Belarus (magazine #3 2014) by BELARUS Magazine

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No.3(966), 2014

BELARUS Беларусь. Belarus

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Politics, Economy, Culture

How Olympic dreams come true

Events in Belarus and abroad

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Беларусь.Belarus Monthly magazine No. 3 (966), 2014 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

Logics of construction should be clear

Editor: Viktor Kharkov Executive Secretary: Valentina Zhdanovich

Design and Layout by

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Master of field As in the human body, eve-

rything is interconnected within the economy; a problem with one link in the chain may cause failure across the whole system. For Belarus, shifting the abundance of unsold goods stored in warehouses is a serious challenge

Warm meeting at home

Touching a nerve Enthusiastic romantics

Siberian pastoral Belarusian traditions

Igor Polyakov’s Spaces During presentation

reveal city secrets

live in distance from native land of their ancestors, in Tyumen area

of Spaces — at 21st International Book Trade Fair in Minsk — Igor Polyakov gives autographs to fans and shares his plans for the future

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.

Circus… and nothing more

Publisher: “SB” editorial office

Verdi’s passion brought to life Inter-

This magazine has been printed at State Entertainment “Publishers “Belarus Printing House”.

national team of directors premiere new version of Rigoletto, by Giuseppe Verdi, at Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus

79 Nezavisimosti Ave., Minsk, Belarus, 220013

Festival mood on the streets She tore

Order No. 690

Together on the medals podium

Tsuper is super! Sergey Kanashits’ impres-

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.

sions of our ‘golden’ freestyler at Sochi Olympic Games

www.belarus-magazine.by E-mail: mail@belarus-magazine.by

Tales and true stories from Krasnaya Polyana Anton Kushnir’s Sochi gold freestyle jump was one few of his peers would be able to repeat

Total circulation — 1936 copies (including 730 in English).

like a whirlwind, leaving her rivals looking on sadly. When Darya Domracheva is on form, nothing can stop her

A life of sporting passion Nikolay Kozeko is a genius, as his colleagues and pupils know; however, he hates to be the centre of attention

беларусь.belarus 2014

Subscription index in Belpochta catalogue — 74977

For future foreign subscribers for ‘Belarus’ magazine, apply to ‘MK-Periodica’ agency. E-mail: info@periodicals.ru

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Telephone in Minsk: +375 (17) 227-09-10.

editor’s note

Triumph is real

ow that some time has passed since the Sochi Olympics, and our emotions have calmed a little, let’s reflect on our sporting successes, looking at them in chronological sequence. Warm meeting at home is the first in our series of articles looking at the phenomenon of Olympic dreams coming true. Here is an extract: ‘Following an amazing 16 days of winter sports, the Olympic Games in Sochi ended with a magnificent closing ceremony, with evening illuminations. Darya Domracheva, our triple gold-champion, carried the Belarusian flag with her customary smile and, on Monday, the national team returned to Minsk. Unsurprisingly, they were met by a joyous crowd at the airport, eager to congratulate our team on its most ‘fruitful’ Games in the history of Belarus: five gold and one bronze medal. Without doubt, our national team caused a sensation.’ Truly, we should bestow honour where honour is due: our Belarusian Olympic Sochi medallists have had their achievements recognised at the highest level. Here is an extract from Glory for Country: ‘It’s always a special occasion when the central doors of the Palace of Independence open to guests: be they Olympic champions or top global statesmen. Of course, our athletes work just as hard to promote Belarus as do our diplomats, as we much appreciate. Nadezhda Skardino, Alla

Tsuper, Anton Kushnir and Darya Domracheva appeared a little subdued on entering the Palace hall: they are more at home on the slopes or biathlon track than a red carpet — unlike film stars receiving their ‘Oscar’, surrounded habitually by lights and TV cameras. My natural inclination was to reassure them: they have travelled so many kilometres — and how many lie ahead? A few steps on a red carpet are nothing in comparison. Nevertheless, the Palace of Independence exerts a sense of wonder over all visitors, creating memories never forgotten. Moreover, the majesty of the ceremony perhaps made them realise the nation’s true appreciation of their achievements. We love them and wish to shower them with honours. President Alexander Lukashenko personally welcomed the winners, presenting state awards. Darya Domracheva received the Hero Star of Belarus for her unique Olympic triple-gold triumph. Her achievement may never be repeated. Our freestyle jumpers each received a 3rd Degree Order of the Fatherland for their extreme bravery and dedication: even one tiny error can deprive them of a medal. The same award was given to Nadezhda Skardino. This issue offers a whole kaleidoscope of bright Olympic achievements: read more in Festival Mood on the Streets, Games Bow Only to the Strongest, Going the Distance for Gold and Together on the Medals Podium. Tales and True Stories from Krasnaya Polyana is written by Sergey Kanashits — who was present in Sochi, observing the firework of records at first hand. He writes with great emotion: ‘Anton Kushnir’s Sochi gold freestyle jump was one few of his professional peers would be able to repeat. Of course, he was just one among several Belarusian athletes who shook the world with their outstanding achievements: they were the talk of Sochi. Darya Domracheva and Anton Kushnir jointly won a record number of gold medals, bringing our nation a flood of pride and joy...’ We also remember the coaches and support staff who made those medals possible. A Life of Sporting Passion is dedicated to the head coach of the Belarusian national freestyle team, genius Nikolay Kozeko. His colleagues and pupils know well his dedication but never speak of it, as Mr. Kozeko prefers to remain modestly in the background. Our Olympic athletes have earned glory for our country and raised the bar high for those who come after them. A great many visitors will soon be arriving for the World Ice Hockey Championship and, no doubt, an even greater number will now seek to see Belarus with their own eyes, having learnt of our sporting nation from our Sochi success. Belarus will hereafter be known as a sporting country. What will be their impressions? Will our hockey players perform well, maintaining the reputation we earned at the Olympiad? It’s difficult to set records but even more difficult to keep them — especially in team events. The baton has been passed and our hockey players must now hold it high. By Viktor Kharkov

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PANORAMA  Capital takes the lead In 2013, foreign investors injected $15bn into Belarusian economy

ast year, most of the investors into our country’s economy were from Russia (almost half of all investments), followed by the UK (around 20 percent), Cyprus, the Netherlands and Austria.

 Searching for oil in 3D Belorusneft Association seismologists start taking seismic measurements in Western Siberia

his seismic work in the northern latitudes is part of the contract signed with the Russian company Geoseis Technology. The Russian company is part of the famous Geoseis Holdings and performs geological prospecting, geophysical and geochemical research concerning the exploration and reproduction of mineral resources. B el ar usi an professiona ls are expected to take 3D measurements in Khanty-Mansiysk and Nadym Districts, as well in the Nizhnevartovsk District.

 Dialogue on equal terms Belarus is ready for open dialogue with the West, without allowing infringement upon national interests

o t e s P r e s i d e nt A l e x a n d e r Lukashenko on February 21st, on hearing report from Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei. The President emphasises that Belarus is endeavouring to pursue a multi-vector policy, saying, “We’ll continue to adhere to this, as we don’t

беларусь.belarus 2014

Two teams of specialists from the company’s field seismic exploration division will be involved in the work, which is supposed to be completed this April. Seismic exploration services abroad represent an important part of Belorusneft’s activities. At present, Belorusneft specialists are busy studying sub-surface resources in Venezuela and Ecuador with a view to prospecting hydrocarbon deposits in these countries. According to preliminar y assessments, the volume of hydrocarbon extraction by the Belarusian enterprise at the Western Siberian deposits should total at least 200,000 tonnes by 2017 — up 50 percent compared to the previous year. need problems in the West or, even more so, in the East. However, this doesn’t mean that we will deviate, try to gain something, change our criteria and the policy. It remains unchanged, being predetermined by my Address to the Belarusian people and the Parliament.” As far as Belarus-EU relations are concerned, Mr. Makei believes that definite progress has been seen although no ‘serious breakthrough’ has yet been reached. “Obstacles exist in our relations which, unfortunately, can’t be overcome in a single day or

According to the National Statistical Committee of Belarus, FDI increased by 7 percent against the previous year, with over 70 percent coming into the capital.

month; however, definite progress is evident, enabling us to say that hope has appeared that we can normalise our relationship with the EU and the USA,” he notes. Mr. Makei reported on progress regarding agreements with the EU, dealing with simplifying the visa regime and readmission. The Head of State asserts that B elar us is re ady for op en and sincere dialogue with European partners and the USA, although it won’t allow its national interests to be infringed upon.

ACTUALITY

Logics of construction should be clear The contours of the future Eurasian Economic Union are being discussed, with another round of negotiations held in the Moscow Region’s Novo-Ogarevo, which recently hosted a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. The presidents of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan again confirmed their intention to fully launch this new geopolitical structure, once particular, vital, details have been agreed — as considered to be in the interests of members. A complete portrait of the future union is being drawn up via sincere and open dialogue, confirming the seriousness of the three states’ intentions.

he Belarusian side brings to the forefront the thesis ab out uncondi tional construction of the Eurasian Economic Union on a solid foundation of a large-scale Customs Union, without any exemptions: particularly, without duties, quantitative or some other restrictions. Alexander Lukashenko was openly speaking about this at the session, “We should achieve tangible results in our integration project. One target should be to complete the formation of the Customs Union, without restrictions or exemptions. We’ve made the biggest progress here, with only a few exemptions remaining. However, these apply to very sensitive commodities — such as alcohol, tobacco, medicines, oil and gas. We need to take a principal decision on them.” However, scrupulous logics of movement is vital here, since during the discussion at the expert level an opinion originated at some moment on the necessity to view the abolition of exemptions (dealing with commodities)

in connection with services, movement of capital and labour force. However, such enlargement of the conversation evidently leads to its complication. Therefore, official Minsk believes that ‘the freedom of movement of goods

As far as the functional section of the document is concerned, although work has intensified, only 70-80 percent is ready: no more than at the time of the previous meeting. Little headway has been made in reconciling various

The movement towards the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union continues and the terms for signing of the agreement remain the same — May 2014 should become an example for realisation of the remaining three freedoms. Without this, the future economic union will lose its solid foundation’. As far as the draft agreement on the Eurasian Economic Union is concerned, it will consist of two parts: institutional and functional. Belarus has made its position clear regarding separate provisions within the institutional section at the last meeting of ‘troika’ heads of state in Moscow. Experts are still working to harmonise the document.

positions on sensitive goods, believes Mr. Lukashenko, stating, “This pertains to the formation of the common energy market, liberalisation of the automobile transportation market, access to the gas transportation system, and subsidies for agriculture. Our partners keep putting forward new suggestions that affect existing arrangements.” Meanwhile, there’re no impassable barriers here. The Belarusian side suggests continue improving the legal framework of the Singe Economic Space, provided 2014 беларусь.belarus

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ACTUALITY

that all three partners agree to the new suggestions. If any object, existing provisions should be kept without change — just as they are nowadays. So, this will allow to avoid unjustified setback of preparation of the central document of the future union, which may lead to movement backwards. The principle of consensus was also supported by President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. Moreover, Astana also pays attention to the fact that the major task for today is to set up an economic union. “We’ll focus on other aspects later; let’s just concentrate on economic issues and ignore misunderstandings. We can tackle our differences gradually, to remove them,” noted Mr. Nazarbayev. The words, said by Mr. Putin, testify that there’re no systematic disagreements in assessments, “It’s important to guarantee the ‘four freedoms’ — беларусь.belarus 2014

movement of goods, services, capital and workforce — while removing remaining exemptions and restrictions within the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space. The Union should be conferred with a wide range of powers in the sphere of economic regulation, enabling it to pursue a common and agreed policy across key branches. This would aim to enhance the stability and development potential of national economies and ensure a capacious single market and inflow of additional investments.” The presidents have also tackled some issues of ‘troika’ interaction with other important partners, with good results noted in the work dealing with Armenia’s plan to join the future Eurasian Economic Union, so the elaboration of the corresponding document can be launched in the nearest time. Naturally, the Ukrainian issue attracts

the attention, with Mr. Putin stating, “The extraordinary situation in Ukraine is ver y alarming. The Ukrainian economy is in a difficult state — even in crisis. The Customs Union may be adversely affected so I suggest we work together to plan measures to protect our producers and exporters. We need a strategy for further co-operation with Ukraine. Ukraine is the Customs Union’s key economic partner, being united by close industrial and trade ties and a member of the CIS free trade zone. Undoubtedly, we need to make everything to assist our partners to come out of the complex situation that they’ve faced now.” Therefore, the movement towards the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union continues and the terms for signing of the agreement remain the same — May 2014. By Dmitry Kryat

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ECONOMICS

Master of field

s in the human body, everything is interconnected within the economy; a problem with one link in the chain may cause failure across the whole system. For Belarus, shifting the abundance of unsold goods stored in warehouses is a serious challenge. We rely on export sales for currency inflow, which funds state social programmes. Enterprises also suffer, lacking circulating assets. Yet, why is trade becoming more difficult?

Quality in demand “Our machine engineers used to enjoy a good niche on the Russian market, regardless of price or demand,” notes economist Vladimir Vasilega. “However, as Russians began to develop similar manufacturing, competition grew tougher;

our quality alone is not enough to guarantee sales. On one hand, our technologists and heads of enterprises need to solve this problem; on the other, we need to find new niches, conducting market research and updating our ‘inventory’, as well as expanding its geography. Markets do exist; we just need to reach out to them. Our IT companies are generating hundreds of millions of Dollars of revenue annually by producing software — despite being in the toughest field for competition.” Obviously, there’s no point in offering goods or services for which there is no demand. Much of the challenge is in anticipating future needs. In the field of agric u ltura l eng ine er ing, a ‘Mercedes’ is sought, surpassing all others in quality.

Credits must be earned Vadim Iosuba, a financial analyst with Alpari, in Minsk, believes that poor quality goods are down to poor organisation in the workplace. While enterprises were once focused mostly on gaining maximum output, it’s now more important that there are sales markets for what’s being produced. It’s hard for traditional firms to change their approach; the answer is sometimes to privatise inefficient enterprises, since private owners are more greatly motivated to ensure healthy sales. Another problem is the huge credit load borne by some enterprises. The Chairman of the Board of the Development Bank, Sergey Rumas, emphasises, “Of course, we need to reduce interest rates but the National Bank cannot do this in isolation. A fall in rates would only work if supported by other economic measures, since credit availability would raise inflation and encourage import growth.” Mr. Iosub suggests offering crediting to all enterprises under identical conditions, without subsidies from the state. “In this case, high rates would lead to reduced demand for credit, so banks would be compelled to reduce rates. At present, enterprises working under state programmes don’t need to worry about interest rates, since theirs are subsidised by the state.” He adds that the government and banks also need to be tough in refusing to credit inefficient projects, reserving funds for those who can show evidence of cost-effectiveness and whose profits directly depend on quality. By Yevgeny Kononovich

2014 беларусь.belarus

CONTEXT

Great value of small rivers The programme of restoration of hydrological territories of the park is under way in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Pupil finds nano-satellite Pupils from the Lyceum of the Belarusian State University win Baltic science-engineering competition prizes

upils from the Lyceum of the Belarusian State University introduced three projects at the recent competition in St. Petersburg. 11th formers Anton Shemyakov and Sergey Shemyakov won a third degree diploma for Dense Iterations, as did 10th former Ivan Saechnikov, for his nano-satellite position determining system. 11th former Maxim Trigub received a special award from the youth jury for his Multi-Rotor Flying Vehicle. This year, more than 1,300 works were entered in the contest, by pupils aged 13-18 from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. In all, 213 were shortlisted for presentation at the fair, on the themes of mathematics, physics, programming and computer technologies, biology, chemistry and technology. The jury included well-known scientists and representatives of large companies.

he restoration and stabilisation of the water regime of reclaimed forest ecosystems is being carried out under the Small Streams — Great Influence international project that is being financed by the Coca-Cola Corporation. The project is directed at preservation of stocks of moisture in the Pushcha forests by working on the small and seasonal waterways — the streams and small rivers. “In one sense, this project is an innovative one for the Belovezhskaya Pushcha, as it is the first time when it has paid attention to the small waterways, which at first sight seem insignificant, but are, in fact, of great importance from the point of view of their influence on the ecological regime,” said the Director of APB-BirdLife Belarus public organisaton, Viktor Fenchuk. Since the 1960s, a number of swamplands around the Belovezhskaya Pushcha area were drained and transformed into agricultural land. As a result of the economic activities during the present time, the level of ground waters in different parts of Pushcha decreased by 0.2-1.5 metres. Climate change and this deficiency of water have led to the considerable weakening of forest plantings. The stabilisation of water project, in natural areas of Plyanta, Borushichi and Teplukhi starts now in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Water-retaining constructions will be erected. These will, mostly, be in the form of simple dams, made manually using local materials like stones, trunks of fallen trees and soil.

No more barriers Belarus and Switzerland abolish licensing system for cargo haulers

n Geneva, Belarus’ Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, Alexander Shishko, and Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Transport, Peter Füglistaler, have signed a document to completely liberalise all automobile cargo transportation, amending an agreement from December 18th, 2000. The signing of the document removes the last administrative barriers to international cargo transportation between Switzerland and Belarus, supporting mutual trade. In late February, Geneva hosted the 76th session of the Inland Transport Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, involving a delegation from the Belarusian Ministry of Transport and Communications. беларусь.belarus 2014

panorama  Reference points in information field “The country will not have any unprofitable enterprise in the media scene,” said the Minister, Oleg Proleskovsky, defining the immediate task at the final collegium of the Ministry of Information.

ast year’s results give grounds for this supposition. In comparison with 2012, more than Br30 billion has been saved in the media sector, and the state subsidy for printing mass media outlets has also been reduced from Br12 to Br4 billion. The reformation strategy, the creation of media holdings: the Publishing House Zvyazda of culturological and social-political direction, on the basis of the newspaper Sovetskaya Belorussiya, was successfully recognised.

 Horizon-2020 launches in 2014 EU framework programme on science and innovation to enable Belarus to promote its developments to foreign markets

In the long term, the minister said, that FM-broadcasting may appear on the information platform of Sovetskaya Belorussiya. It is also planned to transfer the portal Media of Belarus to media holding, in order to make it, not only a uniform point of entry for all state massmedia, but also a methodical assistant for the regional press in the development of their web resources. The plans for the future also include the creation of a virtual reception room. The President has ordered that it should be ready in the first quarter in the form of an Internet portal where citizens can address any question, and that the resource will become a uniform point of entry on the site of any state body or organisation.

he programme is unique, being open to the whole world — including states outside the EU. As the Chairman of the State Committee on Science and Technology, Alexander Shumilin, explains, Belarus is mostly interested in IT, machine building, medicine and energy. Our country has taken part in various other EU framework programmes: over 55 projects in all. Horizon-2020 launched in January 2014 and is to run for

 Native language in online regime Minsk gymnasium pupil creates Belarusian-Russian dictionary for Android

he new ‘Belarusian Dictionary’ application, created by Minsk gymnasium pupil Alexander Smolik, launched on GooglePlay in late

seven years. Mr. Shumilin emphasises, “This is the largest EU programme so far, aimed at supporting science and innovation, with a budget of around 80bn Euros. Belarus’ participation will give us the opportunity of receiving funds for development. In addition, our scientists will gain the chance for wider recognition.” The programme aims to promote scientific dialogue between the EU and its eastern neighbours — primarily regarding such social avenues such as energy, climate and medicine. According to Ms. Mora, the programme focuses on major projects involving a significant number of participants — including scientific and innovative projects worth dozens of millions of Euros (at least 1.5m Euros).

February, offers access to online dictionary karnik.by. The dictionary has 100,000 words from RussianBelarusian and 50,000 from BelarusianRussian, including explanations for around 100,000 Belarusian words. He began designing the programme around two years ago, independently reading books, and chose Android as the most popular platform for mobile devices.

2014 беларусь.belarus

panorama  Zalesie is waiting for tourists Restoration of Oginski estate in the Smorgon District is planned to be completed in September

lot of activities will be held in 2015 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of the great diplomat and composer, Michal Kleofas Oginski. In September of this year, the restoration of the Oginski estate in the village Zalesie of the Smorgon District is planned to be finished. It will open during a formal ceremony with the participation of guests

from different countries. According to the Chairman of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee, Vladimir Kravtsov, the estate will become one of popular tourist places for Polish tourists. The restoration of the estate began in 2011. Recovery work on the area is financed from republican and regional budgets, and also from the support of

 Guests are always welcome

more than 40 new excursions with wide appeal. In advance of the main sporting event in Minsk, more than 1,300 guides and translators have been trained, with several hundred guides also improving their knowledge of foreign languages — including Chinese and Arabic. The Ministry of Sports and Tourism’s Attitudes to Tourists campaign has a long-term objective of changing public feeling towards visitors. Mr. Shulga is keen for people to stop viewing them as something extra-ordinary. Rather, he would like citizens to realise that in offering a warm welcome, the countr y, and individuals, can gain considerable material benefit. The initiative includes teaching owners of agroestates foreign languages, and an advertising campaign a i m e d at p o p u larising tourism.

This year Belarus heralds the Year of Hospitality, bringing to the our national character and in line with the expected arrival of a great many tourists for the Ice Hockey World Championship, as well as for events marking the 70th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from Fascist invaders and the centenary of the beginning of the First World War

he Deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism, Cheslav Shulga, notes that military-historical tourism is to become a focus, being of interest to around 8 percent of Western Europeans. Of course, Belarus was twice the arena of militar y conflict last centur y. In addition, Belarus has been supporting the growth of rural and agro-tourism, as well as sports tourism. For the Ice Hockey World Championship, TsentrKurort tour operator has developed беларусь.belarus 2014

the European Union under the project of trans-boundary co-operation. A t ou r i s t - c u ltu r a l c omp l e x , consisting of four zones, will appear at the site. Museum and guest rooms, theatrical-concert halls and greenhouses will be opened here. The ‘French Park’, which existed previously on the estate, will be restored in the future.

 Warbler numbers still decreasing The realisation of the Clima-East project begins

he project has been planned for the last four years and aims to restore the Zvanets and Sporovskoe boglands in the Brest Region. Belarus houses some of the main nesting places for the aquatic warbler, which is listed in the Red Book of the country. The aquatic warbler is acknowledged worldwide to be an endangered species. “The species has got received this status because of the low and steadily decreasing population,” noted Natalia Minchenko, the Head of the Department of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. According to the last available data, there are 6,000-8,000 representatives of this rare species in the Republic; and that number continues to decrease. According to the estimates of specialists at the Ministry, the n o r m a l nu m b e r of these birds that should be seen in Belarus is more than 50,000 individuals.

TOPIC

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HOW OLYMPIC DREAMS COME TRUE

Warm meeting at home

F 10

ollowing amazing 16 days of winter sports, the Olympic Games in Sochi e nd e d w it h a mag n i f i c e nt cl o s i ng ceremony, w it h e vening i l lumina tions. Darya Domracheva, our triple gold-champion, carried the Belarusian flag with her customary smile and, last Monday, the national team returned to Minsk. Unsurprisingly, they were met by

a joyous crowd at the airport, eager to congratulate our team on its most ‘fruitful’ Games in the history of Belarus: 5 gold and one bronze medal. Without doubt, our national team caused a sensation. Despite the flight on which our Olympians were travelling being delayed, fans, journalists, and veterans of sport remained in high spirits. Gathered at the entrance to the National Airport, they waited 90 minutes for the fog to clear and the plane to land in the shy spring sunshine. Alexey Mashkovich, a pupil from #1 SDUShOR (Specialised Children and Youth Sports School of the Olympic Reser ve) and member of D ynamo BFSO (Belarusian Sports Community), was almost bursting with anticipation. Darya Domracheva sent 100 million Belarusian Roubles to the Presidential Sports Club after her first victory. He exclaimed, “I’m delighted by Dasha’s success in Sochi and certainly glad to welcome her here.” Children and relatives filled every corner of the arrival lounge: fathers, mothers, uncles and brothers sharing stories with excitement, reliving the moments in which they watched on television as their loved ones performed. Nikolay Minin — Dasha’s uncle — related how their windows shook with their shouts of encouragement and delight. All the neighbours came to congratulate each other on the victory of their common favourite. 2014 беларусь.belarus

Alexander Ruzhechka

Nadezhda Skardino’s mother knows just what Nadya likes to eat and revealed that she had a special surprise meal ready for her at home. Alla Tsuper’s mother-in-law had similar plans, noting that the whole street would be joining them in a welcome ceremony for Alla! Various state executives were among the gathering, including Alexander Shamko, Minister of Sports and Tourism. Naturally, his feelings were all positive on hearing our ‘golden’ Sochi news. Today’s victories are likely to have far-reaching consequences for Belarusian sport. Mr. Shamko notes, “These medals did not occur spontaneously; they are the result of long-term effort! Accordingly, I want to mention all those who have worked to promote Belarusian athletes’ Sochi achievements. Winning medals raises public spirit — such as we last saw after the 1980 Olympics. That inspired development of the whole sporting branch, leading to new victories, as I hope will happen this time.” Sergey Makarenko was Belarus’ first Olympic champion, in 1960, and knows the price of success better than anyone. He asserts, “It’s difficult to say how many parents will be inspired by the victories of Dasha, Anton or Alla, leading them to take their children to sports clubs. New champions will be among them so our task is to ensure that we don’t miss tomorrow’s talent, helping them to ascend the pedestal in future years.” беларусь.belarus 2014

At last, Darya Domracheva, Alla Tsuper, Anton Kushnir and Nadezhda Skardino found themselves in the arms of those who had waited so long for the moment. All weariness was washed away amid hugs and kisses and a fair few tears of joy and pride. Clearly, the athletes wanted nothing more than to go home and relax, to lie down and… to be alone. It’s hardly surprising. The victors have received enough media attention to last them for a while — especially triple goldmedallist Darya. “We expected to be welcomed but never imagined that everything would be organised on such a scale!” admitted Nikolay Kozeko, head coach for the freestyle team. Darya agreed, saying, “I’m yet to feel my full responsibility as a medallist but I understand that I must worthily carry the honour of an Olympic Champion. I think that understanding will come later. For now, I’m happy to keep these three golden suns in my hands and to see people gladdened by these victories.” The Sochi Olympics have been the most successful in the history of Belarusian sport, raising a new bar for future generations and inspiring us in equal measure. Even our Summer Games athletes will have trouble matching the recent sensation. Just as today’s modest victors were met with smiles, flowers and joy, at the National Airport, we hope that the sight may be repeated many times in the years to come. By Dmitry Komashko and Yuri Bakerenko

TOPIC

HOW OLYMPIC DREAMS COME TRUE

Glory for country The Palace of Independence recently hosted two important meetings, first welcoming the CIS Heads of State Summit and, then, the Ecuadorian President (on his official visit to Minsk). In addition, not long ago, Mr. Lukashenko invited youth forum participants to visit the Palace.

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t’s always a special occasion when the central doors of the Palace open to guests: be they Olympic champions or top global statesmen. Of course, our sportsmen work just as hard to promote Belarus as do our premier ministers, as we much appreciate. Nadezhda Skardino, Alla Tsuper, Anton Kushnir and Darya Domracheva appeared a little subdued on entering the Palace hall: they are more at home on the slopes or biathlon track than a red carpet — unlike film stars receiving their ‘Oscar’, surrounded habitually by lights and TV cameras. My natural inclination was to reassure them: they have travelled so many kilometres — and how many lie ahead? A few steps on a red carpet are nothing in comparison. Nevertheless, the Palace of Independence exerts a sense of wonder over all visitors, creating memories never forgotten. Moreover, the majesty of the ceremony perhaps made them realise the nation’s true appreciation of their achievements. We love them and wish to shower them with honours.

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The President personally welcomed the winners, presenting state awards. Darya Domracheva received the Hero Star of Belarus for her unique Olympic triple-gold triumph. Her achievement may never be repeated. Our freestyle jumpers each received a 3rd Degree Order of the Fatherland for their extreme bravery and dedication: even one tiny error can deprive them of a medal. The same award was given to Nadezhda Skardino, to whom Mr. Lukashenko recalled the proverb: ‘Faith is the mother of success while labour is its father’. The entire nation hopes that Nadezhda’s confident path to a gold medal is just beginning. Several more sportsmen, coaches and specialists were awarded at the meeting, with the chief coach of the Belarusian freestyle team — Nikolay Kozeko — receiving a 1st Degree Order of the Fatherland. In delivering a short speech, his voice trembled with emotion, unsurprisingly. Nobody can doubt the wisdom of state investment into sports: the results have been convincing. Darya — speaking to journalists — modestly noted that her Star can hardly be compared to those awarded to older generations, who were honoured for risking, or giving, their lives for the nation. She pledged to always live up to the great honour of her award and we do not doubt that she will always do so. Several messages were clear in Alexander Lukashenko’s speech. He urged the Olympic athletes to bear their awards with all honour, noting that it’s no small challenge to handle fame and success with due modesty — and to set an example to younger athletes, whose major competitions lie ahead. The President received the state flag, which flew in Sochi, passing it from the winners to a group of young sportsmen. Our Games successes are vital but we must now build on them, since Belarusian sport remains weak in other areas. It’s hoped that the national team will hold its head high at the coming Ice Hockey World Championship, being hosted in May by Minsk. Honestly, their play leaves something to be desired. They have some way to go to match the glory attained by our Olympic winners. Many had already been making plans to visit our World Championship but our success at the Sochi Games is inspiring even more foreigners to attend. Our country has been put on the map, with people all over the globe now perceiving Belarus as a sporting state. Naturally, with so many eager to see for themselves, we must be sure that all their impressions are positive. It would be wonderful for our hockey players to demonstrate some of the success seen by our athletes at the Olympics, although team competitions are known to be especially difficult to win. The baton has been passed from our Olympic sportsmen to our hockey players and what will be will be. By Dmitry Kryat

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She tore like a whirlwind, leaving her rivals looking on sadly. When Darya Domracheva is on form, nothing can stop her. The recent pursuit victory showed her talent at its most potent. Our charming rocket seems to have abilities almost boundless, with far-reaching consequences.

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mood on the streets

lexander Lu kashenko was one of the first to congratulate the champion on her victory, being a huge sports fan and a regular at the Games. It’s not uncommon to see him at various stadiums and on the slopes. The President may even shake your hand and say hello, as happened to a volunteer at Sochi. Mr. Lukashenko gave him a pie to eat too! The happy recipient was amazed at the Belarusian President’s democratic

outlook. Ms. Domracheva is just the same: always friendly and ready to chat openly. Just two hours after her historic race, she allowed us an interview. Hav ing p ass e d t he necessary official procedures, she visited President Lu k a s h e n ko’s h ou s e in Krasnaya Polyana, where representatives of t he B el ar usi an delegation and fans awaited her with tea

and simple treats. Darya received her first bouquet of flowers along with her medal, while the second came from the hands of the younger son of the President, Nikolay, with calls to ‘Lift up the champion!’ Dasha looked happy, though slightly bewildered at all the attention. The conversation was friendly and the atmosphere free and easy, without ceremony. President Lukashenko noted that Olympic achievements are sometimes better than traditional diplomacy in 2014 беларусь.belarus

What’s the story behind promoting the image of the country. Domracheva emphasised her thrill at being asked to carry the flag of Belarus at the opening ceremony (as requested on the eve of the Games) and noted sadly that her refusal of the great honour was only due to her wish to preserve her strength. Mr. Lukashenko urged her to carry it at the closing ceremony instead, and expressed his hope that this medal won’t be Dasha’s last. Of course, her efforts will also inspire future Olympians.

Above mountains

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Two hours previously, the tension could have been cut with a knife. Coach Klaus Siebert’s face looked stony, with the concentration of Buddha. Double Olympic champion with the Soviet team Dmitry Vasiliev announced that he expected Darya and our relay team to claim a medal, saying, “Dasha is very strong: even the strongest. It’s now a question of keeping her nerve. Alongside the status of favourite — certain f av o u r i t e , w h e t h e r sought or otherwise — comes the burden of expectation. This is a heavy burden to bear and not everyone can cope.”

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Can you advise on how to cope? Try not to struggle, since it will only exhaust you and leave you feeling empty. Accept the challenge, relax and try to enjoy yourself. Release your ability rather than being tense. Dmitry Vladimirovich must have second sight! Darya won her race as Dmitry predicted, becoming the second Winter Olympic Games gold-medallist in the history of sovereign Belarus, repeating Alexey Grishin’s achievement from four years back. It was amazing, with the crowds

cheering wildly and dancing in joy. Head coach Andrian Tsybulsky was almost speechless, crying, “What can I say? We have an Olympic biathlon champion, and her name is Darya Domracheva. We cannot change a single word.” You must have hoped for this ‘gold’ — even in the sprint... We agreed that, after the first race on the Laura track, we’d try to repeat Darya’s success. It was possible to forget about the sprint, in which we were let down by one component of the team’s training. We successfully eliminated it, and the result was not long in coming. Service error? Dasha’s skis were ‘on fire’ in the pursuit but we’re all human and we all make errors. Klaus Siebert calmed down on seeing Dasha finish her race, smiling with relief and saying, “My God, how wonderful and amazing it is! It’s fantastic! There were mistakes of course: we won’t forget the last nervous miss.” The first Deputy Head of the Biathlon Federation, Sergey Bulygin, also showed his emotions. Our country has another Olympic biathlon champion It’s wonderful! My emotions are in overdrive. An Olympic title is something of which our whole nation can be proud. When such a time comes, we should cherish every second of the euphoria, and the person who bestows such delight. Domracheva is now not just the best of the best, but a sportswoman topped with an Olympic crown of exorbitant brightness. After all, the way in which Dasha won the pursuit warrants her becoming a legend. No one can deny the heroism of this victory! And it’s beauty. How effectively Darya began her race, and with showmanship! Her rivals could see that nothing would prevent her from doing her best; they Page

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were afraid of her, I’m sure! Dasha followed Martin Fourcade’s tactics (he won the day before). She quickly caught up with Kuzmina, ‘sat on her tail’, then began to exert psychological pressure. She showed complete dominance: pure victory! It was a knockout! Can you reveal the tactics given to the team behind the scenes? All conversations were conducted openly, aiming to help everyone. In fact, Darya was so nervous at first that she withdrew into herself; later, she relaxed but it was decided that everyone should fight for their own interests. Domracheva was courageously ready for a fight; so much so that sparks were flying! Did she really declare that she’d ‘tear into them’? Let’s not spoil a legend. The words were clear in her eyes. Service-team difficulties... I’m happy that failure in the sprint didn’t undermine our team. In the pursuit, they gave a good reading of the snow and prepared the skis for victory. After the first ascent and descent, it became obvious that Darya’s skis were waxed perfectly, helping her greatly. Did the mist give you a scare? God was merciful in waiting until the shooting was completed before allowing the mist to descend. The cloud was creeping on Laura from Krasnaya Polyana, which worried us more than Darya’s competitors. Even the heavens chose Darya as queen that day — and we completely agree with them!

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The champion: I will always fight Ninth place in the sprint was a surprise for everyone, but for you too. What were you thinking at the time? I was depressed. Long before the Games, I had known what people wanted from me. Such moods are not unfamiliar to me and I was certainly nervous. However, I realised that emotions of that kind only serve to

torment. Endless speculation is superfluous: undeserving of a place in my head. After the first race, I completely switched off the outside world: I didn’t go online or read newspapers, to avoid any negative feelings. I knew then and I know now that all I can do is appear on the track and do what I can. If I do everything right, without mistakes, victory will result. Defeat yourself and it’s easier to defeat your rivals. It’s a simple truth but bringing it to life is always hard psychologically. I’m an experienced athlete, having raced a great deal in the World Cup and at other championships. Last year’s World Championship was extremely stressful for me, as people

Did you think, after your bronze medal in Vancouver, that you’d become Olympic champion four years later? Yes. Certainly! Whe n di d y ou f irst become convinced? On the day I went skiing for the first time, when I was six years old. These thoughts and this desire have always been with me and still remain. After all — nothing is impossible: the main thing is to be fond of your work and take pleasure each day in training. Last target missed I wanted to dash to the finish and ended up missing! It was very disappointing and I expected the last lap to be hard work as a result. I wasn’t wrong. The

I knew then and I know now that all I can do is appear on the track and do what I can. If I do everything right, without mistakes, victory will result. Defeat yourself and it’s easier to defeat your rivals expected so much; I felt pressurised. To a certain extent, nothing has changed. One year ago, I conquered my nerves and won ‘gold’. I was again successful here and I’m certainly delighted. As to what I think about: I’m pleased that I didn’t have to wait until my last race to win a medal! Will it help you to relax and relieve your burdens? I’ve already relaxed! Strange as it may seem, before the pursuit, I felt well and calm. I don’t recollect ever feeling as confident on the eve of a race. I realised this, and allowed my confidence to grow, believing everything would be fine. I was almost convinced of it.

day before, I watched the men’s pursuit and saw how many of them were falling. Those last kilometres are crucial, so I kept focused as I skied, repeating to myself that I needed to be very careful going downhill and keep in complete control, not relaxing even for a moment. You were quick on the track today, as usual. Does it ever surprise you how great your advantage is over your competitors regarding speed? I was surprised in the sprint that I wasn’t as quick as I wanted to be. Unfortunately, my skis weren’t waxed correctly, which affected the race. It didn’t turn out well but, before the pursuit, the error was corrected, and my 2014 беларусь.belarus

What’s the story behind

for supporting me and helping me overcome the ascents. My brother was among them; I could hear his voice and congratulations. Meanwhile, Tora Berger, who finished after me, was the first to congratulate me on my victory. She admitted after the race that you were the strongest. Was it a statement of fact or a compliment? беларусь.belarus 2014

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skis simply rushed along! I want to thank the service group for their diligence. I relaxed and the stars aligned to bring our gold medal. When the fog became denser on the track, were you afraid that the race might be stopped? I noticed the fog while skiing from the shooting range towards the last lap. On the final approach to the finish line, I suddenly thought: ‘My God, I hope everyone has finished shooting!’ I didn’t want the judges to have the slightest opportunity to cancel the race. How would you assess the Laura track? The combination of height, relief and warm weather conditions made us work hard. However, the condition of the track was better today than it was for the men’s pursuit. Today, the descents were much firmer and the track was well prepared. Did you feel the support of the spectators? Certainly, I knew that the Russians would be behind me but I didn’t realise to what extent. I’m hugely thankful to fans

The time indicator of my margin ahead of second place speaks for itself. We’re used to seeing you in good physical shape but you’ve long missed out on World Cup medals because of poor marksmanship. Today, everything came together. What’s changed over this short time period? A World Cup in the Olympic year is the best training. I simply used past experience and didn’t change anything from the training set by our professional coaches. After ‘silver’ in the sprint, O lg a Vi l u k hi n a told Vladimir

Korolkevich (the senior coach for the Russian national women’s team) that she’d buy him a car. Did you promise anything to anyone? Not really — but I promise to throw a good party once the season ends. I try not to celebrate victories before the season terminates. The Olympic Games are not finished yet for me, because there’s still a mass start, an individual race and relay races... In each, I’ll try to do my best. I have a two-day break in the competition schedule, so I’ll try to relax before fighting again. Tell us about your Norwegian friend at the Games? You mean the chief of our service team, Ivar Michal Ulekleiv? I’m happy that he works with us, and I can only sympathise with Tora Berger. In Vancouver, our Michal prepared skis for the Norwegians; now, he does so for us. You know the result. Speaking of your Norwegian f r ie nd, I meant the othe r Olympic champion: Ole Einar Bjørndalen. Ah, Ole... We are good friends but all else is private and I have no plans to talk about it. At the finish line, you had tears in your eyes. Was it because of the wind or y our e moti on s? Your trainer, Klaus Siebert, is having another major surgery at the end of the season. Klaus is a very strong, good person. I worr y greatly about him and about his health. Of course, I wish him all the best and I hope that this victory will act as medicine for him, helping in his struggle against illness. By Sergey Kanashits

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Mother’s happiness

atching a moment in this whirlpool of warm words, we shared our own he ar t felt cong ratu l at ions on t his epic moment in Belarusian sporting history. Larisa Alexeevna, don’t you regret watching such an exciting and important race only on TV? Not at all. From the very beginning, we agreed with Dasha that it was better for me to stay at home. Moreover, in Sochi, we had our own representative: her brother Nikita. He always keeps us informed of what’s going on. Were you concerned about Dasha’s performance at the Olympiad after her rather unsuccessful sprint?

Alexander Stadub

We can only imagine the feelings of Darya Domracheva’s mother, Larisa Alexeevna, upon watching her daughter’s success at the Laura track in Olympic Sochi on TV. We still remember her joy at Darya’s bronze medal in Vancouver four years ago and Dasha’s messages to her family and other supporters via the surrounding television cameras. Having just crossed the finish line, she immediately wanted to communicate with those hundreds of kilometres away. Unsurprisingly, Larisa has been inundated with congratulations, receiving calls from Nyagan, KhantyMansiysk, Sochi, Moscow, Gomel, Brest and other places.

No! We were all convinced that Dasha would win, as she deserved a gold medal more than anyone else: foremost, because of her hard work to reach the highest level. Dasha also managed to put aside her nerves, despite a tough struggle in the pursuit race, as was noticeable. This must have been to your merit… Did you manage to give verbal support to your daughter after the first race? Of course, we spoke, but not ver y much and not about sport. It wasn’t necessary to advise her, as she knows what she can do and what needs to be improved. The most important thing is not to cause her anxiety. Dasha understands that we are always behind her, giving constant support. It seemed that, after Vancouver, where Darya claimed bronze, she was keen to seek ‘revenge’ in Sochi... Dasha’s bronze medal four year ago was also a great achievement. Of course, she wanted to become an Olympic champion, having set this bar for herself not just in Vancouver but for her entire career. Few achieve this goal but everyone aims for it; Dasha was no exception. The pursuit race was only the second in the Olympic biathlon programme but many called the Games in Sochi ‘Dasha’s Olympiad’. Did you think she could calm her nerves and repeat her success? Of course, she’s endured the burden of expectations for some time, which isn’t easy. However, her nerves disappeared in Sochi, leading to her success as an Olympic champion! This achievement will affect all her future races. Of course, we shouldn’t try to predict the future but Dasha has proven that she can win at the highest level and do so beautifully. You’ve seen it yourselves: although her rivals were strong, she was the best. No one doubts this. I hope that she’ll succeed in future races and bring us reason for joy. By Dmitry Komashko

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What’s the story behind Darya Domracheva, triple Olympic champion: I’m delighted to have gained a second medal at these Olympic Games -- especially in the 15km race, which is a biathlon classic: much depends not only on speed across the distance but on shooting. I’ve often had problems at the shooting ranges — over this and previous seasons. However long hours of hard work have yielded fruit. Do I know how my victories are perceived at home? Certainly! I’m so happy that all Belarusian people support me!

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Nadezhda Skardino, a bronze prize-winner of the Olympic Games:

Games bow only to the strongest

fter the gift bestowed upon us by our at h letes on Saint Valentine’s Day, it’s impossible not to fall in love with them. Of course, we held hopes that Darya Domracheva’s pursuit victory would be continued but never dreamed that she’d earn a second gold: in Friday’s 15km individual. Meanwhile, Nadezhda Skardino claimed an unexpected bronze medal and, late at night, Alla Tsuper achieved a virtuoso victory in freestyle jumping: a fantastic result! After Dasha had brilliantly won the pursuit race in Sochi on February 11th, February 14th then laid claim to journalists’ attention with no less power. беларусь.belarus 2014

This was definitely our race! Nothing and no-one — either the track (melting under ‘spring attack’) or strong rivals — could hinder our girls. They were simply unstoppable! Darya Domracheva repeated her marksmanship from her ‘bronze’ individual race during the Vancouver Games (0-1-0-0) and showed the best speed along the track, holding at bay her opponents, bringing her second Olympic medal. Moreover, Nadezhda Skardino performed amazingly, demonstrating ‘Voroshilov’s’ accuracy and rather good speed. Our other biathletes — Lyudmila Kalinchik and Nadezhda Pisareva — also did well during the race. The Winter Olympiad continued, with the relay race ahead…

Until now, it has been difficult for me to believe that my efforts could pay off. At the last shooting range and during the last lap, I just wanted to show what I could do, without thought of winning a medal. After the final shooting range, I exerted all my strength on the last lap. As you can see, I now have an Olympic bronze medal! I still can’t believe it!

Klaus Siebert, women’s Belarusian national team coach, on the biathlon: The race was such as we could only dream of. Our medal winners — Dasha and Nadya — coped well with their tasks. Domracheva combined the fastest speed on the ski track with good marksmanship. Only one miss over 15km is an excellent result for her. As for Nadya, it’s a real miracle! She’s done brilliantly and it’s not just luck; her competitors didn’t keep their nerve at the last shooting range and Skardino did! Now, she is a Games medallist!

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Going the distance for gold After her brilliant performances in the pursuit and individual races, everyone was anticipating Dasha rising to the occasion in her final race. She didn’t disappoint! Flying like a whirlwind, she had only one miss on the shooting ranges, giving her a third gold medal at the Sochi Olympics.

omracheva was a clear favourite by her final race, ahead o f No r w e g i a n Tora Berger and light-footed Finn Kaisa Mäkäräinen. H o w e v e r, t h e unpredictable Sochi weather was threatening to ruin organisers’ plans and athletes’ hopes. It seemed fantastic that three gold medals in a row could be achieved

but Darya was clearly on form: her success was down to talent and form, rather than luck. Coach Klaus Siebert noted, after her third ‘gold’ finish, “If you ask me whether our team hoped that Dasha would win three gold medals, I can only say that we weren’t looking that far ahead. However, after last season, which I view as very successful, I understood that Domracheva could become an Olympic champion. Of course, definite efforts were needed, so we applied ourselves. Now, she is a multi-medallist of the Sochi

Olympic Games. Nevertheless, I’m absolutely convinced that her achievments and medals are a success for our whole team. No biathlete can achieve anything without their team; it’s an individual sport but also, exceptionally, the result of team effort.” Dasha’s final race once again showed that the Belarusian national team was working perfectly. Dasha almost flew over the wet, sticky Sochi snow, while her opponents seemed to battle up the hills and struggle with the rapid descents of the Laura Sports Complex. After a fall and two misses by Tora Berger, and Mäkäräinen’s penalty laps, the gold award was clearly between Domracheva and Gabriela Soukalova, from the Czech Republic. If Soukalova had been precise at the last shooting range, fans of the Belarusian could have been concerned, as Dasha set off to cover an additional 150m. However, the Czech sportswoman missed, and Dasha became a three-time Olympic champion, equalling German Kati Wilhelm in this respect. After her final race, the Belarusian shrugged off the statistic, saying, “Before the start of the race, I wasn’t thinking about any records. Here, at the Sochi Olympiad, I’ve been on very good form and have enjoyed each event; I just wanted to continue. I’m very pleased that the fog lifted and the race went ahead. Records are secondary; the vital thing is victory for my Belarus! By Dmitry Komashko

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What’s the story behind

Dmitry Guberniev’s amazement

ompleting his report on the women’s mass start race, famous commentator Dmitry Guberniev speaks of genius Darya Domracheva with admiration, saying, “You can now see the world’s top biathlete of our modern times finishing her race. I’m ready to fall down in adoration.” Darya’s fourth race and third Olympic gold was a repetition of German Kati Willhelm’s record. Her title of Belarusian Hero has not changed her easy-going nature — ever smiling and sincere. Did the burden of your previous medals hamper your mass start preparations? On the contrary: I felt calmer than on the eve of my previous Olympic races. I was merely preparing and… nothing more. As a result, I was able to keep my focus and success was the result. As e v e r, y our fans w ildly supported you.

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I enjoy fantastic support and am thankful to my Russian and Belarusian fans. Our nations are fraternal and my own relationship is especially strong — which I love. Of course, I’m aware of what is happening in Belarus at the moment and I’m grateful to everyone for their congratulations and passionate support. Were you asked to carry the Belarusian flag at the closing ceremony? I received an unofficial request and nothing would stop me from accepting. You’re now a triple Oly mpic champion; and have beaten German Kati Wilhelm. Records are not my focus and certainly don’t occupy my mind. I’m extremely tired but my motivation remains strong. Of what were you thinking while standing on the medal podium today? You looked at the stadium with such an expression on your face. I wanted to commit that picture to my memory — and to remember all those fiercely supporting me. I must again express my tremendous gratitude.

As you know, my motto is to enjoy every race. On seeing people’s involvement and realising that I bring them pleasure, my passion multiplies. I do have two wishes just now: to answer all your questions and then sleep! We’ve just heard that Alexander Lukashenko has awarded you the title of Hero of Belarus. Are you waiting for my reaction? Of course, I’m very proud that my efforts have been so highly recognised. Of course, the award is a surprise for me but I’ll do my best to carry it with honour — as a triple Olympic champion should. I must admit that I’ve not yet fully realised all that’s happened at the Sochi Games. I’m experiencing a borderline state where reality merges with a field of dreams.

The President has awarded the triple Olympic champion Darya Domracheva the title of Hero of Belarus, and has congratulated her on winning gold in the mass start at the Sochi Olympics: Dear Dasha! What a tremendous success! You performed wonderfully! All Belarus is elated by your new victory. You have accomplished a feat in becoming a triple Olympic champion, as is unparalleled in modern history. Such feats are honoured in a special manner in our Fatherland. From the depth of our souls, we congratulate you on receiving the Motherland’s supreme award: Hero of Belarus. We wish you luck, good health and success!

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on the medals podium Good things are easy to get used to. If you ask anyone today, he will beat his breast claiming that Darya Domracheva is our star and he has always believed in her, unlike others.

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veryone likes heroes… or pretends that they do. Dasha is a real hero, having endure much over the last week: failure in the sprint, then triumph in the pursuit and individual races, before her final confirmation as the world’s leading female biathlete following her mass-start victory. Domracheva is now a household name around the globe but she remains down to Earth, cheery and modest. 2014 беларусь.belarus

What’s the story behind Every day, Dasha’s life changes a little more, pursued by photographers and fans. Everyone wants something from her: an autograph, a smile of recognition, or a photograph. Even security guards bend the rules. Dasha, did you find the attention overwhelming? It could have been so, but I actually felt spurred on to greater heights as the attention gathered. I became increasingly motivated. Once you’ve won one title, you feel better able to fight for the second, and then third. There’s always more to be achieved in sport. You must be delighted to be ‘sharing’ your medal joy with Nadezhda. It’s tremendous! We’ve long dreamt of this. I waited for Skardino in the finish zone, mentally skiing with her for the last kilometre. Eventually, feeling frozen, I went to change my clothes, believing that Nadya would manage to stay among the top three. Of course, my wishes came true! You’ve managed to keep a modest outlook, despite such amazing victory. I h a v e n’t a c h i e v e d anything special. I simply controlled my nerves and believed in myself, which led to my winning. Most are viewing your victories as Fate: a just reward after such problems with your marksmanship in the past. How many misses have you endured in the prone position? The World Championship 2013, in Czech Nové Město, was really tricky for me. Luckily, this was a while year before the Sochi Games. I’m now grateful to the Czech World Championship for teaching me a lesson! It made me aware of my weaknesses and I realised that my prone shooting needed a lot of work. In the inter-season period, there was much debate over how to solve this and, at the suggestion of Andrian Tsybulsky, we беларусь.belarus 2014

consulted a whole board of marksmanship experts. Among them was Olympic champion Sergey Martynov — and this really got the ball rolling. Nadya Skardino doesn’t need advisers, being able to hit a squirrel’s eye without their help. Her medal is special and I’m delighted for her: moved to tears. Her example is a good lesson for others. Hard work and diligence led to the Olympic podium, as well as her exact shooting. Ms. Skardino shares her thoughts… The 15km individual is your strength. Yes. My teachers are constantly reminding me of this — telling me to push myself to the limit — as if fighting to the last. As long as I don’t miss any targets, I have a chance of winning. Ho w d i d y o u c o p e w i t h the psychological pressure of competing? You know, I was so nervous that I became frightened. My marksman-

ship in the practise run was so terrible that coach Klaus was shocked. Zibych tried to calm me, but I know him too well. Klaus hadn’t realised how nervous I was. I was trembling with fear at the first range and missed five times out of five. I steeled myself for the actual race and gave 100 percent: probably 120 percent! Did you want to dance on the finish line? I rather felt that I needed to lie down — to avoid dying standing up! Was your laser e ye surger y, conducted in spring 2012, an option or a necessity? I think a necessity; when my eyes were straining in the sunshine, fog or under artificial illumination, I could barely see a thing. I had no alternative. If I wanted to continue my sporting career, I had to have the operation. Yo u d r e a m t o f claiming a medal alongside Dasha in the individual race… Yes, t hat’s r ig ht. Hurrah! Our dream came true. Dasha sincerely congratulated me and I’m delighted for her. The Russian press is disappointed by its own national team’s biathlon performance and is surprised that your potential, wasn’t recognised earlier. Everything is simple: when I was living in St. Petersburg, aged 19, I was just skiing, and seldom performed above regional level. I began to lose interest and motivation. I thought about giving up altogether. However, I was training alongside Belarusian biathletes and their coach encouraged me to try rifle shooting. I knew immediately that it was my calling. By Sergey Kanashits

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Tsuper is super! Sergey Kanashits’ impressions of our ‘golden’ freestyler at Sochi Olympic Games

h e bus groaned on its way up the serpentine-twisting road, with the shining sun dancing on the snow-white mountaintops. The Olympic Games in Sochi brought great success to Belarus, lifting our spirits in the face of adversity, with our athletes showing their strength of character. In a single day, we claimed three medals: Darya Domracheva and Alla Tsuper’s gold, amplified with Nadezhda Skardino’s bronze. To cries of ‘Belarusians, let’s unite as one’, Russian journalists looked on with envy.

Only Tsuper can be better than mountains Nikolay Ivanovich, allow me to shake your courageous hand! Everything you do is great! Our guru of freestyle, coach Nikolay Kozeko, was among the first to descend the mountain to hug Alla Tsuper following her winning performance, and praise her outstanding achievement. I caught him after wards, while his emotions were still running high. He was literally dancing with joy on the coaches’ bridge, located at the top of the mountain.

A huge colourful scoreboard at the Rosa Khutor extreme-park relayed his amusing antics, causing a great many smiles in the stadium. Clearly, Kozeko worries about his pupil as a father worries about his daughter. Kozeko considers all his athletes to be like his own children, feeling their success as his own and each failure as a dagger to his breast. As he speaks, it’s clear that his heart is fit to burst. Do you think Alla has at last received what she deserved? Absolutely. She lacked success early in the competition, ruining her first attempt and misjudging her landing in the second qualifying round. However, she managed to reach the final in the last round, performing her jumps almost perfectly, managing her nerves. I’m glad that our plan worked. All our training was aimed at February: at the Olympic Games. Our efforts were not in vain! Mother — heroine! Alla hadn’t skied for quite some time, having given birth to her daughter. She had just 6 months to train to the highest Page

2014 беларусь.belarus

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the story behind

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le vel and conquer mountains. We had no time to waste at World Cup stages and viewed them simply as training: in standard operating mode. Alla deserved this victory, having come a long way in her sport. This is a worthy reward for her hard work, making up for previous failures. Let this victory be a lesson to those who did not believe in her and spoke against her return to major sport. I knew that Alla is a fighter capable of achieving anything — including winning an Olympic ‘gold’. I’m happy! Having given up hopes for medals for their own sportsmen, the Russians switched their passionate support to Alla Tsuper. “Belarusians — well done! Come on, Slavs!” rang through the stadium. She was so brave that it was impossible to stop her. Events then unrolled as in a Hollywood film, with a fantastic happy ending. Of course, we expect to see such stories at the cinema, but cannot help feeling that such things never happen in real life. However, Alla proved us all wrong. Despite botching her first jump, she improved with each successive attempt and scraped into the super-final, in fourth place. From there, she astonished the world. After her triumphant victory, Alla admitted that she had staked everything on her final jump, which had a complexity factor of 4,050 (bFFF). She had saved it in her arsenal, having only executed it once before, on the previous day, in training. It was a true debut, requiring a courageous step. The brilliance of her performance, with her precise landing, earned her 98.01 points! Even miracles have logic behind them and perhaps Alla’s success was down to being able to bow a little out of the ‘limelight’. Not being a favourite, she was able to relax — unlike at the last Games, when her nerves broke like strings, burdened by so many expectations. This time, she went with the flow, allowing her body to take over, rather than her mind. She flew through 2014 беларусь.belarus

What’s the story behind the air, thinking only of what she had been trained to do; her body remembered how it should move and all other thoughts departed. We almost gave up our hope but, after the second qualification round, she executed a difficult jump, all elements were good, although her landing was incorrect. Her sad eyes and doomed smile showed her resignation as she walked back through the mixed-zone. Chinese Xu Mengtao displaced her to sixth position and three strong competitors were still to jump. “It was my last hope,” she said, adding, “I won’t return to the slope.” I thanked her for her return and for her long years of dedication, having taken part in four Olympic Games (at Nagano, in 1998, Alla jumped for the national team of Ukraine). She then set off to try her best, and returned a few hours later on a victorious wave. Have you changed you mind? About what? Absolutely dumbfounded by her victory and all the attention, Alla failed to understand the question. Have you changed your mind about retiring? No. I trained for these Olympic Games, devoting myself to them; now, I’m finished. That’s a bold statement! If you don’t mind my asking, what were your thoughts before your last, decisive jump? I didn’t have time to think about anything! In the second final, I came fourth. In the decisive round, I had an open jumping programme. From my time of going up the mountain lift, I simply thought about needing to jump well and that, perhaps, it might help me to claim a medal. So you had no time to be frightened? Probably. At the last Olympic Games, the qualification round and the final were held on different days. The long wait, full of expectation, was oppressive. беларусь.belarus 2014

Lines from the President’s congratulations for Alla Tsuper: Dear Alla! With all my heart, I congratulate you on a brilliant victory! Today, a woman of spirit is again on Mount Olympus. Your victory comes from your determination, sense of purpose, huge diligence and courage. With your outstanding performance, you have brought a real holiday not only to Belarusian fans, but to all admirers of this spectacular, extreme sport. Recognised favourites were left far behind, while you showed the highest class of skill to the whole world. Pride overflows our hearts! Thank you, and to your coaches and the whole national team, for these happy minutes of triumph. Wishing you happiness, health and good luck!

There wasn’t too long to think this time, which I preferred. Did you believe that victory was possible? What result did you consider ‘acceptable’ beforehand? After such a long break, connected with motherhood, I didn’t come back for nothing. I hoped that I could win an Olympic medal — of any value. It was this that motivated me. Today your session was like a grand master’s: increasing in complexity, with each jump executed ever better. It was of the highest level! You know, when I was in 12th place and then selected for the final, I immediately recollected the Games in Turin, where Swiss Evelyn Lu also reached the final from last place, and then became champion. I’ve enjoyed the same. The first Olympic medal in the history of Belarusian women’s freestyle forever belongs to you... To be honest, I’ve had no time to comprehend what I’ve achieved. It’s only just sinking in. I haven’t realised that I’ve won more than a ‘normal’ competition. How has this Games differed from others? I’ve felt public support — as if from my family. My husband also came to support me. On the eve of the Games, I received so many messages, saying:

‘Alla, we support you; we believe in you’. It was extremely encouraging and motivating. Thanks to all who wished me well. What was the most difficult aspect in training for these Olympics? As for any mum, parting with your child is a torment: a real ordeal. It was very difficult to get into the swing of a training routine after two years of downtime. I’d forgotten how burdensome it is. Truly, it was initially awful and I had to work hard to overcome my aversion. However, everything turned out well — thanks to trainers, doctors and everyone who promoted my success. What are your next plans? I have only one thought: spending time with my family and daughter, who is 18 months old. We gathered to see in the New Year and I haven’t seen her since — due to continuous training. Now, at last, I can enjoy spending time with my baby. When Yelizaveta grows up, will you encourage her to master freestyle? No, it’s enough that her mother devoted her life to this injury-prone sport. I’ve been somersaulting on a slope for 22 years. I’ll be happy for her to simply enjoy hitting the snow... By Sergey Kanashits

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HOW OLYMPIC DREAMS COME TRUE

Tales and true stories from Krasnaya Polyana

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Anton Kushnir’s Sochi gold freestyle jump was one few of his peers would be able to repeat. Of course, he was just one among several Belarusian athletes who shook the world with their outstanding achievements: they were the talk of Sochi. Darya Domracheva and Anton Kushnir jointly won a record number of gold medals, bringing our nation a flood of pride and joy.

2014 беларусь.belarus

What’s the story behind

nton told journalists, “I’m happy for Dasha. She is brilliant — performing wonderfully! Of course, her success has inspired all of us.” His own gold medal story is such as inspiring Hollywood blockbusters: the result of much hard work against the odds. Anton is champion! I followed the super-final of the freestyle jumping in the company of Dmitry Dashchinsky — who failed to reach the final four. He was upset but happy to help me in preparing my report, sharing his professional opinion. In honesty, I’d been pained by Dmitry’s result, having been convinced that he’d win an Olympic medal. However, as soon as his skis touched down, his expression gave everything away. The judges’ low marks confirmed his own fears: he had failed to reach the superfinals. “I could have done better,” he admits. “Any mistake takes you to the bottom of those competing. I failed to ‘get into gear’, jumping rigidly, lacking enough height and twisting too slowly.” Did you perform perfectly during training? Every other time I was fine; clearly, I lacked consistency. What are your plans now? Will you try again in four years? Definitely, not! It’s too tiring to keep training and remaining fit. No sooner had Dmitry spoken than Anton performed his amazing jump and Dmitry exclaimed, “He jumped wonderfully: double full — double full — double full. Anton has never before performed this triple somersault with five pirouettes: it’s brilliant. He’s great. He began the season in good shape and, every day, has improved his form. He is беларусь.belarus 2014

clearly confident and seems eager to make up for his Vancouver disappointment, where he failed to win, despite being a favourite.” All around us, we heard shouts of support for Anton and complimentary comments: ‘You’re great!’ and ‘It’s a winning jump!’ Dmitry was no exception, even urging his friend to ‘Stop!’ as he was landing. I could hardly hide my emotions either: my cries made our Chinese colleagues (who were sitting nearby) turn and scowl with envy. After Anton’s magnificent jump, Dmitry pronounced without doubt that it was the winning performance. Our memories take us back to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, on the Whistler slope. Anton Kushnir had swept the season before him, seemingly determined to win. He was on a high — ready to continue his winning run. His 5,000-complexity index jump — as performed in Sochi almost perfectly — was prepared by Anton for an emergency situation in Canada. He trained for it but, in the final attempt, he failed: Fate had different plans. Mr. Kushnir failed in all his attempts and, shockingly, didn’t make it through to the finals. I met him a day after, in the Olympic village, and saw his empty eyes: they showed nothing except deep emotional exhaustion. Four hard years then followed. Life was testing his vigour and strength — as if checking his worthiness to become a great champion. Finally, Anton showed us of what he is truly capable, going through to the second

round despite an unsuccessful first jump. His performance than consistently improved until he launched like a bullet from a 45 calibre Colt, outshining the two leaders of the

Chinese team (who joined the superfinals with the best tournament points). “ T h e l an d i n g w a s slightly deep but this matters little,” Mr. Dashchinsky admitted after Anton’s jump. Eventually, the judges announced their marks: 134.50! Dmitry conceded, “Not bad for such serious judges. However, in my view, Anton’s performance is worth higher points. The jump we’ve just seen was at the edge of human capability. Chinese Qi Guangpu will now jump at the same complexity level — though differently: a twist initially, followed by two twists and one more twist. It’ll be a challenge for him to jump as well as Anton, as it’s a complex jump of which no more than five or six sportsmen i n t he worl d are Page

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capable. Apart from us, no other Europeans perform it. The first athlete who dared was Czech Valenta (who won the Salt Lake City competition). I tried it yesterday, during a training session. If I were in the top four, I would have also demonstrated the ultimate complexity level…” Qi Guangpu’s nerve failed, as did that of his Chinese teammate: tactics, strategy, coaches’ encouragement and mastery were v it a l. Fortunately, our team boasted all; after the competition, Nikolay

Kozeko looked as if it was he who had just performed the most complicated jump in the world, as well as all the others jumped by his team. He smiled, with weather-dried lips, saying, “I cannot yet speak: my thoughts and mind are still in the competition.” Can you explain the miracle of Anton Kushnir’s last jump? You are right in calling it ‘a miracle’. Jumps of such complexity are seldom performed at such a level. Two Chinese tried to repeat something of the kind but the outcome was not favourable. What’s Anton’s secret? Why did he succeed? There are many components, including training hard for many years — suffering at world championships and Cup rounds. He experienced frustration but his neat execution hit the mark. People say that Anton has nerves of steel. His nerves are steady at present and he has determination. Dmitry Dashchinsky was also on form (dinging — as we say in freestyle) but something happened and he failed. He seemed

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inhibited, staying on the edge of his capabilities. What happened to Mr. Grishin? ..!..?... Don’t you have an answer?

You watched the completion. Did you see Alexey fall? Did the Chinese surprise you? The Chinese team never attend an Olympics simply to participate. As usual, they were focused; however, they made a tactical failure. During the season, their jumping has been brilliant: unrivalled. However, it’s impossible to maintain top level jumping for too long. I can’t say for sure but I noticed long ago that the Chinese tend to show their nerves when faced with a real struggle. They perform better when enjoying evident superiority. I think Anton’s genius jump broke their nerve; not everyone can do their best under extreme conditions. A similar situation was observed in the women’s event: her two strong Chinese rivals failed to match Alla Tsuper, making mistakes in their final attempts. Does this mean that we’ve defeated them tactically? Definitely. Dashchinsky and Grishin are unlikely to take part in the next Olympics. Is anyone up and coming to replace them? Let’s not jump to conclusions. As far as I know, both Dmitry and Alexey plan to finish their career after the 2015 World Championship. However, the Olympic results may influence their decision. Alexey has just told me that he plans to retire but we’ll continue working; what else can be done? There are young sportsmen but they aren’t yet professional. We’ve been in this situation before… Did you predict these two gold medals? Of course not; I hoped for the best but realised that everything depended on luck. Happily, fortune shone on us. It was the best Olympics for Belarus so far. Can you explain how this happened? It’s been the result of long-term national sports planning. We didn’t win these medals on a whim; they are the 2014 беларусь.belarus

What’s the story behind result of several years spent on a new system. Do you think these two Olympic gold medals will influence the speed of constructing a unique water jump venue? It’s been ongoing for some time. As far I know, construction is in full swing now. There were some initial delays — caused by the crisis and construction companies’ refusals. However, the situation seems to be settled now. Mr. Dashchinsky is keen to see the water jump completed. As to who may follow him and Mr. Grishin, Dmitry immediately indicates Mr. Kushnir, although Anton, at 31, is hardly young (like Denis Osipov). I enquire about younger athletes and he tells me, “There are several promising young sportsmen, but we need to finish construction of the jump as soon as possible. This will help young sportsmen greatly and I’m convinced better results will be demonstrated. It’s a unique site and will be the first proper training centre of its kind in Belarus. It will provide perfect facilities for children and professionals alike, without risk of injury.” While Dmitry and I discuss these issues, Anton has been basking in glory, giving interviews and evidently feeling delight at his victory. Alla Tsuper looked similarly dumfounded after her success: as if detached from reality. Of course, it takes time to realise what has been achieved. …Anton came to the mixed zone with his son Platon in his arms and an absent look — as of a person who had just realised his dream. “Oh….,” he exclaimed, automatically kissing his small son and putting him on the floor. The boy was evidently shy in the face of dozens of microphones being pushed forward towards his father. “I’m slightly shocked and very tired — or, to be more correct, extremely shocked and slightly tired,” Anton admitted. “Of course, I’m happy: the day was lucky for me. I’m extremely беларусь.belarus 2014

The President also congratulated Olympic champion Anton Kushnir: Dear Anton! Today, you wrote a new page in the history of world sport. You achieved this success through years of hard training and testing times. The whole country watched your performance with their hearts in their mouths, and you brought us great joy. The Olympic Games in Sochi will be remembered for this remarkable triumph by the Belarusian freestyle school! Great thanks to the entire national team. I wish you good health and further successes.

pleased. I believed in myself and knew that I could win. My jump was really great. It’s wonderful to receive such high points from the strict jury.” What do you think of the new rules, whereby a single jump can determine a medal, with no room for error? We must accept the rules, since we cannot change them. I tried not to focus on them too much, just aiming to do my best. The competition day seems to get ever longer, with more psychological and physical energy required. Nobody promised that the path would be easy. Everyone faces equal conditions so the victor is he who is most prepared. With this in mind, I’d like to thank all those who believed in me and contributed to my success. I’m grateful to my country, to Nikolay Kozeko and to my first coach — Galina Dosova. I’m very thankful to my parents and to my fans — to everyone! Was your ‘mad’ jump in the superfinals the best of your career? I think it was. I seldom use it in my programme, as there’s no need to do so. It’s a special case: to be ‘taken out’ when I’m on peak form. It requires much concentration and is absolutely exhausting. What were your first thoughts on landing? I thought that I had done it — successfully! The past four years, since the Vancouver Games, were not easy for you, with injury leading to World Cup

disappointment. Some events also occurred which we’d prefer to keep secret. From where did you draw confidence and mental strength? I know that you experienced some challenges over this time. You’re right; it hasn’t been easy — especially the past two seasons. I had operations on both knees (one after another) and really thought about retiring, as my nerves were shattered. I had no idea what to do but my wife strongly supported me, and her faith gave me wings. I began to yearn to jump again and was happy to receive encouragement. My coaches and family helped me. I’m also thankful to the Chair of the Belarusian Skiing Union, Natalia Petkevich; her help was enormous. Of course, I’m very grateful to Nikolay Kozeko. He’s great! What are your plans for the future? Firstly, I need to recuperate — taking a bolt out of my knee and sorting out my back. I want to jump and feel that I can. As for the next Olympics, I would love to take part — but time will tell… It’s midnight, on Tuesday, but Mr. Kozeko is not asleep. Belarusian freestylers have always won Olympic medals and, in recent years, our global dominance has crystalised. The coach’s neck would be sore if he wore all the medals at once. He has trained three Olympic champions — which is incredible. Probably, Mr. Kozeko is also worthy of a Hero Star… By Sergey Kanashits

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HOW OLYMPIC DREAMS COME TRUE

A life of sporting passion Nikolay Kozeko is a genius, as his colleagues and pupils know; however, he hates to be the centre of attention

n 1972, aged 22, Kozeko became the USSR champion in freestyle ski ju mpi ng . T h i s brought him neither fame nor money — since it wasn’t football — but Mr. Kozeko was content. He is not among those who chase popularity or dream of being on the front page in newspapers. Enthusiastic and intelligent, he was drawn to acrobatic ski jumping as a graduate of the Belarusian Institute of Physical Culture. The charm of the sport inspired him to create a team and, in 1986, he became head coach of the national BSSR squad. This was the starting point of Belarusian freestyle.

Under Mr. Kozeko’s guidance, our freestyle skiers earned two gold medals at the Olympic Games in 2014 — claimed by Anton Kushnir and Alla Tsuper. These followed Alexey Grishin’s gold medal at the 2010 Olympic Games and his 2002 bronze, as well as Dmitry Dashchinsky’s silver at the 2006 Olympics and Olympic bronze in 1998. Alexey Grishin claimed World Championship gold in 2001, and silver in 2003, as well as bronze in 2005; Dmitry Dashchinsky claimed silver medals in 2001 and 2007, while Assol Slivets also took silver in 2007. Back in 1997, Oleg Kuleshov won bronze. Alla Tsuper took the World Cup aerial gold in 2002, as did Dmitry Dashchinsky in 2006 and Anton Kushnir in 2010. The latter also won the Big Crystal Globe in freestyle (across three disciplines) in 2010. 2014 беларусь.belarus

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What’s the story behind

It’s an impressive list, showing that Mr. Kozeko is responsible for some remarkable talent reaching its full potential. Despite this success, he remains modest and easy-going — always ready to chat and share a joke. He speaks patiently, understanding the essence of a question and replying precisely, with relevant detail. He isn’t afraid to take risks but does so wisely: he is a virtuoso and a strategist! Few other coaches have reaped such a collection of medals — including his two recent gold medals, from the Sochi Olympic Games, won by his pupils Alla Tsuper and Anton Kushnir. Each has repeatedly expressed gratitude to Mr. Kozeko for his part in their victory. While they take the limelight, he remains in the shade, looking on with quiet satisfaction. His grandmother was an emigrant, having set off to America, where Mr. Kozeko’s mother was born in 1916. He could have led American athletes to success беларусь.belarus 2014

but Fate decided otherwise, bringing his grandmother back to her homeland. Her passionate nature could not be denied its heart’s desire and, on returning to Belarus, she set up a commune. It is surely from this great lady that Mr. Kozeko inherited his determination, since his parents were eminently respectable. His father, Ivan Dorofeevich — a literary man and political instructor — worked as editor-in-chief at the Belarusian Publishing House of the BSSR (Belgosizdat). He researched the life and work of Ivan Melezh and Kondrat Krapiva, working with Petrus Brovka. Mr. Kozeko recollects: ‘My father was a very serious man and an unquestioned authority in the family. He worked a great deal and was always writing and returning home late from work. He lived in his own world and I desperately sought his attention. Nothing can now be changed but a huge library is his legacy.’ Mr. Kozeko still uses

his father’s library, which has made him erudite. He can talk on any topic: from Shakespeare to Kant. His mother, Olga Dmitrievna, taught junior classes but never nagged her son over his homework. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Nikolay did well until the eighth grade, including an intensive study of English. In 1960, he began aerial ski jumping — even dreaming of his passion. Interestingly, Mr. Kozeko is a lover of the ballet and opera, often visiting the Minsk Bolshoi. His character is direct and open, ready to defend what he believes to be true and to honour those worthy of admiration, regardless of social position. Some dislike his frank honesty but he would never change to please them. He is also a romantic, who enjoys looking into the sky: not at the stars but at his pupils’ pirouettes. By Sergey Kanashits

PROJECT

of eternal glory

Alexander Ruzhechka

The concept of a new museum is being developed on the theme of ‘scenario’ of war

Under the dome

he new building of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War History will become, perhaps, the most important place to open its doors in Minsk this year. Already today it is obvious that it will be a really majestic construction. Beams, the symbol of military salutes, draw attention from afar. What interesting things will the museum contain? A virtual excursion was held by the Director of the Museum, Major-General in the reserve, Nikolay Skobelev. Let’s begin with a question that war veterans immediately asked at once, after they heard about the construction of the new museum. ‘Will its size decrease or not?’ The management confidently answers: ‘No!’ The total area will be about 15 thousand square metres. In comparison, it is approximately the same size as the Palace of the Republic. Certainly, only part of the area will be allocated for exhibition as the functioning of such an establishment is impossible without

auxiliary services. However, it is possible to say with confidence that the area of constant exposition will be about twenty percent more than in the old building. It means that the number of represented exhibits will increase too. The opinions of veterans were taken into consideration during the design of the new exposition. They, more than anyone, stand for the fact that the memory of war should not die away. The desinhers also drew on the experience of the leading museums of Russia, Ukraine, Germany, France, Slovakia and Poland. The authors of the project, led by the laureate of the State Award of Belarus, Viktor Kramarenko, foresaw the so-called dramatic concept of the museum. Its separate areas will embody various stages and aspects of war. Thus, visitors ‘will gradually live’ those events from the first till the last day. Four monumental blocks of halls are already constructed with each of them symbolising difficult years of war. At the same time all blocks will merge in a single composition, which will be crowned by a dome, 22 metres in diameter. All

the halls will be located around its radius and will be directed towards the obelisk. Between them there will be space through which it will be possible to see the monument. It is made intentionally so that each visitor psychologically feels the Victory. One exposition will acquaint people with guerrilla movement. People will have possibility to walk through woodlands and Belarusian villages, to drop in on a camp and see how our liberators lived. It is impossible for today’s modern museum to operate without technical support. New technologies will help visitors to perceive the events of war more emotionally. Modern audio and video devices ‘will play’ sounds, noise and music, whilst documentary shots and reference materials will be shown. Text information will be found at special info-terminals. The concept of an updated museum has been spoken about for a long time. In just six months, we will see the much needed Museum of the Great Patriotic War History with our own eyes. By Natalia Semenova

2014 беларусь.belarus

NEWS

he Ministr y of Defence informed that the presentation of medals will take place in the run-up to celebrating of 3rd July. Who will be awarded? Veterans of the Great Patriotic War: former prisoners of fascist concentration camps, ghettos and other places of forced confinement, including those who took part in combat operations of the liberation of Belarus from fascist aggressors, and now living abroad. Military men of Belarus, workers of state bodies and other citizens who have worked hard in the field of memorialising the fallen and those who participated in the organisation of actions devoted to the anniversary of liberation.

will issue the whole edition. We already know the quantity of medals that need to be produced -- 75,000. It is a very responsible task, as we have not much time. But we made have awards for previous anniversaries; therefore, I am sure that we will cope with it this time.” The face of the medal will depict the image of a Soviet soldier holding a submachine gun, a partisan and underground worker against a background of a blown up railroad bed. To the left of them is a laurel branch intertwined with a ribbon of the Order of Glory. On the top of medal there are two dates: 1944 and 2014. On the back is an inscription ‘70 years of liberation of the Republic of Belarus from fascist aggressors’.

Medal will find its heroes

беларусь.belarus 2014

Brest’s Regional Social and Cultural Centre hosts To Women With Love exhibition, by Brest artists

he nature of femininity is explored through the many portraits on show, with beautiful floral displays of lilac sprays and tulips, peonies and narcissi created a fitting, fragrant atmosphere. Their spring colours are the perfect complement to the exhibition’s mood. Mikhail Konkov, who heads the centre, tells us, “Annually, on the threshold of spring, we hold an exhibition entitled Love Confessions but, this year, we decided to change the concept, devoting it to women.” There are 94 works, by 34 artists, on show — from Brest, Zhabinka and Kobrin: graphic works, paintings, sculpture, and arts and crafts pieces by members of the Belarusian Union of Artists. Works by venerable masters stand alongside those of young painters so far unknown.

 Following new routes with audio guides

Special award will be issued to the 70 anniversary of liberation from fascist aggressors The President will present medals. The management of state bodies, commanders of different branches of troops, commanders of military units and military commissioners also have such honour. The heads of diplomatic representations of Belarus will present awards to foreign citizens. The first samples of the brass medal are ready. The founder of the Sensgeraldika enterprise, which specialises in the issue of awards and orders, Vladimir Trofimenko is obviously happy with the result, “Our enterprise has prepared the sample of the medal which we represent to the Heraldic Council under the President, and more likely, we

 Love expressed through colour

Grodno and Druskininkai implement joint project to promote tourism

The chief specialist of the Department for State Social Support to Population of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Tatiana Maximova is certain that the medals will reach everyone who has deserved it. Local executive committees specify lists of those who deserve the award. It is rather laborious work. According to recent data, more than 23,000 veterans and more than 30,000 former prisoners of concentration camps currently live in Belarus. We wish them good health and a joyful celebration of the liberation anniversary!

ccording to the city authorities of Belarusian Grodno and Lithuanian Druskininkai, the joint project — Promotion of Tourism through Increasing Awareness of the History and Culture of the Regions — should encourage tourism flow in both directions. There are also plans to develop and promote new tourism routes in the nearest time, including four new routes for tourists travelling by car, by bike and on foot. Moreover, the project partners will develop a mobile guide to Druskininkai, as well as guidelines to develop a mobile guide to Grodno.

By Alexey Yaroshevich

BOOKS

Touching a nerve Enthusiastic romantics reveal city secrets

ccording to Russian Oktogo.ru online hotel booking service, Minsk was among the top three CIS destinations for Russians in 2013. Modern buildings dominate but city guides can also direct visitors towards older sites. Local bookshops abound in editions exploring the capital, with many written by amateurs as well as professionals. Ordinary city residents have compiled various guides, offering advice to tourists on local attractions; naturally, their love of Minsk comes across in their writing, as does their continuing desire to discover new places of interest. Many have written incredibly interesting biographies of our ancestors and the buildings in which they lived, having researched in libraries and archives. Their efforts often unveil previously unknown pages of city history: an invaluable legacy. In recent years, new discoveries have been made thanks to such enthusiasts. Of course, Minsk’s future is just as important as its past, making it the country’s ‘calling card’. Last year, I was happy to join a circle of writers and Minsk historians, to present my own

book, entitled Minsk: The Best View of the City. As a compilation of materials previously published, including from Belarus magazine, it aims to reveal the city’s most astonishing places. Even residents may discover something new. Speaking to my fellow authors on the subject of writing about large cities, we soon realised that we share common problems. Vladimir Volozhinsky, Khristophor Khilkevich and Leonid Moryakov tell us more.

Disputes give birth to books; or anyone can write Vladimir Volozhinsky began his writing ‘career’ with the launch of www.minsk-old-new.com — a site uniting a wealth of documentary records and photos of the city from various sources. Vladimir’s idea for publishing such materials was spontaneous. “I think anyone who treats their hobby seriously would approve of sharing materials. The site ‘began’ with family photos of Minsk: taken by my grandfather, Nikolay Ivanov. After a little while, I realised that the photos need to be supplemented with descriptions — of streets, buildings and monuments. It also seemed right to offer ‘excursions’ to the past, using photos taken through the decades of the same site. Several years later, my work resulted in a whole album: Minsk: Old and New. This features shots of city districts taken during different time periods,” Mr. Volozhinsky explains. Leonid Moryakov has already published two volumes of his research: both devoted to Nezavisimosti Avenue. Founded in the early 19th century, and many times re-named and reconstructed, the subject has occupied him for a decade. Minsk’s Main Street is the result of much hard work. Leonid tells us that his motivation was pricked when a friend challenged whether he’d be able to adequately describe the history of Minsk and all its buildings. “My work continues: at the moment, I’m searching for documents on Svobody Square,” he admits. 2014 беларусь.belarus

Vadim Kondrashov

BOOKS

Khritophor Khilkevich worked with photographer Sergey Plytkevich in compiling Minsk: Day After Day. He likens the city to a 350sq.km iceberg, with just a tenth visible ‘above-water’. He stresses that only true ‘divers’ — history lovers — see the rest. “They plunge into our historic depths, each time bringing new factual pearls to the surface, which they present to readers, so that they can enjoy beauty previously unrecognised,” he smiles.

Stones keep silence; or some secrets remain Every Minsk tourist is sure to believe that the city was destroyed during WWII but Mr. Khilkevich is ready to show houses remaining from at least a century ago. I happened to know of a building dating from the early 17th century. Meanwhile, Mr. Volozhinksy’s huge archive of photos allow us to track 20th century changes in every suburb. He’s now close to completing his new book, featuring 650 Minsk photos, dating from 1941-1944 (when the city was under German occupation). This year, Minsk and Belarus are to celebrate the 70th anniversary of liberation from the Fascists, so Mr. Volozhinsky is keen to show — in words and pictures — the real losses of the city.

Let’s fuel; or how new tourist sights appear Naturally, some books prove more ‘popular’ than others, being sold or sent to libraries. However, for them to achieve their true mission, we must act, rather than only reading. Mr. Volozhinsky recalls that the release of his History of Fuelling Stations in Belarus (published in 2012) inspired interest from Minsk City Executive Committee, and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque in August 2013, on a building close to the location of Minsk’s first fuelling station. Mr. Khilkevich’s plans are even more ambitious, since he hopes that anyone hosting a foreign visitor will feel confident enough to беларусь.belarus 2014

share nuggets of information. He recalls a comment on an article he placed online: a young German stayed with a Belarusian family as part of a school exchange programme and, over three evenings, told them of the history of his own small town. With so much rich history to draw upon, he feels that every Minsk resident should be brimming with stories.

Flight over Komarovka; or past sights forever lost Mr. Volozhinsky has plenty of ideas to make Minsk even more interesting to residents and guests. His proposals include the erection of a sculpture of Minsk’s first duke, Gleb, and the installation of a monument to honour the first flight by Russian aviator Sergey Utochkin (in 1911) over the Komarovsky Market area. He also wants to mark the site of a pagan temple, near the River Svisloch, which existed until the early 20th century, and unveil a plaque on the site of Minsk’s first car accident (over a century ago, at the intersection of Karl Marx and Yanka Kupala streets): to warn careless drivers and pedestrians. Mr. Khilkevich dreams of restoring St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church, which stands at the intersection of Internatsionalnaya and Engels streets, believing it would enrich the beauty of this suburb. He also hopes to see Kosmodemyanovskaya Street restored (connecting Holy Spirit Cathedral and Bogdanovich Street). Plans and ideas abound, with many writing books on their cities and districts. Such researchers can be found countrywide, penning guidebooks and bringing the past to life. Of course, not every edition appeals to everyone but new sculptures and plaques are unveiled regularly and beautiful churches and houses are rebuilt. All words committed to paper endure through time and can transform into action… By Viktar Korbut

Continent of the nation

Siberian pastoral Belarusian traditions live in distance from native land of their ancestors, in Tyumen area

Ivan Zhdanovich

n March, Alena Timofeevna Shishova, from the Tyumen Region, celebrated her 80th birthday. After just four grades of elementary school she joined a collective farm — working as a cleaner and a scrubwoman in the District Centre of Vikulovo. She still lives there today, and has embroidered beautiful patterns all her life, as well as singing with Vyachorki folk group. She also raised her daughter single-handedly. From where does her passion for beauty originate? Grandma Lena’s home is filled with embroidery, as we saw on visiting her during a trip to the Tyumen Region in autumn. Here, we present her unique manner of speaking — common to those who have lived in Siberia. “I began to embroider when I was six years old. During the day, young girls would work, then sit and embroider in the evening. As a small child, I climbed the bench behind them to look. I was drooling with my desire to try — it was so beautiful!” “With the evening gone, they would leave their patterns. My mother had run out of ‘sablatsi’ (embroidery threads — as they are called in Yermaki, Yelovka and other Belarusian villages) so there were only red and black threads remaining. I climbed onto the stove and waited until she returned home. People used to wear bast shoes and cotton foot wraps, and, as these were wet, she threw them onto the stove to dry. By that time, I had already prepared some threads to embroider her foot wraps. The stitches looked well against the cotton fabric. However, she cried out to me: ‘The women will laugh at me for you having embroidered my foot wraps!’ I then asked: ‘Mum, give me a towel, as I’d like to 2014 беларусь.belarus

Continent of the nation embroider.’ She gave me 1.5m of fabric and showed me how to embroider. It was in this way that I embroidered a ‘nametka’ (small drawing) on my first napkin.” Grandma Lena told us that her grandparents Fedora and Yakov Chumakovy lived in Gomel but, trying to escape poverty, moved to the Yermaki village approximately in 1910 together with their daughters (Manya, Frosya, Fedora and Aksiniya). This village was founded in taiga, some 60km from Vikulovo, by the Belarusian settlers back in the 1880s. It wasn’t easy in the severe Siberian land either. The Chumakovs family had to live in the dugout in Yermaki for some time and then moved to the neighbouring Yelovka, when collective farms began to appear. Manya Chumakova, the mother of our Grandma Lena, worked from her childhood at the collective farm with horses, so she was called in the Belarusian manner Lena Chumachikhina. Her father, lieutenant Timofey Tarasov, died in the front. In line with the Belarusian tradition, the photo portraits of her parents hang, as if icons, in the house: nothing can be more holy than the parents. The girl wasn’t keen on studies, unlike the embroidery, and after finishing the elementary school at thirteen, she wanted to become a shepherdess. The mother was trying to dissuade her but nothing helped. The girl seemed to have solid arguments, saying: ‘My friend, Nastasya Gretchenka, was a pig-tender, as was another my friend. Nastasya Mikhailova hogs down and sings songs and I will go to tend sheep’. The mother told her daughter that she would cry instead of singing songs but she didn’t listen and went to tend 150 sheep, becoming an assistant to an elderly woman. Grandma Lena continues: ‘We had a big and old ram with huge horns. I always took cabbage leaves with me into my cotton bag in order to feed the ram. I sat and embroidered while the ram came up to me and I gave a leaf and then sat on the back, as if it was a horse. The sheep scattered about the field and I folded them back while sitting on the ram’s back and then continued to embroider while the ram was walking nearby’. беларусь.belarus 2014

I must admit that Grandma Lena was telling her story so humorously that we immediately imagined this beautiful Siberian pastoral and even understood Lena Chumachikhina that it’s much more interesting to be in the countrywide with the ram, sheep and favourite embroideries than to be at school with its discipline and textbooks… Anyway, the woman’s fate and marriage brought her from Yelovka village to the Kemerovo Region’s Prokopievsk; however, her life with the husband wasn’t successful and in 1969 she returned to her relatives together with 12 year old Svetlanka to live at her brother Slava’s house. Now, when he’s dead, Grandma Lena lives here alone. Her daughter resides in Nefteyugansk while her granddaughter Albina is in Moscow and has her own three children. Meanwhile, granddaughters enjoy their grandmother’s embroideries but sometimes they criticise them saying that the background wasn’t chosen correctly. Nevertheless, Grandma Lena has her own criteria of beauty, saying that she embroiders beautifully using patterns from the journals. Grandma Lena’s handicraft was very useful when Vyachorki folklore and ethnographic ensemble was established in 1986 at the Vikulovo House of Culture by women who were the descendants of Belarusian settlers. They needed stage costumes and had to make them themselves. “I decorated the black skirt with ribbons,” recollects Grandma Lena. “I was sewing jackets using my own materials and was also wearing them on the stage. People also made orders.” The ensemble was established by Yermaki-born Valentina Mi k hien ko, a cultural worker, w h i l e

Grandma Lena assisted her as a friend and was singing in the group for a long time. Grandma Lena jokes that she has well practised her voice with the sheep — nothing similar to singing at schools. Many songs of her mother, Manya Chumakova (Tarasova after marriage) — a cheerful woman and an amateur singer (people from all over neighbourhood invited her to sing at weddings), acquired a stage life and were performed across all Siberia and even in Moscow, where the band was recognised as the best at the all-Russian contest of folklore bands in 1996. It seemed to us that embroidered pieces are a multi-colour chronicle of life for Grandma Lena. It’s immediately seen that her favourite colour is blue — the colour of sky or dreams? Although everything happened in life, she was always trying to make her embroideries beautiful, pleasing eyes and souls. “I embroidered even when I worked as a scrub-woman. I spent one and a half months to finish this work,” says Granma Lena while pointing to the pieces, hanging on the walls of the house. “This is the Red Riding Hood with the Wolf, and the Silver Claw and here the Deer is going together with the Girl with a basket for mushrooms. There’s also the Fire-bird, the Rooster and it took me a week to embroider the Cat.” By Ivan and Valentina Zhdanovich

NAMES

Igor Polyakov’s Spaces During presentation of Spaces — at 21st International Book Trade Fair in Minsk — Igor Polyakov gives autographs to fans and shares his plans for the future

r. Polyakov first gained m e d i a attention in 2009, when he wrote t h e s c r ipt for Tango: October, which he also directed. Screened at the KinoVarka Alternative Film Forum, it won a prize for its originality, showing only the legs of men, women and children, wearing all manner of footwear. Faltering, hurrying, stumbling or stopping, they alone told the story, accompanied by atmospheric music. Seemingly, chaotic, it revealed meetings, partings and changeable disposition. Each pair of legs reflected the emotions experienced by their owners. Igor’s impressive My Cook’s Secret — a ‘musical-culinary mystery’ — also premiered in Minsk to acclaim. It tells of a successful Parisian cook, with a chain of restaurants in Paris and Cannes, who mysteriously gives up his business and moves abroad to work in a local café. Filled with vividly drawn characters, the film explores deep psychological motivation.

Igor’s novel, Spaces, has received much praise from critics — including famous Belarusian writer and popular TV host Tamara Lisitskaya, who calls Mr. Polyakov ‘extremely wise’, with a ‘feel for the music of life’. Professor Anatoly Andreev — a literary critic and doctor of philological sciences — admires its ‘modern artistic language’. The book explores the faith and love allowing us to overcome difficulties and our ability to empathise with others while searching for meaning in life. It seems unthinkable that more novels will fail to follow and Mr. Polyakov certainly doesn’t refute the idea, smiling enigmatically. His thoughts remain largely hidden and his character defies the usual assessment. I tend to classify people — as kindly, intellectual or chivalrous perhaps — but I’m at a loss to decide on Igor’s true nature. He is hard to pin down: like the horizon — ever elusive. However, he is certainly charming, with an open smile and brown eyes radiating inner peace, despite his self-contained air. His wall of reserve is not completely impenetrable, since it allows spiritual light to shine through. I settle on classifying him as a spiritual and serene person.

His words add to my final opinion, when he tells me that he was born with haemophilia. He laments that people tend to focus on this ‘disability’ — setting him apart from ‘healthy’ society. “However, my parents brought me up like any other boy: I attended kindergarten and school and played football in the courtyard with other youngsters. I graduated from Gomel’s Frantsisk Skorina University as an engineer-programmer and later continued my studies abroad — focusing on foreign languages and bio-medical engineering. I gave up those studies to return home, as I was missing my family greatly. As to what I value most, I’d say sincerity, communication and ‘home’. I learnt this from my parents, who are wonderful. My father has now died but my mother continues to fill my life with a sense of care and comfort.” Igor tells us about his book, mathematics, artistry and life’s meaning.

Ordinary author You moved from mathematics to artistry — which is no surprise. Many artistic figures, including writers and poets Omar Khayyam, Mikhail Lomonosov and Lewis Carroll, were 2014 беларусь.belarus

NAMES

also mathematicians. Are exact sciences artistic? Someone proclaimed: ‘Mathematics is God’s language’. We, mathematicians, probably feel the most artistic of all [smiling]. A literature club operated at the University during my studies but I failed to attend. I’m definitely not a ‘freelance’ artist — or an introspective philosopher or an egghead. I’m rather an artist with a mathematical emphasis. To be more correct, I’m an author — an ordinary author. Spaces has a character called Prof. Shestakov who lectures in geometry at the University. Is he based on a real person? No, I invented him. I want my readers to ‘feel’ various spaces. Geometry involves one, two or more spaces — which intersect or remain parallel. Space surrounds us and is encircled within a larger space. We all live in a single world-space. As our world was created by ‘someone’, so can we create our own беларусь.belarus 2014

world-spaces: outside and within. We can decide upon their size, depth and brightness. In mathematics, there exist limit-infinities and the infinity of limits. Similarly, some of our ‘worlds’ die with their creators while others live on; somewhere, it’s raining and, elsewhere, the sun is shining. We are constantly moving from one space to another — staying for a short time in one and living long lives in others. How long did it take you to write the book? Was it easy to agree its publishing? I worked on it for almost a decade and never thought seriously of publishing, although I had a vague dream. I sent my work to Belarusian "Registr" Publishing House and, two months later, was told: ‘All our staff are on holiday. Please, call later’. I decided not to knock on that door anymore… but it opened anyway [smiling]. I received an invitation to take part in a literary contest of extracts and short stories — organised by "Registr".

I sent in an extract and… won. The publishing house became interested in the whole text and proposed publication free of charge. It’s a classic example of talent winning out! Do you think authors need to be pushy to succeed? We need to push like grass piercing the asphalt. Ecclesiastes reads: ‘Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days’ and: ‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might’. In my view, it’s vital to keep a balance. You need a break-through but you shouldn’t step on others in doing so. The book reads as an author’s confession. Do you agree? A literary confession presupposes sincere talk on issues concerning the author. My book mentions a character finally falling asleep after enduring great troubles; he experiences a state in which dreaming is combined with reality and examination, in a strange space which Page

NAMES

app e ars empty yet unclear. He cannot sit, walk or lie in this space. I’ve personally experienced such a state. Was writing the book a kind of psychotherapy? All writers do this — since writing requires you to evaluate your thoughts. Some fully identify with their characters, while others are inspired by real people in their inventing characters. Writing produces a legacy which remains forever — so there must be a sense of responsibility? This is true. It’s vital for my words not to destroy others’ spaces… Would you like to see your book screened? I know that you are on good terms with the cinema… I’d love to. In writing ‘Spaces’, I wanted to reveal that feeling of life being a dream state. It would be great to see this idea screened! However, it would need wide public appeal, as well as being original — like works by Tarkovsky and Fellini. I don’t wish to appear immodest but I do aim for this level.

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young people. In your stories, you often recall your father and devote poems to him. You write letter-recollections and often speculate on God. In addition, you sometimes address those who could hardly be found in the world of people. Are you a lonely man? Yes and no. On the one hand, I have my family — who are close to me — and I have friends and numerous acquaintances. I live an active Internet life. On the other hand, I’m fine with my own company. This is a great personal achievement. People behave differently in adversity — such as when they suddenly lose their mobility after an accident or have health problems.

People are different: weak and strong or both. I’m afraid of some things and feel no fear regarding others. Do you consider yourself to be lucky? My blog is entitled ‘Journal of a DieHard Lucky’. I’m truly lucky — despite everything. I could have died several times but continue living. Fate has allowed me to flip situations around and succeed. My disease has taught me much but it would be silly to assert that it has been easy. Of course, it would have been great to be healthy but I can do nothing to change my body. Who knows whether I would have done all I have if I’d been born healthy — or whether I’d have found such great friends… One of your blog stories reads: ‘My mother brought me several Smena magazine issues. One featured Alexander Men’s Son of Man story.’ Were you in hospital at that time? Yes. Those nights were sleepless so I began reading. I was always searching for something and I love to philosophise and read all kinds of literature — including ecclesiastical and pseudo-ecclesiastical. On reading Men’s book, I felt that I saw God — not depicted on an icon but as a living man. I began speaking to him internally and praying. Several days later, I was baptised and, since then, have done my best to always carry light in my soul, in my life and in my artistry. By Alisa Krasovskaya

Reading ‘die-hard lucky’ blog Looking through your Internet blog, I can see that you are a truly unique writer. Your style is simple yet poetic — resembling classical writers. Meanwhile, your language is clear to

2014 беларусь.belarus

CINEMA

Malevich promenades Vitebsk Russian director, Alexander Mitta, finishes work on his film about two great Belarusian artists: Marc Chagall and Kazimir Malevich What is the film’s title? It’s called ‘Chagall — Malevich’. I’ve focused on a short period of these two great personalities’ life — the year of 1919. It was then when Chagall established his arts school in afterRevolution Vitebsk and later invited Malevich to join (whom he helped to beat poverty and disease). Malevich then headed the school but, in 1935, sadly died at a young age. Chagall, in turn, lived much longer — almost 100 years. ...and died in a lift while travelling to the second floor. беларусь.belarus 2014

In 1973, Chagall visited Russia, but failed to visit Vitebsk — saying that he could not bear meeting his native city. The artist visited Moscow and Leningrad where his two sisters lived. Did you have to agree the script with relatives? Yes. The script was approved by them. Why is this story close to your heart? I wished to shoot a film about two prominent artists. Chagall is a fantasist and a dreamer, while Malevich is a reformer and founder of the abstract art theory. I’ve been interested in Chagall for a long time; I shot my first film about him over four decades ago. Is he the key character of your film? Yes, he is in the beginning, but then Malevich takes the lead. Where did you find actors? Leonid Bichevin (Chagall) is a rising star of Vakhtangov’s Theatre and Anatoly Bely (Malevich) is a brilliant actor from the Moscow Art Theatre. Around 80 percent of all the actors are making their debut in the film. Are Belarusian actors participating? Of course. Where did shooting take place? The process was quick. We shot indoor scenes in St. Petersburg and outdoor in Vitebsk. The film was recently screened at Moscow’s Art Mainstream Festival. Do you plan to screen it in Vitebsk? Definitely. However, no ‘true’ premiere has yet been organised. By Tatiana Khoroshilova

ART | PESONALITY

30+30 Vasily Yasyuk celebrates 30 years of creativity and teaching

Alexander Ruzhechka

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he hero of the day celebrated his double anniversary quietly with relatives, friends and colleagues, at one of the capital’s first galleries. I’ve met Vasily Yasyuk more than once and our interviews have always been fascinating. His views on the world are endlessly thought provoking. While being known as a master of portraits, he also works in other genres — with a romantic bent. He is known as a skilful restorer, having painted the interior of the Belarusian Embassy in Moscow, and his pictures are found in state and private collections in Belarus, Russia, Poland, the USA, Italy and Germany, Spain and France. Prof. Yasyuk’s professional work was first mentioned in Literature and Art newspaper: it remains a souvenir in his home. The professor of the Belarusian State Academy of Arts tells us, “The most important thing for an artist is to feel a picture: its colour and composition. If there is no direction, the picture won’t go well.” Many of his works are created ‘a la prima’: in one sitting — as Repin and Korovin often worked. Prof. Yasyuk is mentioned in books on the history of Western European art for this technique. His Christmas Still-Life, created in a single day, is so popular in Germany that most homes boast a copy; millions were printed, alongside reproductions of works by Chagall and Kandinsky. In fact, sacks of cement brought him into the world of art. Coming from a large family, without a father, paints and brushes were beyond his means, so he worked hard, 2014 беларусь.belarus

PESONALITY | ART

The most important thing for an artist is to feel a picture: its colour and composition. If there is no direction, the picture won’t go well helping unload cargo. His savings then brought him to Minsk, where he gained entry to the College of Art, and the Theatre and Art Institute (today’s Academy). Vasily graduated with honours and was offered a teaching post by two departments: painting and drawing. He worked alongside some of Belarus’ most talented artists — his own teachers: Danzig and Gromyko. He continued teaching there for many years, even after becoming the director of Glebovka Art College. Today’s Academy Rector is a former student of Prof. Yasyuk. His dedication endures, bringing many hours at his easel. He sometimes exhibits and sells his works, and is always happy to share his creative knowledge: his experience accumulated through the years. Vasily here tells us his views on the place of Belarusian painting in the world art. How would you describe Belarusian fine arts today? As ever, they are traditional and realistic. The traditions founded by our oldest artists — Marc Chagall, Yudel Pen, Natan Voronov and Alexander Mozalev — are now embodied by such People’s Artistes of Belarus as Mikhail Savitsky, Vasil Sharangovich and Leonid Shchemelev. All are inspired by our classical art, connected with nature and people. At the Academy, students often ask me my thoughts on the influence of western culture. I say that western art tends to be more abstract but originates from our realism. There is a separate art school but it is less original than our Russian and Belarusian fine arts. We’ve kept our traditions, working with nature and wildlife. I agree that exhibitions of repetitions on the same theme can be dull. Sadly, few artists graduating from our Academy can produce multi-figured беларусь.belarus 2014

compositions; it’s rather disturbing. After all, in realism, we can see abstraction. Artists should remember that people only buy their works if they appeal to them; you can’t deceive someone’s personal taste. Of course, do work on themes that interest you. I am concerned by the influence of the Internet on art, although we do have some good artists who draw on traditional art legacy to create something new. They give us harmonious synthesis and a high level of professionalism, keeping our traditions and inspiring development in our national art. I think that our school is strong enough to support a high level. As a teacher at the Academy of Arts, you promote realism in Belarusian painting. Our syllabus includes landscape work, with students spending three hours daily on painting — as was conducted through the 19th and 20th century, in France, Belarus and Russia. It is obligatory; even well-known abstract artists learnt such traditional drawing and painting. Do you ever worry that the younger generation will set aside formal art? Yes — especially on visiting exhibitions and seeing so many monotonous, grey canvases. They spend six years learning to paint landscapes and then paint monochrome abstractions! On travelling abroad, I see interest in our traditional arts, although the fashion for formal composition is fading. I’m convinced that synthesis is needed in art. Artists should feel this in their soul. If you don’t ground your work in reality, it has no soul. Page What are artists painting these days?

ART | PESONALITY

I’ve never ‘betrayed’ myself, having always been inspired by my native Belarus. My Academy graduation work was called ‘Edge of the Fatherland’. I now have a huge series on Ivan Kupala’s Day [a national Belarusian custom]. My ‘Kupala Night’ features about 40 figures. I have various other figurative works and I believe these show me at my full potential. If you have a good grasp of drawing, you can paint a beautiful picture — even in abstract art. What inspires your creativity — besides the traditions of the Belarusian school? Tradition is at the foundation, with modern trends, naturally, influencing my works. Those I created three decades ago are perceived differently today. Where we once spent a year creating a single multifigured composition, a theme can become old-fashioned within a year. Times are changing ever more quickly and work needs to reflect current thinking. I bring bright optimism to my works, which are alive with colour. Life may bring trouble and hard times but I see the best in everything; I think it’s the right attitude for an artist. I like to paint blossoming spring; an artist’s eyes should pick out the violent colours of reviving nature. Life is beautiful — so we should perceive it so. There’s nothing wrong with idealisation and choosing to see beauty in the world. There is a place for abstract art, undoubtedly — but I maintain that artists need to perceive with their soul. Where there is sincerity, works remain worthy of attention, despite the passing of time and various trends: even 20-30 years later. You often travel to Europe. What do such trips give you? My travels bring me into contact with trends in modern art. In the 18th century, a great many Russian artists travelled to Italy to work and stayed on. Travel expands your inner world and inspires new ideas. At the same time, you perceive your own country with greater emotion and nostalgia. Vladimir Mulyavin’s song lyrics state: ‘In order to understand your darling Belarus, it is necessary to visit different edges’. This is very true; on visiting the West, you want to return as quickly as possible. It’s undeniable. You become convinced that everything you’re doing is correct. Your use of colour, palette, ideas and understanding become enriched, although your roots remain. All the rest changes, giving you a huge creative charge. Do you find your own works beautiful?

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Of course I do: they are alive and interesting. It’s not just my opinion but that of the many collectors who buy my works. In Germany, 100,000 copies of my works were released; people were fascinated and bought them — not just because they were ‘pretty’. Your works are based on Belarusian landscapes and people’s lives. You’re an international figure but your works have great local flavour. When I was in Germany for my exhibition, visitors told me that, although I wasn’t a German artist, they liked my works. I can feel Belarusian, Polish or German. The Belarusian school is based on traditions and we have great creative potential — as becomes clear at international exhibitions. An artist should have a clear idea of their own national identity, while being able to analyse world trends. Is today an interesting time in which to be an artist? Is it favourable? I graduated from the Academy of Arts in 1983, so I remember Soviet days. On graduating, I immediately received a state order. Now, artists have fewer options and, in order to earn a wage, often forsake some of their true creativity. How important are figurative images? Looking at Belarusian art in the early 20th century, we think of Malevich and Chagall. Figurative composition is essential, although it can be combined with other elements. Should an artist be a dreamer, looking to the future, or should they reflect on the present and past? In reflecting on the present, you always look forward. Art differs from all else in being a step ahead, understanding everything. True art always looks ahead. Will Belarusian art maintain its traditions? As long as the Academy of Arts exists, our traditions will remain. Meanwhile, the more widespread art becomes, the faster the soil will yield fruit. We lack enough traditional fine artists, although our art always stands out at exhibitions and competitions. We have preserved the traditions of realism. Changes come though? Art should continue its traditions, since it cannot exist without them. There should be interrelation between the old and new; sadly, this is becoming lost in Belarusian art. We must preserve our traditional school, to keep Belarusian art alive. I’m convinced of it. The same is true of Russian ballet, which nobody can surpass. 2014 беларусь.belarus

Alexander Ruzhechka

PESONALITY | ART

How do those abroad judge works by our artists? As I’ve already said, my works and those of some of our greatest artists sold a million copies in Germany. Is this not recognition? Having my efforts stand alongside those of Chagall and Kandinsky is the greatest recognition. However, in order to reach new heights, we need to make world level contacts. Our traditions are strong, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t hold an international position, if we are promoted. How can we encourage young painters to draw on their national traditions? Young people need state support in the form of small orders. How can we promote integration of modern trends and old traditions? At the Academy, our professors — with 30 years of experience — promote this idea. We work with students, беларусь.belarus 2014

explaining the connection between modern art and what has gone before. Where is the Belarusian school manifested in your works? Besides painting the theme of Kupala’s Day, I keep the spirit of our traditions. At the same time, I employ a wide, free manner, unlike anyone else. Artists need individuality and the opportunity to express themselves freely. You develop this over your long career. However, never forget your soul, or you’ll lose the essence of art. An artist’s soul finds expression through art. Was it interesting to start teaching immediately on graduating? It was interesting to remain in my sphere. Students always have new ideas and a fresh outlook, which can surprise you with its boldness. As the years pass, you can Page lose this.

ART | PESONALITY

Does the school of Belarusian painting still exist? I think so: traditions remain in painting, graphics and sculpture, handed down from our oldest artist-teachers: Savitsky, Gromyko, Vashchenko and Sharangovich. They and their followers laid the foundations for the traditional school, with our young artists picking up the baton. Isn’t this really the school of Soviet art? Maybe, so — but it has retained a realistic, classical direction, attaining the highest level. Our niche is ensured; we have a place in the West and elsewhere, differing in orientation to Soviet art. Our young artists are also introducing new directions, and are influenced by world art, being exhibited in Germany and France with regularity. All Europe knows them, which is inspiring. Naturally, within a school, there can be diversity. Plain posters and air-brushed pictures are often ‘dead’, simply stating fact rather than inspiring any heartfelt reaction. Meanwhile, art arouses emotions. Belarusian artists are arousing interest in the West but is this actually necessary? Art should know no borders and exist outside of politics: it’s vital. Artists can be ambitious, seeking global recognition — as enjoyed today by Chagall, Malevich and Kandinsky: all of the Belarusian school. We should aim for world renown, taking part in joint exhibitions and open-air contests: the more — the better. There should be healthy competition. Art

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will speak for itself where it has substance. That which is bad will sink to the bottom, being irrelevant and unsought after. You’ve expressed your views concerning painting and art. How do you define your own creativity? A professional artist should be able to provide for their family. Their freedom to create artworks exists within the boundaries of their need for popular appeal, creating what is sought after. Which genres do you prefer? I liked the ‘Kupalle’ series and the series of portraits of famous people, as well as the most recent works I created, which are uninhibited and life-affirming landscapes, portraits and still life works. They are a counterbalance to anything gloomy. Art should bring pleasure and lift the spirits; it’s my credo. You can switch off a TV set but not a picture. You choose something that appeals to you and it’s constantly before your eyes — like a member of the family. I like it when my works are in good hands. Are you an artist of the Belarusian school? Our Belarusian school has its own appearance and differs even from those across other Post-Soviet republics. Each successful Belarusian artist has their own style but, importantly, they must keep a sense of their own soul — as I do when I paint in Germany. An artist cannot do without their soul. An artist realises their potential through work — so it must be a distraction to take part in open-air contests and exhibitions. Is it better to remain in your studio, ever working? Certainly, you need to work as much as possible but, to do so effectively, you need to keep your eyes open to the world and its trends, looking beyond your inner self. World art is developing rapidly and the Internet allows us to share a great deal. True art is born from communication — with nature and people, from all nations. This enriches us spiritually, and is reflected in our creativity. At each personal exhibition, you see yourself as outsiders do and it allows you to reappraise yourself. In Germany, in 1990, we participated in an exhibition of about 50 artists, which brought home some of our weaknesses. I realised that we needed to open our eyes to the novelty of new trends. It can be hard to change your approach but dialogue is extremely important for an artist. Which exhibitions or open-airs remain in your memory as interesting? When you go abroad, everything is interesting. New impressions are formed and you start seeing your country differently: loving it more desperately. I remember an open-air contest in Polish Mazury, as it was from there that we watched the international Eurovision song contest. Ever yone applauded the Belarusians performing, which was a wonderful surprise. Our colleagues 2014 беларусь.belarus

PESONALITY | ART wanted to support us. It was amazing evidence of the way in which communication, through art, brings people together, enriching us. We didn’t feel that we were from different countries; we were part of a small world united by art. I’m convinced that true art has no borders. We should invite artists to Belarus more often, since it would also help the tourist business. We have such beautiful places to visit and who better to appreciate them than artists. We could have a small joint exhibition in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha. You visit Europe, and especially Germany, a great deal. From your experience, what do you think people expect from artists there? Foremost, they expect skill; this is what allows us to compete with any artist worldwide. They also seek novel ideas. The traditions we maintain are often lost elsewhere — especially the tradition of figurative work. Our Academy of Arts has preserved its classical understanding of drawing,

painting and nature, while the Dusseldorf Academy has lost it. We are known in the West for our figurative art and our landscapes, as well as our high workmanship. The experience of our foreign colleagues, of course, helps us. Where we may have spent a month on a canvas in the 1990s, we now take just a few days. We’ve adopted a sense of freedom and a more uninhibited manner, thanks to Western influences. As long as there is a strong central direction and theme, all is well. Even small canvases can be fascinating, if they have depth. No matter how long you spend on a canvas — an hour, a year or ten years — it will be empty unless it has deeper meaning. You may paint a beautiful autumn landscape with apples, but it needs to inspire thoughts of more than just apples. It’s something that many Western artists forget. беларусь.belarus 2014

What is the difference between a painter and an artist and which are you? I am, of course, an artist; after that, I am a painter and a professor of the Academy of Arts. A true artist is like a director while a painter is an actor. Imagine a film boasting a magnificent cast but lacking a director: it would fail. To be an artist, you must have vision beyond what is before you. Tell us more. In giving a picture direction, we imbue it with multiple meanings and depth. It may be a landscape but each element within it will exist separately, drawing the eye; in addition, the canvas will inspire a certain mood. This is what I tell my students. If they don’t have this vision by their 5th year, it will never come and they will never become an artist: only a master painter. You could study for 20 years without becoming an artist, always remaining amateur. Of course, good artists also have their own style. Why is it that just three strokes by Picasso or Matisse are considered art? Because they are directors: true artists. What unites your pictures? Those who understand art can identify my works in a moment, because I have my own style, which is impossible to copy. Even the best artist cannot make a 100 percent copy of any work. It is not enough to simply paint a landscape; you need to make each brushstroke with the same force and with the same mood as the original artist. It’s impossible. What else is important? An artist should have a broad outlook rather than being confined to their own world. Travel, to see how others work. Study and accept new knowledge. Last year, I was in Hanoi and, feeling a little bored, I bought canvases and found a place in the centre of the city, where I began to paint. The Vietnamese were at once interested and a crowd soon gathered, including a television crew and reporters. It was a real event for them. They liked my style so much that the local Academy of Arts at once bought the work and exhibited it in the main hall. How does true art differ from kitsch? Folk art has different rules to fine art. While a true artist should express their soul, and their deepest emotions on canvas, they should also love their country and roots, with a firm concept of their native land. Vasily Yasyuk is preparing for his 60th birthday. He promises to introduce a wide anthology of his works: from the graduation works which remain in his workshop to those kept in private collections. By Viktor Mikhailov

Alexander Ruzhechka

PERFORMANCE

Circus… and nothing more Those who love the circus have already seen performing monkeys, dogs and, even, crocodiles. However, tame hippopotamuses are something new.

hree hippos have been in Minsk for several weeks now: two female and one male. Their new Hippopotamus Show programme — led by Lyudmila and Tofik Akhundov — is the only one of its kind worldwide. The majestic creatures can be seen dancing gracefully, rolling onto their backs, playing leapfrog and ‘building’ a pyramid. The circus stars have come to Minsk from Nizhny Novgorod — each travelling in a separate truck with a pool. To ensure their comfort in the Belarusian capital, three large baths have also been delivered, to allow the hippos to relax between performances. Despite coming from a balmy climate, they seem to be managing to cope with Belarusian frosts. They are most comfortable at 18 degrees (Celsius), notes People’s Artiste of Russia Tofik Akhundov, who jokes that his ‘artistes’ are happiest when they’ve eaten well and are warm inside. Their cage warns: ‘Care: flesh-eaters!’ although hippopotamuses are actually vegetarians, eating exclusively plants. In truth, Yana, Aida and Zlaty will eat anything that’s tasty, 2014 беларусь.belarus

CINEMA receiving a huge meal once a day of beetroot, potato, carrots, cabbage, oats and pollard. In winter, they also receive greens or hay but are never fed before performances or rehearsals. They dine about 20 minutes afterwards. In comparison to other animal-artistes, their ‘menu’ is rather cheap, considering that each hippopotamus eats around 30kg of food daily. The artistes are kept in pools but can walk around when it takes their fancy. Aida and Zlaty share a pool while Yana — whose weight exceeds a tonne — swims alone. They once had another companion — Zhuzha — but he died a few years ago, aged 30, of heart cancer. Tofik tells us, “These animals can live up to 50 years in captivity; despite widespread opinion, this is far more than in the wild, where they face natural selection and lack of food. We accept them at one year old for taming, since older animals are aggressively dangerous.” Tofik asserts that hippos are even more obstinate than mules! Yana, Aida and Zlaty travelled from a Tel-Aviv safaripark seven years ago: all were wild and aggressive, so it was a true challenge to tame them. Tofik explains, “We gained success due to their intelligence. It was hard work, as the hippopotamuses disliked being pushed. We had to cut the taming process significantly.” Yana is the most active of the three — being the leader. Zlaty is a coward, despite being male, while Aida is passive. Attracted by our footsteps, they reach their necks out of the water and give us a disdainful sniff: we are interrupting their sleep. Moreover, sheepdog Mukha starts barking. Their canine guardian is more of an audible alarm than anything else since it would be impossible to simply lift out these enormous animals. “Photos are allowed but please don’t put your cameras into the animals’ mouths,” warns Tofik. While the hippopotamuses ‘pose’, their tamer describes their show. He assures us that it’s truly unique, since only a couple of world troupes have these animals and they do nothing more than walk the hippos around the ring and persuade them to open their mouths in synchronisation. Tofik’s hippopotamus stars perform real tricks — even waltzing! Huge Yana rolls onto her back in the finale, despite hippos really not being ‘built’ for such manoeuvres, having short paws, and long heavy bodies and heads. “They can hardly move as monkeys and horses do,” he notes. Yana, Aida and Zlaty don’t bond quickly with new people. “As you see, they are alarmed after you touch them,” Tofik notes. “Hippopotamuses have very sensitive skin. Unlike Moscow’s circus, Minsk’s does not allow the public to see the animals outside of the show: to look closer at them, pet them or, even, feed them. Hippopotamuses will accept such interruption but it can put them in a bad mood and cause capricious behaviour.” Mr. Akhundov has prepared another surprise for public: monkeys performing tricks on trampolines and displaying somersaults. All are welcome to the Belarusian Circus in April, where these amazing acts will be on show.

Beauty of land in ‘another dimension’ Belarusfilm National Film Studio has presented Island of Wonder or Polesie Robinsons two-part children’s adventure film

sland of Wonder or Polesie Robinsons tells us a story about the adventures of Ilya, Miron and his sister Yulia who set out in search of the island from Yanka Mavr’s novel. The twelveyear-old characters of the book face the same adventures but at a different time. The film also features Vladlenych, the grandfather of Miron and Yulia, and a money-obsessed journalist. “The most important thing about the film is that it refers to the national literature. We couldn’t forget about the great book by Yanka Mavr that we all know from childhood. We want children to value our culture, the beauty of our nature, and the opportunities that Belarus gives to young people. We see that our children are losing the connection with the nature, and that is why the film features so many landscapes. It was important for Belarusfilm to show the vast opportunities that our country has. We only need to rediscover them. In the film the story by Yanka Mavr was a bit updated. We’ve connected two times, so the characters of the book and modern children meet each other,” notes Belarusfilm’s Director Oleg Silvanovich. The main parts were performed by Belarusian schoolchildren from Minsk Alexander Talako, Mikhail Karenetsky, Yegor Rozsudovsky, Yegor Shik, and Anastasia Kravchenya from Gomel (the winner of the Audience Choice Award of the I Sing Contest). The film also features People’s Artiste of the USSR Gennady Ovsyannikov, People’s Artiste of Belarus Alexander Tkachenok, actors Sergey Vlasov, Igor Denisov, and Vladimir Ivanov. The script was written by Fiodor Konev and Yegor Konev, while the producer is Sergey Sychev.

By Yuliana Leonovich

беларусь.belarus 2014

Premieres

Verdi’s passion brought to life

he vibrant, festive and moving Italian opera is a wonderful addition to the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theatre. Verdi’s ingenious creation encourages our hearts to beat in time with the score, bringing alive our sense of human spirit. The day before the premiere, at a press conference hosted on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre, the directors answered questions from the media. The choice of venue was inspired, allowing us to gain a sense of the theatrical. It’s quite different to sit on the stage than in the audience! A strange energy pulsates when the stage is empty, creating a mystic aura. I’ve often asked actors among my friends

why this might be and they reply that the stage preserves the breath of the world in which past characters have existed. The stage has its own power, as was certainly felt during the press conference for Rigoletto. It almost seemed as if the air were still vibrating from the voices of the powerful baritones, basses, tenors and sopranos. Eduard Martynyuk, Vladimir Petrov and Diana Trifonova, occupied in rehearsals that day, joined us, in costume. We also had the chance to see the mechanism of the rotating stage circle, which allows rapid scene changes and promotes continuity of action. Anna Kontekh, an experienced art director from the Finnish National Opera, has created original sets and costumes for over 100 operas, ballets and theatrical performances, often working

Mikhail Nesterov

International team of directors premiere new version of Rigoletto, by Giuseppe Verdi, at Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus

with Neeme Kuningas, the producer of our new staging of Rigoletto. This is Anna’s first time working on Verdi’s Italian masterpiece, but the third for Neeme Kuningas. The latter is one of the most well-known Estonian directors, having staged over 100 musicals, operettas and operas — across Russia, China and Europe: Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Finland and Turkey. Much has been said about how the new version of Rigoletto in Belarus 2014 беларусь.belarus

Premieres

differs from previous performances by Kuningas. Viktor Ploskina, the conductor, asserts his confidence that audiences will love the staging as much as the actors enjoy taking part. Their enthusiasm, and that of the directors, is obvious — as are the high spirits of all involved. Mr. Jaak Lensment, the Ambassador of Estonia to Belarus, has predicted that Rigoletto will be a great success, thanks to Neeme Kuningas’ genius. He expects it to have a long run and experience acclaim. беларусь.belarus 2014

Reasons for successful destiny Neeme’s staging is distinguished by conceptual accuracy and wonderful aesthetic appeal; he has an innate sense of how to portray an historic performance. Rigoletto has timeless and universal relevance, exploring the feelings of heroes and their motivations in particular situations. Their conflicts are recognisable and topical. Viktor Ploskina

notes, “Rigoletto is an opera about higher justice, and taking responsibility for your actions. It’s easy to recognise yourself because the plot is sincere and complex. After all, little has changed regarding our thirsty ambition, intrigue, irresponsibility, tears, love and hatred and jealousy. We all know how passions change destinies and, at times, lead to tragedy. Today’s world boasts enough people with persecution complexes. The main Page

Mikhail Nesterov

Premieres

Neeme Kuningas: ‘We live in difficult times for opera. The world economic crisis has closed some theatres and reduced the number of new performances. Opera is a wonderful platform for directors to explore their imagination and to experiment. It is also a place of tradition. While visual tricks can be a great novelty, they aren’t really necessary. Opera is a living art, universally relevant and with enduring appeal, since it always strikes a chord, regardless of the passing of time. We are observing a certain Renaissance, with audiences keen to empathise with the heroes of opera’.

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like the other char53 hero, acters, is perceived as

being ‘out of joint with time’.” Kuningas asserts that his vision for Verdi’s protagonist is the same as in the original: Rigoletto is no freak of nature or cripple; he is simply a court jester for the duke, who carries out his role ‘to the letter’. On returning home, he throws off his hated mask and becomes a devoted and extremely protective father to his daughter. We

cannot help but pity him and feel compassion — even when he plans his revenge on the duke for seducing his daughter. Tragically, she falls victim to this revenge, being killed by her father’s hired killer. Honoured Artiste of B elarus Vladimir Gromov plays Rigoletto. His dramatic, deep baritone and magnificent acting talent portrays the suffering in his soul with great expression. Even the strongest voice has good and bad days,

regardless of fame or success. On the day I heard him, he was on top form. Rigoletto, which is being staged for the sixth time at the theatre, is full of passion and tears. Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda, played by Diana Trifonova, falls in love with the Duke, played by Eduard Martynyuk while People’s Artiste of Belarus Vasily Kovalchuk plays the role of Count Monterone. Oksana Yakushevich plays Maddalena, the sister of killer Sparafucile, performed 2014 беларусь.belarus

Premieres

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acoustics, giving a clean sound, which transports easily through the auditorium. A podium is located in the centre, lit by floodlights installed on the balconies. The lighting effects are well thought-out, used to accentuate the drama played out on stage — such as Rigoletto’s plan of revenge. The stage’s rotating circle also works perfectly: silently, so that it does not distract from the music or action. So

engrossed did I become in the opera that I quite forgot to take notes for my writeup. What better sign can there be: when a journalist forgets their profession and becomes simply an empathic spectator. Rigoletto is powerful enough to work such magic. I send my thanks to everyone who worked upon this masterpiece. By Valentina Zhdanovich

Darya Burakina

by Oleg Melnikov, an Honoured Artiste of Belarus. Yakushevich and Martynyuk both hold Frantsisk Skorina honourable state awards. Martynyuk’s Duke of Mantua appears as a happy minion of fortune — who enjoys life to the full with little thought for the consequences of his actions. His tenor is fresh and pure, rolling easily through the music and flying across the auditorium. His scenes early in the performance and when declaring love for Gilda are among the opera’s most well-known. His aria about a beautiful woman’s heart being inclined to fickleness always raises great applause. Diana Trifonova’s soprano has a light and soft timbre, capturing the high notes with tenderness, and the lower notes with drama: such as when Gilda sees the real face of her thoughtless duke, yet still chooses to save him from her father’s revenge. Although she does not hit every note accurately, her stage presence is remarkable: vocally and artistically. The men’s chorus — the retinue of the Duke of Mantua and the court’s nobility — sung in harmony, with great emotion, reflecting the moods and desires of the Duke, and illustrating the turns of the plot. Nina Lomanovich, the chorus master-director, has worked on the majority of operas staged at the Bolshoi Theatre. I have no doubt that the second and third casts of leading soloists for Rigoletto will be just as impressive: Vladimir Petrov and Sergey Frankovsky (both People’s Artistes of Belarus); Oksana Volkova (an Honoured Artiste of Belarus) and Tatiana Gavrilova (a laureate of international contests). Everyone gives their all, maintaining the high reputation of the Bolshoi Theatre. Neeme Kuningas admits to having found a common language with the actors, based on humour, friendship and a positive attitude. Surprisingly, the performance opens without an overture. Rather, we enter straight into the action: taking place in a mirrored hall in the Duke of Mantua’s palace, sparkling with candelabra. In fact, the mirrors aid the strength of the

Ballet night

How dance is born National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus presents premiere of choreographic miniatures — Pas de Quatre and Flower Festival in Genzano, staged by Alexandra Tikhomirova

allet Night: From the 19th Century to the 21st Century presents brilliant short performances by modern masters, whose creativity inspires us to reflect on whether dance is born from the spirit of music and if it exists beyond time and space. In the first act, there are three ‘white ballet’ pieces, inspired by European classicism and Russian Romanticism: alongside misty images and flights of fancy are mature and serious choreographic works. We see Pas de Quatre (a dance for four) and Flower Festival in Genzano, as well as Pas De Six from La Esmeralda, by Cesare Pugni. Pas de Quatre was created in the summer of 1845, featuring four great ballerinas: Marie Taglioni, Carlotta Grisi, Fanny Cerrito and Lucile Grahn. All were in London at the same time, inspiring the Director of the Her Majesty’s Theatre, Sir Benjamin Lamley, to create a stellar performance, to grace the stage before Queen Victoria. Prominent chorographer Jukes Perrot undertook this ‘honorary order’ and Cesare Pugni’s music was chosen, being a legend of the Romantic age. As time passed, the choreographic composition became a poetic benchmark for every ballerina. Combining romantic ballet moves with a unique performance style and requiring great artistic and technical capabilities, the work is named after those for whom it was created. Since then, many have created their own variations on Pas De Quatre. In the second and third acts of the programme, other landmark performances include acknowledged one-act neo-classical masterpiece Serenade, by the outstanding 20th century choreographer George Balanchine, and Six Dances (Sechs Tänze) by Czech modern dance genius Jiří Kylián. There is little doubt that the show will delight audiences. 2014 беларусь.belarus