusian State University electronic library among world’s top hundred libraries

 Quick, affordable and convenient Thousands of Belarusians countrywide use Express Mail

he Belarusian post now offers a wide range of services: traditional and new. Among the most popular is Belpochta’s Express Mail: twice awarded a Silver Level Certificate for its high quality of service at international level. The Universal Postal Union’s EMS Co-operative gave the service a Golden Level Certificate for its work in 2011. Belarusian customers also praise the service.

 Above Russia and Ukraine Belarus takes 58th place among 142 in terms of prosperity, in list published by British independent Legatum Institute

he Legatum Prosperity Index has placed the Russian Federation in 61st place, with Ukraine ranked 64th, Azerbaijan 81st and Georgia 84th. Among former Soviet states, the Baltic countries are ranked above Belarus (Estonia 36th, Lithuania 43rd and Latvia 48th) while Kazakhstan is placed 47th.

Today’s businesses rely on speed of delivery, using the Internet and e-mail to contact customers around the globe. However, some information, goods and documents need to travel by regular mail. EMS Belpost will collect and deliver ‘door to door’ from any address, making it an invaluable addition to business’ modern arsenal. Internet-shopping is gaining pace in Belarus, with buyers keen to receive goods as quickly as possible. EMS B elpost ensures delivery in the shortest possible time, while offering tracking via Belpochta’s website. The ‘prosperity index’ is calculated for each country individually, based on 79 indicators within eight categories: economy, entrepreneurship, management, education, public health services, safety, personal liberty and social capital. Statistical analysis, sociological research and expert estimation are employed, with data gathered from the United Nations, the WTO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Gallup and other sources. Norway tends to top the rankings, followed by Switzerland and Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Denmark, Australia, Finland and the Netherlands.

ccording to the latest edition of the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, BSU’s electronic library has moved up 31 positions, being now ranked 97th. The main library of the Belarusian State University was one of the first in Belarus to start registering the full text of scientific publications, alongside teaching and methodical materials by university scholars and professors, within global databases. In addition, the BSU library has been digitising documents to make them available to the entire international community. The library’s collection now boasts about 40,000 fulltext publications by university scholars and professors. The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities has been compiled for the ninth year, by Spanish Laboratorio de Internet Research Laboratory, being updated in January and July. This July, the rating covered over 1,500 electronic libraries of higher educational establishments and research centres form around the world. The final score is calculated as a weight average of four indicators: Presence, Impact, Openness and Excellence. These characterise the presence of universities on the Internet, including their level of scientific publications. The ranking aims to support open access to research publications and other educational materials in electronic form, encouraging researchers to publish online, making editions available to colleagues and anyone interested, wherever they are.

2013 беларусь.belarus

INTEGRATION

he presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia have agreed to accelerate work towards eliminating any problems facing the effective operation of the Customs Union and Eurasian Economic Community. The Eurasian Economic Union is to launch on 1st January 2015, with new participants welcome. The Supreme Eurasian Economic Council session, which took place in Minsk on 24th October, saw a draft treaty prepared on the Eurasian Economic

Union. Mr. Lukashenko notes that the success of the new integration association and its attractiveness to other countries will depend on the nature of the treaty and that this will directly affect the development of relations between states across the huge region. The President of Belarus considers it to be symbolic that the most important integration decisions are being made in Minsk. The Customs Code and uniform customs tariff, which were adopted in November 2009 in the Belarusian capital, began a period of practical function for the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. Mr. Lukashenko notes that Belarus welcomes new partners to the Customs Union and stresses the need for effective mechanisms of interaction for the ‘troika’ with these countries. He emphasises, “We should realise that Armenia and other countries need to follow the s ame

Presidents Alexander Lukashenko (in the centre), Nursultan Nazarbayev (on the left) and Vladimir Putin had issues to discuss

беларусь.belarus 2013

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Eurasian space: view from Minsk

The Belarusian capital has hosted the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council session (at the level of heads of state) and the CIS Heads of State Council session, in the new building of the Palace of Independence. These are being viewed as a turning point, with key resolutions passed in the move towards integration for the ‘troika’: Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan. Without exaggeration, all post-Soviet territory is affected by this new geopolitical reality.

INTEGRATION path of integration as Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, adopting obligations in full, without any reservations.” The President of Belarus asserted the importance of Ukraine keeping an open mind towards participation in the Customs Union and the future Eurasian Economic Union, rather than looking only towards the EU. The President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, speaking of integration, notes that states participating in this process aim to solve issues together which cannot be solved alone. He also believes that the integration association must be equal for all member states. “Accession to the WTO by Kazakhstan is a very serious issue,” he told those present, adding, “We were completely in the wake of Russia and promised support in our own accession to the WTO. The Bali conference will take place this year in December and Kazakhstan could enter the WTO but is prevented by its support of protection of Russia. This is

is being shown by other large economies, such as India, noting, “The Prime Minister of India recently visited our country, asking me to raise this question at today's meeting. He said that India would like to consider signing a treaty to join the free trade zone with the Customs Union.” He feels certain that, considering the volume and scale of the Indian market and prospects for development across Asia as a whole, the offer should be considered seriously. After long negotiations between the ‘troika’, the presidents of Armenia, Tajikistan and Ukraine joined the meeting, accompanied by the First Vice-Premier of Kyrgyzstan. They discussed questions defining dynamics and prospects for the further development of integration, in a constructive and informative manner, setting new guidelines for the development of Eurasian economic integration and confirming a strategy for increasing industrial co-operation, as well as trade and investment ties. Many questions were devoted to the treaty of setting up the Eurasian Economic Union. President Lukashenko noted, after the session, that acute matters were raised but that shared ground was found and all issues solved. “We’ve agreed to sign a treaty on the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union, which should commence on 1st January, 2015. For this purpose, by May of next year, we should have a draft treaty ready for signing, in order to have time for our parliamentarians to ratify it over the next six months,” said President Nazarbayev. The Customs Union’s ‘troika’ welcomes new members, as noted by the President of Belarus, who stresses that the integration association is open for participation by those states which share its purpose and are ready to take on the required commitments. “Today’s Single Economic Space is an enormous market, with a huge number of consumers; it has considerable possibilities for industrial co-operation, the realisation of investment projects and innovative development,” Mr. Lukashenko underlined. According to the President of Russia, Ukraine’s membership of the Customs Union is incompatible with its joining the EU, since a free trade zone between the European Union and Ukraine cannot be conducted at the same time as its free trade within the Customs Union. He emphasised, “We view the disclosure of our market as very dangerous: unacceptable for our economy at its current stage of development. We aspire to create a single Eurasian economic space — from Lisbon to Vladivostok; in order for this to be achieved on an equal basis and avoid economic losses and social problems, the process should be co-ordinated and gradual.”

Today’s Single Economic Space is an enormous market, with a huge number of consumers; it has considerable possibilities for industrial co-operation, the realization of investment projects and innovative development

certainly a question between Russia and Kazakhstan, but it also concerns Belarus.” The presidents of the Customs Union’s ‘troika’ consider that preservation of the regulatory framework of the EurAsEC will drive forward the Customs Union. Mr. Nazarbayev notes that the EurAsEC, which finishes its work on January 1st, 2015, has passed several dozen international treaties which affect member states of the ‘troika’ so he suggests prolonging their validity, adapting them to the Customs Union as necessary or adopting them anew. According to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, much has been done recently within the Customs Union to codify and strengthen the regulatory and legal framework. He explained, “All this should be the basis of the Eurasian Economic Union.” He continued by saying that the Eurasian Economic Union is designed to fully aid freedom of movement for goods, services, capital and labour force. The member states also discussed the participation of new partners in Eurasian integration, with the President of Kazakhstan announcing, “I’ve heard widespread rumours that Syria, for example, wants to enter the Customs Union. The Prime Minister of Turkey, Mr. Erdogan, has also asked me wether Turkey might join. Mr. Putin added that such interest

By Vasily Kharitonov

2013 беларусь.belarus

INTEGRATION

Convenient venue for dialogue During CIS Heads of State Council meeting, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus proposes additional mechanisms to bolster economic co-operation

lexander Lukashenko has remarked that, as part of its chairmanship, B el ar us is focused on goals in line with ‘integration for public benefit’. With this in mind, Belarus has successfully implemented several initiatives within the spheres of security, ecology, green technologies, expansion of interregional and trans-boundary co-operation, and cultural dialogue. Economic partnerships have also been widely supported. Mr. Lukashenko pointed out that negotiations began this year to draft an interstate treaty on a new free trade zone for services, aiming to support innovation-driven co-operation; it is now being filled with content. The Belarusian President stressed at the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council that the doors of new associations are open to everyone. “It is time for us to think together about additional mechanisms to bolster economic co-operation within the CIS,” he asserted. “Taking into account the activation of integration processes across post-Soviet space, I believe that our Commonwealth,

беларусь.belarus 2013

as the oldest integration association, should not lag behind.” President Putin noted that the CIS can shape its own development agenda, regardless of the wider global market, but is keen to see more attention paid to the economic sphere. CIS growth in 2012 totalled 3.4 percent and is set to reach only 1.8 percent by the end of 2013. “The same can be said of investments, which have significantly reduced,” noted the Russian President. President of Uk raine Vi ktor Yanukovych believes that, after signing an agreement with the European Union, Ukraine will find a compromise in its interaction with the Customs Union. He told those present at the session, “We should take a close look at the last two years of trade relations between CIS

states, especially the Customs Union, as I think we’ll find compromises and reveal new opportunities for the promotion of goods to joint markets.” Mr. Putin also noted the importance of joint preparations to mark the 70th anniversary of Great Patriotic War victory, saying, “Our common duty to the generation of victors is to worthily celebrate this jubilee.” Heads of state and representatives of other states agree unanimously on the importance of preser ving memories of the Great Patriotic War, so that future generations know about and cannot forget the Great Victory. Mr. Lukashenko remarked that Belarus has seriously prepared for this event, in order to demonstrate that independence and national wellbeing depend primarily on co-operation with CIS

Sovereignty, independence and national prosperity can be maintained only in unity with CIS states

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INTEGRATION

states. The President believes that Belarus will always feel this way and underlines that CIS states should work hard to secure tighter collaboration in all spheres. Mr. Lukashenko underlined that, during its chairmanship, Belarus has tried to inspire additional interaction between CIS countries across all areas. The Chairman of the Heads of State Council proposed that the organisation primarily focus on three areas, requiring significant intensification of work and co-ordinating activities within the international arena. “Our countries don’t always speak with one voice, as is unfortunately evident even at the United Nations. Sometimes, our partners support decisions against the interests of the CIS or its individual members, which can hardly be considered productive,” the Belarusian leader stressed. After a short pause, Mr. Lukashenko added diplomatically, “I don’t think this is a matter of policy but resulting from the action of particular governments and foreign ministries.”

Minsk vie ws trans-b oundar y projects as a priority, since these stimulate the interests of particular countries and living and working conditions within the CIS. Of course, an attentive look at the future is also important. Mr. Lukashenko spoke about the necessity of promoting the CIS among contemporary youngsters, saying, “We should make greater use of modern information and communication technologies, especially social networks and multimedia platforms.” T h e P re s i d e nt of B e l a r u s i s convinced that these initiatives would help to achieve significant results but asserts that Minsk will remain faithful to its traditional principles. “Belarus cannot imagine its sovereignty and independence without closest co-operation with members of the Commonwealth. Moreover, we can’t be a success unless we collaborate with those nations with whom we’ve been living as a single family for the past century…” Sovereignty, independence and prosperity of the nation rely on unity with CIS

countries, so Belarus will remain committed to this position. The tone and content of t he speeches of other members of t he s ession conf ir me d a share d approach, with the presidents speaking in favour of the provisions of the announced agenda. Next year is to be declared the Year of Tourism across the CIS, since there is a wealth of cultural and historical sites to visit, with our common history and spiritual closeness apparent. Of course, we all desire to be better understood and tourism is one way in which to achieve this. The coming Winter Olympics in Sochi, in 2014, and the IIHF World Championship in Minsk will, of course, welcome a great many guests. Mr. Lukashenko invited participants and guests of the summit, as well as journalists, to come and see the matches and it’s likely that many will do. Minsk’s organisation of recent integration days shows that it’s able to welcome guests at the highest level. By Vladimir Khromov

2013 беларусь.belarus

VISIT

Geography of partnership The visit by the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, became a new stage of relations between the two countries

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беларусь.belarus 2013

lexander Lukashenko visited Ecuador in 2012, on his first official visit to this country. At that time, negotiations with the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, showed mutual interest in closer co-operation. The return visit by the President of Ecuador confirmed such intentions, while bringing more ‘working content’ to our dialogue. It seems that Ecuador may become another foothold for Belarus on the Latin American continent — to mutual benefit. Our Latin American guest i m m e d i ate ly g ai n e d ou r friendship and goodwill with his deep knowledge

of Belarusian history. He regretted that not many people in Latin America are aware of the self-sacrificing and heroic contribution of our nation to the world’s liberation from Nazism. We l c om i ng Mr. C or re a , Mr. Lukashenko assured, “Belarus attaches great importance to the strengthening of relations with Latin American states and Ecuador occupies a vital place in our foreign policy.” This can be easily explained, clarified the President. We share almost the same views on the international agenda, while occupying similar positions within the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement and other international organisations. We’re unanimous in our conviction that the world order should be multipolar. Our prioritisation of socioeconomic development for our states, with citizens at the centre, is a shared aim: the orienting point of our states’ development is to enhance the prosperity of citizens. Our foreign policy and trade are aimed at achieving this.

VISIT Happily, our economies complement each other rather than rivalling, with Ecuador and Belarus able to supply one another with us eful goods and services, as the presidents unanimously agreed. However, Mr. Lukashenko noted that our present level of business contacts are ‘only one percent of what they should be’. President Correa agreed, adding that his country is rich in natural resources and agricultural goods not seen or grown in Belarus. Meanwhile, we have well developed industrial machine building and, importantly, technologies and knowledge lacking in Ecuador. Mr. Correa values Belarus' willingness to share its knowledge with its friends: something in which Ecuador is especially interested. B elarus and Ecuador already enjoy successful co-operation in the

that the potential of our two countries allows for the dramatic expansion of mutually beneficial co-operation. Mr. Lukashenko especially noted that Belarus is ready for open and businesslike dialogue with partners from Ecuador, in all areas of mutual interest. “Our common task is to lay a solid foundation for the practical implementation of promising projects,” said the Belarusian Head of State. He expressed confidence that the ongoing visit of the top-level Ecuadorian delegation to Belarus will lend powerful impetus to mutually beneficial collaboration in the best interests of our two countries. Belarus and Ecuador are similar in many ways, without disagreements: a good precondition for long-lasting interaction, the Belarusian President believes.

Belarus attaches great importance to the strengthening of relations with Latin American states and Ecuador occupies a vital place in our foreign policy

sphere of oil exploration and extraction but Mr. Lukashenko would like to see our joint work expanded into other areas. The heads of state have agreed to develop collaboration in the energy sphere, constructing power lines in Ecuador and setting up the joint production of machine building and agricultural machinery, while reinforcing interaction in the scientific and military-technical spheres. “I’m convinced that, through joint effort, we can enter a new stage in the history of our relations. Belarus is ready to take active steps in this direction — first and foremost in the economic field,” stressed the Belarusian Head of State. He added

During their final communication with journalists, the presidents talked about how well they understand each other: as professional economists and people close in spirit. Early in the negotiations, the heads of state spoke about the need to outline three or four key projects, around which further collaboration could focus. However, by the end of the meeting, 4-5 mutually interesting topics had been decided upon, covering over 15 areas of joint work. President Correa commented, “Your achievements in science, technologies and education are of great interest to Ecuador. We won’t miss the opportunity to use your potential.

We have a great field for joint activity, b oasting huge p otential for cooperation regarding the supply and setting up of tractor manufacture in Ecuador (using Belarusian technologies), alongside medicine production. There’s also interest in collaboration in the energy sphere. In these sectors, our interaction could go beyond the limits of simple trade, taking the next step of technology transfer and joint production. With the co-operation of Belarus, we hope to independently produce high value added goods as part of our revolution in technologies and production.” B el ar u s prop o s e s s e tt i ng up a logistics centre for Ecuador on advantageous terms, helping promote merchandise, as suggested by Mr. Lukashenko during his talks with Mr. Correa. The President of Belarus remarked that this logistics centre could cover Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States and other European Union states. Mr. Lukashenko stressed that he wishes to surpass simple trade with Ecuador, being ready to share technologies, set up joint ventures and train specialists. “Instead of just supplying ready-made products, we could manufacture them together, satisfying your needs and selling them to neighbouring countries. We're ready to transfer technologies to you and help the people of Ecuador master these technologies,” added the Belarusian leader. Mr. Lukashenko asserted that Belarus has no intention of asking Ecuador to give Belarusian products or partners preference over national interests. “We’d like to co-operate with you on an equal footing and win under conditions of fair competition,” said the Belarusian President. He added that most of what is being offered to Ecuador has already been implemented in Venezuela, so that concrete results of co-operation can be viewed, to make an informed decision. By Veniamin Mishin

2013 беларусь.belarus

CO-OPERATION

elarusian President Alexander Lukashenko paid an official visit to Ashgabat recently, me e ting Turk men President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov to discuss inter-state relations. With focus on mutual trust and making the most of future prospects, it was clear that no obstacles exist to our two countries enjoying excellent partnerships.

Bright example The Belarusian and Turkmen presidents previously agreed to meet annually to revise joint projects. Naturally, such meetings are yielding economic results; over the past five years, our mutual turnover has risen 5-fold, now exceeding $300m. Mr. Lukashenko stressed that it’s important to preserve friendly Belarusian-Turkmen relations, saying, “Our ideology aims to tie our nations together, so that nobody would ever dare to destroy our friendship. I think we enjoy exemplary relations, which are an example to all.” The largest joint project so far involves the construction of a factory in Garlyk, by Belarusian specialists, to produce potash fertilisers. It is a perfect example of bilateral economic collaboration, as Mr. Lukashenko emphasised, noting, “Very soon, a group of specialists — led by our Prime Minister — will arrive in Turkmenistan to finally settle all issues relating to the Garlyk factory construction.” The final launch date is yet to be chosen but the two heads of state should cut a red ribbon by early 2015.

Service meeting regulations We are already seeing dynamic growth of Belarusian exports to Turkmenistan, with MAZ, MTZ and Amkodor machinery working efficiently under challenging climatic conditions. As a result, additional contracts for delivery of agricultural vehicles, cars and city transport are being discussed, with Turkmenistan keen to open a service

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centre for Belarus-made tractors and vehicles. Mr. Lukashenko notes that this could offer maintenance for all supplied machinery and that extra branches could later open countrywide. “We understand, as we’ve made a decision to work in this country, that we need to establish maintenance centres here. This issue is to be settled in the near future,” the Belarusian President stressed.

to come to Belarus more often: to participate in competitions and to jointly train at Belarusian sports camps. Turkmenistan’s President has welcomed this proposal.” Mr. B erdymuk hamedov likes the Belarusian President’s idea of building a Turkmen student quarter in Belarus, promising to thoroughly study the proposal. He also notes that

Exemplary relations Belarus and Turkmenistan strengthen friendship and co-operation Uplift force Our mutually beneficial sci-tech co-operation is an important factor in our two states’ economic growth, with liaisons embracing over 20 joint projects. Pilotless aircraft production is among the most significant, as Mr. Lukashenko explained, “We are now negotiating the supply to Turkmenistan of multi-functional pilotless aviation devices, designed by Belarus’ National Academy of Sciences. Launch of their joint production in Turkmenistan is also being discussed.” The two presidents highlighted our active humanitarian co-operation, noting that over 8,000 Turkmens are currently studying in Belarus. With this in mind, Mr. Lukashenko has proposed establishing a ‘Turkmen Isle’ in Belarus, offering hostels and hotels to young people. Joint training of Belarusian and Turkmen sportsmen was also on the agenda, with the Belarusian President underlining, “I’ve invited Turkmen sportsmen

Belarusian machinery is proving itself in Turkmenistan, inspiring plans for further import. However, he admits that better maintenance is required, so Mr. Lukashenko’s promise of opening service centres is very welcome. Further interaction in the sci-tech sphere is another priority for our two states, with a special inter-governmental commission now set up to oversee this branch. It will gather in Minsk for the first time soon, as Mr. Lukashenko notes, ‘helping our Turkmen friends to gain personal knowledge of our developments’ and enabling them to ‘select areas of major interest’. Our two states’ academies of sciences are ready to sign a cooperative programme in the field of science and technologies (covering 21 joint projects) and Belarusian scientists are negotiating the supply of our pilotless aircraft to Turkmenistan, alongside possible joint production. Belarus and Turkmenistan clearly have much to discuss. At the end of Mr. Lukashenko’s visit, the two presi-

CO-OPERATION form and would like to welcome them to Belarus — to play their peers,” Mr. Lukashenko noted. The Belarusian President praised Turkmenistan’s hockey development, saying, “I would have never thought it possible to build ice palaces so quickly and for people to have learnt to play hockey so rapidly — especially in your summer temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius.”

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Areas of partnership

Presidents Alexander Lukashenko and Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov at the moment of their meeting

dents made a joint report on further strengthening of friendship and cooperation, unanimously agreeing that Belarusian-Turkmen collaboration has already achieved significant results. Moreover, our political interstate dialogue is progressing and agreements and signed documents are being well realised. The two heads of state are delighted by the current state of our bilateral relations, voicing their readiness to continue strengthening them.

Sporting interest

Mr. Berdymukhamedov was interested to hear Mr. Lukashenko’s opinion on the recent friendly junior hockey match between a Turkmen team and Belarus’ winning team of the Golden Puck nationwide hockey tournament, hosted by Ashgabat, on the eve of the Belarusian President’s visit. “Of course, our guys are younger than yours. However, being a hockey ‘expert’, I can say that your junior team is truly fine. I love that your guys are in top physical

A package of documents was signed during Mr. Lukashenko’s visit, covering various spheres of co-operation. One regards the settlement of mutual obligations and financial demands — signed between the governments and national banks of Belarus and of Turkmenistan. Others cover health protection, education and medical assistance to Belarusian and Turkmen citizens, as well detailing a co-operative programme for physical culture, sport and tourism. The advantages are evident, with training of Turkmen students bringing the export of services, and inflow of foreign currency, as well as employment for Belarusian lecturers. Naturally, scientific collaboration also brings export of our intellectual products. Meanwhile, the opening of service centres will help sales for our machinery to the Turkmen market; the Garlyk mining facility is worth billion of Dollars alone. In their joint report, Mr. Lukashenko and Mr. Berdymukhamedov stressed their mutual focus on further growth of bilateral trade, development of longterm economic liaisons and strengthening of investment interaction. They also expressed readiness to continue the joint fight against terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and illegal migration. The heads of state have agreed to exchange Days of Culture of Belarus and Turkmenistan in 2014-2015. “Our cooperation is a truly strategic partnership, based on long-term goals and boasting significant potential,” Mr. Lukashenko stressed, inviting the Turkmen President to officially visit Belarus. By Viktor Khmelevsky

2013 беларусь.belarus

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FORUM

That’s the image of our Belarusian youth

Tradition of staying in the forefront

Idea of declaring the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power station as a youth one found support at the highest level

peaking at the Forum “Traditions. Youth. Future”, the Head of State has promised to soon discuss the initiative with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, since the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power station will involve Russian specialists. The President of Belarus has advised youngsters not to seek quick and easy wealth but to work hard with

that this is a ‘sign of the times’ and that he was undecided as to whether such ambition was an advantage or disadvantage. “Pragmatism brings not only personal profit and egoism but common sense and freedom from illusion: a sense of responsibility for the present and the future,” he noted. The President added that there is good money to be earned in Belarus, saying, “You can find a job to suit any taste here if you wish to do so.” He advised young people against trying to

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their own brains and hands. He emphasised that true professionalism relies on skills and experience, as well as deep knowledge of our chosen field and dedication — since these enable us to think originally and creatively, bringing innovative ideas and discoveries. Mr. Lukashenko suggested at the forum that 2015 be declared the Year of Young People in Belarus. He noted that many people regret that the younger generation seems more focused on pragmatic acquisition but he pointed out

start their own business right away, since being a businessman is not as easy as it might seem and not everyone is suited to be an entrepreneur. “Gain a profession and give it a try. Take your time before quitting,” he advised. Mr. Lukashenko stressed that the state relies on the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM), since it unites almost 500m members, or one fifth of the country’s young people. “We in no way hide the ideological and political tasks that we set the BRSM,” said the Head of State. “However, these tasks don't aim to create ‘hawks’ and ‘falcons’; the main aim is to shape patriotic feelings among our young people. Mr. Lukashenko also mentioned BRSM’s 100 Ideas for Belarus project, which the President views as vitally important, using the resources of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the innovative funds of ministries. The Head of State has instructed the National Academy of Sciences and the Government to select a dozen of the most promising ideas for launch in the near future. Mr. Lukashenko noted at the forum that Belarusian youngsters should receive ‘eternal vaccination’ against destructive ideologies and stressed that the entire history of Belarus speaks against radical action. He added, “In the last century, our country had its fill of wars, revolutions and shocks.” Sadly, no generation of Belarusians was lucky enough to live a peaceful, calm and safe life. “Although young people always wish for radical transformations and immediate change, I call upon you to think over the lessons of history. Did these shocks make anyone happy? No, they only brought confusion, misery and destruction. Never did they go without bloodshed.” The President reminded everyone that the Palace of Independence is a symbol of Belarusian statehood, built by Belarusian specialists from local raw materials and embodying the capabilities of Belarusians.

Belta

FACT

Six concerts across four countries European Youth Orchestra, under People’s Artist of Belarus Mikhail Kozinets, performs across France, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg

he major international musical festival was recently hosted by French Nancy, with the opening ceremony featuring the European Youth Orchestra, conducted by Mikhail Kozinets. Dulcimer player Alexandra Denisenya, a student

Virtual communication First international veteran online Skype-bridge organised in Minsk

Skype tele-bridge has been organised to mark Ukraine’s liberation from Fascist invaders, joining veterans from Minsk, Kharkov, Kiev, St. Petersburg, Sevastopol and Odessa. Belarusian veterans were thus able to congratulate their fellow soldiers on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of liberation.

of the Belarusian State Academy of Music who has won numerous international and national contests, performed solo. The Orchestra's programme includes pieces by Rimsky-Korsakov, Schumann and Hindemith, as well as Belarusian composer Vladimir Kuryan, and has toured the cities of Nancy, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Liège, Metz and Saarbrücken. Six conser vatoires from four European countries have taken part, with the festival organised by Nancy’s Regional Conservatoire: recently engaged in close co-operation with the Belarusian State Academy of Music in the field of student exchange programmes and the organisation of joint musical events. The television bridge was held in Minsk, with the help of the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics. Mikhail Batura, Rector of the University, noted that such events are an example of how contemporary technologies can be used for truly noble purposes. “With the help of the television-bridge, we’ve congratulated Ukraine on the great day, marking its liberation from Fascist invaders. This is our first experience of congratulating veterans in such a way. I think that such virtual communication should become a regular event.”

By Vasily Kharitonov

2013 беларусь.belarus

World Championship — 2014

t present, the capital is experiencing a true construction boom, with hotels being built, highways being improved and one of the arenas (which will be hosting the matches) being prepared for commissioning. The city is changing before our eyes and is anticipating the event. However, everything needs to be foreseen and nothing should be missed in order to make the ice hockey tournament stick into the memory of both its participants and all the visitors who will arrive in the Belarusian capital during this time. Mr. Lukashenko demanded maximum concentration of effort during the final stages of preparation for the championship. According to the Head of State, this won’t be merely a sporting event. “This is the moment when we present our country to the whole world. How this country looks will greatly influence the impression people have of our state. Moreover, this is also a serious economic event.” The President believes that the championship should bring in serious economic and financial benefits. “ T h e 2 0 1 4 Wo r l d Championship is a serious test for all structures,” Mr. Lukashenko is convinced. “We have to show the face of the state, and this is complicated because the problem has acquired a political angle recently. People won’t only come to Belarus for the sake of seeing their favourite team playing. At the back of their minds they may wonder what Belarus is. What is this country that some groups are trying to deprive of the World Championships? Therefore, Belarus should prove to everyone that it is a truly civilised Central European country. We want people say that it is a completely normal country, a completely normal city and nothing like what they read in mass media.”

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It goes without saying that there shouldn’t be any failures, or even small ‘wrinkles’ in the preparation for this important event. According to the President, much still needs to be done. “I want everyone involved to give their best effort during the final period of the preparations. We must demonstrate a high level of organisation of the World Championship before the entire international community. Our goal is to make the visitors Belarus comfortable. The

and requires no additional financial expenses. For visa-free entry, tourists coming for the Championships will only have to present original or electronic match tickets, which can be bought anywhere via the Internet. The organising committee tasked with the preparations and the hosting the IIHF World Championship has identified and fixed issues related to safety measures at the arenas and other places and border and customs clearance. Work

True holiday mood Fewer than 200 days are left before the Hockey World Cup, which is played in Minsk and begins in May of next year services we provide have to be able to satisfy the most sophisticated customers,” the head of state stressed. According to Belarus’ Deputy Prime Minister, Anatoly Tozik, Belarus fulfils all the 2014 World Championship requirements timely and in full, which has been shown by inspections of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). According to Mr. Tozik, one of the key organisational points in hosting the Championship is visa-free entry for official participants and foreign tourists. The mechanism is simple, comfortable for the championship participants

dealing with information and advertising support of the championship has been also organised. The official travel partner of the 2014 IIHF World Championships, TsentrKurort Company, has developed a number of travel packages, including game tickets, accommodation, as well as additional services (excursions, transfers, catering and souvenirs). Belarusian companies have already launched the production of souvenir products with the 2014 IIHF World Championship logo, which are today available in almost every region of the country.

World Championship — 2014

The event will also make use of volunteers. So far, more than 3,000 people have requested to help during the championships. The majority of them are students of Belarusian universities, learning foreign languages. Up to 190 students, from the Belarusian State Medical University, will help ambulance crews in first-aid stations at the arenas and the accommodation of the championship participants. Visitors and participants of the championship will be offered 29 operating hotels and a further 14 hotels, where construction is now nearing its comple-

tion, as well as 10 hostels and five dormitories in the student village. Moreover, the private sector is also expected to take an active part in offering accommodation to tourists. According to the Chairman of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation, Yevgeny Vorsin, all the technical requirements for hosting games of the IIHF World Championship were agreed during an inspection visit of representatives of the International Ice Hockey Federation in August. The foreign experts agreed that Minsk-Arena meets the highest international standards.

The operation of all departments and technological equipment at the ChizhovkaArena will be tested during the Christmas Ice Hockey Tournament for the Prize of the President of Belarus, and during the Golden Puck National Youth Ice Hockey Tournament for the Prizes of the Head of State. The tournaments will be held in conditions similar to those of the world ice hockey championship. “I don’t see any problems with the preparations for the World Championship, not even with the accommodation of guests. I think that the private sector will eagerly join in, wishing to earn money,” summed up the President. “We are hospitable people. It’s necessary to heartily welcome the visitors who will come to us. However, I’d like to stress again that the World Championship is primarily for Belarusian people, they have deserved this event, and everything will depend on the performance of the Belarusian team.” Since June, the national ice hockey team has been led by Canadian specialist Glen Hanlon, assisted by Belarusian coaches, Eduard Zankovets and Oleg Mikulchik. The coaching staff has developed a training plan of athlete preparation and comprised an expanded roster of 45 players. Four of them play in the North American Hockey League, 28 — in the Kontinental Hockey League, including 16 making part of KHL’s Dinamo Minsk, four — the Supreme League of the Russian Ice Hockey Championship, and nine being first-timers. Yevgeny Vorsin stressed that all sportsmen are determined to represent the national team. In his words, some six months will be spent on four stages of training camps. “The main task of this phase is to mobilise players and pull the team together,” he said. The coaching staff and the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation believe that the task for the Belarusian team to reach the IIHF World Championship quarterfinal in 2014 is difficult but achievable. All organisation and financial issues have been solved to ensure successful performance of the national squad. By Sergey Dovlatov

2013 беларусь.belarus

BOUNDARIES

Belta

To advance, it’s necessary to run faster than time In the USSR, Belarus was called an ‘assembly’ or a ‘processing workshop’, and many of the produced goods were well-known brands. These include ‘Belarus’ tractors, MAZ trucks, Horizont TV sets, Stolichnye candies and Borodinsky bread. We’ve managed to preserve them. However, over more than twenty years of Agrarian leadership independence, elarus lacks its own oil, completely new areas natural gas and other of development and valuable natural resources, but boasts a branch which points of growth annually generates over appeared, and these can $2bn of exports: agriculture. Much drastically change the attention has been paid to agricultural development and the construction of views about our state.

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agro-towns (as dreamt of by USSR Party leader Nikita Khrushchev). This has eroded the gap between standards of living in cities and villages; moreover, agricultural machinery production has contributed to our success. At present, only Ukraine (known for its famous black soil) and Kazakhstan (with its virgin lands) produce greater grain harvests per capita than Belarus; the

BOUNDARIES Belarus and the CIS to receive a certificate of access to the European market, confirming the top quality of Belarusian milk products.

Information technologies

Artur Prupas

in line with a Presidential decree. In addition, powerful new machinery has been supplied to farms on privileged terms, as have complex fertilisers (enriched with micro-elements). The experiment of transferring traditionallyrun state farms into the hands of larger processing and industrial companies has demonstrated bright results. Famous perfumerycosmetics company Vitex JSC is one such, having gained ownership of a state farm in the Uzda District (45km from Minsk) a decade ago; it now owns 40 cottages, an automated farm and hightech fruit-storage facilities. Moreover, the company is shifting its major production facilities to this location, with only warehouses remaining in the city. Large milk volumes have brought modern processing, enabling Belarusian milk companies to rival European counterparts, using the same equipment and producing the same range. This year, Savushkin Product JSC — our largest dairy enterprise — is the first in

best years have seen us collect up to one tonne per head. As regards milk, no former Soviet republic would question our absolute leadership. Belarus even occupies fourth place worldwide in terms of milk production, thanks not only to our favourable climate but to modern, computerised dairy farms being built in almost every one of our 118 districts:

he software industr y is becoming a driving force for Belarusian economic transformation, with the Hi g h - Te c h Par k a l on e exporting $500m of software (a direct result of tax privileges granted to Park residents). According to the National Statistical Committee, IT specialists’ wages currently exceed $12.7m: an average of $1,300 monthly (in equivalent) — against the national average of just over $500. Such large sums are due to specialists working directly for the Western market, since modern technologies allow some production to shift from Europe and the USA to Belarus. Of course, competition is growing and our rivals are never far behind. Saying this, the ‘hindu code’ (‘glitch code’) is the common reference for shoddy work in the IT sphere, although prices offered by rivalling firms are certainly cheaper than in Europe. Naturally, customers seek value for money. Since Soviet times, Belarus has preserved a strong system of fundamental technical education: an area in which we can continue to excel, with state support of specialists’ training in the sci-tech sphere. Maths, physics and economics, as well as software development, are vital components of a technical education and there’s no doubt that demand will only grow, if innovations can find commercial application.

Economy of knowledge

ur most vital resource is the education of our citizens, fulfilling our ultimate human potential. Belarus already occupies 45th place among 146 countries in the Knowledge Index (the ability to generate, accept and spread scientific knowledge). page

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BOUNDARIES

Meanwhile, it has risen to 50th position (from 73rd) for its efficient use of scientific knowledge in economic growth. According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation, our country is ranked 6th globally for the number of applications to patent inventions: behind only Korea, Japan, China, Germany and the USA. Our course, funds are needed to implement inventions, with only one percent of Belarusian GDP currently originating from the sci-tech sphere. To move this forward, private investment is sought and an innovative fund has been established. Around 85 percent of domestic science-related funding is being focused on economic application of innovations, with the aim of generating income. Interestingly, 24.8 percent of organisations in Belarus are focused on innovative activity, while the share of science-intensive and high-tech exports tripled this year against 2011 — reaching $10.8bn (accounting for 20 percent of all Belarusian exports). The country has achieved much success in bio-technology development; over the past 18 months, such production has brought in revenue in excess of $1bn: $87 per capita (against $183 in the EU and $6.10 in Russia). Belarus leads in manipulating genetic codes, to create new products and organisms, including through hybridisation. The National Academy of Sciences’ Microbiology Institute has joined the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Cytology Institute in developing collections of human and animal cells, each with a ‘passport’, which can be used to diagnose and control specific infection. In addition, our scientists have joined the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences’ Scientific-Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology in developing multi-functional high-yield microbe fertilisers. In addition, genetic markers for identifying barley varieties are being prepared jointly with the Scientific-Research Institute of Plant Growing.

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Business

Space club

n July 22nd, 2012, a Belarusian satellite was successfully launched from Baikonur — enabling us to join the ranks of ‘global space states’. It took 2,764 seconds for Soyuz-FG (and the Fregat upper-state rocket) to travel 520km, reaching orbit, where it should remain for five years. Our 400kg spacecraft boasts supreme dynamics, being highly manoeuvrable — able to change its orbit position to shoot from a certain angle (with 2m resolution). Over half of all geodesy and cartography works require space photography, with data used by forestry and agriculture, as well as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Viktor Zaznov, the Scientific Secretary of the National Academy of Sciences’ Geo-information Systems, believes a communication satellite should be soon launched but that the existing Belarusian spacecraft is valuable, having brought our own flight management centre (able to supervise an orbital group of satellites). Belarus now enjoys a new economic branch, overseeing space possibilities to the state’s benefit. The satellite also opens prospects for international co-operation in the information and military-industrial spheres.

n October 29th, 2013, the World Bank published its 2014 Doing Business report, analysing legislation governing small and medium-sized companies. Belarus occupies 63rd place among 189 countries, improving its position by one point. Among the former Soviet republics, Georgia and the Baltic States are ahead of us, while Russia occupies 92nd place and Ukraine 112th. Simplified property registration procedures have much contributed to Belarus being ranked 3rd in the world in this sphere. In addition, we are progressing in the rankings for ease of business ‘startup’: dealing with such issues as construction permits and enforcing contracts. As regards ease of paying taxes, Belarus is ranked 133th worldwide; however, our Ministry of Taxes and Duties plans to significantly improve on this next year. At present, taxpayers enjoy access to e-services; over 130,000 companies are using e-declaration. Amendments have been introduced to the Tax Code, bringing accounting and tax registration closer, while profit tax is now easier to calculate. The state has been liaising with major developers of accounting systems, aiming to allow submission of e-declaration to the Ministry of Taxes and Duties directly from accounting registration systems. Several restrictions on tax deductions have been annulled and the obligation to submit documents (confirming privileges) jointly with accounting reports to a tax agency has been lifted; such documents are now studied within tax inspections. The Ministry of Taxes and Duties has conducted anonymous polls among Minsk firms (employing 10-100 people) three times now. Time spent on profit tax administration, VAT and social payments reached 341 hours a year on average in 2010, 205 hours in 2011 and just 135 hours in 2012. Belarusian tax legislation is ever improving and being simplified, helping small and medium-sized businesses to operate efficiently. By Aelita Syulzhina

PANORAMA  Atom for peace Belarus and Japan to co-operate in sphere of nuclear safety

 Liners to ascend in the sky Belavia to launch flights to Vilnius and Geneva, and later — to Delhi, and probably to Beijing

“W

e’re planning to start operations to Vilnius: perhaps very soon. There's certainly interest in adding Lithuania to Belavia’s flight network,” noted Belavia’s Director General, Anatoly Gusarov, speaking at a press conference in Minsk. Belavia is also to launch a regular flight from Minsk to Geneva by the end of this year. “We’re actively working

on our network while exploring our options for new destinations within the CIS and Europe next year,” added the Director General. According to Mr. Gusarov, Belavia intends to further increase its fleet, thinking of acquiring a Boeing-737-800 (perhaps by lease). “This would enhance our network and enable us to fly longer distances: to Delhi and, probably, to Beijing,” explained Mr. Gusarov. The airline has signed a contract for the delivery of two Embraer 195LR aircraft, from the Brazilian manufacturer. One is to be delivered in time for the 2014 IIHF World Championship, and the second in May or June 2014.

 Millions of readers, millions of books Belarus most well-read country in CIS

he National Statistical Committee has announced that there are 392 users of public libraries per thousand people in Belarus: against 375 in Russia, 336 in Ukraine, 283 in Azerbaijan and 269 in Kazakhstan. At the end of 2012, 3,600 public libraries were operational across Belarus, holding 66.5 million copies of books, magazines, manuscripts and other resources. Each library boasted, on average, 18,000 copies.

Last year, public libraries received 3.7 million visitors, with 69 million instances of lending. Almost 3,000 public libraries were operational across rural areas in 2012, with 1.2 million visitors borrowing over 22 million books and magazines.

apan recently hosted the Second International Symposium on Nuclear Safety, with Belarus represented by Sergey Rakhmanov, Ambassador of Belarus to Japan. Mr. Rakhmanov met experts from the Japanese Institute for External Affairs and the University of Tokyo, who are engaged in developing nuclear power engineering, as well as tackling rehabilitation after the tragic accident at Fukushima-1 nuclear power station. Naturally, the Japanese are interested in developing relations with Belarus regarding alleviating the consequences of the Japanese atomic catastrophe.

 It is relatively easy to catch the sun The Grodno Region is planning to produce solar panels

uring the Grodno Region at Intersection of Borders international investment forum, Vladimir Nistyuk, Acting Director of the Renewable Energy Association, announced their plans to invest in the production of flexible and small solar panels. He stated that this region of Belarus has more advantages than other regions, that the Grodno Region is a pioneer and a leader in the field of renewable power generation. The first hydroelectric power plant has been launched on the river Niemen, in the Novogrudok District, a wind farm, one of the most effective plants in Europe, is running. Other parts of the region are also being considered as places for the construction of new wind farms. The Grodno Region also has experience in using solar power as an alternative source.

2013 беларусь.belarus

Continent of the nation

s President of the Moscow Club of Belarusians a n d E d i t o r- i n Chief of the Syabry (Friends) newspaper, he is certainly kept busy. He is also a member of the Council for Nationalities, under the Government of Moscow, and President of the BelarusianRussian Association of Producers of Syabry Goods and Services. He visited Belarus last year, joining a trip organised by our Belarusian Embassy to Moscow, for leaders of Belarusian organisations, societies and communities. After the official part of the meeting, we chatted for a couple of hours and almost missed the evening meal organised by the Embassy. We were late for the simple reason that Oleg is passionate about the Moscow Club of Belarusians, into which he has placed his heart and soul. A former soldier himself, and the son of a soldier, he is not alone in his desire to unify Belarusians. Professor Maldis’s book also reads: ‘His comrades in this business are well-known Moscow businessman Vladimir Ivanovich Basalai, writer Mikhail Mikhailovich Rassolov and Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation Anatoly Kuzmich Bondarev’.

‘It’s like a living organism’ Mr. Kandyba, you note that Ambassador Igor Petrishenko is eager to involve the Diaspora in Embassy projects. How is this progressing? Very well: many new leaders of public organisations have joined us recently. This means that dialogue is often generalised, so that people can understand the basics; we don’t want to lose experience each time there is a change of management at our Embassy or in the community. Some people concentrate on minor details, such as lack of national costumes to wear at events in Russia, but these facts aren’t vitally important. The Belarusian movement began earlier than 1917, with communities of St. Petersburg and Moscow growing.

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Even the name of the street, Maroseyka, where our Embassy’s private residence is located, means ‘a tribe of little Russians’. Belarusians lived here, with Ukrainians nearby; in Hokhlovsky Lane, there were Armenians, and so on. Representatives of various ethnicities built their churches. Near the Kremlin — in order to be closer to the Tsar — wealthy Belarusian craftsmen continued to make traditional items, glorifying their native land. The 1980s, when Perestroika began, were probably the years of our social movement blossoming most, with leaders coming forward from various walks of life: each feeling a need for true fulfilment. Sergey Kandybovich, who heads

Do you mean the experience of those occupying certain positions in society? This is an important resource. Every leader should use their contacts. In meeting people, of course, you try to carry a reputation, since this can aid the business you serve. It’s like pushing a wagon on the railway lines until it gathers enough momentum to travel independently. Yes, it’s like a living organism. Sometimes, people ask how our club operates and I tell them that we are close friends, gathering for traditional holidays such as Independence Day, and our Club Day (2nd April), as well as on the Day of Unity of the People of Belarus and Russia

Close people, native hearts The encyclopaedic directory about well-known Belarusians abroad, published in Minsk and edited by Professor Adam Maldis, contains the line: ‘Oleg Fedorovich Kandyba considers the creation of the Moscow Club of Belarusians to be the most important achievement of his life.’ The book mentions this fascinating man and his work at least twice. Mr. Kandyba, originally from Pligovki, in the Shumilino District, Vitebsk Region, is 55, while his Moscow Club of Belarusians was founded 15 years ago. Belarusians of Moscow National and Cultural Autonomy, is the director general of a very established company, while Ivan Panasyuk, from Novosibirsk, is a patron, businessman and entrepreneur. Many such people have joined our movement of Belarusians in Russia. During Perestroika, our minister-Belarusians became active: the last Minister of Machine Tool Construction of the USSR, Nikolay Panichev; Viktor Danilenko — at the time, Ambassador of Belarus to Russia and a former Minister of Rural Construction of the USSR; the last Minister of Trade of the USSR, Kondrat Terekh; and others. Our Diaspora has huge experience, of which we must make good use.

(we meet for this on 19th April). It’s not easy to organise events, since they need funding and a venue, a programme and performers. We also celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and house-warming parties; we even gathered for the opening of a member’s banya, sharing a BBQ together and taking a steam bath. Informal events bring us closer than official meetings ‘in suit and tie’ — with their long speeches. Our feeling of fellowship and unification is wonderful! We usually bring our wives and children, as well as grandchildren, so they can meet and make friends. This is our club, which has grown into an independent, living, organism in which we feel comfortable.

Continent of the nation

‘The leader should head, but not order’ In conversation with leaders of Belarusian communities, we often hear the complaint that it’s hard to attract young people, with most meetings seeing the elderly sharing a drink and nibbles, singing songs from their youth. Do you think anything needs to change? We must put our hearts into this business to see success. Vitally, our leaders should head, but not order. It’s very difficult to guide those who are independent minded, so we need to apply psychology in a subtle way,

say it’s the ability to owe nothing to others and to be independent of needing others. I like the definition of TV presenter Alexander Gordon, who says that his father once asked him to define freedom. He answered that it must be being able to do whatever you wished but his father told him that it was rather being able to avoid doing that which you had no desire to do. I understand his meaning and believe we need to adopt this principle with our Belarusian communities: nobody should be obliged to do something they don’t wish to do. We must present them with attractive opportunities, which will appeal to independent adults.

help in small ways but if you don’t solve your own problems, you may find that you have only your wife and children for company. Even brothers and sisters will avoid you, because they have their own life to organise. Children also grow up and have their own problems... If God blesses you, at least your spouse will always remain nearby. There is nobody in life you can truly rely upon except your husband or wife. Even the closest friends can drift apart. If you are ill - for a week or month — they can help with medicines; all else, you should do for yourself. Survive. You cannot live always being dependent on others, since other people have their own lives to lead.

‘Places with ancient history’

Syabry is of great significance for Oleg Kandyba (in the center)

so that people are attracted of their own volition. Actually, you have a ready concept how and on which principles to create a cultural and business centre. However, this idea isn’t implemented for some reasons. Probably, it needs someone with your passion to do so... Even I won’t do this. God grant me health while I have a good salary, job and position in society. Most importantly, I have freedom. What freedom do you have if there is so much work to do? It must bind you? What is freedom in your opinion? The classical scholars say that freedom is the ability to choose. Most people would

‘Do not complain and do not ask’ Since everyone has their own problems, how do you help them all? You can’t please everyone but my mother-in-law has told me that it’s best not to complain or request as not only will people refuse to help you but will cease to respect you. More exactly, wise and well-mannered people will avoid sharing personal problems at a club: ‘washing their dirty linen in public’. Such matters are best kept within the family, or you can appear weak in front of others. It’s our animal instinct to believe that only the strongest survive. People may be able to

Villagers always have certain wisdom and I know you hail from a rural area. Please tell us about it. Yes, I was born in a village situated on the bank of the small and beautiful River Obol, which then flows 5km into the Dvina. It’s in the Shumilino District, in the Vitebsk Region, near the town of Obol, where the Komsomol organisation was well-known for its activity in the Great Patriotic War. It’s a place of Belarusian lakes, with many birds, waterfalls and gorgeous landscapes, as well as ancient history. The Dvina was used as a trade waterway from the Varangians to the Greeks: from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. People from my family are strong and serious; some moved to Siberia and those with the surname Kandyba once inhabited the whole of my village. Minsk’s Alexander Kandyba is a well-known neurosurgeon, heading the Surgery Department at the Republican Scientific and Practical Centre of Traumatology and Orthopaedics. Yes, our surname is found the world over, among many people. My Belarusian uncle, Piotr Yefimovich Kandyba, was the first Deputy Minister of the Electronic Industry of the USSR, before Perestroika. He and his family live in Zelenograd. I attended page

2013 беларусь.belarus

Continent of the nation

school in Obol and was school secretary of the Komsomol before going to military college. My mother still lives in Belarus, although my father has passed away; my aunts, two of his sisters, remain and my younger brother lives in Obol, working as an electrician. I also have a lot of cousins. My middle brother serves on the border in Murmansk while my mother-in-law lives in Obol. I completely restored her home: slating the roof, installing doubleglazing and changing the floor. The house was built in 1936 and Germans lived in it during the war. My wife’s grandfather built it himself. Obol is situated downstream from my village. Do you return often? I’d like to do so more often. I was last in Belarus for the 1150th anniversary of Polotsk’s foundation, at the personal invitation of President Alexander Lukashenko. In 2012, my friends and I, Belarusians and Russians, travelled across Belarus; we organised everything ourselves. We toured the Mogilev Region and Gomel, then Petrikov, Mikashevichi, Luninets and Minsk. In Vitebsk, we enjoyed an interesting business meeting with the Governor, Alexander Kosinets, which helped us to develop trade and economic relations between Tula and the Vitebsk area, as our delegation included the chairman of a committee from the Tula Region. We also visited my family home. The weather was wonderful and we gained so many wonderful impressions. We stayed in Luninets, Gomel and Vitebsk and did a lot of good. After all, the most important thing for businessmen is to meet people face to face; contracts are not signed only in offices, yet we spend our whole lives in them.

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‘Uniting — in order to be called people’ How did you come to Moscow? I studied near Moscow, in Dubna, at the Ministry of Medium MachineBuilding Industry College: now, Rosatom College. In the 1980s, I went to Lithuania, where I performed my service in the city of Visaginas, which has a nuclear power

беларусь.belarus 2013

At the celebration in village Zhelezniki: Oleg Kandyba and Bishop Aristarkh of Gomel and Zhlobin

station. Many Belarusians settled there, as the border was nearby. I finished military college with honours, and had to decide whether or not to stay there. I chose to move closer to home and met my wife there, in the same year that I finished college. She is from the neighbouring village and we went to the same school. My daughter was born a year later and we often went home, as it was only a 50km journey. Belarus was also near, across Lake Drivyaty. I worked there until 1989, when Perestroika began. We no longer felt welcome, like other Russians, so we moved to Moscow. By that time, I’d graduated from Novopolotsk Polytechnic University with a degree in industrial and civil construction and had helped clear up at Chernobyl: 87 days working on minimising the consequences of the catastrophe. I lived in the city, at the boarding school, in a chemistry room. I then received some benefits and, in Moscow, was hugely lucky, gaining a home through our ministry. I arrived in January and, by February, had my own apartment. I served in power structures, graduated from Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, with a degree in economics and, when I was transferred to the reserve, the Ambassador Extraordinary

and Plenipotentiary, Vladimir Grigoriev, asked me to be his deputy. We had a good relationship and he appreciated my business qualities. I worked as Chief of Administration in the Embassy. Is this when the club’s history began? Yes, in April of 1998, I began working in the club; at the very first meeting, I announced that the time had come for us to unite, so that we might be called ‘people’. It is difficult to be alone in life; it’s easier to progress together. I’d had no time to be engaged in such work previously but Fate had now given me this chance. I’m a gregarious character: I like friends and my house is always full of guests. The Club of Belarusians has existed since 1998, with me as its president. We issue our own newspaper, called ‘Syabry’ (Friends). Moscow even has 20 cafes and restaurants serving Belarusian cuisine: under such names as ‘Belaruskaya Khata’ and ‘Belaya Rus’.

‘No joint business’ Does the club participate in the restaurant business? No. We have a rule that entrepreneurs are responsible for their own businesses. Nobody interferes, because money spoils friendships, regardless of nationality.

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Copy of the icon of Mother of God “Pantanassa” was made for the temple in Zhelezniki

There’s nothing to be done: money brings problems. Everything is fine until profits need to be shared. Sometimes, friends can fall out over it, so we’ve agreed that there should be no joint businesses. We create joint programmes but not joint businesses. I’ve heard that members of the Club of Belarusians help each other in business. How does this fit in with joint programmes? If you’re engaged in building and I can deliver building materials, I can offer you a discount — as my fellow countryman. I deliver the materials, while you build. You save funds and I gain a sale. The same scheme can work in tourism, with discounts for accommodation and so on. Discounts can help your business to prosper. Is it some kind of Belarusian discount? Yes. Up to 25 percent for private and business purchases: of rails, equipment and many other things. Do you work only in Moscow or across Russia and beyond? We aren’t linked to any other Belarusian public association. We act independently. We have a National and Cultural Autonomy of Belarusians of Moscow; we co-operate on equal terms, when it is of interest to us.

What do you write of in the newspaper and for whom? We write about news and Belarusian VIPs, as well as about wildlife reserves, vacation spots, tourism and business. We also have a column entitled ‘Golden Places in Belarus’. The newspaper is informative and business-like. It contains all that is best and beautiful. We also facilitate meetings between our countrymen. The circulation is between 10,000 and 25,000 copies and it is read across almost 50 countries, passed along by our members. It’s an advertisement, helping establish contacts.

‘Figuratively speaking, we do not wear peasant clogs’ Are you ever accused of having created an elite club for the rich? Yes. Probably, some may not like our regulations but we won’t change them. On the contrary, we are continuing social traditions. Various associations have always served particular social layers — from royal, aristocratic and elite to village gatherings. One might serve on golden platters while the other be a simple tavern affair. Should we be reproached for not ‘wearing peasant clogs’? Isn’t this the essence of true Belarusian culture?

The first printer and enlightener Frantsisk Skorina was a merchant’s son, and also did not wear clogs… Our children begin in ‘collectives’: kindergartens, schools and institutes. However, in becoming employed, they have to stand on their own feet, apart from a rare few. They make their own way in life: it’s sink or swim. They gain authority, money and position in society. Meanwhile, our ancestors tended to band together, with artisans forming associations and cartels. It’s always easier to survive together, so a ‘culture of collectivism’ is useful. Nobody in our club is forced to take membership. We have almost 1,500 members, including honorary members, guests and honorary guests. We also have collective membership, which includes legal bodies. We even have categories entitled Belarusian son-in-law and Belarusian daughter-inlaw. Those related to us are ours. I like the last category. There’s discussion on how the Belarusian language became the state language of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Some say that Lithuanian princes married Belarusian girls, who brought up children with our culture, and spoke to them in their native language. So, Belarusian princesses organised their households as they wished. Do you use membership cards? When people join, we give them cards written in Belarusian, with a photo and number. We have name badges, which we wear at meetings, to help people become acquainted. Our symbol is a ship flying the flag of Belarus and bearing the motto ‘commonwealth and prosperity’. Our ‘Syabry’ business card also contains this symbol. Do members come and go? Certainly. Someone leaves, someone comes: it is a living process.

‘Nikolina Gora’ elite family club’ Do you have certain places you gather regularly? Yes. We tend to meet in Belarusian cafes and restaurants but we also have an page

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elite family club called ‘Nikolina Gora’, near Moscow. It occupies a hectare of land, and has seven big guest cottages and two summer restaurants. There was a bathhouse but it was taken away and we constructed a guest cottage instead: a big five-floor building. On the ground floor is a brewery, where five varieties of beer are made. On the first floor is a 25m swimming pool with 4 lanes: you could hold even Olympic competitions there. There’s a Finnish-Turkish bathhouse, a cafeteria and a jacuzzi, as well as a pool for children, a beauty salon and a gym. There’s even a bank and many other good things, which are open to all visitors. On the first floor are three large restaurants, with a stage for artistic performances. Well-known artists have performed: even ‘Pesnyary’. On the second floor is a huge nursery, so that the grown-ups can enjoy some adult company in the restaurant while the children are under supervision. We invite interesting guests, such as the Metropolitan Filaret, who came to our club on our 5th anniversary to give his blessing. We’ve helped build all over Belarus, including the restoration of various churches. Our club didn’t raise money for this; rather, our members have done so. They restored one church near Luninets and another in Luninets.

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‘Help also here’ Are you keen to invest in your home village? Certainly: the idea is close to my heart. Close people, close hearts: these are not simple words, they bear the truth. Love ‘strikes root’ and shows itself in deeds. We sometimes hear people saying that they love Belarus but it’s rather vague. It’s better to take action in actual villages,

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schools, streets and so on, building friendships. We can then study the language and local songs … I think that, for example, when those close to you are in hospital, they deserve your attention. Take them a TV or install a cooling fan. If your relatives lie in a particular cemetery, improve the road going there. We’ve presented a TV to the Hospital of War Veterans in Gomel and have helped the orphanage, paying for an expensive operation. We helped restore the 16th century church of St. Nicholas the Worker of Miracles, in Zhelezniki village, in the Vetka District. Village resident Sergey Karatkevich paid to have a copy made of the icon of Mother of God ‘Pantanassa’ (‘Queen of All’): made by monks on the sacred mountain of Athos for the church. Bishop Aristarkh of Gomel and Zhlobin then blessed the icon. Our club helped too.

The Ambassador of Belarus to Russia, Igor Petrishenko, comes from Neglyubki village, in the Vetka District, which is well-known for embroidery and woven towels. And how did you arrive in Vetka? My friends come from there. We once visited the Museum of National Creativity, being met by the regional authorities and local museum workers. We gave them a picture, and the director asked us for help. They needed equipment for scanning documents and keeping databases, so we donated a computer, scanner and other things. Our members have invested in various projects: in Zvenchatka village in the Mogilev Region and Tikhinichi village in the Gomel Region. Something native connects us with these places.

‘Finishing what’s already begun and launching new plans’

What else do members of the Moscow Club of Belarusians do for their Motherland? We develop trade and economic relations: after all, I used to work for a bank. I now deal with the granting of leases, bank guarantees and loans. Sometimes, I say to my countrymen: we, Belarusians, are benevolent, friendly and fair. In this way, we glorify Belarus. By each beautiful action we enhance its glory. Our most important celebration is Independence Day, which is when we gather most people. We find a large venue, to accommodate 300-500, sing and invite Belarusian groups to perform. What are the club’s next plans? As a member of the Union of Writers of Russia, I’ll say, in literary style: we have a period of understanding. The club is 15 years old so we need to finish that Parties at Moscow Club of Belarusians which we’ve already begun are always beautiful and launch new plans. and interesting By Ivan Zhdanovich

Soyuz

Belarus — Russia

 Priorities of children’s recreation

 Strategic decisions taken in Minsk

The need for more children’s recreation and health facilities came under scrutiny at the forum’s Union State seminar on national education and health care, with particular attention give to the Zubrenok Centre, where young people can make recuperative trips, receiving the latest treatments

Russian representatives were welcome guests at the Euroregion Neman trade fair

ith representatives from Dzerzhinsk city, in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, attending for the first time. Grodno's twin city is the site of several important joint economic projects, including those bringing city improvements. Belarusian enterprises may soon be able to operate in a free economic zone created in Dzerzhinsk.

A new architectural sight — the Palace of Independence — has appeared in the Belarusian capital

ts first hosting of an official event took place on 24th October, 2013: a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. The presidents of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan — Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin and Nursultan Nazarbayev — discussed the draft treaty which is to lay the foundations for the future Eurasian Economic Union and were later joined by the presidents of Armenia, Ukraine and Tajikistan, and the representative of Kyrgyzstan. The next session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council will take place in December, in Moscow, and, by May 2014, the draft treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union, which will come into effect in 2015, should be ready for signing. Minsk also hosted a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States, alongside a summit of Customs Union members, gathering representatives from Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan. The presidency of this international organisation there passed from Belarus to Ukraine.

 Meeting place — Gordon

ore such children’s camps are needed in Belarus and Russia, with facilities for day care as well as longer stays. The question of subsidised rates is topical — especially in Russia; accordingly, Minsk City Council of Deputies has suggested offering additional financial help to families with four or more children, allowing them to send two or three children without suffering material disadvantage. Russia is developing more family camps, focusing on improving relations between parents and children, with the aid of professional teachers. Belarus has its own summer camps for children’s recreation; almost half of those who visit express a desire to return.

 Northern capital is open for co-operation The sixth session of the Council of Business Co-operation of St. Petersburg and Belarus took place in the city on the Neva River, with the Belarusian PM, Mikhail Myasnikovich, and the Governor of St. Petersburg, Grigory Poltavchenko, participating

o - o p e r at i on pro s p e c t s w e re discussed, including St. Petersburg’s Zvezda OSJC deliveries of engines to Belarusian railways and to the Belarusian Automobile Works (BelAZ) — known for its opencast mine dump trucks of large capacity.

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Union State accent in sincere dialogue Chairman of Supreme State Council of the Union State, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, answers questions from Russian journalists

utumn 2013 was filled with important political meetings and announcements for Belarus, with Minsk hosting sessions of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and the CIS Heads of State Council. Many issues discussed will have far-reaching repercussions across postSoviet space. A draft treaty has been drawn up on the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan, with acute problems regarding CIS activity comprehensively considered. The press conference, organised by Mr. Lukashenko on October 11th

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for representatives of Russian regional media, attracted great attention, gathering around 90 journalists from printed editions and television and radio companies across the Russian Federation. Such meetings are now a tradition and are always sincere, preceded by press tours to the Belarusian regions, to allow familiarity with various aspects of Belarusian activity. Journalists are able to learn about the development of healthcare and education, as well as the agrarian sector and industry, and private business and tourism. Belarusian editions aren’t widely distributed across Russia and nor are Belarusian TV channels broadcast nationwide, so such

tours and press-conferences play a vital role in satisfying a desire for information on Russia’s major ally. This time, journalists asked Mr. Lukashenko dozens of questions, from such concepts as how elderly people in Belarus are being supported to the results of the recent Belarusian-Russian Zapad-2013 exercise. The efficiency of joint sci-tech programmes paid for from the Union State budget also came under scrutiny. Several dozen questions were asked over the five and a half hour meeting: a record for Mr. Lukashenko. Understandably, Belarusian-Russian integration was highlighted, to the interest of organisers and guests alike.

One of the questions tackled personal relations between the presidents of Belarus and Russia, with Mr. Lukashenko stressing, “It’s more important how we discuss issues rather than what we discuss. Our talks are always absolutely friendly, which is a great achievement. We feel as if we live in one state and enjoy good relations, although not always cloudless. We always have plenty of issues to address and there have been disagreements, for reasons we have not hidden. The main thing is how we’ve settled these disputes: as friends, without huge damage to each other. Our relations and our dialogue deal with issues between our states, as well as other things, which we are happy to note. It’s always a pleasure to discuss such issues.” The topic was further developed, with prospects for the construction of the Union State tackled. According to Mr. Lukashenko, this is the foremost and most efficient integration within the post-Soviet space. He emphasised, “We’ve done much in this area. Now, the time has come when this potential is in demand by other countries. The Union State construction process is not only a guideline but a programme: a template for creating new integration associations, including the Eurasian Economic Union. The guests were interested in a particular Russian area — the Amur Region, which suffered major flooding recently. Zinaida Plyushch, from the Amur Region, thanked the Belarusian President for emergency assistance provided by Belarus, to which Mr. Lukashenko gave assurance that Russia can count on its ally in difficult times. The conversation then moved to economics, with the President commenting, “There have been times when we could have gone our separate ways. My feeling was that not everything should be solved at the centre, requiring a shift to regional collaboration. We’re

pleased to set up new joint enterprises locally, in order to process, improve and assemble goods for sale. Such joint ventures are extremely beneficial to us.” The integration process is far from completion, with Mr. Lukashenko noting that much time has been spent on the formation of the Single Economic Space and future Eurasian Economic Union (with Kazakh participation). Various problems exist, with compromise necessary to recognise the interests of the three current participants — as affects ordinary citizens and large businesses. The President answered in detail many questions, to the delight of those present, including a question from Novoe Vremya (New Time) St. Petersburg newspaper journalist Andrey Antonov. He expressed his pleasure, shared by colleagues, saying, “Meetings with Russian regional media journalists have become a good tradition in BelarusianRussian relations, enabling us to receive the most authoritative information first hand, to bring to our readers, listeners and viewers. In turn, we can express our views on particular aspects of the construction of the Union State, in order to help activate it.” Of course, in their articles and reports, as well as on television and radio programmes, Russian journalists can tell audiences about what they’ve seen during their press tour through the Grodno Region, which preceded their interview with Mr. Lukashenko. Sites toured included Conte Spa JV, which produces socks, tights and underwear — known to almost every woman within the Union State — while the Regional Cardiology Centre impressed our guests greatly: annually, it performs over 1,000 surgeries, using the latest technologies. Entertainment was provided by amateur artistic groups from a local agricultural co-operative, and much attention was given to agro-achieve-

ments. The Chairman of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee, Semen Shapiro, explained details of life in the region and shared intimate recollections of his time spent in Russian cities and towns as a student and, then, in a leading administrative role. Mr. Shapiro took his guests around Grodno personally. Several more production enterprises received a visit, as did social facilities in the Belarusian town of Lida, where the Ice Palace aroused great interest, as did the Olympia Sports and Recreation Centre. On their way to Minsk, the delegation of Russian journalists toured one of Belarus’ architectural pearls, Mir Castle. It is a bright example of how the state programme is restoring ancient buildings in Belarus, creating sites to rival any in Europe. The current — eleventh — press tour by Russian journalists finished with the long interview with the Belarusian President. Moreover, under the auspice of the Standing Committee of the Union State, 37 smaller, thematic press conferences were held, resulting in many hundreds of newspaper and electronic materials, describing the life of contemporary Belarus to Russians. Alexey Belyanchev, the First Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Vechernyaya Moskva (Evening Moscow) newspaper, expressed his attitude towards the country and assessed the advantages of the Union State in just a few, well-chosen, words, commenting, “In the eyes of Russians, Belarus boasts a stable, positive image in areas from medicine and tourism to social policy. It’s very convenient to take an evening train from Moscow, and receive a medical examination in Minsk the next day. Such opportunities are to our common advantage and should be promoted.” As the participants of the press conference believe, promotion and dissemination of information are major tasks of Union State journalism. By Vladimir Yakovlev

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Integration holds key to innovation

lobalisation hasn’t brought stability to the world economy; rather, many enterprises (and whole br an c h e s ) h ave b e e n unable to withstand competition from cheaper foreign goods and services - as seen in many EU countries. The Russian economy — mostly oriented towards hydrocarbon exports — is also facing a difficult situation. Innovation seems to be the answer, with even the most successful European states shifting towards higher technologies, requiring many billions of investment: into education, science and engineering services. At the same time, it’s of clear benefit to remove customs, tariffs and other barriers to trade. From October 17th-18th, the 2nd Eurasian Forum — Innovations and International Integration — organised at the initiative of the Association “Conoscere Eurasia”, in Italian Verona, brought together around 1,200 economists, businessmen, journalists and heads of public and state organisations, from over 10 countries across Western and Eastern Europe and Asia. The State Secretary of the Union State, Grigory Rapota, took an active part in the discus-

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2nd Eurasian Forum, hosted by Italy, praises economic advantages of Union State sion of international collaboration, as did members of the Eurasian Economic Commission Collegium and leading diplomats from Belarus and Russia. Raising the major issue of the forum, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Alexey Meshkov, noted, “It’s absolutely evident that innovations are starting to occupy a serious place, with the world economy at a crossroads. Countries able to correctly assess innovation and modernisation technologies will definitely make progress.” Are Russia and Belarus able to become leaders? The answer may differ between branches and in reference to our starting point. After joining the WTO, the Russian agrarian sector has significantly receded, facing foreign competition. Over the first seven months of 2013, its import of food products rose in value by $11bn: up 7 percent on the same period of 2012. Meanwhile, export revenue fell by more than 13 percent. Meanwhile, Belarus satisfies over 90 percent its own food needs and is currently expanding its food exports to Russia. This is in light of our border being open (as members of the Customs Union); in effect, Belarus is also vulnerable to cheap imports entering Russia from third countries.

Analysts assert that Russia cannot rely on its raw materials, stressing its need to develop technologies and highlevel processing. Over the past two years, the country has considerably advanced internationally in its innovation rankings, while its venture financing market has doubled. The Belarusian Ambassador to Italy, Yevgeny Shestakov, notes that Russia also leads in nuclear engineering and has significantly improved its position in the ‘doing business’ ranking, planning to join the top 30 countries very soon. Opportunities for our two states have significantly increased, thanks to the Union State, which is supporting innovative development, underlines the State Secretary of the Union State, Grigory Rapota. “In 2012, mutual trade turnover between Belarus and Russia totalled an impressive $45bn: the result of the Customs Union’s operation over a number of years, and the recent joining by Kazakhstan. The free movement of people, capital and goods over a huge territory, with a population of 170 million, is creating good conditions for investment into innovation. Our Union State sci-tech programmes, aimed not at the expansion of traditional production

but at the creation of expertise, tackle the spheres of microelectronics, medicine, agriculture, machine building and other important areas.” Italy was one of the first in the EU to understand the advantages of cooperation with our Union. Speaking at the forum, a member of the Eurasian Economic Commission Collegium, Tatiana Valovaya, commented that, in 2013, because of the unfavourable international situation, the foreign trade volume of Customs Union states fell by 1 percent (against the same period of the previous year). Meanwhile, trade turnover with the EU remained steady; in fact, trade-economic relations with Italy have developed dynamically — up by 16 percent. For members of the Customs Union of Russia and Belarus, growth rates of co-operation with Italy are phenomenal: 24 and 30 percent respectively. Of course, we need to pay tribute to the Italian government and to its businesses but the Belarusian side has been active. An Italian industrial zone has been created in the Brest Region (in the west of Belarus). Meanwhile, a significant Belarusian entrepreneurial delegation recently attended a forum

in Verona, under the aegis of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Belarusian journalists took part in the event for the first time and Mr. Rapota made a big contribution, so that Belarus was represented in Italy as widely as possible. He noted, “The Belarusian accent was significantly reinforced, primarily due to Belarus itself. Participants of the forum spoke about the country and its opportunities on a much wider level than usual, which was great. The forum gives opportunities for the establishment of business partnerships, as is evident from the example of Italy and Russia, as well as the example of Italy and Belarus.” One such project was launched at a previous forum in Verona: the construction of an electric power station, recently founded near Brest. Guaranteed by the Union State, the trilateral project uses Italian investments, Russian natural gas and strategically beneficial Belarusian territory. Moreover, other trilateral projects are being organised — such as a new rolling mill at the Belarusian Steel Works in Zhlobin, using Italian investments guaranteed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Its produce is to be delivered to Russia and the

West, created a basis for an ‘integration of integrations’ — as voiced by the President of Belarus (meaning the Customs Union and the European Union). President of Russia Vladimir Putin is keen to see a free economic zone created, with the theme taken up by the Belarusian Ambassador to Italy during his greeting to participants of the forum. Mr. Shestakov emphasised, “The Union State is the most advanced integration association within the post-Soviet space. It has already worked out the technology of integration, later embodied in the Customs Union. Joint projects enable us to solve common economic, sci-tech and social tasks.” In proof, entrepreneurs from the Brest Region’s construction sphere and hotel businesses, joined by those from the light and food industry, enjoyed a series of negotiations in Verona, with foreign colleagues. Significant contracts have been signed for the supply of technological equipment to Belarus for the production of hard cheese, for likely onward export to Russia. The future of multilateral cooperation is seen in our higher degree of integration. By Vladimir Bibikov

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very one in three mining dump trucks worldwide has been made by OJSC Belarusian Automobile Works (BelAZ). The factory, located in the city of Zhodino, 50km from Minsk, opened 65 years ago and has since produced nearly 135,000 vehicles, with more than 500 models and modifications. These are found in 72 countries around the globe.

450 tonnes transported: no problem!

I n O c t o b e r, 2013, the plant strengthened its market position by launching its latest triumph: the world’s largest capacity mining dump truck, able to shift 450 tonnes, thanks to two p owerful diesel engines and eight huge wheels (equal to that carried by a railway wagon). With cargo, the total weight of the vehicle can reach 810 tonnes! Moreover, the truck can move at up to 64km per hour: adequate for most urban situations. The new vehicle can use existing roads at open-cast mines, coping with steep inclines, and can manage extreme temperatures of minus 50 to plus 50, making it suitable for all climates. Nothing else on the market even comes close. The new model is currently undergoing tests, and will then go for pilot operation at Kuznetsk coal basin, in Russia — thanks to the co-ordinated industrial policy of the Union State.

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World’s largest mining dump truck assembled at BelAZ

For many years, the Belarusian Automobile Works has been moving towards creating the most powerful dump truck in the world, having begun with load capacities of 220, 280, 320 and 360 tonnes. The enterprise’s production of heavy machinery has doubled over the past few years, meeting growing demand. Naturally, the larger the truck, the more cost-efficient it is, raising the competitiveness of the mining operation. Over the next two years, BelAZ intends to further increase its production of such dump trucks, making around a thousand annually (including spare parts). Its programme of development is worth $440 million, including a spacious factory floor of 30,000 square metres. Belarus’ largest gates, cranes and super-strong flooring will be used. The main difference is in the use of the latest equipment, with most investment made in this direction, including installation of more than 700 new machine tools and technological devices: many are the work of Belarusian scientists and engineers. Russian capital has a role to play, as the Head of Russian Sberbank, German Gref, emphasises; he recently visited Minsk, confirming his intention to give BelAZ a loan worth hundreds of millions of Dollars. Each investment is sure to return a go o d prof it, since Belarusian heavy trucks are growing not only in size but in quality. The e n t e r p r i s e ’s First Deputy Director General, Oleg Stepuk, asserts that no competitor offers such a wide range of vehicles: from 30 to 450 tonnes. BelAZ’s latest intermediate load-carrying trucks are produced in sizes of 55, 154-160 and 180 tonne capacity, finding customers within the CIS and beyond. How will Belarusian manufacturing develop? It’s too early to say when a 1,000-tonne vehicle might appear but the Zhodino engineers are ever working towards new innovations. Their current plan is to create a smart vehicle, able to work in open-cast mines without a human driver. The first such 130tonne vehicle is undergoing tests and may soon be ready for commercial launch at open-cast mines for coal and ore. By Vladimir Fiodorov

Road Map

takes aurochs out of Red Book New Union State programme ready for launch

his autumn, Belarusian and Russian scientists discussed a new auroch preservation programme for those living in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The animals are on the Red Book list and on the edge of extinction, requiring our intervention to secure their future. The 600m Russian Rouble Union State programme, entitled Formation of Optimal Habitats for the European Auroch to Guarantee Its Long Term Preservation (Road Map for Aurochs), is to be realised from 2014-2018. Already approved by the Standing Committee and Belarusian and Russian state bodies, the concept needs only the approval of the Union State’s Council of Ministers.

At present, aurochs live mostly in reserves, with only a few populations found in the wild: certainly inadequate to ensure their preservation. Unsurprisingly, the herd’s genepool (mostly bred artificially) is poor. “The auroch population is growing slightly but their physical state suffers from inbreeding (mating of pairs closely related genetically),” explains a senior research officer at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Problems, Taras Sipko. “If we fail to preserve their genetic diversity, productivity will fall — resulting in death.” According to scientists, several large populations should be created (of over 1,000 animals) to solve the problem. Moreover, conditions must be created for aurochs to live comfortably, encouraging natural breeding. The current situation is far from ideal, with just 660 animals registered in Russia, 1,238 in Poland and over 1,100 in Belarus. Large territories are needed to create sustainable populations, covering hundreds of square kilometres, which is possible in Russia alone. The Severtsov Institute has been working with the Belarusian Academy of Sciences’ Scientific and Practical Centre for Bioresources to prepare a ‘Road Map for Aurochs’. At a recent press conference hosted by the Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the document was discussed by scientists, members of the Union State’s Standing Committee, Belarus’ Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Belarusian President’s Administration (which runs the Belovezhskaya Pushcha Reserve), scientists from Russia’s Oksky and Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve and the Belarusian reserve’s staff. Scientists from our two states agreed that it’s necessary to unite knowledge and all data generated since the USSR’s collapse. Concrete proposals were made, with a European level nursery to open in Belarus, conducting genetic studies on auroch preservation. As a result, Belarusians can share both their animals and knowledge with the Russians, whose Central Auroch Nursery at Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve has accumulated much knowledge over its 65 years of operation. In addition, the Union State programme focuses on innovations to assess the quality of habitats, and to monitor migration and animal protection. Considered selection will then be possible. The new programme should help preserve these rare and magnificent animals, while enhancing the level of Union State science and bringing economic benefits, since the sale of aurochs would generate income. If the total population can reach 5,000 then, annually, 10-12 percent of them could be sold: 500 animals could fetch 5m Euros. Of course, that time lies ahead, with much work to be done. By Alexander Mityukov

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The 20th Minsk International Listapad Film Festival — this year was from November 1st-8th — was held at the highest level so far: this year, it celebrated permanent accreditation (until now, it has enjoyed only temporary accreditation) with the International Federation of Film Producers Associations. The latter oversees over 50 festivals — including those in Berlin, Venice and Cannes.

he Listapad-2013 opened with a spectacular red carpet catwalk, with Belarusian cinema divas sparkling in hand-made dresses: famous designer Denis Durand brought them from Cannes. This was truly symbolic, as the French city is known as the major cinematographic capital of the world. Belarus’ First Deputy Minister of Culture, Vladimir Karachaevsky, believes Listapad has every chance to join the most prestigious forums. “The festival has gathered cinema representatives from over 30 countries, with China added this year. The country presented Touch of Sin, directed by Jia Zhang-Ke, involving Japanese and French cinematographers. In recent years, Minsk has been visited by Emir Kusturica, Ornella Muti and Krzysztof Zanussi. This year, the festival days coincided with Belarusfilm’s 85th anniversary and the 40th birthday of Belarusian animation,” the official says. As is traditional, three sections were organised for film lovers: the ‘Main Feature Film Competition’ (the Marching Youth contest of first films), the ‘Main Documentaries Competition’ (an event for national film schools) and Listapadzik — for children and young people. The ‘Main Feature Film’ Programme Director, Igor Sukmanov, tells us, “Claire Denis — one of the most radical global directors — presented her retrospective of works. The French brought around 10 films to the festival, including her recent work: Bastards (presented in Cannes this year). Cinema lovers were also able to view Philippine Brilliante Mendoza’s works. I think, this year, the most demanding audiences were pleased, being able to enjoy elite films.”

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Belta

Golden season of “LISTAPAD”

Serge Avedikian and Olena Fetisova’s Parajanov drama impressed many: nominated for an Oscar for 2014 (representing Ukraine), the film is about Sergei Parajanov, who enjoyed a great many film successes. Pawel Pawlikowski’s Ida, shot by a Polish and Danish crew, has been awarded the Listapad Golden Grand Prix. The film’s plot is set in WWII, tackling the Nazi occupation of Poland. Meanwhile, Alexander Parkhomenko’s Luka has been awarded the prize for ‘Humanism and Spirituality in Cinema’, detailing the life of Archbishop Luka, who was also famous as a prominent surgeon, under the name Valentin Voino-Yasenetsky. He was born in 1877 in Kerch, with roots in the Mogilev Region, and won the Stalin Prize for scientific discoveries in medicine. He survived arrest and exile for his political views and, in 1995, was canonised by the Orthodox Church. Shot jointly with Belarusfilm Studio, Konstantin Lopushansky’s Role has received the Special Union State Standing Committee ‘Together’ (‘Vmeste’) Prize, for unified effort. Cinematographers from Belarus, Russia, Finland and Germany joined forces to shoot the film, which tells of the Silver Screen actor who portrayed so many others’ lives. The prize was bestowed by Mikhail Orda, who heads the Standing Committee Representative Office in Minsk. Russia’s National Film Foundation brought classic Belarusian films, enabling audiences to enjoy Vladimir Gardin’s Kastus Kalinovsky (1928), Vladimir Korsh-Sablin’s Born in Flames (1930) and Oleg Frelikh’s Prostitute. Never before have these films been open to a wide public. By Viktor Korbut

DEMOGRAPHY

ur country has every chance to halt the population decrease earlier than 2015. Since June, the natural decline in the population of Belarus has decreased to six thousand people. According to Anatoly Tozik, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus, the national programme of demographic security will be conducted ahead of time if this trend continues. This announcement was made at the state reception of women in the Council of Ministers devoted to Mother’s Day. “A c c o r d i n g t o t h e s t a t e programme, we have a super-strategic mission, the dwindling population is planned to be halted by 2015. The natural decline in the population was covered this year by a migration gain. Between January and August 2013, 11,639 people came to our country, and 4,808 people left it,” the Prime Minister stated. “These facts declare a stable situation in Belarus, and confidence of Belarusians in the future. We managed to create a definite atmosphere which forces society to also participate in solving these demographic issues. The system of social support has played a significant role there.” According to the Deputy Prime Minister, if it were possible to save people whose lives come to an end prematurely, the migration gain would not be so important. According to the

statistics, 13,000-15,000 people in die each year because of external factors. On the whole these are people of working age, young people, and children. 7,000 were lost because of external factors between January and August of this year. Now specialists aim to pass another important milestone. Currently, 66 percent of families in Belarus have only one child, and the strategic mission of the government is to improve the wish of parents to have a minimum two children. The Big Family project, aimed at supporting families with children, will help the government to manage it. “Currently, various different new family support programmes are being considered. One option is the Big Family project. A new national programme of demographic security of Belarus which will function from 2016, and new ways of support that can be used in 2014 and 2015 are currently being worked out,” stated Marianna Shchetkina, Minister of Labour and Social Protection. “Next year the second Republican Family of Year contest will be held. It is worthy of note that, this year, there has been an increase in the population in Belarus. We managed to strengthen the institution of ‘family’ thanks to the support system which exists in the country.”

This interesting world Belarus displaying a positive demographic trend

By Irina Stasova

2013 беларусь.belarus

AGRARIAN ANGLE

Business on land is always highly priced Belarusian-Israeli Agro-Industrial Park will be located in the area of the twelve farms in the Orsha and Tolochin districts

n the government side, the work on the project is being carried out by the State Committee for Science and Technology of Belarus. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Israel, Yair Shamir, got acquainted with the proposals of Belarus. The working meeting between the leadership of the Israeli delegation and representatives of the scientific community was held in the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee before a tour of the Orsha and Tolochin districts. “Based on the experience that Israel has in co-operation with Belarus and other countries, I believe that this project could be very successful”, Mr. Yair Shamir after the presentation. An environmentally friendly area of 58 hectares, plus arable land of 43,000 hectares, was selected for the creation of the Agro-Industrial Park. There are 12 agricultural plants situated here. The list of potential investors consists of fourteen companies from Israel, Russia, Germany, the USA.

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Apples from wonderful garden Farming experiences in the Republic testify to the fact that this sector is currently displaying dynamic development, yet its share in agrarian production continues to be insignificant. At the same time, examples of successful farms with an efficient economic approach and love of one’s endeavour convincingly show that farming can be efficient and profitable.

eing asked whether farms have a f utu re, Vi ktor Ashurkevich, from the Minsk Region’s Volozhin District, answers without hesitation. ‘Yes’. Seven years ago, together with his friend and partner, Boris Adamovich, he founded a farm. At first, they were engaged in growing vegetables, but simultaneously started to develop a new area — gardening (their wish for many years). In this way, their hobby grew into a professional occupation and is now the core of the farm with the romantic title — Divny Sad (Wonderful Garden). At present, the farm occupies 55 hectares, and includes a young garden and some vegetable plots, primarily

green manure crops. A breeding nursery has been laid down while the farm was registered into the state register of manufacturers of planting material of fruit and berry crops. The garden is really wonderful, and specialists note that this is an example of technology. Others simply enjoy the well-cared-for planting and low-rise trees with their wonderful, full-flavoured fruits. The farmland offers a wide range of crops: apples, pears, cherries, sweet cherries, currants, gooseberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Most of the produce are fruits, berries and drupaceous which grow in our country, alongside a number of southern guests. Moreover, various varieties presuppose various technologies.

AGRARIAN ANGLE “Presently, the garden is young and is only just entering the active fruit bearing stage, with many trees bringing their first crops this year. We don’t plan to expand so far. Our major dream is to raise this garden, to stand more firmly on our feet, to get the maximum from this territory and then to think about further development,” the head of the farm, Viktor Ashurkevich, tells us. Growth is evident. Last year, we sold 9,000 seedlings and 52 tonnes of fruit and berries, compared with this year’s 20,000 and 70 tonnes correspondingly.” The farmers don’t feel ashamed of the quality of their produce, which sells well in the market. “Today, people take more care about their health, and they understand that it’s better to buy Belarusproduced fruit and vegetables. People from Minsk and other cities often come to us. It’s probably cheaper to go to a hypermarket than to spend money on fuel; however consumers still come to us. People especially enjoy the opportunity to collect fruit and berries themselves. It is fun, and also recreational. For example, this year, we didn’t harvest any cherries, except for our own consumption,” adds Victor. The farm delivers its vitamin packed produce to kindergartens, schools,

boarding schools, clinics and a range of Minsk shops. This autumn, their goods are also available at trade fairs in Minsk. The farm is also remarkable for its position on labour mechanisation. Boris Adamovich is responsible for this. Although he isn’t an engineer by profession, but is an engineer in his heart in this particular business. The ‘Less Manual Labour — More Technique’ slogan is actively brought to life at this enterprise. The latest innovations include a device for processing s t r aw b e r r i e s w h i c h replaces the labour of two dozen people. Over seven years, the farmers have managed to find their way in business. They also received state support: a power line which was run to the farm using funds from the Republican budget, and assistance for the enterprise’s technical modernisation. Four t r a c t or s h av e b e e n purchased with longterm lease agreements. According to Mr. Ashurkevich, the mission of the farmers is to supplement and diversify the range of goods and services while also making life in rural areas brighter, thus reducing the outflow of people from villages — a wonderful and promising idea.

“The mission of the farmers is to supplement and diversify the range of goods and services while also making life in rural areas brighter, thus reducing the outflow of people from villages”

By Marina Borodavko

 Belarusian farmers tend to be in their prime, with 47 percent aged between 40 and 49 and 21 percent just 30 to 39 years old; another 21 percent are aged from 50 to 59. In all, 36 percent graduate from higher educational establishments and 43 percent finish colleges and technical schools.  Around 80 percent of farms specialise in crops, with 40 percent growing grain and only 5 percent involved in fruit growing: not very popular so far, yet very useful. Almost 50 percent of cultivated areas are planted with grain crops and grain legumes, with 12 percent allocated to potatoes and 9 percent occupied by vegetables.

New life for hundred-year old mill It’s no secret that farming isn’t an easy business and not everyone is capable of success. However, each year, ever more people plant up a smallholding. One such is Vasily Novik, who heads Vilia-Agro farm, located in the Brest Region’s Kobrin District.

nvolved in vegetable growing, and plant and animal breeding, as well as agro-tourism, the farm is bringing to life Vasily’s cherished dream of constructing an agro-estate in Studinka. He already has several houses, two ponds, where one can swim and fish, and an orchard of apples and pears. Moreover, wild animals are kept in a small zoo: wild boar, red deer, donkeys and ponies. Recently, an ancient wooden mill appeared, brought from the village of Bolota, in the Kobrin District. Mr. Novik bought the unique construction, at least one hundred years old, at auction. Wedding processions have been visiting the estate from all corners of the Brest Region, with brides and grooms enjoying organising photo sessions beside the old mill. By Yuri Chernyakevich

2013 беларусь.belarus

HERITAGE

There is no easy bread Where is the traditional Belarusian karavai (round loaf)?

tepanida Lupach does not recognise bought bread, but is really fond of bread baked by her own hand, based on a 200 year old recipe. The preparation process, handed down from generation to generation, has joined the list of intangible cultural and historical heritage of Belarus. It is said that a homemade loaf of bread baked by Stepanida, unlike bought bread, does not get stale for three weeks. Our correspondent decided to take a trip to the village of Derkovshchina, in the Glubokoe District, to see how Stepanida bakes her unique bread. A woman greets me in a smart apron and a bright scarf tied around her head. She is the master of friendly smiles — baking days are a real joy for her. She starts making the dough only when she is in a good mood, and when a loaf is in the oven, she does not allow quarrelling or even loud talking in the house, as she believes that swear words ‘annoy’ the bread, causing it to not turn out well. During our conversation, Stepanida Alexandrovna kneads the dough and explains her actions. “Preparing a rye round loaf is a one-day activity, because everything is

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done by hand, without additives. Usually, I do not bake all the dough. I leave a small piece that I use as a starter for the next time. Today, however, I do not have any starter, so the new bread will be made using homemade kvass”, said the experienced baker, intriguing me. She puts the flour into a pot, adds water from the well and mixes until all lumps are gone. Then, to sour the mixture, she puts it in a traditional Russian, preheated stove. “Rye bread, like a good wine, requires persistence. Exposure, however, is lower than that of wine — about 12 hours in a special container made of pine with oak slats. When our flour cocktail changes colour, from brown to yellow, so the kvass is ready,” Stepanida explains her secrets. The woman slowly adds a little more flour to the kvass and mixes. She entrusts me to salt it, while she herself adds sugar and sprinkles it with caraway seeds. She does not use exact measures, doing everything by sight. The kitchen is filled with a delicious smell, and I can barely hold back from trying a piece of dough. The smell is like yeast, but there is no yeast. The mixture should fall off and sour. We wait for a couple of hours and, after that, the ready-made dough is in our hands. It is flexible, does not stick to the palms, it is a pleasure to lay it out in the moulds, which are almost 60 years old. “I inherited them from my mother,” says Stepanida Alexandrovna. “The

FACT

Interior with national colour Belarusian cookery specialists to surprise World Ice Hockey Championship fans

In Belarus, karavai is a symbol of hospitality

dough will get ready in them and, as a result, will almost double.” The hostess is busy near the stove again. “Only in this type of stove can one bake the age-old Belarusian bread. In order to make the bread, we must sustain a certain temperature, and it is much more difficult than with a modern, conventional household oven.” The woman checks the temperature in a special way; by throwing a pinch of flour onto the hearthstone (the floor of the stove, where the wood is burned and irons are put), which immediately burned. Putting bread into the stove at this temperature is wrong because it is too hot. She moistens the hearthstone with water and once more threw on some flour which, this time, turns brown, For Stepanida, this is the optimum temperature and it’s time to put the bread inside. Once the loaf is in the oven, Stepanida Alexandrovna puts a glass of clean water on the table and drops in a hazelnut sized ball of the same dough which immediately sinks to the bottom. “After a while it comes to the surface. This will be the signal for us that the loaf is ready,” said the hostess. The ball slowly rises to the surface and my host pulls out one of the loaves and hits it with her knuckles. From the sound she determines that the bread is ready. However, to confirm this, she also pierces the loaf with a knife, the tip of

which is clean when she removes it. The bread is ready. “My bread does not go stale for a long time,” says the woman gently swinging the loaf from one hand to another. “Last year, pilgrims from our village went to Jerusalem and took my bread with them, because it stays fresh for three weeks. After serving it in the temple of the Holy Land, it was cut and given to parishioners.” People in the village speak a lot about granny Stesha, as she is fondly known. At one time, she was the main organiser of the church construction. At that time she was 65 and had no thoughts of a quiet retirement. She collected money, negotiated with workers, bought icons and improved the area near the new church. Now, in this church, during Easter, parishioners share the bread, called Artos, baked specifically for the holiday by our heroine. Earlier, Stepanida Alexandrovna frequently baked round loaves, but now, her strength is not that it was before. Of course, homemade bread tastes better because it is baked with love, and the price is lower. But it requires a lot of energy! Having seen the process with my own eyes, I can say that it can’t be called easy. As I left, Stepanida Alexandrovna gave me a loaf of the bread that she had made. It’s been two weeks since I met that marvellous woman, and the bread is still as fresh as when she pulled it from the stove.

n welcoming foreign guests, we need to offer not only the warmth of friendship by tasty cuisine. During the Championship, Minsk’s Prospekt café plans to dress staff in uniforms bearing Belarusian national motifs, as well as decorating its interior like a cosy village tavern. Menu for hockey lovers pizzas, hamburgers and sushi are unlikely to surprise visitors from Europe or Russia, while most would probably like to try Belarusian cuisine. Gambrinus restaurant is offering such national dishes as zhur soup, vereshchaka, dumplings with meat and mushrooms and pyzy (filled potato cakes). Local chef Alexander Chikalevsky is a master when it comes to national dishes. He tells us that, in the time of the Radziwills, Belarusians were buckwheat eaters rather than ‘bulbash’ (‘potato eaters’). Accordingly, he plans to offer buckwheat on the menu during the tournament, believing that visitors are more likely to return to Belarus if they have good experiences of being well-fed. Aginski restaurant’s cuisine includes tea made from Belovezhskaya Pushcha herbs: especially popular with Russian tourists.

By Inna Gorbatenko

2013 беларусь.belarus

BOOK

Best view of the city Belarus magazine contributor writes popular history of Minsk

iktor Korbut, one of our regular contributors, recently launched his 264 page edition entitled Minsk: Best View of the City. Published by Zvyazda Publishing House, it explores the history of the capital of Belarus — from its foundation in the 11th century until the present day. Mr. Korbut asserts that, on reading the book, residents and visitors alike will become first class experts on the city’s historical sites. He notes, “You’ll find out everything there is to know — drawn from encyclopaedias and textbooks. Wellknown Russian journalist Leonid Parfenov emphasises that understanding of our national psyche is impossible without such knowledge. I’ve written the book in simple language while using exact scientific facts in my research. Each detail from the city’s past is supported by interviews with archaeologists and historians, and conversations with eyewitnesses of 20th century events: well-known public and cultural figures. Many of the stories have also appeared in SB — Belarus Segodnya newspaper.” The book contains original materials which, for the first time, cover almost a thousand years of Minsk’s history — to the present day. It continues in the footsteps of Władysław Syrokomla’s 19th  The book cover has been designed by Yelena Zhdanovskaya, inspired by May Danzig’s My Minsk (1967) and My City is Ancient and Young (1972). She also used a fragment of a picture by Napoleon Orda, from the second half of the 19th century, showing an image of the Cathedral of the Holy Name of Mary. The book is illustrated by well-known photographers, such as Sergey Plytkevich

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century annals, entitled Minsk, and draws on Zachar Šybieka’s Minsk: Pages from the Life of a Pre-revolutionary City, as well as Vladimir Denisov’s Svobody Square in Minsk. Mr. Korbut’s work is inspired by illustrated editions by Vasily Kaleda, Ilya Kurkov and Vitaly Kirichenko, and by the academic Stories of Minsk, from the series entitled Collection of Monuments of History and Culture of Belarus: five of its chronicles are devoted to Minsk, under the title Memory. Almost two million people live in Minsk and Viktor Korbut was born in our capital. Having learnt its history, he was keen to share his discoveries with other residents and with visitors from near and far. He tells us, “The city is ever growing, acquiring new residents. They, falling in love with the present, do not always look at the past. All large cities face the same situation: accelerated living and a fast pace of life stops us from contemplating who created the city and Alexander Ruzhechka, and features post cards from the late 19th and early 20th century, from Vladimir Likhodedov’s collection. Readers will also enjoy photos and documents reproduced from the state archives, from museums of Belarus, and from the Federal Archive of Germany (Bundesarchiv). There is even a Facebook page promoting the edition: https://www.facebook.com/KorbutMinsk

BOOK before our arrival from some other corner of the country or the Earth. The city is being quickly modernised, which is a double-edged sword: we gain vital new highrise buildings but lose some of our ancient monuments (the small dwellings which harbour the former spirit of Minsk). Minor treasures disappear in the shade of skyhigh buildings. Clean streets catch the eye of tourists and are something of which every Minsk resident is proud. Our idyllically clean Independence Avenue stretches from the House of Government to the Officers’ Club and from the Belarusian State Circus to the National Library. It seems to go on forever. Somewhere, behind the high walls of the road are hidden the old buildings of the National Library and churches from the pre-war and pre-revolutionary years. Thousands of former Minsk-residents carved their lives there yet how much do we know about those times?” Mr. Korbut’s book answers such questions as when and where Minsk was founded, whose voices are heard in the metro system, where well-known ‘Narochansky’ bread is baked and where beer has been brewed for one and a half centuries. It also details such facts as how high-rise buildings (for example, the House of Government) were built when the first crane only appeared in the city in 1940 and how street names have changed over the centuries. Meanwhile, Mr. Korbut explains how the National Library came by books autographed by such icons as André Gide, Paul Valéry, Marcel Proust, Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso. Chapters are also dedicated to such well-known figures as Felix Dzerzhinsky — the founder of the Soviet Intelligence Service, the first head of the Polish Republic — Józef Piłsudski, and the first President of the State of Israel — Chaim Azriel Weizmann: all of whom are connected with Belarus. Chronicles of visits to Minsk by Russian emperors Peter I and Nikolay II, and by American presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, are catalogued and we discover which famous figures of Polish culture once resided in Minsk, being Belarusians by birth: artist Walenty Wańkowicz, composer Stanisław Moniuszko, poet and local historian Władysław Syrokomla, and BelarusianPolish writer Wincenty Dunin-Marcinkiewicz. Breaking the ‘tradition’ of only immortalising worthy people after death, Mr. Korbut gives attention to our contemporaries: architect Leonid Levin, artist May Danzig, writer Adam Globus and many other interesting residents of Minsk. He explains, “It’s not only possible but, even, necessary to be proud of such neighbours: not tomorrow but today! I suggest you walk the streets of Minsk with my book, feeling the spirit of the city from the past century and earlier. You’ll learn about Minsk and fall in love with it, becoming intimately acquainted — even if you aren’t a local resident. Those who think they know the city well can discover romantic back streets which they have never noticed before, in a shade of high-rise buildings.”

Authoritative opinions Writer and local historian Ales Karlyukevich, Editor-in-Chief of Zvyazda newspaper, and director of Zvyazda Publishing House: Viktor Korbut’s book of essays and sketches tells us about Minsk. We may think we know it well but a glance through the pages of the new edition makes us realise that the capital of Belarus is filled with riddles and secrets. Among the problems mentioned by the author is the restoration of the historical centre of Minsk. Which churches, cloisters and cemeteries remain in the city and what legends are connected with them? Viktor Korbut tells us about those townspeople whose lives set a good example for us and our descendants to follow. His edition is well-researched: an original educational guide taking us on a trip through Minsk. It contains a great many photos and reproductions, making it a good assistant in touring the city.

Anatoly Varavva, the oldest guide in Belarus, employed by Viapol Company: Having read Viktor Korbut’s book, I’m ready to believe that Minsk is the best city in the world. It’s fascinating to wander through Minsk with the author; you will feel as if you know the city and could even tell tourists about it. At the same time, it makes you realise that there is much you do not know. Interviews with key figures from history always strike a chord with the reader and this book features quite a few. I think these are invaluable, being recollections by eye-witnesses of significant events from our past. The book cannot fail to touch you, inspiring you to live and breathe Minsk and to love it dearly.

Larisa Rakovskaya, a journalist, deputy director of Zvyazda Publishing House: In my library, there are many books which sit decoratively, rather than being read. Some are hidden from view and I never lend them, being afraid that they will never return. Others I share, believing they deserve to be read more widely, and Viktor Korbut’s book is one such. It’s a perfect gift for anyone and makes a great souvenir, besides confectionary and linen items, when visiting the capital.

By Viktor Korbut

2013 беларусь.belarus

PANORAMA  Film events developed near Smorgon Brest actress Yanina Malinchik to play a leading role in Russian film Death Battalion

 Heritage of ancient masters Unique collections of icon paintings, coins and books exhibited in Gomel

n exhibition entitled Not Buried in Oblivion has opened in the town on the River Sozh, at a branch of Vetka’s Museum of Old Belief and Belarusian Traditions. According to the museum’s director, Galina Nechaeva, the exhibition continues the Voices of Lost Villages project, devoted to settlements which disappeared after the Chernobyl tragedy. Unique collections of icon paintings, coins, illustrated books and 18-20th century wooden architecture, designed by

Old Believer masters from the Svyatsk suburb, are on show. Svyatsk was formerly an Old Believer settlement situated on Russian territory, on the border with Belarus. The border runs from the small River Ochesa, west of the once large settlement. The Chernobyl tragedy affected Svyatsk, with the village officially no longer recognised by autumn 2002, due to lack of residents. According to Ms. Nechae va, throughout the course of history, Svyatsk has been inextricably connected with Pokrovskaya Church established and consecrated in Vetka. Made from oak logs, the church was taken across the River Sozh partly on floating rafts and partly on horseback, to Starodub suburb, near Svyatsk.

 Post office invites you to shop In the centre of Brest, a ‘Post Shop’ opens its doors

he city on the River Bug has become the first among the regional centres where a shop of this type opened. The almost forgotten smell of sealing wax brings special comfort here. “Today information technology is being developed with a staggering speed, and sometimes we come up short of warmth and comfort,” notes Valentina

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Pukh, Director of Belpochta’s Brest’s branch. “We will work with visitors, study their needs and develop services which will be in demand. We will broaden the range of goods.”

gor Ugolnikov, the screenwriter and producer, tells us, “The fact that an actress from Brest was chosen for this role shows the special connection with our last film: Brest Fortress. She proved her talent and character during film tests.” Death Battalion will be the largest Russian film project devoted to the First World War, being filmed with support from the Russian Ministry of Culture. It is to provide 50 million Russian Roubles of the 250 million total budget. The film tells of a women’s detachment, created in St. Petersburg at the order of the 1917 provisional government, to raise the fighting spirit of the army. Events are being filmed near Smorgon, where this female battalion fought heroically. Shooting begins on 31st August, with the premiere scheduled for 1st August 2014, coinciding with the Memorial Day for all those soldiers who died during the First World War. The shop became a real gift for the stamp collectors of the city. They can examine the stamps on display in detail, and they will not disturb the other customers. Before, the stamp collectors had to share the common queue with other customers. Souvenir pro du c t s , t e l l i n g a b o ut B re s t’s history, are also on offer, along with envelopes, post cards of handwork and gifts. The shop staff will also beautifully wrap your purchased souvenirs, close them up with a real seal with a ‘Hello from Brest’ inscription and send to the addressee.

VALUES

Чорны чалавек — Аляксандр Бутрымовіч, лаўрэат міжнародных конкурсаў, уражвае сваёй пластычнасцю і сэнсавым напаўненнем вобраза

Saving and enriching our heritage

Выбар Леды на Купалле — надзвычай відовішчная сцэна ў спектаклі

Which outstanding constructions have been renewed this year and which ones are to be restored in the near future

ncient architecture is truly great, using natural materials and made by hand, without special equipment: evidence of real mastery and talent. How can we compare modern skyscrapers with Egyptian pyramids or Polotsk’s Sofia Cathedral? Our contemporary buildings may look impressive, but the genius at work in their construction is not on the same level. This year, various Belarusian architectural monuments have been restored, with further plans outlined. To find out which other treasures are to receive attention — from the state, local historians and private entrepreneurs — read on...

Looking underground

In 1936, a 17th century church in Minsk’s Svobody Square was demolished. However, its basements remained safe and, several years ago, its walls were restored. Not long ago, lighting and heating pipes were laid in the cellar, enabling anyone interested to take a tour. These days, its former prayer room hosts wedding ceremonies and classical music concerts. On the opposite side of the city, reconstruction of Loshitsa estate (near Mayakovskaya Street) will soon be complete, as Galina Ladisova, Director of Minsk History Museum, explains. “The mansion is of major value, with reconstruction running for five years so far. However, by the time of the 2014 World Hockey Championship,

tourists will be welcomed by the new estate complex. Reconstruction raised some thorny issues, as the mansion was last rebuilt in the late 19th century. Its wooden sections were truly in disrepair, needing replacement,” she tells us. A private investor has recently purchased and restored the Wańkowicz family estate, not far from the National Librar y. It once welcomed such Belarusian-Polish cultural figures as Jan Damel, Stanislaw Moniuszko and Wincenty Dunin-Marcinkiewicz but its facades had not been revamped for over a century. The neighbouring park has been partially restored, hav ing b e en a lmost completely destroyed during construction of the Slepyanka water system page in the 20th century.

2013 беларусь.belarus

VALUES

page

Israeli Embassy to help restore synagogue

This year, major works began in Bykhov to restore an early 17th century castle once owned by the Sapegi family. The city’s synagogue is also unique, built in the 1640-1650s. After visiting, Israeli Ambassador Yosef Shagal promised to render support in its restoration; Russia’s Jewish National Fund is to finance the first stage. Until recently, the building was in a critical condition, with trees growing from its roof and old bricks cracking. However, the first ‘recovery operation’ was fulfilled on the eve of Belarusian Written Language Day. As the Bykhov District Executive Committee’s Chairman, Dmitry Kaleev, tells us, Br350m was allocated from the Republican budget in 2013 to conserve the synagogue.

well as a library of over 10,000 books and terraces decorated with exotic plants, fountains and sculptures. Some of these old elements are to be revived, based on archive documents.

Recollecting King August Semkovo estate, 17km from Minsk, is famous for once welcoming Stanisław August Poniatowski, the last king of the Rzech Pospolita, in the 18th century. Designs are being drawn up to restore the mansion, architects being keen to recreate its 18th century style. Over the years, the building has been many times rebuilt, making it difficult to decide on its original appearance. Plaster must be removed to locate original stoves and ceilings. Not long ago, a staircase was found in an outbuilding, which probably led to a mezzanine floor.

Fish for palace

Collegium to supplement castle

Reconstruction of Kossovo Palace — built in 1838 — has been ongoing for the last five years, with completion due by 2018. The building is to house a hotel complex, with over 100 rooms. Legend says that one of the original halls had a Шчаслівы танец пяшчотнай glass floor, a fish tank beneath, as Ганны (Ірына with Яромкіна)

So far, the scale of the Radziwills’ former capital is probably underestimated, since few original monuments exist in Nesvizh. The majestic castle has been restored but Sergey Klimov, the Director of the Nesvizh National Historical-Cultural Museum-Reserve,

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believes that much more work is needed. The Jesuit Collegium — operational from 1586-1773 — is to be rebuilt close to Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church. Jesuit monks and Catholic children once studied there. The collegium had its own library and printing house, in addition to a theatrical club, while its first floor was devoted to classrooms, reception halls, pharmacies and publishing houses. The monks lived on upper floors, where a chapel and the Rector’s apartment were situated. The original designs are to be preserved during restoration, with hotel rooms on all three floors and a restaurant on the ground floor. A conference hall will be found on the first floor and a transparent dome will cover a beautiful inner yard.

Monastery returning to life This year, almost Br3bn were allocated to restore the former Bernadine Monastery, in Dubrovno. The twostorey building has a vaulted roof and is known to house many secrets. The monastery was founded in 1630 but its Roman Catholic Church was the only part to survive a fire in the late 18th

VALUES century. In 1809, the monastery was restored by Duke Ksawery Lubomirsky who, according to legend, previously set it on fire in revenge for the Bernadines allowing his beloved daughter to marry a poor merchant without his parental approval. Restoration began in 1996, with the former monastery to house a local history museum.

Hunting for mammoths Our ‘Belarusian’ forefathers once hunted mammoths, as villagers of the Gomel Region’s Yurovichi know. Belarus’ oldest ancient settlement attracts its share of tourists and is soon to be the focus of even more attention, thanks to restoration of its former Jesuit Roman Catholic Church and monastery (Orthodox today). Once in ruins, it has taken a couple of years for restorers to bring them back to life. An incredible job has been achieved in recreating its ancient baroque towers and 18th century fronton (sports court). Domes have also been installed and covered with patina. Yurovichi is certainly among the foremost attractions of Belarus as a result.

Icons to embellish church Moscow restorers recently began fresco restoration at St. Nicholas’ Garrison Church, at Brest Fortress. The church was built in 1856-1879, to a design by outstanding Russian architect David Grimm, who founded the ‘Russian’ or ‘Byzantine’ style. His works include major buildings in St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, Copenhagen, Genève, Nice and Bethlehem. In Au g u s t 1 8 8 6 , Brest church was visited by Russian Emperor Alexander III and the future Tsar Nikolay II, as well as the future German Kaiser Wilhelm II. After WWI and Brest’s joining Poland, the Orthodox church became Roman Catholic in denomina-

tion, and then, in 1939, housed the Red Army troops’ military club. The church was significantly damaged during the war but, luckily, was not fully destroyed. In 1994, restoration works began.

Empty yet far from neglected Roman Catholic church Bobruisk’s oldest building is its citadel, built in 1747, — rather than the fortress in the city centre (which shares the same style as Brest Fortress and was built at the same time). This former Jesuit Roman Catholic Church was later rebuilt as a military prison and still bears evidence of its past: cells, barred windows and boxes for weapons. Almost half of its interior was incinerated by fire, including the altar. Nevertheless, it’s clearly recognisable as a house of God and, it’s believed that Belarusian classical writer Wincenty Dunin-Marcinkiewicz was baptised there. To preserve this architectural monument, conservation is needed but, so far, only a small plaque tells us that this historical-cultural treasure is protected by the state. An Orthodox church is being built nearby, with a cross installed in front of the construction ground. Meanwhile, Catholics in the city hope their church won’t be neglected.

Almost a hundred beautifully decorated late 19th-early 20th century buildings remain in Bobruisk’s Slutsky suburb, with proposals made to proclaim them historical-cultural treasures.

Repair for Zamenhof’s house The house at Grodno’s 5 Kirov Street was built in 1898, being home to Esperanto creator Ludwig Zamenhof. Entrepreneur Nikolay Shamin now owns the building, and is keen to restore its original architecture. The house is situated on soft ground, so metal rods are needed to strengthen its foundations and walls. Its facade (looking out over Kirov Street) needs to be reconstructed and its bricked-in windows opened up.

Travelling to last century Many ancient buildings remain untouched in Vitebsk, while some were restored in the early 21st century. You can see various epochs while walking the city streets and it helps to have a copy of A Walk with an Old Map, written by Marc Chagall Museum Director Lyudmila Khmelnitskaya. The guide is based on Vitebsk’s city plan of 1904 — which was kept by the Regional Archives. The book tells us the history of the city’s streets and architectural monuments, with reference to archive documents and famous citizens’ memories. Among the edition’s interesting facts is the story of Russian Tsar Nikolay II’s trip to Vitebsk, when a traffic jam of cabs was created on the central square, in which the Tsar was caught. Afterwards, Nikolay passed the photographic studio of Goloshchekin (whose brother — Filip — later initiated the execution of the Imperial family). Another chapter, dedicated to the Opera Theatre, looks at Vitebsk’s cultural life; at one time, up to 28 operas premiered each month — all to full houses. Of course, the city’s most famous resident was Marc Chagall, so a description of his life in Vitebsk is essential. By Viktor Korbut

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Personal passion

guides me

People’s Artiste of Belarus Leonid Shchemelev is confident that art always reflects the spirit of the nation

ver y time when I meet People’s Artist of B elarus Leonid S h с h e m e l e v, I reproach myself for not h av i ng t a ke n along a dictaphone, since our conversation is always fascinating and I feel as if I mustn’t miss anything. He shares details of his life and creativity, but also gives opinions on today’s world. Over his lifetime, he’s seen a great deal, having lived through the war and having travelled widely across the breadth of the Soviet Union, meeting interesting people from the Far North, Far East and Central Asia. Where he was inspired, he sketched their portraits or painted - on cardboard

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and canvas. He has quite a collection of such large canvases, which I’ve seen more than once. Every month or two, I want to see his works again and chat more. My most recent interview brought me into contact with his daughter, who happened to answer the phone. Her pleasant voice called him over gently and I discovered that he’d been in hospital for three weeks. I felt rather guilty at not having known. I asked how he was feeling and was delighted to hear that he’s back on good form, already working again, although accompanied daily — by his daughter Lyudmila on this occasion. I asked for us to meet, expecting that it might not be convenient, but he urged me to come the following week,

asking me to call on Saturday, at 10am, to confirm. It was Thursday at the time. I called as requested, but at 10.30am, still anxious that I might be pestering inappropriately and worrying that he may be resting, but his first response was to ask why I was late in phoning! He told me to come to his workshop in two hours and so, having asked again if it was convenient, and still a little nervous, I visited Leonid Dmitrievich. He opened the door himself and I thought he looked unchanged, but for carrying two canes. “ They help me get about,” he explained, welcoming me in. His walls are still covered in pictures and works sit on easels. One canvas, yet to be begun, gleamed with the whiteness of primer.

PERSONALITY “I’m not painting yet, as it’s hard to stand,” he admitted. He told me that he’d met an interesting fellow patient — a writer — with whom he was still in contact, and praised his hospital stay. “They’ve treated me and now I need to rest for a while; time will tell but I’ve been asked to give an exhibition, so I’m being kept busy.” He asked about the news and then touched upon the cultural theme, showing his usual sincerity. I switched on the dictaphone: “Art cannot exist alone, being best connected with the country and society. Nothing develops independently. There are many artists, but few who can express the spirit of the nation, its culture and national trends. It was so yesterday and remains true today and will be so tomorrow. Everything can be learnt through art. Without meaning, pictures are empty vessels. The Soviet period was interesting for its graphic culture. Huge exhibitions were held in Moscow, gathering artists from across Europe. In your magazine, the reader can enjoy articles on many subjects: not just politics. Nothing can exist without the expression of the spirit of nation; without creativity, nothing can exist.” Should art follow life, or should art be a guide for life? It’s very difficult to display the great variety of life. Art has always been at the forefront of mankind’s development. 3000 years ago, Greek and Roman art was to the fore. Later,

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Russia had such icon painters such as Rublev, whose works represented the spirit of Russia, in its unique beauty. All this is highly valued. Art reflected the time and looked a little towards the future.

From Leonid Shchemelev’s book, Paints and Rhythms of Time:

I and daughter. 1995

“Art cannot exist alone, being best connected with the country and society. Nothing develops independently. There are many artists, but few who can express the spirit of the nation, its culture and national trends. It was so yesterday and remains true today and will be so tomorrow. Everything can be learnt through art. Without meaning, pictures are empty vessels”.

In the spring of 1952, Leonid Shchemelev met Sergey Katkov, who was a well-known children’s teacher and artist of the time. He offered Shchemelev a job teaching at the Studio of Fine Arts at Minsk’s Palace of Pioneers, where he had begun working with children before the war. ‘Why not try?’ thought Leonid and agreed. Moreover, it was the last year of his studies in college and the future was uncertain. In the past, in 1951, he’d gained some teaching experience, having taught drawing and drafting at a school, but he did not stay long. At t he re quest of t he Pa l ace of Pione ers, Minsk Ar t C ol lege provided the following character re f e re n c e f o r 5 t h y e a r s t u d e nt Shchemelev Leonid: ‘Shchemelev Leonid Dmitrievich, born in 1923, non-party, from a family of workers. He entered Minsk State Art College i n 1 9 4 7 . Ha s g o o d pro g re s s i n sp ecial and general educational subjects. During his college studies, he has proven himself an undisciplined student, gaining penalties for violation of public order. He has not partic- page

Wedding. 1959

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ipated in the public life of the college.’ However, the Palace of Pioneers trusted the word of S. Katkov, who gave an excellent verbal recommendation of Shchemelev, and simply ig nore d t he s e cond p ar t of t he character reference. After all, at that time (Stalin was living) ‘active social activity’ was valued almost higher than an artist’s talent! Shchemelev plunged into a new field of activity. His creative dialogue with children opened a new vista: first of all, deep respect for teaching as a science, with its techniques, allowing us to show children the world in all its beauty and magnificence. Mr. Shchemelev emphasises, “It was a time when I realised that fine

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trips across the USSR, where children could see and ‘feel alive’ not from books and adult stories but visually, with their own eyes and heart. When I worked at the Palace, I realised that teaching could become the second important occupation of my life, after painting of course. At that time, it was all I could think of, although I refrained from sharing these thoughts with anyone...” Painter Valentina Sventokhovskaya says:“I recollect with trepidation the Fine Arts Studio at the Palace of Pioneers, which was directed by Leonid Dmitrievich. His studio classes were fascinating for us young boys and girls, opening a new and unfamiliar world: that of art. Certainly, teaching should be inspired from life; accordingly, during

I’m very grateful to him not only for those months of studio studies, but for all the following decades, which brought us closer in our common artistic space. For six years, from 1968, side by side, we taught at the Republican Music and Fine Arts Boarding School, where he proved himself an excellent teacher. The main thing that I’ve learnt from Shchemelev is that whatever difficulties may arise in life, we must pursue our desires. This is art; don’t live in the clouds but find the most beautiful of what lies around you, in your immediate environment. Life is generous to those who bear their misfortunes bravely. He always taught pupils this and gave his all for them... It’s true that Shchemelev always wanted to work with young people and, then and later, they surrounded him — like bees in a hive.”

Our conversation in the studio:

art culture goes beyond the simple desire of an adult to teach a child to draw. It is the ability to teach children understanding, including the reason for drawing and personal motivation, and what attracts us in this motley world of reality and imagination: how children, according to their age, are inspired by subjects or phenomena, being driven to immediately embody these on paper. I prized our creative

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the summer holidays, Shchemelev took us to paint outside, under his guidance. He always drew nearby and besides teaching us to ‘blend paints’, showed us how to make a fire, and cook soup and porridge on it. He taught us values and opened our eyes to the world, resplendent in multi-coloured shades on sunny days or in thinner tints during gloomy weather.

Shchemelev : Art is a complex process of man’s attitude towards beauty and to its essence. It is very interesting. C ertainly, there are artists who see the world differently: probably not in the same way as some officials. However, art is not ipsation. An artist sees the world their way and expresses the essence of this world. I never hear or read that we do not need art. Our life is impossible without it. Belarus, undoubtedly, has its own culture and respect for cultural heritage. I’ve participated in exhibitions since the 1960s, although very few people realise. My works were reproduced and sent to the UK and USA; it’s necessary to propagandise art. Do you feel that people have an interest in art? If I didn’t feel this, we wouldn’t be chatting about it. Many are keen to buy my works, but it really isn’t necessary to do so; you can simply look and discuss. People come from all corners of Belarus and I tell them the same as I’m telling you: art is an integral part of our education, capturing the essence of all that’s

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Interesting facts from Leonid Shchemelev’s life, heard from him at various times: One year before graduation, in the fifth year, I had to choose my diploma thesis. I didn’t think for long. Certainly, it would be a picture of a rural wedding. There were certain reasons. Once, in winter, I was returning to Minsk from Vitebsk, where I had been to see my mother. I then decided to go to Bogushevsk to visit my aunt Anya, who lived there at that time, and was invited to a rural wedding. As is usual in Belarus, it was a noisy affair, filled with toasts, feasting, national songs and dancing. However, the first day of the cheerful holiday ended with a fight, broken windows, broken stools and benches and people beaten and battered. I spent the night and slept soundly but was woken at dawn by a teenager inviting page

My birth. 1967

“Art is an integral part of our education, capturing the essence of all that’s beautiful and best. Art used to be taught like other subjects, such as mathematics. This was not with the purpose making all pupils artists, but to encourage taste, knowledge and understanding of the aesthetic: skills useful in all walks of life. If the head of a company lacks such appreciation, it will reflect in their work. Think of Greek sculptures and how perfectly they were made without knowledge of art”.

beautiful and best. Art used to be taught like other subjects, such as mathematics. This was not with the purpose making all pupils artists, but to encourage taste, knowledge and understanding of the aesthetic: skills useful in all walks of life. If the head of a company lacks such appreciation, it will reflect in their work. Think of Greek sculptures and how perfectly they were made. That artistic school is now lost and, sadly, many works are made without knowledge of art. In visiting me in my workshop and viewing my exhibitions, you become multi-sided. This is the purpose of art; it brings culture.

Northern landscape. 1963

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As if in a dream. 1995

where the world was eternally festive and filled with vigour. This special spiritual concentration of people, and their festive disposition, despite recent explosions of emotion, produced good feelings and sincere reconciliation. On the same day, I went to another wedding and, as is traditional, the bride was ‘kidnapped’ by her friends. They blocked the street in order to collect money for her ransom. I imagined how beautiful it would be to see horses participating, but there was only one horse. One horse was not enough for my future graduation picture, so I drew two. Basically, all my material was taken from life. Previously, I had little experience of depicting weddings. As a 3rd year student I had tried to show a rural wedding procession on the move in winter but the picture wasn’t well-received. After graduation from the Institute, I wanted to present it at an exhibition, but the members of the exhibition committee shrugged their shoulders saying, ‘Well, Leonid

“Teaching is vital. Once, a teacher brought pupils to the studio. I spoke to them but all were silent. I asked them what they liked but they didn’t answer. Only one responded while the rest remained silent, not knowing what to say. It was good that they had been brought to me, and this should be done more often”.

me to join them for another drink — to cure any hangover I might have. I said, ‘Are you kidding!’ I was surprised, expecting the police to be around after yesterday’s fight. However, the lad answered that everything was fine. In fact, everyone was sitting at the table as proper as can be. Someone had a picturesque black eye and others had their head or hand bandaged but the whole atmosphere was warm and friendly — as if nothing had happened. People laughed, smiled, joked, and presented toasts to the bridal couple. I felt as if I was in a national mystery,

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Dzintari. 2002

PERSONALITY Dmitrievich, ever ything in your picture rushes and rushes... but where and what for — is not known...’ Only two people, who were not artists, supported my work: young literary critic Vladimir Gnilomedov and writer Mikhas Streltsov. Vitaly Konstantinovich Tsvirko became director of the Minsk Theatre and Art Institute in 1958 and, while he was getting to grips with the labyrinths of administration, his diploma students were entrusted to an assistant in the painting department: Vladimir Stelmashonok — a recent graduate of the I. E. Repin State Academic Institute for Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. I showed him my first sketches of ‘Wedding’ and, given the goahead, began to develop the variations on the plot, to achieve optimal effect. One of my initial sketches, in colour (the largest side of which was one and a half metres), I gave to my friend, Boris Markov, a 3rd year student in the sculpture department. Then, I found out that Yelena Vasilievna Aladova, the Director of our Art Museum, wanted to buy the picture. It was too late by then, as I could not take back the gift. After all that, the examination board unanimously ‘failed’ my defence of my graduation thesis ‘Wedding’.

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Puteiko, came out of the crowd with a huge bouquet of chrysanthemums and roses — a student of the art school and one of Leonid Shchemelev’s pupils. Members of the commission even half stood, trying to guess for whom this luxurious bouquet was intended: Ioganson, Tsvirko? The flowers were given to Leonid Shchemelev, which greatly embarrassed the judges. Meanwhile, the applause in honour of the person who, at first sight, had suffered such a fiasco continued on and on. It was impossible

pedagogical council also held back the title of ‘classroom artist’, making him ‘non-classroom’: having only the right to teach at a drawing school. Paradoxically, during this period of the late 1880s, he created a series of pictures destined to occupy a prominent place in the history of Russian art. These days, when everything is so flamboyant at exhibitions and everything is allowed, when the public can no longer be surprised by anything, it’s impossible to imagine the devastating effect of the ‘Wedding’. This

to stop the youngsters so nobody even tried. These young people were broadcasting, as if through the media, their psycho-energetic cosmos of opposition to ‘adults’! In this respect, we may recollect the fates of Isaac Levitan and Konstantin Korovin. The wonderful diploma paper of Levitan, presented at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, wasn’t awarded a Big Silver Medal. Finishing his studies in 1883, he didn’t even receive the title of ‘classroom artist’ but a diploma designating that he was a teacher of drawing (calligraphy). When, in 1886, Korovin finished the same school, the

may have something to do with its figurative and expressive shortcomings, especially when compared to the works of his peers, but it highlighted the excessive seriousness of the other graduates’ paintings. The picture seemed strange in its integrity, being unusually personal. It penetrated not with exclamator y pathos but with lyrical intonations. The canvas seemed absolutely alien from the usual works, which were strictly ranked and regulated by thematic canons. To d ay, i t’s e a s y t o s e e w hy Shchemelev’s success was built upwards from his ‘Wedding’; this work, rejected by page

From Leonid Shchemelev’s book Paints and Rhythms of Time: The situation was saved by Boris Ioganson who, on hearing the opinion of the commission members, gave his own assessment and focused on the author’s original approach in depicting the rural mood of festivity. He outlined the most successful (from his point of view) solutions and the members of the commission unanimously agreed, hanging down their heads. Shaking hands with Leonid, Mr. Ioganson said: ‘Don’t worry. It’s not the assessment that makes anyone a painter; it’s rather your attitude towards art and life over all…’ Those young people who were present in the hall burst into a storm of applause. One young man, Sasha

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high-brow authorities, was a success among young people, who viewed it as a bright example of its time, because Shchemelev was being bold and impudent, in a juvenile manner, confirming his own ideal. This made him unrivalled in popularity among young circles.

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Interesting facts from Leonid Shchemelev’s life, heard at various times:

Shchemelev: I held an exhibition in February, dedicated to my 90th birthday. It was a big affair, and included some works being sent to Baranovichi, where they’ve been on display for a month. Some stayed in Minsk, while several later went on to St. Petersburg, and remain there. Until now, no museum has bought a single canvas; nor has the Union of

In 1962, the ‘Wedding’ diploma work again came to light. It’s almost a detective story, which deserves to be discussed. A small group of friends were socialising: myself among them, and graphic artist Yuri Zaitsev — a pupil of the Stroganov College of Arts, who had just arrived from Moscow. We were wandering along the avenue and dropped into a shop located ‘under the clocks’, buying a couple of bottles of red wine. We began thinking where to go to drink them. One of our number, an administrative manager at the Young Spectator’s Theatre, suggested going to the theatre production workshop, saying that we could spend a couple of hours in a rather cultural way. The theatre was situated nearby and the key was in his

Artists. Of course, like all artists, I have to live somehow, buying paints, canvases and subframes and paying for the studio. The Ministry of Culture should help artists more and remember issues of concern to painters. Moreover, we need to keep in mind what is most interesting in art and to what degree works reveal the world in an interesting manner. It’s vital.

pocket. Nobody would bother us so that was decided. As soon as we had laid our simple picnic on a bench, I saw something long and rectangular in the depths of the gloomy and dirty room, covered with a big piece of canvas. One corner of the artistic frame was visible beneath the cloth, as was one edge of the canvas. I was extremely surprised to uncover this unusual thing and see my

Our conversation in the studio:

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own diploma paper: ‘Wedding’. How could his picture — the property of the Institute — find its way into this room of stuff and dirt? The administrative manager snorted, saying that someone had brought it long ago and simply thrown it without explanation. One thing was clear: the picture couldn’t leave the Institute without the knowledge of the rector’s office (in 1960, Pavel Maslennikov became Rector, after Tsvirko’s directorship). Clearly, they had wanted to get rid of it. As the picture wasn’t registered as belonging to the theatre by any document, the ‘host’ of the room suggested that I take it if I wished to do so — in return for a bottle of ‘Moskovskaya’. Without delay, Leonid collected money for two bottles. However, the question was where to place such a huge picture. The idea came immediately that the Art Museum, located nearby, would be best. Yelena Aladova quickly settled everything and advised me on how to proceed. We took the picture, in its heavy frame, into the courtyard and, without hurry, walked to the museum, turning from Engels Street into Karl Marx Street. It was Tuesday — a day-off for the museum — but the director was there, as always. I told Aladova the essence of our business and he shrugged his shoulders: ‘I don’t know what to do with the picture now. It will be a pity if it disappears…’ Aladova didn’t think long, saying: ‘Leonid Dmitrievich, don’t worry. First of all, don’t say anything about the picture to anyone. Secondly, ask your friends to remove this bulky frame from the subframe and take it away. I will take care of everything else…’ A couple of months later, unexpectedly, Aladova drew out an honorary payment to me for the painting: around 700 Roubles. I used the money to buy construction materials, including a truck of slag for foundations and, with the help of my father-in-law, built a studio in the courtyard of the house in Rabkorovskaya Street: a small shed of 18sq.m. I installed a potbelly stove with a pipe leading out the window, allowing me to work in winter.

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Our conversation in the studio: Is lack of cultural education felt nowadays? Teaching is vital. Once, a teacher brought pupils to the studio. I spoke to them but all were silent. I asked them what they liked but they didn’t answer. Only one responded while the rest remained silent, not knowing what to say. It was good that they had been brought to me, and this should be done more often. A painter becomes more confident on feeling the interest of society, feeling that they create not only for themselves but for other people and for the country where they were born and brought up. These days, many live for the moment: eating, sleeping and going to work. Previously, times were hard. From 1947-1949, people had nothing to eat for days but there was a goal. Moreover, teachers were interesting and much older than their pupils, boasting huge experience. They were not great masters but they taught efficiently and it was November. 1977

“Of course, I’ve developed in fits and starts, like everyone. I saw much after the war and took a fancy for something but my approach towards pictorial culture remained true. I create art to reflect my understanding of people. You can make a beautiful portrait but it may be unsuccessful in artistic terms…I’d like to see artists give interviews more often, since my own opinions are just some of many. You may agree or disagree. Art is supposed to inspire debate”.

interesting. Many passed away without leaving any scientific works but they did leave wonderful memories, which is extremely important. Art isn’t an exclusive occupation for the few; art is for everyone. Why hang a landscape on your wall? People need to think. The same concerns cinema, which is a great shaping force on society. Some films are a real legacy. Think of ‘Battleship Potemkin’. It’s short but has great power. This is the essence of true art and many such films have been made. Have you always been concerned or is this a recent passion for you?

Of course, I’ve developed in fits and starts, like everyone. I saw much after the war and took a fancy for something but my approach towards pictorial culture remained true. I create art to reflect my understanding of people. You can make a beautiful portrait but it may be unsuccessful in artistic terms. Serov painted Shalyapin: as displayed in the Tretyakov Gallery. It’s as big as my studio wall — some 3 metres. It’s unique in depicting both the person and personality. I’d like to see artists give interviews more often, since my own opinions

are just some of many. You may agree or disagree. Art is supposed to inspire debate. We have a population of around 10 million and 1,200 painters. If we are all engaged in abstract art, what would people see on visiting the exhibition halls? It’s a real issue. Our conversation could go on for some time, but I remember that the great man has been recently signed out of hospital. I’m convinced that it’s not my last conversation with this People’s Artiste of Belarus. Our interviews will always be fascinating. By Viktor Mikhailov

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BALLET

Dreams will soon come true for Alexandra Chizhik — a young soloist with the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus, as the laureate of an international competition will dance the part of Odette-Odile in ‘Swan Lake’: in Gomel and in tour across Germany

Earthly charm

of Alexandra Chizhik 52

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asha has long dreamed of the role, as have all ballerinas, although, on entering the ballet college in Minsk, she thought little about beautiful tutus, feathers and pointes. Unlike other girls, she was not in awe of the appearance of prima ballerinas; rather, she simply wanted to dance. Even in her first audition for the school, her talents were praised. This elegant girl from Mozyr showed flexibility in her spine, moved with fluidity, jumped strongly and displayed every other natural disposition required. During the second round, physicians confirmed her good health.

BALLET In the musical and dancing round, experts checked her hearing and coordination of movement, becoming convinced of her suitability. Sasha recalls taking offence at a wellknown actor not allowing her to perform in the third round, dancing Arlekino to Alla Pugacheva’s song. Probably, like other members of the committee, he saw at once that Sasha Chizhik was good. He r natu r a l spi r itu a l it y and internal passion, born from true desire, played their role and Sasha was soon enrolled. Each morning, for nine years, she had regular lessons, dancing after lunch. One year after joining the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre, she was given the part of Zarema in ‘The Fountain of Bakhchisaray’. I’ve seen Sasha in several performances, being particularly entranced by her Jadwiga, at the new national ballet. She is one of a kind, although many beautiful and talented ballerinas are worthy of admiration. When Sasha dances, we feel her sensual yet ephemeral presence to be strongly connected with her soul. She dances as if her soul is guiding her body, an integral part of her flesh. As she soars, we can almost picture it within her. It’s hard to say which dominates: her soul or her body. The beauty of her dancing is obvious, compelling us to watch her every move. Her individuality as Queen Yadwiga is passionately ‘Earthbound’, showing her love for Jogaila. In ‘Scheherazade’, she dances her part as Shakhriar’s wife Zobeida also with great passion; her character is bored and takes a fancy to a golden slave. Outside of the theatre, Sasha walks with such elegance that her ballet background is undeniable. Here,

the budding star tells us, with an open heart, of her motivations, dreams and desires. Alexander Vertinsky’s song I Am a Small Ballerina tells a simple tale of the heroine feeling like a tired toy. What life do you live after the curtain falls and the ovation ends, the lights being turned off? How does it feel after opening night, and later, when the applause dies away and your bouquets of flowers have faded? Actually, I don’t know this song but it’s not how I feel. I’m always filled with emotions after opening night and may fear that my performance could have been better. I think about what people may say and, of course, I sometimes feel physically tired on taking off my pointes and costume. Then, I sit back and somebody takes down my hair. They may chat and congratulate me but my thoughts are still on stage. It was like this recently, after the opening night of ‘Scheherazade’. I felt very nervous since only People’s Artistes and famous dancers have played Zobeida previously. I’m making my debut, and lack great experience. I couldn’t sleep after the opening night — but that’s usual for me. I tend to spend hours analysing every small detail of my performance: whether I feel that I’ve danced well or ot h e r w i s e .

The next day, my teachers gave me their opinions, mentioning those places where I could improve, so that I could take them into account for the next time. Do you see Zobeida as a bored favourite of the shah, tired of the monotony of her life? What motivations do you bring to the role? Zobeida loves herself, while her love for her husband revolves around gifts and jewellery. Naturally, she seeks new impressions and, probably, is bored. She begins to lust after the golden slave, waiting until her husband is away to make her rendezvous. I’ve tried to show her passion for the golden slave. I think you’ve been successful, especially in your portrayal of the scene where Zobeida kills herself with a sword. That recollection makes me laugh, as I was supposed to use a dagger. In a moment of confusion, I snatched a sword from the belt of Shakhriar, who stood nearby. Those backstage were nearly rolling in the aisle! What inspired your passionate portrayal of Polish princess Jadwiga, who becomes wife to Jogaila in Vytautas? Certainly, love. My d a n c i n g

shows her love for Jogaila. She is very young but this doesn’t prevent her from being a clever queen. She was born in a palace, where she was trained to be a princess. Of course, the page

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BALLET

royal court is a place of intrigue and surprises. Jadwiga is passionately in love with Jogaila, and, like every woman in love, desires love and attention from her chosen one. Jadwiga, like Jogaila, is tired of all the intrigue surrounding the crown, so encourages her husband to transfer the kingdom to Vytautas. What role is next for you? I’m rehearsing for our ‘Swan Lake’ premiere, playing Odette-Odile, as well as for ‘The Nutcracker’, playing Masha. We’ll be performing in Gomel and then in Germany. What’s your dream role? I’ll probably write memoirs about it. I often dream of dancing: new roles and old. Such dreams are bright, colourful and memorable. Do you ever feel that you want to dance without a reason, improvising in the open air or at home? Yes. I like ballroom dancing and would love to try but lack the time. When I do have a moment, I make up my own movements, especially if I hear Latin-American music — like the Rumba. I have a feeling for those rhythms. Would you like to dance Carmen? Oh, yes. I also covet Kitri in ‘Don Quixote’. When I was in college, I danced this part. Of course, Odette in ‘Swan Lake’ is my most cherished dream. I hope that, after our tour, I’ll dance it in Minsk. I’d like to dance leading parts in other performances: Phyrgia in ‘Spartacus’, Aurora in ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Nikiya in ‘La Bayadère’ and the lead in ‘Giselle’. You rarely have a break of more than two hours from the theatre, due to your tight schedule. Can you describe your day? From 10-11am, I practise at the bar, repeating the exercises in the centre of the room: the midst. Then, we perfect our jumps. After this class, I go to rehearsals, which depend on our repertoire. If I’m playing a role in the evening, that’s the one I’ll rehearse foremost, followed by those

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for the next three days. There may be an hour’s break before I start again, rehearsing with the full company. If I’m not engaged in a performance, I may be free at 3pm but still go to the theatre in the evening, as ‘stand by’ for the other ballerina dancing my part. If something unforeseen happens, I can step in. What mood do you tend to be in on stage at the Bolshoi Theatre and how many years have you worked there? This is my fourth season and I tend to be in a good mood. This is very

Do you think the success of your partner depends on you and does this inspire you to be supportive? Also, do you ever feel envious of the other ballerina sharing your role? I’m currently in a situation when my personal success depends on those who are more experienced and who can help me. I’m grateful to them all and, in due course, when I’m more experienced, I’ll be sympathetic to those arriving fresh from college. Even now, I understand them and, of course, I admire those who dance well.

We are all seeking individuality: to be distinctive from others. Interestingly, I feel as if I’m in competition with myself rather than with others important, as it gives me strength, helping me achieve all I desire. How do you feel about healthy competition between soloists? How old were you when you became aware of it and what do you think of situations where rivalry becomes unhealthy? I feel fine about healthy competition, as it inspires us to progress. We are all seeking individuality : to be distinctive from others. Interest ing ly, I fe el as if I’m in c omp e t it i on w it h my s el f r at he r than with others, wanting to ever improve on my own performance. I dislike it when rivalr y becomes o b s e s s ive. I d on’t i n du l ge i n it mys elf and sp e a k out against it in others. I arrived at the Bolshoi Theatre as a young girl, with open eyes and an open heart: I loved and trusted everyone. Some people are different, as I came to understand; openness is not always then appropriate, and my love is not always welcomed. Awareness of my dignity has helped me to understand this.

Which of your senior colleagues has helped you most so far at the Bolshoi Theatre? After college, I began at the Bolshoi with Igor Onoshko; we were full of hope for success and advancement. However, Igor was partnered with other experienced soloists. Our ‘pairing’ disappeared, which upset me; I even wondered if someone had acted against my best interests. Later, I realised that it was probably necessary, so that I could become stronger. In this profession, we need to be independent. After time, I felt the support of our teachers. How would you assess yourself at present? Your jumping is powerful. What does Troyan say? I really couldn’t begin to say, as I’m too young: just 22. As for jumping, he says nothing at all. He gives advice and pays attention to specific movements. I’ll gradually gain experience, as I really want to become a leading ballerina: not for the sake of ambition or status, but for the sake of dance itself. I know

BALLET what it means to dance, giving your soul to the audience and living with your own feelings. It’s a tremendous feeling. What do you find easy and what difficult? It’s never easy: everything is difficult yet, also, delightful. Each performance is individual, with its own f l avou r, a lt hou g h the canons are the same. It’s difficult to master e ver y technique but experience comes with each performance. Do you fear any thing about performing? Fortunately not; even dancing my first leading part of Zarema, in ‘ The Fount ain of Bakhchisaray’ during my second year at the Theatre, I was unafraid. Even in college, I didn’t have stage-fright. When I danced my second major role — Myrtha in ‘Giselle’ — I admit, I felt nervous, as Myrtha is a vindictive woman from the world of the dead (probably, like Giselle, betrayed by her beloved). Her character is cold and harsh, so I had to keep my face without any warm expression throughout the second act. Was it your parents who encouraged your ballet in childhood? I was born in Mozyr and my parents say that I was dancing from a very young age. They decided eventually that dance was my best path, so they sent me to ballroom dancing classes. Then, I attended music school, where I continued dance classes. Our teacher, Inna Viktorovna Sirotina, told me about the college in Minsk, so I decided to study there. I stayed nine years and I admit that I was not in raptures, like the other girls, about tutus and pointes. They daydreamed continuously about

becoming a ballerina, while I knew little about ballet. My father, Yevgeny Chizhik, who composes and sings military songs as his hobby, wrote this song about ballet:

Mum and dad brought their daughter Sending her to master ballet. Suffer and jump… It is better to sing, they said. Since morning, I’ve jumped, like a ball, Making fouettés and pas de trois, Like a grey hare. I will reveal a secret to you: It is pleasant, I will not conceal, When people give me a bouquet And when they shout: Bravo, encore! The soul blossoms Directly, as if in spring. And from my forehead, I brush away, Salty sweat.

Which dance do you prefer: classical or modern? It’s no secret that modern dance requires good physical training. Did you do gymnastics?

I l i ke everything connected w i t h dancing. I didn’t do gymnastics, but I understand the nature of good physical training. As for modern dance, I tried it for the first time in ‘Six Dances’ by Jiri Kylian. I admit that it was difficult; the muscles of my hands were aching. What sort of person will your future husband be? First of all, he must be loving; love is the most important thing. I know it’s rather a dull question, but is it true that you have to maintain a strict diet, dreaming of a big piece of your favourite pie, baked by your mother? It’s a pertinent question for me, as I am not the thinnest ballerina in the troupe. I do have to follow a diet but I eat according to the advice of my grandmother: everything in small portions. She says that we should listen to our bodies, which tell us what they need. I don’t dream about a big piece of pie — cooked by my mother or grandmother. However, when I come to Mozyr, I do eat a slice of grandmother’s honey pie or mum’s apple pie. By Valentina Zhdanovich

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AWARD

People’s Artiste of the Lithuanian SSR Juozas Budraitis — a screen and stage actor of the USSR and Lithuania - awarded special prize of President of Belarus ‘For Preservation and Development of Traditions of Spirituality in Cinematic Art’

Photographic skills of famous Lithuanian actor

r. Budraitis is t h e f i r s t EU representative to receive the award, which was bestowed at the opening of the 20th International Listapad Film Festival, at Minsk’s Palace of the Republic, by Belarus’ Minister of Culture, Boris Svetlov. Mr. Budraitis thanked him for the great honour and admitted that he enjoys working with Belarusian actors, having recently played the protagonist in Belye Rosy. He notes, “I’m grateful for such a high award for my modest contribution and delighted to have gained close acquaintance with Belarusian actors and with Belarus. I hope to work with them again.” Mr. Budraitis then wished the Listapad Film Festival prosperity for years to come.

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Mr. Budraitis’ filmography includes over 60 films, including such classics as Two Comrades Were Serving (1968), With You and Without You (1973); Wounded Game (1976); Rich Man, Poor Man (1984); Dangerous Age (1981); Russian Revolt (2000); Down House (2001); and Collector (2001). From 1996 to 2011, he worked as Culture Attaché at the Lithuanian Embassy to Russia and was the Embassy’s Counsellor-Minister. Remarkably, the famous actor is also a photographer, having been taking shots of colleagues for twenty years. Some of his subjects are now no longer with us of course. Mr. Budraitis’ photographic exhibition — My Cinema — was held during the days of the festival, to great acclaim. Meanwhile, he carried his camera with him, taking shots where inspiration took him. The ‘Preservation and Development of Traditions of Spirituality in Cinematic Art’

special prize is awarded to participants of film festivals for special achievements in cinematography and for their significant contribution to upholding humanitarian and spiritual-moral ideals in cinematography. In previous years, the prize has ben bestowed on Georgy Zhzhenov, Mikhail Ptashuk, Klara Luchko, Oleg Yankovsky, Piotr Todorovsky, Vladimir Gostyukhin, Elina Bystritskaya, Vasily Lanovoy, Gennady Garbuk, Emir Kusturica, Bogdan Stupka and Karen Shakhnazarov. The 20th Minsk International Listapad Film Festival has now closed, organised by the Centre of Visual and Performance Arts Art Corporation. The founders are the Minister of Culture of Belarus and Minsk City Executive Committee, with assistance from the Belarusian TV and Radio Company, Belarusfilm National Film Studio and the Belarusian Union of Cinematographers.