Belarus (magazine #6 2014) by BELARUS Magazine

Soyuz

Belarus — Russia

pp. 31—38

No.6 (969), 2014

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Беларусь. Belarus

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Беларусь.Belarus Monthly magazine No. 6 (969), 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

Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan sign Eurasian Economic Union Treaty

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

Design and Layout by

Key to Central Asia’s heart An official visit to Belarus by President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon has resulted in a solid package of bilateral documents, tackling the industrial spheres

8 20

This home of Victory

According to safe plan There are cur-

rently 437 nuclear power generating stations situated in 31 different countries around the world. Every tenth kilowatt-hour of electricity produced in the world is created by this process. Very soon, Belarus will join this group

Vadim Kondrashov Nadezhda Ponkratova Беларусь.Belarus is published in Belarusian, English, Spanish and Polish.

Word stock Minsker, Mikola Kasciukievič,

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.

Thirty years later Feature film Belye Rosy. Return soon to hit the big screen

The magazine does not bear responsibility for the contents of advertisements.

Place found for the tapestry The

Publisher: “SB” editorial office

owns books which cannot even be found at the National Library

biggest tapestry in the world, listed in the Guinness Book of Records, is exhibited in the building of the central office of the Development Bank in Minsk

This magazine has been printed at State Entertainment “Publishers “Belarus Printing House”. 79 Nezavisimosti Ave., Minsk, Belarus, 220013 Order No. 1687 Total circulation — 1936 copies (including 730 in English).

kashevichi is home to Europe’s largest enterprise processing non-metallic materials

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.

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Girls with strong character While vi-

Polesie’s phenomenon of Granit Mi-

siting the Ministry of Emergency Situations' Command Engineers Institute, our correspondent attempts to understand why ladies are attracted to traditionally male roles

Tasks for tomorrow Computer elite growing significantly younger

беларусь.belarus 2014

Subscription index in Belpochta catalogue — 74977

Conceptualist Vasily Kostyuchenko

For future foreign subscribers for ‘Belarus’ magazine, apply to ‘MK-Periodica’ agency. E-mail: info@periodicals.ru Telephone in Minsk: +375 (17) 227-09-10.

editor’s note

Memory remains forever

ow can we best pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives on the altar of independence for their country? Perhaps the most important aspect is to keep alive the memory of the self-sacrifice of our fathers and grandfathers. Our children, grandchildren and future generations should know the price of their freedom. 70 years have passed since Belarus’ liberation from the Nazi invaders. The 80th, 90th and 100th anniversaries are yet to come. However, those jubilees are unlikely to be graced by veterans in person. Today, we can still show our gratitude face to face. The celebration will

feature a solemn parade and a festive procession on July 3rd, as well as speeches and a salute. This issue’s theme is ’70 Years of Liberation. We Remember…’ This Home of Victory tells us about the opening of the new Belarusian State Museum of Great Patriotic War History, which coincides with the 70th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from the Nazis. This is a small extract from the article: ‘The dome of the new building of the Belarusian State Museum of Great Patriotic War History is visible from some distance. Driving from Svobody Square, down Pobediteley Avenue, you come directly to this amazing, symbolic building. Nearby is Pobedy Park, and, just in front, is the Minsk Hero-City Memorial, unveiled in 1984 to mark the 40th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from the Nazis. The country is now celebrating the 70th anniversary of peace’. Bagration Starts Here is also quite interesting; the legendary operation launched from the Belarusian marshes on June 23rd-24th, 1944. It was not simply strategically successful; it was victorious and marked the starting point for Belarus’ (and, later, Europe’s) prompt liberation. During WWII, the Fascist Wehrmacht noted: ‘The smashing of the Tsentr (Centre) group of armies in

Belorussiya meant a catastrophe even greater than that of Stalingrad’. However, until recently, no monument stood on the site where the Soviet troops began their victorious path to Berlin. Now, seven decades on, a memorial is planned to mark Operation Bagration and the efforts of all involved. Heroes Never Die explains: ‘The Red Army’s Operation Bagration began in the morning of June 23rd, 1944, in the Vitebsk Region. Sappers, under the command of Mitrofan Pitenin, worked to clear a path through the enemy’s minefields. In the spring of 1944, Pitenin worked with his comrades, in southwest Vitebsk, to demine the enemy’s battle zone. When fighting began against the enemy’s diversionary detachment, the fearless fighter killed over ten Germans, using a trophy machine gun, for which Corporal Pitenin was awarded a 1st class Order of Glory, becoming the first full cavalier of the Order of Glory of all three classes. However, the brave soldier was not fated to receive the top award, or to celebrate Victory Day. On June 3rd, 1944, he was fatally wounded during battle and died the same day. He is buried in the military cemetery in the Liozno Region’s Star village, in the Vitebsk Region. On the 70th anniversary of Mitrofan Pitenin’s death, a memorial plaque has been unveiled on the site and a rally held in his honour, attended by his relatives from the Ryazan Region of Russia.’ Liberation was earned at the expense of many lives. Those heroes accomplished a deed of true heroism — such as we shall never forget. Their memory remains forever, reflected in the flowers laid at numerous monuments and memorials across Belarus, located both in large cities and small villages. The new Museum of Great Patriotic War History is also a tribute to their memory, embodying the brave deeds of 70 years ago. Time will never reduce the significance of their achievement and passing years cannot deface their legacy. By Viktor Kharkov

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PANORAMA  Dialogue of life Belarus is committed to Christian values, inter-religious peace and national tranquillity, noted Alexander Lukashenko, speaking at the 4th European Orthodox and Catholic Forum "Religion and Cultural Pluralism: Challenges for Christian Churches in Europe"

Capsule with message President of Belarus announces that it’s our sacred and moral duty to the victims of the Nazis, and to future generations, to never forgive those who committed war crimes, speaking at ceremony to lay time capsule in foundations of Trostenets Memorial Complex, near Minsk

he memorial complex is to serve as a reminder to future generations that tragic events should be never repeated. It is a symbol of pain and grief for various nationalities and religions, acting as a warning against reviving mad ideas of racial superiority. Mr. Lukashenko urged, “The memorial should become a site with pan-European value, showing беларусь.belarus 2014

the inhumanity of Nazi policy. It is a tribute to those generations who experienced the burdens and ordeals of the 20th century, and will become a place of worship for those who appreciate humanism and desire a peaceful future.” Trostenets concentration camp was the largest within the Soviet Union, standing alongside Auschwitz, Majdanek and Treblinka. Here, Nazi Fascists destroyed more than 200,000 people — of various religions and nationalities: Slavs, Jews, Gypsies and many others. Mr. Lukashenko explained, “In 1944, the armies liberating Belarus from the Fascist aggressors found ashes from still cooling furnaces and were astonished by the brutal crimes committed over several years, here in Trostenets. The site covered just over a hundred hectares, and was a true Nazi factory of death. Behind barbed wire, our partisans and undergrounders, prisoners of war and civilians were tortured. Tens of thousands of Jews were herded here from Minsk Ghetto and from Western-European countries. Belarus, which lost a third of its citizens in those war years, will never forget those terrible pages of history.”

e noted that he and the entire Belarusian nation are obliged to put even more effort into preserving inter-religious peace and national tranquillity. “Belarus is unique in not having a history darkened by religious war or inter-ethnic conflict. We carefully preserve and hand down from generation to generation the good traditions of our ancestors: mutual understanding, tolerance, mercifulness, respect for labour, peacefulness and patriotism,” noted the President. According to Mr. Lukashenko, Orthodoxy and Catholicism have played their part in determining the mentality and the national character of the Belarusian nation. “Today, Christian belief represents an inalienable component of the outlook and the spiritual life of the majority of our citizens,” he said. According to the President, globalisation has both positive and negative consequences.

AGREEMENT IS SIGNED

Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan sign Eurasian Economic Union Treaty Leaders of three countries seal Eurasian Economic Union Treaty in Astana

“B

elarus does not demand any concessions in the course of Eurasian integration and is ready for the complete realisation of the agreements made after much uneasy negotiating,” announced the President of Belarus, on May 29th, in Astana. Following the heads of states session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the three leaders signed a historical document: the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty. “We have been working on the Eurasian integration project for several years. Each step was difficult but we kept our eye on the main objective: creating conditions for our people to live in peace and friendship, with state development and strengthening built upon strong foundations of mutually advantageous co-operation,” noted the Head of State. He is convinced that our chosen path is the right one. To save the irreversible disintegration of post-Soviet territories, the CIS was formed. Later, the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) was founded, and the Customs Union created, before

the contours of the Common Economic Space were shaped. Mr. Lukashenko explained, “Today, we have entered the final avenue, leading us to the Eurasian Economic Union. Our country has always taken a consistent stand on the integration process. The kernel and locomotive of the CIS is the Union of Russia and Belarus. We, as the ‘assembly shop’ of the Soviet Union, like no other, felt the need to restore economic relations within post-Soviet territory. We have aimed,

The Belarusian President continued, “How many opponents have appeared? From the West and ‘closer abroad’: never mind foreign countries but in our own! And not only among the opposition (which operates by criticising everything) but among some state officials (those with especially liberal views).” Mr. Lukashenko noted, “To how many accusations and claims have we been obliged to listen! We’ve been told that our integration is a reconstruction of the Soviet empire

“Today, we have entered the final avenue, leading us to the Eurasian Economic Union. Our country has always taken a consistent stand on the integration process. The kernel and locomotive of the CIS is the Union of Russia and Belarus…” taking into account everyone’s interests, to avoid destroying the regional system of division of labour. Moreover, we have tried to create a system in which we do not compete but mutually complement each other. However achieving this good purpose has proven extremely difficult; it’s been a long process.”

and a loss of sovereignty, comparing integration to a kettlebell tied to the legs of Russia (if speaking about Belarus) or Kazakhstan.” The Belarusian Head of State added, “Perhaps, Belarus has endured most of all. Even now, a fuss is made in the press, saying ‘Lukashenko demands concessions!’ and that I ‘bar2014 беларусь.belarus

itar-tass

AGREEMENT IS SIGNED

Alexander Lukashenko, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Vladimir Putin

gain for bonuses for Minsk!’ or ‘Either Russia or Kazakhstan once again take up the burdens of Belarus’ economic problems’. I want to say this to the public: ‘Calm down! We are with Russia and Kazakhstan as participants of a joint process, which is equal in rights. If we shoulder something, then we do so equally. It is our friendly union’.” Mr. Lukashenko commented that the Soviet Union collapsed when its union of republics suddenly decided that they were ‘feeding’ someone else rather than their own interests, and felt that they could live better. “The same ‘bugaboo’ is now being presented,” the Belarusian leader noted. беларусь.belarus 2014

“Belarus does not demand any concessions. Everyone brings something to integration that is interesting to all. This contribution cannot be measured only in tonnes, cubic metres or barrels,” the President of Belarus declared. “We consciously approached the signing of the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty, defending our interests to the maximum, while respecting the positions of our partners, and carrying out careful analysis of the document, noting its advantages,” the Belarusian leader admitted. “I cannot say that any dissatisfaction remains, although we could improve our ar-

rangements, for the mutual benefit of all participants of the treaty.” Mr. Lukashenko also noted that Belarus is a sincere and reliable partner, and expressed his hope for mutual understanding and a constructive approach to solving all issues. After closely discussing all points of the agenda, the session continued in an expanded format in the presence of the presidents of Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, Serzh Sargsyan and Almazbek Atambayev, correspondingly. Mr. Sargsyan noted Armenia’s determination to promptly join in signing the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty, becoming a full member

AGREEMENT IS SIGNED in 2015. Mr. Atambayev echoed this sentiment in his speech, announcing that integration into the Customs Union and, in the future, into the Eurasian Economic Union, is a strategic aim of Kyrgyzstan’s economic policy. The presidents of the ‘troika’ support the aspiration of partners to join the Eurasian integration and have agreed to undertake the necessary steps in this direction. However, Mr. Lukashenko noted the importance of new members fulfilling the necessary provisions before joining. “More than once, we’ve approached the question of our two brotherly republics joining the union. As adherents of expansion and deepening of integration process-

century comprises two prominent aspects: firstly, to become one of the world’s key economic macro-regions; and, secondly, to ensure that each of our union members is among the globe’s developed states.” He added that members have agreed that the Eurasian Economic Commission will be headquartered in Moscow, as the economic centre of the union. Meanwhile, Minsk will host the Eurasian Court, which will solve legislative issues, and, from 2025, Almaty will host a supranational body regulating the financial markets of the union. President of Russia Vladimir Putin underlined that the Treaty is a turning point in history, opening up the widest prospects for developing

“Belarus does not demand any concessions. Everyone brings something to integration that is interesting to all. This contribution cannot be measured only in tonnes, cubic metres or barrels” es worldwide and across post-Soviet territory, we (Belarusians) especially welcome this,” noted the Belarusian leader. “I can say unequivocally and directly that we have agreed and have developed a road map. Our requirements will be realised. If these states achieve the required level of readiness for joining the Customs Union and fulfil all provisions, they’ll be welcome. We’ll willingly receive these countries.” In a solemn atmosphere, Alexander Lukashenko, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Vladimir Putin signed the Treaty to create the Eurasian Economic Union. The President of Kazakhstan emphasised, “Today, it is important to look into the future, defining a strategy of further actions for at least the next 15-20 years. It is important to understand that the main mission of our union in the first half of the 21st

our economies and raising standards of living for citizens. Mr. Putin asserted that the planet’s leading economic players are interested in the union. “We’ve agreed to activate negotiations with Vietnam regarding the creation of a free trade zone, to strengthen interaction with the People’s Republic of China — including in the sphere of exchange of customs information on goods and services. We’re also creating expert groups to discuss developing preferential trade with Israel and India.” Mr. Lukashenko noted that the process of forming the Customs Union, the Single Economic Space and the current Eurasian Economic Union has been long and trying. “We lost someone along the way: Ukraine — during the Kuchma presidency. It began this path of hard work with us but, unfortunately, the burden was too heavy for Ukraine. However, I’m sure

that, sooner or later, the management of Ukraine will understand where its happiness lies. At least, it will not lose that which is, by right, the possession of the Ukrainian people,” the President of Belarus said. Mr. Lukashenko stressed, “We have high hopes connected with this document. Belarus has always taken an open position, accurately formulating its purposes and tasks within the Eurasian integration framework. Our priorities are known, as we have sincerely and fairly declared them, although this has, at times, displeased various circles.” Alexander Lukashenko remarked that the signing of this far-reaching treaty was preceded by the huge amount of work, including that at the level of the heads of state. “We are ready to make great strides in implementing the agreements reached during a very difficult negotiating process,” underlined the Belarusian leader. “However, we should acknowledge that we postponed the solution of a number of issues related to economic co-operation, primarily those which tackle mutual trade between the member states.” Mr. Lukashenko deems it necessary to keep working on Eurasian integration and materialise all the declared goals and objectives. “The signing of this treaty today is not the end, but just the beginning of a serious process. We should prove to ourselves, the world and our people that we have made the right steps in this direction,” believes the Head of State. “We strongly believe that while establishing the Eurasian Economic Union, we should necessarily address the issues that have a great impact on the mutual trade between the EEU member states. This will help us resolve the issues we could not settle at once. We believe that the economic union will become a foundation of our political, military and humanitarian unity,” summed up Mr. Lukashenko. By Vasily Kharitonov

2014 беларусь.belarus

VISIT

Belta

“If our partners are interested in our proposals for co-operation, we’ll implement these projects within two years at the most; even the most complicated ones. There are no irresolvable issues. We have no desire to make things complicated. If we have agreed on something, we’ll certainly realise it. You can be confident that we will do our part”

Key to Central Asia’s heart An official visit to Belarus by President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon has resulted in a solid package of bilateral documents, tackling the industrial sphere, as well social and humanitarian projects and the strengthening of regional contacts. A strategy for further collaboration has been signed jointly by our two states, following intense negotiations.

elarus and Tajikistan are connected by more than simple trade relations, boasting a high level of political dialogue, and efficiently interacting with the UN, CIS and CSTO. Moreover, we share a similar position on major issues of international policy. Minsk and Dushanbe plan to continue on this course, espeбеларусь.belarus 2014

cially tackling international and regional security. Mutual trade turnover over the last two years has fallen, arousing some concern. Of course, the whole world is currently experiencing a slump in trade but Tajikistan and Belarus have many areas of promise. High quality Tajik cotton is in demand in Belarus, while we export Belarusian tractors, household appli-

ances, furniture, trucks and medicines to Tajikistan, as well as training specialists. Our intergovernmental commission has much to work upon, to take full advantage of our opportunities. Minsk has a range of initiatives, with Mr. Lukashenko proposing supply of Belarusian tractors under various leasing schemes, or with the help of privileged loans, including involving Tajik banks. Belarus is ready to satisfy the machinery needs of the Tajik agrarian sector, while offering maintenance services for years to come. Belarus is keen to set up assembly of detachable and trailing equipment in Tajikistan, signing a licensing agreement for the use of technology and sharing of expertise through training of specialists, as well as the right to use the ‘Belarus’ trademark. Areas of co-operation are endless, so dialogue will continue, including at the highest level. Mr. Rahmon has invited Mr. Lukashenko to make an official visit to Tajikistan, and our two governments have clear instructions regarding practical implementation of the agreements signed by the two heads of state. By Dmitry Kryat

TOPIC

70 YEARS OF LIBERATION: WE REMEMBER

This home of Victory New Belarusian State Museum of Great Patriotic War History opens to visitors in time for 70th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from the Nazis

he dome of the new building of the Belarusian State Museum of Great Patriotic War History is visible from some distance. Walking from Svobody Square, down Pobediteley Avenue, you come directly to this amazing, symbolic building. Nearby is Pobedy Park, and, just in front, is the ‘Minsk Hero City’ monument, unveiled in 1984 to mark the 40th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from the Nazis. The country is now celebrating the 70th anniversary of peace. Visitors enter the museum via its main hall: Pobedy Hall (Victory Hall). Its dome has become part of the city skyline, visible from various points.

The war museum shows us more than a collection of tanks and planes used in battle. It presents the human face of war, showing us the lives of ordinary soldiers and partisans: all those who battled during occupation — for their own freedom and for the independence of the country

Outside flies a red flag: the same as that planted by Soviet soldiers over the Berlin Reichstag on May 1st, 1945, as a symbol of Victory over Nazism. In those terrible times, whole villages were burnt to the ground, with their inhabitants: one of the greatest tragedies of the war. The dome’s stained glass is decorated with the national symbol of storks; they ‘soar’, wings spread like those of the bronze storks in Minsk’s Independence Square. It’s impossible to imagine Belarus’ rural landscape without these majestic birds. Brest and its citadel, located on the border with Poland, was the first city to face the Nazis, on June 22nd, 1941. From the West, the

2014 беларусь.belarus

photos of the original Belarusian State Museum of Great Patriotic War History, on Svobody Square; it now houses a cafe and restaurant, which are popular with tourists. The 17th century building once housed Basilian monks and symbolises continuity between pre-war and post-war Minsk. Despite centuries of conflict, the city withstood. The facade of the new museum building is decorated with relief images from Belarusian cities, including Minsk’s Orthodox church and Holy Spirit Cathedral, and Mogilev’s town hall. In between these images are busts of partisans and members of the underground movement. The sculptors involved include not only Belarusian artists but Grekov, from the Moscow Studio of Military Artists, who created the dioramas Defence of Minsk and Minsk Pocket. Anyone who wants to understand the destiny of Belarus in the 20th century should come here. War caused Belarus huge damage, which remains in the memory of many Belarusians today. We continue to honour the heroes who brought freedom to our native land. In the shade of Pobedy Park, which can be visited after touring the museum, you have the chance to enjoy peaceful skies: the greatest treasure on Earth. By Viktar Korbut

 Nikolay Skobelev, the Director of the Belarusian State Museum of Great Patriotic War History: The museum’s old building opened on October 22nd, 1944, and drew great numbers of visitors: over 172,000 in 2009 and about 235,000 in 2012. We have 28 collections and over 107,000 artefacts, with 700-800 new items added annually. Recent acquisitions include certificates signed by Dr. Yevgeny Klumov, a Soviet Union Hero who headed an underground group, while working from Minsk’s 1st clinical hospital. He gave these certificates to residents, stating disability, so that they could avoid forced labour. We also have a Po-2 Soviet aircraft, restored by Russian restorers, and a German PzKpfw-III tank, sited in the ‘Road of War’ Hall.

Artur Prupas

German Wehrmacht stormed into Belarus, which was part of the USSR at that time. Visitors next pass under the ‘gates of Brest Fortress’: represented in the museum in a reduced form. Svetlana Potupchik, the main archivist, tells us, “The war museum shows us more than a collection of tanks and planes used in battle. It presents the human face of war, showing us the lives of ordinary soldiers and partisans: all those who battled during occupation — for their own freedom and for the independence of the country. A separate hall is devoted to war crimes perpetrated by the invaders and by those who co-operated with them.” The rooms devoted to the partisan movement reconstruct the environment in which they lived and struggled, based deep in the forests. Visitors walk along secret paths, ‘exploring’ a partisan camp. The museum is equipped with modern multimedia technology, allowing visitors to watch old newsreel footage and to hear the voices of eyewitnesses of war. Ms. Potupchik next leads me to a hall devoted to life in Minsk in 1944: the year the city was liberated. There’s a news stand and a typical apartment, decorated as 70 years ago. One display shows

беларусь.belarus 2014

TOPIC

70 YEARS OF LIBERATION: WE REMEMBER

Vadim Kondrashov

Bagration starts here

Legendary Operation Bagration, which launched from the Belarusian marshes on June 23rd-24th, 1944, was not simply strategically successful; it was victorious and marked the starting point for Belarus’ (and, later, Europe’s) prompt liberation.

ur ing WW II , t he Fascist Wehrmacht noted: ‘the smashing of the Tsentr (Centre) group of armies in Belorussiya meant a catastrophe even greater than that of Stalingrad’. Until recently, no monument stood on the site where the Soviet troops began their victorious path. However, seven decades on, a memorial is being planned, to mark operation Bagration and the efforts of all involved.

Fiery land

As soon as spring and summer arrive and people take to the fields, emergency reports become common in the Svetlogorsk District, as old bombs, mines and artillery shells are unearthed where fierce battles once took place: from the autumn of 1943 to the summer of 1944 — until Operation Bagration was launched. Every inch witnessed shooting and was flooded with blood. Great Patriotic War veteran Fiodor Lobachev, from Svetlogorsk, well

remembers those months of ‘Parichi defence’. Aged 90, he still recalls being ‘buried’ in a collective grave near the village of Kobylshchina (now known as Polesie, in the Svetlogorsk District). Following battle on February 2nd, 1944, he was declared dead, alongside hundreds of his fellow soldiers. His name is still engraved in granite, on a plaque honouring those killed — listed under #723. He tells us, “Many years after the war, I came to look at my grave and decided to stay here. I’ve lived in Svet2014 беларусь.belarus

logorsk ever since and often used to visit the monument, to pay honour to those killed. However, my health prevents me from doing so these days.” The war began immediately after Fiodor graduated from his Moscow school and he came to Belarusian lands as an infantryman, keen to attack the enemy. His story is certainly touching, as he recollects, “After pistol-flare-light, we raced onto the field, where the Fascists lay silently. With our trenches behind us, the enemy began firing point-blank at us and I was severely wounded, and taken captive. My mother received a death notice. I ‘rose from the grave’ for my relatives only after the war ended.

Soldier medal G om e l re s i d e nt Ma r i a Omelchuk, who was born in the Zhlobin District, served as a nurse with the 235th air defence artillery regiment (of the 65th army). She participated in Operation Bagration from its first days. In May, her regiment stopped at Svetlogorsk’s Otashkovichi and she recollects, “We had training sessions every day, although I’d been a medical instructor since the start of the war. Even three years on, we continued our training in how to move silently, using camouflage. Of course, we knew nothing of the campaign but felt that we were preparing for a major fight, as we noticed a great deal of military machinery.” Taking her jacket from the wardrobe, Ms. Omelchuk proudly shows us her medal ‘For Courage’, explaining, “I received this for my part in Bagration. Not long ago, I attended a solemn ceremony at which a young man approached me, wondering at a woman having been awarded a soldier’s medal. He even asked whether I had its registration number, so I showed him.” беларусь.belarus 2014

Maria spent the war in the trenches, with her medical bag, and is still haunted by memories of battle and voices calling: ‘Masha, run! There’s a wounded soldier!’ She would often see an unconsciousness young man, with a torn face — sometimes the soldier would be exceptionally young. She remembers, “In Germany, I suffered injury and was moved from my regiment to a field hospital, which lacked nurses. The head doctor knew our blood types and would often call us to donate for the wounded. It could happen several times a day, but I was always given hot tea afterwards and allowed to sleep for a while. Interestingly, we didn’t take the rhesus blood factor into account at that time, but soldiers recovered.”

Heroes’ streets Around a decade ago, many of those who witnessed the events of WWII remained with us. These days, few remain. Several Svetlogorsk streets are named after Maria Omelchuk prominent figures from those war-torn years, and many are honoured at the Local History Museum. It has a separate hall dedicated to Operation Bagration and its Soviet participants, from 1943-1944. Museum staff tell us, “This street is named after Piotr Miroshnichenko, who was born in Ukraine and headed a reconnaissance unit. In Pechish-

chi, they had to wipe out two Fascist earth-and-timber dug-outs; Piotr, already wounded, tossed a shell into one and then threw his own body over the entranceway. He was awarded the title of USSR Hero post-humously.” One street is named after Sergo Chigladze, a Georgian Hero of the Soviet Union. He was a machine gunner for a reconnaissance brigade and was notorious for his impressive bravery. In liberating the village of Dubrova, he was the first to enter — killing up to 50 of the Fascists and destroying two machine gun points. Sergo died on February 1st, 1944. One street bears the name of USSR Hero Klichniyaz Azalov: a Turkmen cavalryman, fatally wounded in the battle for Shatilki. Russian pilot and USSR Hero Sergey Krasnoperov, from Perm, died in the first days of operation Bagration, near the village of Petrovichi. Sergey joined airgunner Yevgeny Bevzyuk in an attack in which their Il-2 craft was shot down. They were declared missing for many years, until 1974, when their burnt out plane was found in the marshes, with remains of Yevgeny within. Sergey’s body was nowhere to be located, and his ‘Golden Star’ medal was not discovered. However, the street of Hero Krasnoperov stands for all to see in Svetlogorsk. Walking these international streets of our common memory, we cannot but consider what the future holds for our post-Soviet space over the coming decades. We can only hope that peace and stability continue.

 The Belarusian Bagration campaign of attack took place from June 23rd-August 29th, 1944 — becoming a major military operation in world war history. Soviet troops from the 1st Baltic, and 3rd, 2nd and 1st Belarusian fronts — with support from partisans — breached the defences of the German Tsentr (Centre) group, smashing enemy troops near Vitebsk, Bobruisk, Vilnius, Brest and to the east of Minsk. They liberated Belarusian territory, and a significant part of Lithuania and Eastern Poland, reaching the banks of the rivers Narev and Visla, in Eastern Prussia.

TOPIC

70 YEARS OF LIBERATION: WE REMEMBER

Memorial design in honour of Operation Bagration

Outbreak brings war to an end

Operation Bagration occupies a special place in the life of famous poet, journalist and writer Izyaslav Kotlyarov. “I was three when the war broke out. My father participated in the Winter War and the Great Patriotic War, as an infantryman. Accordingly, those times and everything relating to them are truly alive for me. I’ve ‘lived’ many strangers’ lives while writing my books and have often thought the attitude to Bagration and the events in our Parichi District is unfair. The successful start of the operation — called ‘engineering’ by Marshall Zhukov — defined the outcome of the war, as did its alternative military strategy,” explains Mr. Kotlyarov. With his wife, Sofia Shakh, Mr. Kotlyarov researched archives and documents to find witnesses to the start of the campaign. They now have photos of those events, explaining, “Two major attacks were planned — to the north of Rogachev and to the south of Parichi: those were insisted upon by Rokossovsky — opposing common practice. The Parichi section and its key breakthrough point — on Bridsky Mokh marsh — was a true success. The enemy wasn’t expecting any threat from that side, as German military maps showed that territory as impassable.”

Local villagers told the military that their 4km marsh could be passed, with the help of hand-made frog shoes, drags and rafts. It took several months to lay log roads and a path for heavy machinery — all conducted in secret. Iron scrapers were only fitted to logs only in time when artillery was attacking. The machinery moved by night, including tanks equipped with special sweepers to quickly and safely clear fields of mines. All of the preparations conducted by Pavel Batov’s 65th army were personally controlled by Georgy Zhukov and Konstantin Rokossovsky. Early on June 24th, the 1st guard Don Tank Squadron — led by Mikhail Panov — began crossing Bridsky Mokh. In the afternoon, observation point guards stopped work to move forward and even Zhukov couldn’t believe how far they’d come, despite seeing with his own eyes. By the end of the second day of the campaign, Soviet troops had penetrated 30km within the Fascist occupied area, liberating Parichi, Zhlobin and Bobruisk. The road to Minsk had opened…

Symbol of our strength Mr. Kotlyarov has recorded much during his life, explaining, “There are many monuments and memorials in Belarus dedicated to war victims and the Victory. However, sadly, few are devoted

to the victors. Believe me, in time, each Great Patriotic War battle will receive its own recognition. Here, near Parichi, people of various nationalities died, becoming heroes. Our national pride and patriotism makes this memorial a real symbol of unity: for the past, present and future.” Bridsky Mokh marsh — near the village of Rakovichi in the Svetlogorsk District (along the Mozyr-Bobruisk highway) was drained long ago and could next become a venue for a memorial complex dedicated to Operation Bagration. A museum, historical reconstruction and infrastructure are to appear, probably as part of the Belarusian Great Patriotic War Museum. The first stage has already been launched: the unveiling of a memorial, sculpted by Valery Kondratenko, from Gomel. He tells us, “I’ve worked on the war theme in the past but this is a special story, of course, and is very moving.” His 7m tall memorial features Konstantin Rokossovsky, Georgy Zhukov, Pavel Batov and Mikhail Panov, attacking from the left, with partisans and seamen from the Dnieper Military Fleet to the right. In the background are arrows, indicating two major attacking points. Meanwhile, log roads (symbolising those laid over Bridsky Mokh) are carved at the bottom. By Violetta Dralyuk

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Thank you, sister Two rare Florence Nightingale medals were exhibited at the Gomel Regional Museum of Military Glory. Such awards are not present in other museum collections of the country.

his international award was founded in 1912 by the League of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent in honour of English nurse, Florence Nightingale. During the 1854 Crimean War, the Englishwoman rescued thousands of lives in field hospitals. The medal was initially restricted to female nurses until regulation changes that were made in 1991. Under the new regulations, it is open to both women and men. However, it is still considered, by many, to be a female award. This prestigious, silver and gold medal, has a phrase, written in Latin — ‘True and loving humanitarianism — a lasting general propriety’, and Belarus has seen more than its fair share of true humanitarians. For feats during the Great Patriotic War, six Belarusian nurses were awarded the Florence Nightingale medal: Zinaida Tusnolobova-Marchenko (Hero of the Soviet Union), Sofia Golukhova, Yevgeny Shevchenko, Yekaterina Sirenko, Sofia Kuntsevich and Maria Garachuk. The medals of Sofia Golukhova and Maria Garachuk were given by relatives for the museum‘s exposition. The Director of the Gomel Regional Museum of Military Glory, Pavel Zhdanovich, explained, “These are awards of real heroines who went through the war equally with the men. According to the memoirs of Maria Garachuk, during the first days of war, she took 146 soldiers from the battlefield and renбеларусь.belarus 2014

Awarding of Belarusian medical nursing sisters Tamara Tereshina, Olga Geitseva and Izolda Semushina with the Florence Nightingale medal

dered them aid, was twice wounded and injured, but being a field marshal she worked through the whole of the war.” Sofia Golukhova was called up to the Red Army in June, 1941. In 1942 in a battle near Belyi in the Kalininsk (nowadays Tver) Region, she brought back over 40 wounded people, but received a terrible wound. Both these women continued to work in medicine, helping people, after the war. During peace time, Belarusian Sisters of Charity were awarded five more Florence Nightingale medals for their daily feats. In 2009, Nina Bliznyuk received it and in 2011, Sister of Charity from the Mogilev Region, Lyudmila Lelikova. In the summer of 2013, Mozyr resident Olga Geitseva, Brest resident Tamara Tereshina and Minsk resident Izolda Semushina entered top-thirty of the best Sisters of Charity of the planet. All of them have devoted their life to the care of people. Mozyr resident, Olga Geitseva has been working as a nurse for more than 40 years. During these many years, she has trained more than 200 nursing volunteers, teaching them how to render assistance to bedridden patients. According to her, the necessity to help is a ‘drug for the soul’, “Today I have 9 lonely pensioners, and all are invalids of group I and II. Every day I go round and visit them. Sisters of Charity of the Red Cross are not only social, but also medical workers. Therefore, we take medicines together, dress wounds and give injections; all that the doctor has prescribed. The care of others is already rhythm of life.” By Stanislav Galkovsky

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70 YEARS OF LIBERATION: WE REMEMBER

Heroes never die Memorial plaque unveiled in honour of Mitrofan Pitenin: the first full cavalier of the Order of Glory, who died during the liberation of Belarus gion’s Star village, in the Vitebsk Region. On the 70th anniversary of Mitrofan Pitenin’s death, a memorial plaque has been unveiled on the site and a rally held in his honour, attended by his relatives from the Ryazan Region of Russia.

he Red Army ‘Bagration’ offensive operation began in the morning of June 23rd, 1944, in the Vitebsk Region. The sappers of the 1134th rifle regiment, of the 338th infantry division, under the command of Mitrofan Pitenin, worked to clear a path through the enemy’s minefields. In the spring of 1944, Pitenin worked with his comrades, in southwest Vitebsk, to demine the enemy’s battle zone. When battle began with the enemy’s diversionary detachment, the fearless fighter killed over ten Germans using a trophy machine gun, for which Corporal Pitenin was awarded a 1st class Order of Glory, becoming the first full cavalier of the Order of Glory of all three classes. However, the brave soldier was not fated to receive the top award, or to celebrate Victory Day. On June 3rd, 1944, he was fatally wounded during battle. He is buried in the military cemetery in the Liozno Re-

Remembering our history Twelve of Mitrofan Pitenin’s relatives attended the memorial ceremony: his younger son Viktor, plus some of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They arrived in three cars decorated with St. George’s Ribbons, like a real cortège. According to his grandson, pensioner Yuri Izbasarov, the family were happy to travel for the event, even though the journey was over 700km. He tells us, “In Ryazan’s Victory Square, we have a monument on which is written the surnames of all our countrymen who became full cavaliers of the Order of Glory. Among them is the name of Pitenin, which makes all the

Mitrofan Pitenin’s letter to his son Fiodor  ‘Your father has become a cavalier of two Orders of Glory and will achieve the third order, becoming a full cavalier, so that you, Fedya, will be proud of our surname and so that we — the Pitenin family — can set an example to all our village.’

members of our family proud. Each Victory Day, we meet near this monument, bringing flowers. When we learnt that Belarus was unveiled a plaque on the site where grandfather died, of course, we wanted to be present at the ceremony. For us, it’s important that the memory of our relative is honoured in Belarus, and it’s wonderful for us to gather for such a worthy occasion. It’s my first time in Belarus and the country has made a pleasant impression on me, with its good roads, cleanliness and order. The most important thing is that the state takes care of people and that the relationship between young people and old isn’t lost. People here remember their history and are proud of it.”

From Moscow to Dubrovno Mitrofan Pitenin was born in 1900, in the village of Aleevo, which is now in the Chuchkovo District, in the Ryazan Region of Russia. Before the war, he worked on a collective farm, working in the fields. In 1941, he went to the Western Front, as a machine gunner, and was wounded defending Moscow but did not leave the battlefield until the enemy’s attack had been repulsed. After a stay in hospital, Pitenin was sent on a course for sappers, learning the subtleties of this dangerous, but necessary, military trade. 2014 беларусь.belarus

From 1942-1943, in addition to Moscow fighting, Pitenin participated in the offensives of Rzhev-Sychevka, Rzhev-Vyazma and Smolensk. He dug trenches, put up obstacles, laid mines, and helped liberate cities and villages in the Kaluga and Smolensk regions. By the time of the liberation of Belarus, he had already received a 3rd class Order of Glory. In November 1943, near the village of Pushchai in the Dubrovno District of the Vitebsk Region, by night, under strong gunfire, Pitenin found a path through the enemy’s wire, allowing the third rifle battalion to move ahead and carry out its mission. Pitenin brought his fighters to the enemy’s first trench and, despite being wounded, courageously fought the Fascists.

Hearty welcome in Liozno On 13th May, relatives of the cavalier of three Orders of Glory arrived in Vitebsk, being warmly welcomed to the Liozno District in the morning, given home-made pancakes, with tea, and shown the sights: famous artist Marc Chagall’s bust; the Orthodox Holy Cross Church; and Liozno military-historical museum. Those at the museum know all about the feats of Pitenin, although they lack many exhibits connected with him. Unsurprisingly, they were delighted to meet the hero’s relatives and soon made requests for photos and documents. In the Chuchkovo District, one school has a whole museum dedicated to Mitrofan Pitenin, created by pupils over many generations. We could certainly exchange information and exhibits.”

bers of the Belarusian public organisation of Spasatel (rescuer), as well as by workers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, covering Vitebsk and Liozno. They found sponsors to pay for the plaque, and contacted Pitenin’s relatives, to invite them to Star on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the hero’s death. Veterans, residents and pupils from the region took part in the memorial ceremony, at which Yuri Izbasarov read a verse of his own composition, devoted to his grandfather. Then, a red cloth was removed from the plaque, to the sound of a single sub-machinegun shot, and flowers were laid upon it. The hero’s son, Victor, aged 75, once worked for Ryazan aircraft repair plant. He lingered for some time beside the plaque, as if speaking to his father, and later told us, “I admire those who keep alive the memory of our soldiers from the Victory. Those heroes will never die, living forever in our hearts. My family and I are very grateful to you for the respect shown to the memory of our

relative. I want to thank Liozno District Executive Committee for organising this meeting, and all Belarusians who have looked after Mitrofan Pitenin’s grave for many years.” Mitrofan Pitenin had five children: a large family. Those relatives who arrived in Belarus on the eve of the 70th anniversary of liberation voiced their desire to return, and may arrive in even larger numbers next time. By Sergey Golesnik

With gratitude to Belarusians In the military cemetery, in Star village, Mitrofan Pitenin is buried alongside a thousand Soviet soldiers and civilians who died during the Great Patriotic War. The new memorial plaque was initiated by Vitebsk’s young people’s military-patriotic Poisk (search) club, and by memбеларусь.belarus 2014

Here Mitrofan Pitenin, the first full cavalier of the Order of Glory of all three classes, is buried. On the eve of the 70th anniversary of his death, a memorial plaque has been unveiled in his honour in the presence of his relatives

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70 YEARS OF LIBERATION: WE REMEMBER

From ruins and ashes —

to the sun

Modern Minsk

Little-known facts about the revival of post-war Belarus

verything in life is interconnected so we should never disregard the past. Young people might wonder what significance the post-war days have for them, when Belarus rose from ruin. I was born in the 1950s, so my desire to learn more about the restoration of Minsk in such a short period of time was sparked by my father, Iosif Prishchepa. He told me stories of its revival, from destruction and plunder. Born to a peasant family in 1928, in the Kletsk District, just after the war, he helped in rebuilding Minsk: by military order, from 1946 until 1948. Then, he

was called up to the army, serving in the Far East from 1948-1953. In childhood, we used to sit for hours listening to his stories about the self-sacrificing work of simple people. According to him, thousands of such people lived in barracks and tents; sometimes, they were underfed and frozen but, having come through the hard times of war, and having defeated a vicious enemy, they remained optimistic. They believed that the new city would be filled with new enterprises and residential neighbourhoods. When his father returned home, to the village of Oreshnitsa, he worked as a driver on Trud collective farm. He sometimes went to Minsk to pick up cargo,

and saw the places where, in his youth, he’d undertaken selfless work, taking part each day in fulfilling complicated plans. Most work was done by hand, without any time wasted, building such sites as Krasnoye Urochishche, and the Minsk Automobile Plant (now MAZ). The administration of the enterprise invited him to stay in Minsk, promising a room in a hostel (a luxury at the time for a family living in the country). He and my mother, Vera Borisovna, could not imagine city life. In the village, my mum had been bringing up a small son, my elder brother, receiving part of my father’s food ration (given to all workers). It was a really hard time, with many near starvation in rural villages. 2014 беларусь.belarus

Carrying everything they could

The Day of Belarus’ Liberation from the German-Fascist aggressors is to be solemnly celebrated in early July; 70 years ago, in summer, the enemy was chased from Minsk, while fighting continued in the western regions. Belarus was occupied for a long time, being among the first victims of Fascist aggression within the former Soviet Union. Freedom and independence was gained at great sacrifice: millions died. In that struggle, our Belarus lost almost every third citizen, with the mainly peaceful population dying at the hands of invaders. Today, it’s no secret that the German Fascists intended to exterminate the Belarusian population. Once highly classified data testifies to Berlin planning to destroy three quarters of the populace, with the rest enslaved. Minsk was to house 50,000 Germans, Gomel — 30,000, Mogilev and Vitebsk — 20,000 each, and Grodno — 10,000. In these cities, the invaders planned to leave a labour force of about 260,000 local residents. This was the future intended for Belarus, according to Generalplan Ost (Master Plan East). The invaders planned to use our territory as a major source of agricultural production for the Army Group Centre. Without compunction, the Fascists ‘squeezed’ everything they could from our country during their occupation. During the war, Belarus lost more

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than half of its national wealth, with direct economic losses of 75 billion Roubles (1941 prices) — equal to 35 annual BSSR pre-war budgets. Between 1937 and 1950, the US Dollar exchange rate to the Soviet Rouble was the following: 0, 1886. People used to give 5.3 Roubles per Dollar; we lost more than $14 billion... The invaders burnt and destroyed 209 of 270 cities and district centres, as well as 9,200 settlements and villages. Many regions were burnt utterly, their factories destroyed and their power stations blown up. Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometres of railway lines were damaged and our cities lost most of their residential buildings, hospitals and schools. Often, nothing remained of rural homes but their chimneys, and hundreds of Belarusian villages were never rebuilt, leaving a third of the population without shelter. The Fascists felled more than 100,000 hectares of forest, alongside plundering 10,000 collective farms and 92 state farms. Our technical and energy supply base was completely destroyed, with 10,000 industrial buildings blown up and almost 90 percent of machinery removed to Germany. The destruction of Mogvolokno Factory alone (now Mogilev Synthetic Fibre Plant) caused the state a loss of almost 67 million Roubles: a huge sum in the mid-1940s.

Such robbery and cruel exploitation of our economic potential brought the economy into decline, reducing production to 1928 levels (and even 1913 levels in some branches). The restoration of Belarus’ national economy after liberation was considerably complicated by the war continuing for another year and a half, with all means directed towards the Front. The first enterprises to be restored were devoted to producing goods for the army, leaving the population to clear the war’s legacy of ruined buildings by hand, using spades and wheelbarrows: there were no tower cranes or excavators, little transport, and limited electricity. Nevertheless, post-war revival gradually took shape.

Primary focus: the Front, and Victory Industry restoration in the BSSR began right after liberation of eastern areas, in the autumn of 1943. The defining feature was that all the enterprises in liberated regions joined in providing for the needs of the Front. Paramount attention was given to heavy industry and transport, to support the advance of Soviet troops: 13 Minsk factories relaunched production in early August 1944, with the first train

Minsk. Upper town. 1944

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70 YEARS OF LIBERATION: WE REMEMBER

arriving in Minsk just seven days after liberation, on July 10th. Trains began serving Molodechno on July 11th, and Lida on July 16th. In September 1944, Minsk’s Voroshilov factory sent its first column of repaired tanks to the Front. New construction in the capital was not carried out initially, since attention needed to be given to the restoration of construction materials production. Then, on April 5th, 1944, the State Committee for Defence adopted a resolution entitled ‘On the Restoration and Development of Enterprises of the People’s Commissar of Construction Materials of the BSSR’. By late 1944, the 176 plants manufacturing construction materials had begun operations, producing cement, bricks, lime, window glass and tiles. Brickworks opened countrywide, producing 3 million bricks annually. Of 150 pre-war Belarusian light industry enterprises, only Minsk’s leather haberdashery goods factory escaped destruction but, with a lack of resources and personnel, the manufacture of clothes and footwear was centred primarily around small workshops — in Minsk, Mozyr, Mogilev, Bobruisk, Vitebsk, Polotsk and some other cities. Eventually, larger clothing factories were restored, includi ng Vite b s k’s

Znamya Industrialisatsii, and Gomel’s Volodarsky. Before the war, there had been 70 linen mills; 58 were completely destroyed, necessitating the textile branch being revived almost from scratch, making uniforms for the army. By June 1944, 20 linen mills were receiving attention, including one of the largest in the USSR: at Orsha. The necessary equipment arrived from other union republics and, by 1945, Orsha was manufacturing technical and parachute fabrics, for use by troops. In the course of restoring the foodprocessing industry, focus was placed on flour, cereals, meat and milk, supplying the army. The first to open were those making bread and retreating German soldiers made a failed attempt to blow up the largest in the republic: Avtomat, which had reopened two days after the liberation of Minsk. By the end of 1945, 118 food enterprises were operational in Belarus, with a gross output of only 16 percent of pre-war levels. By the end of war, 12,000 industrial enterprises were operating nationwide: 8,000 larger factories and 4,000 smaller workshops. In 1944, industry was producing just 5 percent of pre-war production levels; this rose to 20 percent in 1945 but the lack of machinery, resources and skilled

workers was obvious. Production was inefficient, volumes were low, and ranges were limited. Even electricity to run machinery was in short supply, leaving the populace short of every commodity imaginable. Lacking enough food or clothes, thousands lived in tents, cellars and dugouts.

Worked for workdays The desperate need for food brought agriculture under focus but, in 1944, most restored collective farms lacked the workforce or machinery to cultivate fields effectively. Only 40 percent of prewar areas were sown. Thirty sites across the Vitebsk, Mogilev and Polesie regions began farming in 1945, with seeds, cattle and machinery allocated by the state. In fact, by the end of the war, 95 percent of collective farms and state farms had been restored, and 3,000 machinery and tractor stations were operational, with cultivation areas increasing. Of course, there remained a lack of workers: no more than half of pre-war numbers — and most were women. Lack of tractors and horses inspired the use of cows for ploughing and digging was performed manually. Crop yields from collective farms in 1945 were poor, with grain crop volumes at less than half of pre-war levels. Wages were also very low, with labourers often given tokens to exchange for grain, p ot at o e s an d vegetables.

Minsk was revived this way

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Life after Victory

After May 1945, restoration of industry was being funded centrally, with other union republics rendering assistance. Defensive machinery was being recalled from the Soviet Front and, few realise, between 1945 and 1947, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration was delivering equipment, food, medicines and other items to Belarus, worth about $61 million. German prisoners of war helped rebuild destroyed enterprises and homes, including reviving three machine-tool plants in Minsk, as well as Gomselmash, and the buildings of the Academy of Sciences of Belarus, and the State Opera and Ballet Theatre. In all, 7,500 people worked to rebuild automobile and tractor plants, and 1,200 built the Kirov plant in Minsk; a thousand worked on the Gomel agricultural plant and 1,100 rebuilt Dobrush Paper Mill. Areas of Belarus in which partisans were available to help rebuild industrial enterprises saw much faster progress than elsewhere, and some branches of industry were created anew. Factories in the western regions of the republic became a priority, until 1945, May 26th, when the State Defence Committee passed an edit governing ‘the reorganisation of industry in connection with reducing production of armaments’. At this point, many Belarusian enterprises became exempt from producing goods for the Front, and began making consumer goods: wooden items, processed and dairy foods, and textiles.

Post-war five-year plan The plan to restore and develop the national economy of the BSSR for 19461950 was the 4th Soviet five-year plan, including primary tasks in the field of industry. Not only did the state intend to restore pre-war levels of production: it aimed to surpass them by 16 percent. Sadly, this industrial development was at the expense of agriculture and of livбеларусь.belarus 2014

ing standards for the population. Capital investments into industry exceeded those into construction seven-fold, and those into agriculture three and a half-fold, with heavy industry given greatest attention. Logging, peat cutting, wood processing, and the manufacture of construction materials were given priority but the planned growth of consumer goods manufacturing did not always come to fruition. Despite difficulties, the citizens of Belarus worked with enthusiasm; by 1946, they had fulfilled the plan for gross output by 102 percent, raising labour productivity by 15 percent. Compared to 1945, the volume of industrial output rose by 50 percent, thanks to the largest enterprises in the republic being equipped with the latest technologies: Automobile and Tractor Plants in Minsk, Mogilev Locomobile Plant, Bobruisk Wood-Processing Plant, Orsha Linen Mill, the Paper Mill in Dobrush, Znamya Industrializatsii Clothing Factory and KIM hosiery and knitwear factory, in Vitebsk. Minsk and Grodno fine-cloth mills came into operation, as did a number of food industry enterprises, automobile and bicycle plants, and Gomel’s Engine of Revolution Factory. Manufacture saw not just revival but intensive growth ‘within the shortest possible time’; of course, this also meant ‘at any cost’ — at the expense of public effort. It was a post-war reality. Victory over such a strong enemy brought with it enthusiasm and confidence in the future, a sense of labour heroism, and a readiness to overcome all obstacles.

Successes and errors Looking back we can see that certain heavy industry branches became overdeveloped, creating economic disproportion. The republic gained the manufacture of automobiles, tractors, locomotives, sewing-machines and bicycles. However, we lacked sufficient

manpower and raw materials to serve this development. Most of our raw materials were imported from steel works in Ukraine and Russia, connecting us strongly with the economies of our neighbours. Enterprise restoration was carried out at the expense of light industry and agriculture, which left a legacy of serious problems, including a lack of consumer goods. Today, we can see that misjudgement by the administration regarding the effective distribution of resources considerably hampered the development of industry and the economy of Belarus as a whole. Naturally, we cannot rewrite history and it serves no purpose to reproach anyone. People worked as best as they could, without the benefit of learning from foreign universities. Our parents were not depressed by post-war difficulties; rather, they were inspired by our Victory and its energy. By the early 1950s, domestic industry had reached pre-war levels, within a single five-year plan! The whole Soviet Union helped Belarus to develop modern manufacturing, sending highly skilled experts from Russia, Ukraine and other republics to work alongside us, laying the foundations for today’s domestic industries, and strengthening our brotherly family. After researching archives, I’ve realised that it’s important to appreciate the truth about Belarus’ economic revival in the early post-war years. We need to comprehensively analyse those successes and understand our failures. Among other things, we may then gain understanding of our parents, appreciating why they spent little time with the family, and why we seemed to scramble along. They were far from lazy! In the 1970s and 1980s, we still felt shortages in the shops and, even today, we suffer some of the consequences of those terrible war years. Everything in life is interconnected. By Leonid Prishchepa, Colonel in Reserve, Ph.D. in Economics

ENERGETICS

Belta

According to safe plan There are currently 437 nuclear power generating stations situated in 31 different countries around the world. Every tenth kilowatt-hour of electricity produced in the world is created by this process. Very soon, Belarus will join this group.

delegation of experts from Russia, France, the USA, Ukraine, Slovakia, Italy and Iran recently visited Belarus. They took part in a seminar— Exchange of Advanced Experience of Launch of Nuclear Power Station— which was held at the well-known construction site near Ostrovets. There was a reason for the visit, as the current countries-participants of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) traditionally worry about new entrants into this field. “With the appearance of the first energy unit, your station becomes a partner of all the others. We wish to share our experience and developments to ensure that as few problems as possible appear in the future. Meanwhile, we should make certain that our new partner is ready for

exploitation and is of no threat to itself or the international community. We’re glad that Belarus has met us halfway. It enables the WANO Moscow Centre to provide a plan of work so that you can begin to take part in meetings with specialists from all over the world, and prepare for the prelaunch partner checks that are conducted before hot and cold operational testing and the loading of fuel into the reactor,” underlines Vladimir Bronnikov, the Advisor of the WANO Moscow Centre. The construction of the Belarusian nuclear power station is not a secret, kept under lock and key. The directorate of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Station is willingly ready to share what has been achieved so far. The construction site of the country’s first nuclear power station already has the foundations and basement of the first power generating unit, the reactor compartment, the structure of auxiliary build-

ings, the containment building, safety and nuclear control. Similar work on the second power generating unit is still in the early stages. The necessary concrete and armatures are not brought from abroad, but are supplied from our own industrial shops that operate close to the huge construction site. To give us an idea of the scale of the construction, the Chief Engineer, Anatoly Bondar tells us, “Five thousand cubic metres of concrete were spent on the foundation for the basic building of the reactor compartment where the reactor will be installed, together with the socalled ‘double protective cover’ which has a diameter of more than 50 metres and is about 2.5 metres thick. The sizes and future containment are impressive. The first ‘layer’ is 1.2 metres thick, an external cover, which will be 0.8 metres thick, will be located at a distance of 2 metres.It will be capable of protecting against any hur2014 беларусь.belarus

PROJECT ricanes, cyclones or even a direct crash by an airplane. As a rule, the cost of the safety systems, make up around half of the cost of a power generating unit. The first power generating unit will actually look rather modest against the background of the first cooling stack— the equipment used for cooling a considerable quantity of water by the directed flow of atmospheric air. This structure will be 167 metres high and have a diameter of 132 metres. The water will be supplied from the river Vilia through a 5.5 kilometre pipe. The construction of the Belarusian nuclear power station seems huge against background of the other project — the capacity output system. Its construction was started in parallel, with the erection of reactors from the Chinese company NCPE, and specialists from Belenergo. To connect with the existing power supply system, it will be necessary to erect more than one thousand kilometres of overhead power transmission lines, with a voltage of 330 kilovolt, and to reconstruct and modernise over 670 kilometres of existing lines. The project will cover three regions — Grodno (512.8 kilometres of electric power transmission lines), Minsk (350km) and Vitebsk (169.7km). On top of this, the reconstruction of four substations and the construction of new substation will also be carried out. “According to the schedule of movement of the work force in 2014, about 3,500 people work on the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power station. The maximum number of employees will occur in 2017, when almost 8,500 people will  Anton Martynov, Department Head of Gidropress Experimental and Design Organisation (Russia): The project, which is used in the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, under the coded title ‘AES 2006’ (NPP-2006), meets ‘3+’ security system in its security degree which is based on both the active and passive

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work on at the construction site,” Anatoly Bondar notes. After commissioning of two power generating units, the number of personnel required will total 2,000 people. The first experts and workers have already moved into the new buildings of one of the three planned micro-districts in the suburbs of Ostrovets, which is 22 kilometres from the workplace. The designers promise that, during the coming years the centre of Ostrovets will move here. While its present centre will, in turn, become a suburb. Drafts of the new city are similar to modern cities in European countries with amenities like an ice palace and aqua-park. The only distinctive feature will be the Belarusian colouring. It is expected that the population of Ostrovets will multiply many fold to around 20-30 thousand people. How do they arrive at these figures?“The number of personnel has increased threefold and these people will have families. It is also necessary to feed and provide services for these people as well as to educate their children. The city will need vendors, consumer services, doctors, teachers and kindergarten teachers. All of them will need to live somewhere. Approximately 30 percent of the accommodation will be farmsteads. These will be given to the experts, whose activity will be connected with the control of the reactor. They should have a good rest after work and be in a good mood when returning the next day,” says Eduard Svirid, the Head of Information Work and Public Relations of the Belarusian nuclear power station. By Maria Drukova

principle of action. Russia has already put into operation two such energy units in China and one in India, where another energy unit is likely to become operating soon. Russia has accumulated huge experience in the designing, construction and conducting of a range of work within the borders of the Russian Federation and abroad.

Power of the oncoming movement The International Fund for Co-operation and Partnership of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea (BSCSIF) suggests the realisation of a large innovation project in Belarus

elarus discussed the implementation of joint projects in high-tech branches with the BSCSIF during a meeting between President Alexander Lukashenko and the Fund’s President Ismail Safi. Mr. Lukashenko stressed that Belarus is very interested in the development of high-tech science-driven industries. “The plans for this fiveyear period and the next one rely on science and the latest technologies. Of course, we are interested in the prospects lying in such fields as nano-electronics, storage and accumulation of energy and others and this is something that your fund is doing,” noted the Head of State, addressing the foreign guest. According to Mr. Lukashenko, the BSCSIF is a very strong organisation, which unites 28 countries. “This is a strong association, both economically and financially. I think it will be able to have a significant influence, or already has, on the development of the regional economy. If the fund shows good results, we can make a significant contribution to the development of the global economy,” believes Mr. Lukashenko. The Head of State assured that he is ready to provide all possible support to the fund’s work in Belarus. “I guarantee full support to your fund. You know my policy. In this regard we are absolutely transparent and honest. We would like to see everything that you have promised implemented,” he said.

REGION

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Polesie’s phenomenon of Granit Mikashevichi is home to Europe’s largest enterprise processing non-metallic materials

he huge industrial complex of Granit has, in many respects, changed the face of the district. Founded in Soviet times, open-cast mining helped fuel industrial and residential construction until, in 1975, the settlement of Mikashevichi opened its factory. Today, Granit sends nearly 750 wagons of goods to customers. With Granit shaping the town, Mikashevichi rapidly gained accommodation, roads and social objects. As across much of the former USSR, the life of the town and its residents revolved around one form of work — giving it far reaching social consequences. Director General Eduard Gavrilkovich manages the enterprise with great efficiency, having worked his way up from being an electrical locksmith, then chief power engineer of open cast mining and to the position of chief engineer. He has headed Granit for two years now. He tells us, “For many of our workers who were born in Mikashevichi, as I was, the city and the enterprise are two halves of one life. If we were not engaged in developing the city we’d lose our identity; it has always been so here. The enterprise has adopted a special programme of pro-

fessional training for future experts, paying for them to study at institutions of higher education, in the specialities which are necessary for us.” Mikashevichi is rather a small town but it is growing prettier with time, gaining new homes and shops, asphalted streets and pavements, as well as well-landscaped lawns. “It’s impossible to overestimate the contribution of Granit to the development of the city,” underlines the Chairman of Mikashevichi City Council, Anatoly Davydovich. “Just last year, the enterprise invested Br3bn into developing Mikashevichi. It may not seem much in Minsk but for a town with a population of about 15,000, it’s significant.” “Our future and that of the city revolves around the building of Sitnitsa mining-and-processing integrated works. It’s part of a Republican programme, confirmed by the President,” adds Mr. Gavrilkovich. “Mikashevichi has enough crushed stone and other building materials at its existing mine for the next thirty years, but open-cast mining at Sitnitsa will provide the enterprise with work for at least another half century. It will also create another thousand jobs, while bringing expanded industrial and urban infrastructure.” After commissioning the new enterprise, Mikashevichi is set to gain another 3,000 residents and the birth rate has also been growing over the past few years: an encouraging trend, which reflects the quality of life in the district. By Sergey Ivanov

2014 беларусь.belarus

PRODUCTION

Ability to ‘cream’ off more At the time when ministers and producers rack their brains over how to maximise warehouse benefits, farmers are successfully selling their products on the foreign market. Production is in great demand, with milk being the strategic commodity.

By Yevgeny Kononov

At Orsha dairy industrial complex

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e drink a lot of it, and we sell a lot of it. Last year, we produced 6.65 million tonnes of milk of which 3.6 million tonnes was exported, creating $2.3bn of revenue. Russian and Kazakhstan citizens have long since fallen in love with our dairy products. About 95 percent of dairy production goes to these two countries, and currently, the situation is very much in our favour. Russian milk imports have grown twice during the last year. There are difficulties with manufacture of native milk in Kazakhstan as the environmental conditions are not appropriate, and it is difficult to form full-fledged fodder supplies for the cows there. As demand for foodstuffs, including dairy products will grow on the world market; why not use this as a chance to ‘cream’ off more from dairy exports? The government is betting on an increase in the volume of output. The Deputy Prime Minister, Piotr Prokopovich, while speaking before the parliament, cited such statistics, “If today we had 2.5 million cows, as in 1992, and each cow gave five thousand litres of milk, we would receive an additional $5bn in exports, and there would be no unbalance in the economy.” These conclusions are quite logical, but it is difficult to reach such indicators in the near future. To reach the earlier planned 10 million tonnes of milk in 2015 is, apparently, not possible. But then, perhaps, it is necessary to try to move the focus from quantity to quality. According to experts, in order to adequately react to changes of world conjuncture in the future and to increase exports, manufacturers should have greater safety factors and think, not only about increase in output volumes, but also about the improvement of the quality of raw materials that directly influence an increase in profits. It means that by increasing the quality of the initial raw materials, then it is possible to count on a solid financial increase, including by an increase in exports.

The quality of milk depends on many parameters, from commercial dairy farm equipment (it should be modern) precoolers, coolers, milk clearing filters, water and so on. The country has companies producing this equipment. However, it would be desirable to have more managers who can think about potential prospects. Natalia Kruglei, who heads AgromirGroup Company, says, “When following certain conditions, the cows initially give good milk, the task of people is to not spoil it. For this purpose, it is important to follow the technological cycle of the production of raw milk, including clearing, cooling and storage so that we have a pure and qualitative raw material ready for the arrival of the milk tankers. But due to various reasons, many heads of households do not rack their brains on solving this problem, preferring to work in the old style.” It is true that many directors and chairmen do not often have time to think about new equipment on the farm. Today they have a sowing campaign, tomorrow, the preparation of fodder, then harvesting. They worry about the current state of affairs, and see effective technologies as a whim. Some consider it as a superfluous expenditure of money. But there are situations where, by saving money, one can bring harm to an enterprise. After all, nobody today would buy a spade instead of tractor, because they would wish to maximise the return at a minimum cost,” says Ms. Kruglei. Everyone understands that, in order to increase milk yields, it is necessary to give cows more water. However, it should be pure water. Do all workers follow this rule? Probably not, because maybe somebody has decided that the necessary filters, used for purifying the water, are an unnecessary expense. There are also many heads who are simply too afraid to make decisions. These stereotypes of the Soviet period should be removed. Market forces show us that saving on little things today could bring big losses in the future. This is an unacceptable situation.

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ROUTES OF RIVER FLEET

ladimir Dedyul is one of the few people who know the ‘deep character’ of the River Neman, being one of a team of captains for the steam-ship ‘Olga Solomova’. The vessel has been launching from Grodno’s quay for over 60 years. He tells us that the rules are identical whether sailing on a river or at sea. “Only the water is different: the sea is salty, while river water is fresh. In order to steer a vessel along the twisting and unpredictable Neman, without running aground, you need to be well informed!” Mr. Dedyul boasts experience of two combat missions in the Atlantic and 15 years of service with the Northern Fleet. To become a captain on the ‘Olga Solomova’, he began as a seaman, and trained for five years as a river transport worker. Steam-ship river cruises are still considered exotic in Belarus, although ten popular pleasure vessels operate. Gomel and Pinsk are the most frequented destinations for people wishing to sail, with Grodno close behind, having restored the Avgustovsky Canal. Besides the ‘Olga Solomova’, the 50-passenger Neman launches from Grodno (constructed by Pinsk ship builders to suit the Avgustovsky Canal and able to run even at night). The ‘Olga Solomova’ was almost retired a while back, having been set-aside for five years, needing major repairs. At last, in 2006, it was revamped, gaining everything from a new engine to modern internal furnishings. The veteran not only competes with new vessels but was the first from sovereign Belarus to cross the EU river border. Its trial voyage from Grodno, along the Avgustovsky Canal, to Druskininkai was made last summer — thanks to an agreement between Belarus and Lithuania to restore navigation and tourism along the coastal border of our two countries.

Full steam ahead River fleet prepares for tourist season, offering a range of services

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City constructed on sand Of course, the river fleet caters to more than tourists, transporting about 5.5 million tonnes of cargo: particularly timber and wood products, as well as sand and gravel, used in construction. The Pripyat, Dnieper, Berezina, Sozh, Neman, Western Dvina and Dnieper—Bug Canal are all busy thoroughfares. Moreover, sand, and sand and gravel mixes are extracted from their riverbeds. Demand for river transportation in Belarus is satisfied by about 700 vessels. Moreover, river transport costs far less than that by road (10 times cheaper) or rail (1.5-2 times cheaper). Of course, geography of delivery is limited to areas served by rivers but demand continues to grow. Belarusian ports are capable of transporting over 20 million tonnes of cargo annually: where one truck can carry 20 tonnes, a barge can hold 400. Clearly, the branch has great potential. By Yelena Ivanova

2014 беларусь.belarus

BEAUTIFUL JOB

Melodies for roses Music plays for flowers at Vitebsk Zelenkhoz

hose who have never spent time in a hothouse of roses are truly missing out: the colour and scent is almost overwhelming, creating an exotic paradise such as cannot be imagined. From pastel shades and virginal white blooms, to the deepest blood-red petals, each rose is perfect. The first Deputy Director of Zelenkhoz enterprise, Nina Yeremenko, tells us, “Vitebsk residents tend to prefer classic red shades; we actually have ten varieties of rose in this colour palette, differing in shape of bloom, leaf colour, size, and stem thickness.” Grower Natalia Osipova adds that it’s wise to be careful of the thorns though! As we chat, surrounded by sweet aromas, music plays gently around us. Nina explains that plants are known to thrive when music is played to them, surprised at my naivety in never having heard this. She’s convinced that only those who truly love plants should work with them, since all living things, not just animals, are capable of sensing kindness and a gentle touch. I’m ready to take her ideas at face value, although I have a rather less romantic view of the girls’ work among the thorny roses. Adding fertiliser, watering and pruning can be hard work, with each bush — as a living organism — requiring regular attention: not just food and drink but other treatment at times… I discover that pink bushes only bloom for 5-7 years, after which they really need to be replaced. Zelenkhoz has three hothouses, covering a total area of almost 4,000 square metres. One was reconstructed in 2013 while another is being modernбеларусь.belarus 2014

ised this year. The blooms are then sold through seven florist shops. I’m rather sad to say goodbye, departing as the growers begin to cut the blooms; they gather whole armfuls of juicy roses. It’s a magical sight, which prompts me to imagine burying my face in a huge bouquet, so that I might breathe the aroma deeply. You could perhaps even fall asleep, as on a feather bed. I ask whether their menfolk still give them flowers on International Woman’s Day and they exclaim, “Yes, flowers! All women love to receive their ‘own’ bouquet from their beloved, even if they hold thousand of blooms in their hands daily. However, only the best will do — since we are experts!” Spring is on the way, with its breath felt especially in the glass hothouses. Primulas are blossoming, ready for planting out across the city’s streets, parks and squares. Last season, more than 1.6 million plants were grown and the number will be no less this year. International Woman’s Day is the first ‘big outing’ for flowers of course, with about 10,000 roses, 5,000 freesias and 2,000 primulas delivered to the shops. The sight of those delicate beauties is sure to lift everyone’s mood. By Yelena Begunova

MALE DOMINATED PROFESSION

Girls

with strong character While visiting the Ministry of Emergency Situations’ Command Engineers Institute, our correspondent attempts to understand why ladies are attracted to traditionally male roles

he Institute has enrolled girls since 2006, and these recruits have demonstrated their physical capabilities and strong character many times. “I remember one case, which occurred in the first year of our enrolment, when a girl gave up her studies after the first field training session,” says the LieutenantColonel of the Institute’s Inner Service, Olga Shved. “And another girl was dismissed for her poor results. All others are successfully studying and, as our practice demonstrates, the ladies are even more concentrated, motivated and goal-oriented than the young men.”

The girls and boys share a single daily routine: They wake up at 6.30am and go for their morning exercise. Afterwards, they have some time to brush up and have breakfast. Lessons then begin and run until 4pm. The remaining time follows a very tight schedule: students have drill practice and physical exercises, in addition to daily duties and preparation for lessons and conferences. However, the girls still find time to visit concerts, sporting clubs and the gym. No gender differences are applied in these studies. Boys and girls jointly participate in daily duties at the training searchand-rescue unit, climb the windows of the training tower and train with their compressed air respiratory units on. Later, they 2014 беларусь.belarus

NEW BRANDS apply the obtained skills at city and district emergency departments. In turn, theoretical knowledge of emergency medicine is practiced in hospitals. Cadets must have a profound initial knowledge in many subjects. At the Institute, they study science (advanced mathematics, physics and chemistry) and art (history, philosophy and foreign languages). To master the special subjects for the prevention and liquidation of emergencies, analytical minds and good memories are needed. Students take part in diverse conferences, while developing projects and demonstrating their knowledge at tournaments. Among the cadets are holders of the Presidential scholarships and the Minsk City Executive Committee awards.

Strength, speed, endurance Great attention is drawn to the physical training of the girls: press-up, muscle-strengthening exercises, short and long distance runs, etc. “Everyone does this, and there’s nothing extraordinary here,” notes the section commander, internal service sergeant, Polina Melnik. “Even the entrance exams presuppose some selection in physical preparation. However, as practice shows, almost all alumni successfully pass them.” Nevertheless, success levels for females are slightly lower compared to their male counterparts. For example, boys have to run 100m distance within 13.6 seconds, while girls are allowed to do this within 16.4 seconds. “When choosing this profession, it’s important to take into account your physical abilities,” explains the four-year student, internal service common soldier, Ksenia Davydchuk. “Before entering the institute I ran and went to the gym, so I was confident that I would be able to endure the burden.”

Life choice “It’s hard to say why girls enter our Institute; each has her own reasons. However, I think the romanticism and heroism — natural for our profession — matter,” Ms. Shved believes. Some choose the Institute after completing the Ministry of Emergency Situations classes at school, while others are guided by their souls or family traditions. “My father is an officer and I wished to follow him since childhood,” Ksenia Davydchik notes. “At my tenth year at school, I decided to enter the Ministry of Emergency Situations’ Command Engineers Institute. My father’s education has played its role in my preparation for the entrance exams.” No dress code is necessary at the Institute, but an obligatory uniform is a must. In addition, girls are allowed to wear simple make-up, but must keep their hair up. Most often, female alumni work in the fields of supervisory or preventive activities, as well as the promotion of daily safe life and teaching of fire safety rules. Sometimes, they return to the Institute as lecturers.

Fire retreats from fibre Non-flammable fibre, which will rival the well-known aramids, was developed by Belarusian scientists and made in the Republic in an industrial way

“H

igh-strength polymer fibres were created in the USSR in 1970s as a response to the creation of the high-quality American Nomex made by DuPont,” says the manager of the laboratory of poly-contingent organic compounds of the Institute of Chemistry of New Materials of NAS, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, Vyacheslav Olkhovik. “But the response was not equivalent. Being inferior to Nomex in durability and thermal stability, the Soviet fibre created in SvetlogorskKhimvolokno JSC, was not fire-resistant, although did not cause burning. We set ourselves the task of solving the problem and, at the same time, of making the fibre more affordable. After several years of research we were successful with part of polymeric molecule that was embedded into Soviet, highstrength fibre. In addition to that, a further component used in the reduction of burning was also used. Thus, there appeared a domestic equivalent of Nomex. It appeared to have the same fire-resistance, whilst surpassing the original on durability and elasticity. For the manufacturer it is important that the new production is much cheaper than the imported product, and that it did not require a rearrangement of the technological process. 15 tonnes of the new fibre have been already produced. It is used not only for the manufacture of fabric for firefighter’s suits, but also as materials for filters working at high temperature. Scientists plan to not limit themselves to just these fields of application. The work on the new polymer could be used for micro-reinforcement of automobile tyre casings, in particular for BelAZ, and it will help to remove the superficial cracking of rubber. The testing of the new material in asbestos free clutch plates and brake disks are in currently progress. They also aim to dilute the polymers in nonaggressive, organic solvents which would be suitable for creation of strong, heat-resistant coverings.

By Svetlana Yashchenko

беларусь.belarus 2014

IT POTENTIAL

Tasks for tomorrow Computer elite growing significantly younger

oday, even senior citizens are able to use Our computer elite, on average, are younger each year, computers and smartphones, with mid- creating software for the social and educational spheres, to dle-aged and younger people embracing suit our Belarusian society. A recent application for Androidthe latest technologies with great eagerness. smartphones provides video instructions for laboratory work Belarus has gained some in physics, for year 6 pupils: written by pupils reputation as a creator of of Plisa school, in the Smolevichi District. software — such as game With their teacher, they have plans to create and communication proOur computer elite, an online encyclopaedia dedicated to the district and the school and a mobile supplement grammes for Android: ‘Viber’, ‘Tanchiki’ and on average, are ‘Veselaya Ferma’ (Funny Farm — translated dedicated to Belarusian folklore. younger each year, into more than 20 languages). As the writers Gymnasia pupil Alexander Smolik can emphasise, with some patriotism, it’s the result creating software for remember 100,000 words from the Rusof good quality Belarusian education followsian-Belarusian dictionary, about 50,000 the social and ing an innovative international approach. educational spheres, words from the Belarusian-Russian dicOf course, besides producing games, our tionary, and about 100,000 words from the specialists have created software to manage to suit our Belarusian definition dictionary of the Belarusian laninformation and that with a social purpose, society. Belarusian IT guage: evidence of the popularisation of the such as for controlling traffic flow. Our everyhas huge potential, Belarusian language. He is eager to put his day lives are easier, thanks to the use of comtalent to good use, which has inspired his guiding our puter software quietly behind the scenes. Even creation of the ‘Angel’ application (helping youngsters towards find people) and ‘AvtoDroid.by’ (deterring the Constitution and Criminal Code are easily the domestic accessible, having been digitised and placed in parking offences). a database. There is no doubt that Belarusian IT has programming school Our programmers win prizes at internahuge potential, guiding our youngsters totional contests every year, including chamwards the domestic programming school. pionships for programming. Sergey Maskevich, Minister of Sadly, at present, around 90 percent of the software created Education, notes that this international recognition of the in Belarus is for foreign companies, which takes the profits Belarusian Programming School is confirmed by TopCoder abroad. The main task for tomorrow is not only to create but to Corporation’s rating of Belarusian programmers among the provide service support. top five worldwide. By Vera Artemieva

2014 беларусь.belarus

SPHERE OF INTEREST

Young people today probably wouldn’t even recognise the computers of yesteryear, which were so large and clumsy. Technology has advanced hugely in a short period of time — to an extent we never could have foreseen. At the exhibition of computer rarities

Computers have own soul

lexander Alexandrov, a fourth year student with the Computer Networks and Systems Department of the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, has been collecting old computer models for almost a decade, since he was nearly 13 years old. Alexander’s ‘time machines’ are now on show at an exhibition within the university, showing the progression of technology — from home Bait computers onwards; several were donated by friends and acquaintances. Looking at the range, it’s easy to see the ‘similarity’ of the technology. Meanwhile, each device has its own ‘soul’ and its own history.

Living past The small auditorium at the BSU is filled with all manner of technologies from the 1980s and 1990s. Alongside legendary ‘Nemiga’, ‘Bait’ and ‘Electronika’ computers are old games consoles, laptops, TV sets, programmable calculators and typewriters: over 100 exhibits in all. The oldest dates from almost forty years ago while the youngest is from just eighteen years back. Many remain in good order, allowing us to play childhood games. беларусь.belarus 2014

Part of Alexander’s collection is stored back home, in Brest, while the rest is kept in Minsk. “Initially all my computers (about ten) were stored in our Brest apartment,” he recollects. “However, there wasn’t enough room, so my father and I converted an outbuilding for use as storage. When I moved to Minsk, I rented an apartment, and stored equipment there. I then gained a hostel place, where there wasn’t space any more. It helped greatly, 18 months ago, when I gained my first exhibition at the Union of Designers, since I was able to store my collection on separate premises afterwards.” The 1980s atmosphere of the exhibition is supported by vinyl records hanging from the celling and music playing on a huge tape recorder.

Alexander Alexandrov

Collection ever growing

The value of Alexander’s collection comes through the rarity of the computers he has collected: already worth in excess of $25,000. Some items have been bought, and others donated, or exchanged. Some were gifts from unknown people. Holding exhibitions helps, since people tend to make donations: one man gave Alexander an enormous ‘clever’ typewriter. It doesn’t work, but that’s not important.

Museum plans Alexander chose his future profession long ago, having always found computers fascinating; his first appeared when he was only three years old. However, he’s yet to decide whether to create software, or whether to create software support. Meanwhile he is eager to understand all aspects of electronics — from TV sets to the latest robotics. One day, he’d like to open his own museum, filled with his ever-growing collection. By Dmitry Semenchuk

PANORAMA  Book improves marks An unusual educational project has started in Svetlogorsk

 Meetings in Budapest The traditional Belarusian cultural event — May.By — May Meetings with Belarus — opens in Budapest for eighth time

he presentation took place in the historical centre of Budapest during the annual meetings with Belarusian culture and arts. The exhibition of paintings by Belarusian artists Anton Vyrva and Darya Shishkova was shown to the public, alongside photos of interiors by Belarusian architect and designer Lora Kalinina (with the presence of the master). The Belarusian Ambassador to Hungary, Alexander Khainovsky, addressed all those attending with a welcome speech, underlining the diversity

 Good cause People’s Artiste of the USSR and Artistic Director of the Moscow Virtuosi chamber orchestra, Vladimir Spivakov was awarded the Frantsisk Skorina Order in a solemn ceremony at the Belarusian Embassy in Russia

n line with the Decree of the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Spivakov

of Belarus’ cultural heritage. He emphasised the importance of the development of bilateral ties in culture and arts for further closeness of the nations. The diplomat also paid attention to high levels of development of the Belarusian school of architecture and design. The event aroused a great interest amongst the guests, among whom were representatives of the Hungarian state institutions, diplomatic missions, business circles, creative intelligentsia and the Hungarian media. The meeting was of great importance, taking into account the Icon Painting of Belarus in the 17th-18th Centuries, which is still exhibited in the Budapest History Museum. has been honoured for his exceptional personal contribution to the development and promotion of classical art, and huge merits in the enhancement of Belarusian-Russian cultural ties. Presenting the award, the Ambassador of Belarus to Russia, Igor Petrishenko, noted

he basis of it was practices in German and Austrian schools. If a pupil goes to the library during the summer holidays and reads the necessary quantity of books, he or she receives a special registered certificate. Having shown this certificate to a teacher, a pupil can improve their mark by one point for the first term on reading or on Belarusian and Russian literature. Svetlogorsk pupils from the 1st to 9th form participate in the project, called Library and School: Partners in the Field of Education. The author of the project, manager of regional children’s library, Lyudmila Gradulenko explained the details, “The Summer Reading Club will run from June 1st till August 31st. Children from 6 till 10 years old should read 10 or more books and 11 till 15 year olds -- over 20 books. These do not have to be only books of the school programme, but also any books they wish. Children must keep a reading diary, and then retell the book’s contents. In my opinion, independent reading is one of the major educational factors. For the present, certificates will improve the marks only on literary subjects, but library workers do not exclude the idea of such disciplines as history and geography being included in the list of Summer Reading Club. that the talent of the maestro is respected all over the world. “However, this attitude is special and most tender in Belarus,” the diplomat emphasised, addressing the musician. Mr. Petrishenko particularly noted Vladimir Spivakov’s charitable activities with the fund he created 20 years ago. “You have helped many young talents, including that from Belarus,” said the Ambassador. Mr. Spivakov expressed his sincere gratitude for this high award and noted that he has dedicated his life to ordinary people, including gifted children.

2014 беларусь.belarus

Soyuz

Pragmatic approach required Regional co-operation — a powerful instrument in building the Union State

he first forum of Belarusian and Russian regions has been hosted by Minsk at the initiative of Belarus’ National Assembly Council and the Russian Federal Assembly Council. Under their joint aegis, the event brought together heads of almost

беларусь.belarus 2014

Belarus — Russia

20 Russian Federation regions, and all Belarusian regions, discussing Belarusian-Russian integration. The Chairman of Belarus’ National Assembly Council, Anatoly Rubinov, underlined, “We’re launching a project designed to become a new instrument of inter-regional co-operation.” The Chairman of the Supreme State Council of the Union, President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, sent his greetings to the gathering, as did President of Russia Vladimir Putin, showing the importance of the meeting. Substantive discussion took place between the Belarusian leader and the Chair of the Russian Federal Assembly Council, Valentina Matviyenko, who was heading the Russian delegation. The State Secretary of the Union State, Grigory Rapota, and executives from the Eurasian Economic Commission, also attended the event. Inter-regional collaboration originated during the establishment of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. At that time, Mr. Lukashenko visited almost every subject of the Russian Federation, restoring economic and humanitarian ties, lost after the collapse of the USSR. These were followed

by return visits, with direct ties proving most efficient for globally, notes Mr. Samoshin, the Director General of Rusjoint advancement and progress. sia’s Maxim Gorky JSC (a grain and potato producer). He Mr. Rapota noted from the rostrum, “Over the past dec- is hopeful that the new Belarusian-Russian project to set ade, inter-regional co-operation has become so wide that it up public private partnership enterprises growing seeds now embraces 80 Russian Federation subjects and every re- will help reduce the need for imports. The Union State progion of Belarus, with 60 subjects consistently liaising. These gramme for innovative development of potato and artichoke have signed 404 agreements on multi-faceted collaboration, production should raise levels enough to allow Belarus and as well as countless protocols and other documents. Since Russia to begin exporting. Belarusian experience speaks for itself, as the Belaruthe start of 2014, Belarus and Russia have exchanged 28 regional high level delegations, showing true regional col- sian Deputy PM, Mikhail Rusy, emphasises. In his capacity supervising the agrarian sector, he notes that, over the laboration.” Mutual trade turnover has grown, reaching $40bn or more past 20 years, the country has become a large exporter of annually over recent years. Trade has been supplemented by agricultural products, primarily meat and dairy goods. In joint assembly production and sci-tech co-operation; already, 2014, agro-exports should generate revenue of $6.5bn, risdozens of Russian plants are assembling Belarusian harvesting to $7.2bn in 2015 (with a positive trade balance of $2.2ers and other agricultural machinery, as well as lifts and trac- 2.3bn). Around 80 percent of exports are purchased by Russia, while our neighbour provides Belarus tors. Meanwhile, banking and other Russian with a large portion of its agro-machinery. investment projects are being realised in Belarus. Moscow and Minsk have been liaising, Mr. Rusy stresses that our interests are very Direct ties much co-dependent in this sphere. as have the regional and district centres of between This interdependent structure of proBelarus and Russia. Belarusian and duction and consumption of agrarian proMany sci-tech programmes funded duce shows that Belarus and Russia comfrom the Union State budget benefit speRussian regions plement rather than compete. Over the last cific regions. The Deputy Chairman of the proved to be most few years, Belarus’ exports to Russia have State Secretary of the Union State, Ivan efficient for joint increased 1.5-fold, while imports have risen Bambiza, highlighted this topic, telling advancement and 1.2-fold: Belarus buys food and vegetable journalists, “Our Union State programmes aim to tackle particular production tasks. oil from Russia, as well as pasta and raw progress materials for processing. So far, 19 scientific research organisations The recent Belagro exhibition saw hunand over 100 industrial and agricultural enterprises from across Belarus and Russia have taken part dreds of Russian specialists showing interest in Belarus’ adin Union State programmes, creating over 10,000 jobs. Six vanced technologies, as has been the case for some time. agrarian projects have been realised and ten joint projects Around 100 Belarusian varieties of cereal crop and potato are are currently being implemented. In December 2013, farm- currently used in Russia, as are Belarusian approaches towards ers were encouraged to start using high-yielding potato and animal breeding. The Head of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, artichoke varieties and three more agrarian projects are now Valery Shantsev, noted that several contemporary beef cattle being studied. One envisages the development of flax across farms have been constructed in this region, in concert with BeBelarus and Russia, while another looks at updating agro- larusian expertise. Now, a facility for 1,200 animals is planned. Belarusian specialists also gained much from the forum remachinery.” Ms. Matviyenko noted that Customs Union countries are garding agro-industrial co-operation within the Union State, yet to become fully self-sufficient in food, importing $44bn including the drawing up of annual balances for production of foodstuffs annually: around a third of the total volume and mutual supply of major agricultural goods, alongside sharconsumed. Food security was a major topic at the Belarus- ing intellectual potential within the Union State. The forum finished with the signing of several agreeRussia regional forum, with Ms. Matviyenko underlining, “It is dangerous to be dependent in this sphere, so we must ments on co-operation between the Council of the Repubfollow a path of import-substitution. This danger is espe- lic and the Russian Federation Council, involving several cially evident regarding genetically modified produce, for Belarusian and Russian regions. The next regional forum which we need to buy seeds from abroad.” is being hosted by Russian Veliky Novgorod in 2015, with Potato growing is typical in this regard, with Russia Kazakh colleagues invited. By Vladimir Bibikov among the largest growers and the largest buyer of seeds

2014 беларусь.belarus

Customs outlook broadens Belta

Union State’s western ‘gates’ open wider

rest is rightly called the Union State’s western ‘gates’: its customs point processes 30 percent of all commodity flow over the Belarusian border. Meanwhile, Kozlovichi cargo automobile checkpoint (also located here) is the largest and most modern of any on the Customs Union border. Not long ago, the city welcomed participants of a major seminar in Brest, discussing border operations within the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space. The meeting attracted deputies from the Belarusian National Assembly’s House of Representatives (led by its Chairman, Vladimir Andreichenko). The Minister in charge of Customs Co-operation, Vladimir Goshin, represented the Eurasian Economic Commission. Valery Shnyakin came on behalf of the Council of the Federation (of Russia’s Federal Assembly); he is the Chairman of the Interparliametary Assembly’s Standing Committee of the Eurasian Economic Community on Customs Regulation and Border Policy. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Belarus, H.E. Mr. Ergali Bulegenov, was also in attendance. Some impressive data was presented at the seminar: last year, 2.4m trucks passed through checkpoints run by Belarus’ State Customs Committee — up half a million over just four years. At present, traffic capacity stands at 28,000 a day (in both directions) but 30,000 will be possible once infrastructure on the Belarusian-Ukrainian and BelarusianLithuanian borders has been updated. Over the past few years, customs infrastructure has been gradually improved, to meet the strictest demands placed on security and comfort. In 2011, Kozlovichi-2 cargo terminal was launched, while Varshavsky Most checkpoint was беларусь.belarus 2014

reconstructed using Union State budgetary funding. This year, a service zone is opening, featuring a hotel and a large warehouse. In addition, Domachevo checkpoint — on the Belarusian-Polish border — has been recently revamped to accept all types of road transport. An international project to build Peschatka checkpoint, on the Belarusian-Polish border, is also progressing. The Chairman of Brest Regional Executive Committee, Konstantin Sumar, highlighted problems facing the interregional development of border areas. The existing bridge over the Zapadny Bug River (Terespol checkpoint, Brest) needs to be replaced. The Chairman of Belarus’ State Border Committee, Leonid Maltsev, shared pleasant news, saying that electronic queue booking is to launch by 2015, with a pilot version being trialled in late 2014. A pilot project is planned for Kozlovichi-2 and its technology will then pass to Brest international border checkpoint. Belarus is doing much to harmonise national legislation on customs regulation, bringing it in line with Customs Union agreements. This April, the Law ‘On Customs Regulation in the Republic of Belarus’ came into force, aiming to create conditions for efficient fulfilment of international obligations. At present, the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space share over 150 international agreements, with Belarus ratifying around 70 of the former and 17 of the latter. In Brest, representatives of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan agreed to continue their joint legislative work, involving experts to develop integration processes in the customs sphere. By Valentina Kozlovich

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Union State summer trip Children from Chernobyl-affected regions and Great Patriotic War veterans to recuperate at best spas in Belarus and Russia

hildren are enjoying their holidays and the recuperation season has begun, with the best spas in Belarus and Russia traditionally welcoming children from Chernobyl-suffered areas. This year, more than 1,780 children will receive trips, funded from the Union State budget. Schoolchildren from the Bryansk, Kaluga, Tula, Gomel, Mogilev, Brest and Grodno regions will be accepted at four spas, selected under strict tender at the beginning of the year by the Union State Standing Committee: three are Belarusian and one is Russian. Value for money and high quality services were taken into account in selecting the four spas, which all boast contemporary equipment. Alongside diagnostic and treat-

ment procedures, children can attend lessons in specially equipped classes and language rooms, libraries and computer halls. An interesting and educational cultural programme is awaits them, including events dedicated to the Union State, enabling youngsters from Belarus and Russia to gain closer acquaintance and expand their knowledge of the history of our two states. Belarusian spas have already welcomed their first visitors and a lively atmosphere is reigning at Sluch spa, located 100km from Minsk, where 40 schoolchildren from the Bryansk Region are enjoying their stay among birch forests, beside a picturesque lake. Sluch has its own sports facilities, including a speleocentre (salt caves), and wonderfully 2014 беларусь.belarus

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equipped classrooms. Children have six opportunities to eat each day, with the nightly cost of Br285,000 met by the Union State, including various excursions. The youngsters have the chance to learn about the history of Belarus and its traditions, finding much in common between our two brotherly nations. After their 24-day stay, many of the children forge friendships lasting many years. According to Director Mikhail Marachkovsky, the spa has won the tender for more than five years, and this year welcomes over 350 children from Chernobyl-affected districts. With each year, the spa’s popularity grows — among Belarusians and Russians. This summer, 800 schoolchildren from Moscow will be arriving, in addition to the 350 youngsters recuperating. Zhemchuzhina Children’s Rehabilitation and Recuperation Centre, located near Lepel in the Vitebsk Region, is also busy, with 40 youngsters from the Kaluga Region joining 45 children from Chernobyl-affected districts of Belarus. Zhemchuzhina is regularly chosen for children’s recuperation, paid for by the Union State, having won the tender every year for the past decade. So far, around 2,000 children have spent time recuperating there, on the site of a former military camp. These days, it offers the most comfortable, cosy rooms, various medical treatments, and six meals daily, with the menu featuring ingredients thought to detoxify the body of radionuclides and strengthen immunity. Just over two years ago, a new cultural and entertainment centre opened at Zhemchuzhina, which has proven a great hit with young guests. The third Belarusian spa — Svitanak Children’s Rehabilitation and Recuperation Centre, near Pinsk — is welcoming children from the Union State for the first time this year, with 30 from the Bryansk Region being the first to arrive. In September, 20 youngsters from the Kaluga Region will be joined by their Belarusian peers for joint recuperation. Director Valentina Begeba is confident that the children will love their time there, enjoying comfortable rooms, a good  The Union State has been organising treatment and recuperation of children from Belarusian and Russian districts affected by the catastrophe at the Chernobyl nuclear power station for more than a decade, since 2002. By 2013, over 13,400 Russian and Belarusian children had enjoyed trips funded from the Union State budget, with over 5,800 spending time at Belarusian spas. Over 186m Russian Roubles have been allocated from the Union State budget over this time for children’s recuperation.

 In 2014, 1,781 children are receiving trips in Belarus and Russia, paid for by the Union State, at a cost of over 38m Russian Roubles. Meanwhile, 20.5m Russian Roubles have been allocated for spa treatment of veterans and invalids of the Great Patriotic War. school, wonderful opportunities for sports, and the services of qualified doctors and teachers. Svitanak’s intensive cultural programme helped it in winning the tender, offering trips to Pinsk and the Belovezhskaya Pushcha, as well as Brest Fortress, during their 24-day stay. In addition, they’ll tour an agro-town with a contemporary dairy farm. In September, 150 youngsters from Belarus will go to the Black Sea coast, joining peers from the Russian regions of Bryansk, Kaluga and Tula, at Shakhtinsky Tekstilshchik spa, near Tuapse. They’ll long remember their new friends, and happy times at the seaside. According to Belarus’ Director of the Republican Centre for Recuperation and Sanatorium Resort Treatment, Gennady Bolbatovsky, Union State funds are helping support individual countries’ financing of recuperative trips for children from Chernobyl-affected areas. Belarusian law specifies free recuperative trips for over 100,000 children and Union State programmes have helped 5,407 Belarusian schoolchildren enjoy health-improving holidays. Veterans and invalids of the Great Patriotic War also enjoy free recuperative trips, with over 2,000 from Belarus having taken spa trips over the past eight years. This year, six spas across Belarus and Russia will be welcoming 763 such guests, including 208 from Belarus. According to Mr. Bolbatovsky, as there are over a thousand Belarusian veterans mobile enough to leave home for such trips, about a fifth of such stays are being paid for by the Union State. Seven veterans are heading to Peredelkino Spa Centre, near Moscow, where there are plans to reunite with some of their fellow soldiers and to tour former battle sites. The remainder are to recuperate at Belarusian spas, which are also eagerly visited by Russian Great Patriotic War veterans. This year, four Belarusian spas will be accepting such veterans: Sosnovy Bor near Minsk, Porechie near Grodno, Zhuravushka at Lake Naroch and the Brest Region’s Nadzeya. All received high assessment during the tender, being praised for medical staff professionalism, the latest medical treatments, highly nutritious menus and a diverse cultural programme. Locations are chosen for proximity to those attending, so that the elderly travel no further than is comfortable. By Lilia Khlystun

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Belta

What unites us

Union State — the heir of Great Victory

insk recently hosted an international scientificpractical conference, entitled Acute Problems in Constructing and Developing the Union State, featuring deputies of the Belarus-Russia Union State Parliamentary Assembly, representatives of the Union State Standing Committee, diplomats, historians and political experts, as well as representatives of ministries and departments from our two countries, and heads of veteran organisations. The 70th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from the German invaders and Victory in the Great Patriotic War is a background for discussing the present and future of Union State integration. Naturally, various aspects of 20th century history have left their legacy on the contemporary life of the Belarusian and Russian people. Such matters were tackled at the plenary session, across three thematic sections. Participants of the conference noted that past events continue to shape the development of both our states. The Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus-Russia Union State Committee on Security, Defence and Crime Control, Valery Gaidukevich, who is also the Chairman of the Standing Committee on National Security at the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, tells us, “The Great Victory will always unite the peoples of Belarus and Russia, having been an extremely important and truly remarkable event for the Union State.” Taking into account the lessons of the past, the Union State is developing military-strategic collaboration, adopting a joint defence concept and military doctrine. Moreover, a united group of troops has been formed and a single air defence system is functioning. Economic interaction is sustainably determined by a rather solid figure of US $40 billion per year. Truly, the Union State is a flagship of Eurasian integration. The Chairman of the State

Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Ties with Compatriots, Leonid Slutsky, who is also the Chairman of the Scientific Council for the Union State Parliamentary Assembly, notes, “A comprehensive document has been signed in Astana on the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union, which I hope will enter into force on January 1st, 2015. It is upon the experience of the already operational Union State that much of the Eurasian project relies.” He believes that the integration of our three nations is unwelcomed by supporters of a one-polar world, and that there are some who attempt to distort true WW2 history, downgrading the scale of former USSR countries’ contribution to victory. Such forces seem to be aiming to justify manifestations of nationalism, much to the concern of elderly people. In response, Belarus has been promoting patriotic projects among the younger generation, with support from the Union State Standing Committee. The media often organises contests dedicated to historical and patriotic themes. Belarus’ First Deputy Minister of Information, Lilia Ananich, tells us, “Back in 2005, a major project was completed in Belarus: the release of the Memory series. Meanwhile, the International Book Fair in Minsk gave pride of place to editions on the theme of war. Over 20 publishing projects have been implemented, with state support, dedicated to the Great Patriotic War and the 70th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation. In our era of new technologies, we need to unite the efforts of patriotic organisations across Belarus and Russia, to rebuff attempts to downgrade the importance of the Great Victory for young people, presenting facts in an easily accessible form.” The conference ended with a summary of discussions; this final document contains proposals to enhance security and to preserve first hand historical memories regarding the Great Patriotic War, with information promoted to young people via a dedicated website. By Vladimir Bibikov

2014 беларусь.belarus

elarusian and Russian builders have joined the city authorities of Minsk and St. Petersburg in realising a unique project: constructing a residential Belarusian suburb in the city on the River Neva and a similar suburb in the Belarusian capital. The initiative is the logical continuation of many years of co-operation between our two states’ builders. Belarus’ Minister of Architecture and Construction, Anatoly Cherny, comments, “We’ve begun our project and I’ve paid a visit to St. Petersburg, where a site has been allocated for the future Belarusian district. Meanwhile, the Minsk City Executive Committee is now choosing a location for the St. Petersburg suburb. Since our Russian partners aren’t insisting on simultaneous realisation of

rusian construction materials industry is expanding, aiming to export its surplus at a good price. In 2014, sales are to rise by at least 15 percent, with a share of Belarusian construction materials used in building ‘Belarusian accommodation’ in St. Petersburg. However, Russian investors also view their project in Minsk as profitable, since new accommodation enjoys great demand in the Belarusian capital and sells at a high price. Previous experience of co-operation proves the efficiency of such liaisons: a ‘Moscow suburb’ is now open in Minsk and Belarusian builders are involved in constructing accommodation and other sites in the Moscow District and the Kaliningrad Region. Moreover, they are now building a large residential suburb of several 5-9-storey houses in Kaluga — with accompanying social infrastructure, a hypermarket and a police point.

Minsk and St. Petersburg ‘to share’ residential suburbs

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Districts becoming friends

these projects, we aren’t pressing Minsk’s authorities in making a decision.” The desire not to hurry and, accordingly, avoid possible mistakes, is clear. In both Minsk and St. Petersburg, land for constructing accommodation and commercial sites is allocated by tender: often a slow procedure. Nevertheless, Governor Georgy Poltavchenko believes that the issue will be finally settled this summer, having spoken at a sitting of a joint group for forthcoming work, which met at St. Petersburg’s Smolny Palace The names of these future residential suburbs indicate that they are likely to become a bright example of Union State integration. Minsk and St. Petersburg are to receive buildings with unique architectural features — while meeting the strictest construction norms. Meanwhile, Belarus is keen to increase sales of its construction materials and services (the country’s key task for coming years). As Mr. Cherny explains, the Belaбеларусь.belarus 2014

Importantly, Belarus-made wall panels and other materials are being used at the site. This summer, the first houses will welcome their residents and the city’s authorities are pleased with the results. Kaluga is witnessing rapid industrial development, so citizens need comfortable, reasonably priced accommodation. Belarusian constructors enjoy huge potential in this field — as seen in Russia’s Amur Region, which suffered from the 2013 flooding. In May 2014, the area was visited by a delegation from Belarus’ Ministry of Architecture and Construction and the country’s construction companies. Jointly with Governor Oleg Kozhemyako, an action plan was discussed and Belarus is now helping build homes in the Blagoveshchensk District and in a residential suburb near Vostochny (Eastern) aerodrome. They also plan to construct homes along the Baikal-Amur railway. By Vladimir Fiodorov

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One hundred percent forecast

Weather balloon is irreplaceable in the work of forecasters

Next Union programme on hydrometeorology to bring weather forecasters of Belarus and Russia to new technological level

oday’s meteorological data is delivered to 42 ministries and departments across Belarus. Of course, our need for quality of forecasts is growing and no one can provide all data independently. Interaction between weather forecasters was discussed at the highest level, at the recent 59th session of the joint collegium of the Committee of the Union State on Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of Environmental Pollution. The gathering took place at the end of May, in Belarus’ Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve, attended by heads of the Ministry of Natural Resources

and Environmental Protection of Belarus and of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring of Russia (Roshydromet). They were joined by the State Secretary of the Union State, Grigory Rapota, and by the Deputy State Secretary, Ivan Bambiza. Meteorologists across Belarus and Russia have been liaising since Soviet times and continue to do so within the Union State, through the Joint Committee on Hydrometeorology. Three scientific and technical Union State programmes have been implemented in recent years, raising the accuracy of daily weather forecasts for Belarus to 96.2 percent (to 95 percent for three-day forecasts). Climate is changing, with temperatures in Belarus rising by 1.1 percent over the past few years. Flooding and storms have increased in intensity too, making it more difficult to make forecasts. The next joint programme is being submitted for consideration at the next session of the Council of Ministers of the Union State, to last five years, launching in 2015. The Head of the Belarusian Republican Hydrometeorological Centre, Anatoly Polishchuk, tells us, “It will focus, in particular, on the unification of Belarusian and Russian national programmes of development for the hydro-meteorological service. This primarily concerns technical re-equipment, with two Doppler locators already operational in Belarus. In 2015, another will become operational. Of 51 observation points, 37 are automated and the situation is similar in Russia. Joint efforts allow us to raise the hydro-meteorological safety of the Union State, providing reliable short-term forecasts, and ensuring timely warning against dangerous weather — for the public and for enterprises and organisations.” Other questions include the organisation of radiation control and monitoring at Belarus’ new nuclear power station. Mr. Polishchuk explains, “Such supervision is vital, in order to predict the influence of the nuclear power station on the environment — both during construction and during operation. We need to create a database on the current state of nature, for future reference: temperature, atmospheric conditions and levels of natural radiation. A great many parameters have to be considered. Belarus is ready for this, having automated points monitoring radioactivity around the border. We co-ordinate this data with our Russian colleagues and have a joint action plan in case of emergency. It’s important to know and, even, to predict the direction of the wind, levels of precipitation and other factors.” Of course, sports events can be better organised with an accurate weather forecast; Belarusian experts helped Russian colleagues in Sochi plan the Olympic Games by sharing weather data. Now, the Russians are helping Belarus with weather forecasts for the Minsk and Brest regattas, as encouraged by the Joint Committee on Hydrometeorology of the Union State. By Vladimir Yakovlev

2014 беларусь.belarus

PANORAMA  No need to travel to far off lands In our modern days, many people — young and elderly alike — complain about being bored. They have nothing to do, nowhere to go and have little money to travel far away. I’d like to propose my own recipe for making life much more interesting.

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Old traditions with a new face This season, organisers prepare lots of surprises for participants and spectators of the International Festival of Arts which will be held from July 10th till July 14th

t the 12th international children’s musical contest, Vitebsk-2014, our country will be represented by young Minsk residents Milana Redchenko and Zinaida Kupriyanovich. The jury of the children’s contest will be headed by the Honoured Artiste of Belarus, Irina Dorofeeva. The head of jury of the international contest of performers of variety song, Vitebsk-2014, is the Honoured Art Worker of Russia, Kim Breitburg. The composition of judges will also include a Norwegian singer with Belarusian origins, Alexander Rybak. This year, the format of the ‘adult’ talent contest will change; 21 contestants will take part in the semi-final, and only 15 will go through to the final. The awards for the best performances are more attractive in comparison with the previous years: The Grand Prix is estimated at around $20,000, whilst the top-three will receive 15, 10 and 5 thousand respectively. беларусь.belarus 2014

Awards

About 30 states will participate in the 23rd Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk International Festival of Arts. After a long break, Phillip Kirkorov will please audiences with a solo concert. Jazz evenings will be also included in the festival program. The names of future laureates of the Union State Award in the field of literature and art are already known. High awards will be presented to the Belarusian sculptor, Ivan Misko, the Russian art historian Inessa Slyunkova and the People’s Artiste of the USSR, Vladimir Zeldin. The Alley of Laureates of special award of the President of Belarus, Through Art — to Peace and Mutual Understanding, will be augmented by one more star in honour of the well-known composer Raimonds Pauls.

ince my student years, our family has been fond of travelling. At present, we are ‘discovering’ our native Belarus — jointly with our children. We surf Belarus’ Globe Internet portal (or other sources) to find an interesting destination for our short trips. Not long ago, we visited Vidzy and were very impressed by the local Roman Catholic church. Previously, we have been to Mir, Nesvizh, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the Berezinsky Reserve, Slonim, Polotsk and the memorial complexes of Proryv (Breakthrough) and Khatyn. Sometimes, we didn’t wish to drive ourselves, so we would take an organised excursion; we visited Lida Castle in this way. I would advise anyone to visit this place. You will enjoy the unique building and will love the Jagaillo Wedding performance (staged by the Lida Local Lore Museum staff). We visited the Strochitsy Architectural-Ethnographical Museum several times — spending a whole day there. By Viktor Zaichenko

Stage One more item of note — spectators will see a lots of pleasant surprises connected with the decoration of the main performance venue. On this occasion, the organisers, along with other technicians with the relevant skills, will offer a range of special effects which were used during Eurovision and the Olympic Games in Sochi. In the summer amphitheatre there will even be dynamically lit water fountains. By Yelena Begunova

VOLUNTEERS

Laughter therapy is a serious matter Volunteers at the Vitebsk Doctor Nebolit Group visit the children’s hospital several times a week in order to distract the young patients from their pain and fear. Belarus’ correspondent learns why they do it and finds out whether it is easy to become a hospital clown.

veryone has heard the phrase ‘laughter is the best medicine’. However, when you are in the hospital, you probably don’t feel like a laugh and a joke. It is especially difficult, when the patients are children. Of course, doctors and parents try to cheer them up, but the situation and their alarm will often stay with the children. However, when a cheerful clown walks through the door, rather than the nurse, the melancholy atmosphere quickly lifts. “If a patient’s mood improves, then his or her state of health improves too, and this helps the patient to recover more quickly. This is a scientifically proven fact. In the larger hospitals in Western Europe ‘medical clowns’ have been working for more than 20 years. Hospital ‘clownery’ is known in many cities of Russia, but we have only just started in this direction,” said Marina Mozyrchuk, who is also Doctor Manyunya and ‘mamka-clown’, a member of the group of Vitebsk volunteers. Other members of the team include strict Carlson, ‘thunder-woman’ Mackintosh, amusing Tinki, tender Luchik and ten other characters who can distract even the most fearful child from their injections or relieve the situation for trauma patients with comical routines and diversions. At first sight, these hospital clowns are simply cheerful guys who are able to entertain others, but actually it is delicate psychological work which includes such serious medical terms as ‘social rehabilitation’, ‘art therapy’, ‘game therapy’, ‘psychological release’. Hospital clowns help children to overcome their pain and distract them from any sad thoughts. They also have a special skill. Because of their situation, children will often not trust parents and doctors any more, while a friendly clown can have a child’s trust. It is not enough just to be a creative person, to be able to act like a child and to blow bubbles and balloons, people need special preparation. 2014 беларусь.belarus

VOLUNTEERS

Professional volunteers

The Doctor Nebolit Group learned how to treat children with laughter from volunteers of Gomel, where a charitable youth public association Hospital Clowns Funny Nose have existed for five years. Then they went to seminars in Moscow where hospital clownery is at a professional level there. Twice, in Vitebsk, they received clowns-volunteers from Japan and not so long ago they enrolled a school of ‘little clowns’. “In hospital clownery there are no trifles. By making errors, it is possible to cause harm to the medical process, therefore new performers can approach children only after training and during the first year they train together with professional clowns,” says Marina Mozyrchuk. I was told that within a couple of days you can tell if you can master the role of a wizard, so I checked it out for myself. Before training a new entrant the simple tricks and basic actor’s skills, teachers let the novices feel whether they are able to enjoy life, relax, to feel the ability to understand the feelings and moods of other people. We start by imitating aliens, trying to look at things as if we were children, seeing them for the first time. We learned to understand a partner without words, to feel them, to correctly estimate conditions in a room and to concentrate when six kids at once need your attention.

Nose, costume and name Hospital clown are totally dissimilar to their circus cousins. The Doctor Nebolit clowns work almost without any make-up, as a child can be frightened of a painted person. They must always improvise, because they do not know what age and mood each child may have. Each clown has their own image, like an ‘alter ego’, which each person must find. After it is found, a special costume is created. Their white overall is embroidered with bright fabrics and buttons, while on the back their specific clown name is written in capital letters. “As soon as I put on a nose and costume, my name is not Olya, but Tinki who acts and even thinks in completely беларусь.belarus 2014

different way, sometimes I surprise myself at Tinki’s imagination,” says Olga Zaitseva, an ecologist by trade. “We always work in the hospital in pairs; it helps to play with conflicts of interest — white clown and red clown, good and bad, kind and angry. And a child, who misses the house and is compelled to submit to hospital rules, suddenly becomes a participant of the game, a hero of a cheerful story. He or she laughs and, at least for a while, forgets about their illness. We work simply for the sake of these smiles and happy faces. And, if we are able to turn around an unwilling participant, it has truly been a top performance.” The latest clowns are still improving their character, although, just a month after training, new clowns have appeared: Rastyapa (bungler), Khokha and bee Maia, with whom the little girls at once fell in love. Some people often visit their ill relatives with sadness. Many are afraid of another’s misfortunes and do not want to spend personal time with strangers. But the clowns are accepted easily. “When I was training, I did not expect that I would find it that interesting. But now, I try to go to the hospital twice a week. Each time I am afraid, and each time I learn something new,” tells Ira, a future geographer. “Once I entered a room, and there was the boy with serious trauma. I was shocked but when he started laughing, I was very happy. At first he hesitated, was a little afraid and it was pleasant for me to establish contact

with him. It is like an emotional charge. It is difficult to put into words. Certainly, there are children for whom you feel sorry, but the main thing is to not begin crying in front of them. You can cry only after the visit is over.”

Vogue for good At first the girls really cried when leaving children’s homes or traumatology divisions. “We warn people that it is really hard. The work of a hospital clown is physically draining. It may just be two hours of work, but when we leave, we feel as if we have dug a whole potato field,” Marina Mozyrchuk admits. “It is not like going and playing with healthy children. Our children have big, visible health problems. We deal with burn units, scars, neurologic diseases... It is terrible, especially when you are young and maybe you have a little child of your own, but in due course, the fear leaves you. People ask us is we have hardened or become cynical? It is difficult to explain to people that this is not the case. It is just that, in time, you cease to divide children between sick and healthy.” By Olga Kruchenkova

RARE BOOKS

Alexander Ruzhechka

Word stock Minsker, Mikola Kasciukievič, owns books which cannot even be found at the National Library

hree years ago, Mikola was primarily known as a poet, but then he got interested in the sciences. The man decided to investigate the nuances of the Belarusian language, penetrating into all its areas, including chemistry and sport. The enthusiast set himself an ambitious goal — to collect all existing Belarusian dictionaries. Mikola’s plans have come to life, and he recollects the words of his colleague, Juraś Paciupa, who was truly skeptical about his idea. “Juraś has been collecting dictionaries all his life,” says Mikola. “He failed to believe that I’d succeed and even ‘outstrip’ him. I now own books which could not even be found at our National Library. I visited bookstores, buying rare editions. At the National Library, I copied rare books which cannot be bought. At the moment, I have over 700 original books, in addition to over 100 copies and 40 scanned texts.” The Russian-Belarusian dictionary (published from 1953-2013) occupies a whole shelf and consists of 24 volumes. Each publication was only between

one and three volumes, but Mikola has acquired all published versions, as he views each of them as truly valuable. “The literary language is ever changing. The process is invisible, but we can trace corrections through the dictionaries,” he explains, adding, “I have the wellknown Russian-Belarusian dictionary of the late 1920s (authored by Mikola Bajkoŭ and Sciapan Niekraševič) and the 1937 Russian-Belarusian dictionary (compiled by Andrej Alieksandrovič). If we start comparing translations, we’ll see that, in the past, ‘gretski’ [translated as ‘Greek’] was common, but now, ‘grechaski’ is used, while ‘morski’ [‘sea’] has transformed into ‘marski’. Until the 1990s, there was no mentioning of ‘spadar’ [‘sir’] in academic dictionaries, while the Russian ‘gospodin’ was translated as ‘pan’.” Mr. Kasciukievič also owns some rare editions which were brought from abroad. A Lithuanian-Belarusian dictionary of chemical terms and a Lithuanian-Russian-Belarusian dictionary on mathematics and biology came from Lithuania; these were published in Vilnius, and are almost unknown in Belarus (only a couple of specialists

have ever seen them). A frequency dictionary of the Belarusian language was brought from Japan; it was printed in Tokyo in 1998. Mr. Kasciukievič’s shelves keep books published from all over the globe — from Hungary, the UK or the USA. People interested in the Belarusian language live everywhere and, while collecting his books, Mikola has made several ‘discoveries’. “I previously thought that only Belarusian ex-pats could have published Belarusian dictionaries in the USA. However, I was surprised to learn that, in 1992, an English-Belarusian dictionary was produced in New York without Belarusians’ help. This was America’s baby. This fact indicates the interest shown in our country and our language beyond the ocean,” the man muses. Some reference books, unknown even to some scholars, were published in Belarus. Luckily, Mikola owns the originals. Among them is an interesting dictionary of terms to the course of chemistry and physics-chemistry of polymers (published in Mogilev in 1994). In 1995, a short Russian-Belarusian dictionary on logics terms was pub2014 беларусь.belarus

RARE BOOKS

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 In January, 2014, the first diploma paper (in 45 years) in the Belarusian language was defended at the Homieĺ State Technical University. A student of the Industrial Electronics Department, Andrej Hrabiančuk, presented his Belarusian language work on the modern system to manage a gas block burner for boiler units. Andrej works at the Rečyca Hardware Plant. Preparing a paper was a challenge for him. The young man explains, “In some cases, I had to address rare technical dictionaries of special terms of automatics and electronics as ordinary dictionaries proposed only short versions.” The examination board members unanimously agreed to give him the highest mark — 101 — which does not happen often. Who knows, Andrej may author a dictionary of his own one day. lished), the Belarusian language was used only in literature and folklore. At present, this is the language of diverse sciences but few use it in practice. With this in mind, Mr. Kasciukievič’s

hobby is to create grounds for more Belarusians and foreigners to get acquainted with the nuances of the Belarusian language. By Viktar Korbut

Mikola Kasciukievič and his collection of Belarusian dictionaries

Alexander Ruzhechka

lished in Mozyr and, in 2001 a rare volume of Belarusian personal names was printed in Gomel. Few Minskers know of their existence, but Mikola proudly keeps them all on a single shelf. Actually, no Belarusian or foreign library has such a collection of Belarusian dictionaries. Importantly, all of them are ready at hand. Meanwhile, Mikola does not yet know where his treasure should be kept further to ensure access for anyone. All the libraries have their own collections. With this in mind, the man widely uses his books now and, in 2013, published a Russian-Belarusian dictionary on physical culture and sports, with his co-author, a Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Larysa Hlazyryna. The book contains 20,000 words but, owing to the unique library, it’s taken just six months to compile it. On the eve of the Ice Hockey World Championship (which was hosted by Minsk in May), Mr. Kasciukievič prepared an English-Belarusian dictionary of hockey terms. Physical culture and sports are another passion of Mikola who’s demonstrating his deep knowledge of related terms in his joint work wit h Ms. Hlazyrina. “We’ve discovered that Russian ‘skhvatka’ [‘fight’] is translated by all dictionaries as ‘skhvatka’ or ‘sutychka’. Actually, ‘skhvatka’ is not of a Belarusian form, while ‘sutychka’ is a better choice. We’ve, in turn, proposed ‘skhapka’ as a translation. The word might sound unusual, but it perfectly discloses the meaning when fighters come to grips — or ‘skhapilisya’ in Belarusian. In my native land (near Sluck), a person who’s caught is called ‘skhapleny’ rather than literary accepted ‘skhopleny’,” the collector tells us. Until 1906 (when the Naša Dolia Belarusian newspaper was first pub-

ART | PERSONALITY

Conceptualist

Vasily Kostyuchenko

2014 беларусь.belarus

ART | PERSONALITY

“Таямніца старых дзвярэй”, 2009.

There’s no doubt that famous Belarusian artist Vasily Kostyuchenko — is a conceptual painter. This is well confirmed by his recent personal show at the Republican Art Gallery of the Belarusian Union of Artists. беларусь.belarus 2014

he exhibition featured a series of paintings drawn over recent years, all united by a single concept: man in our modern world. People of Earth features characters as symbolic figures, rather than true portraiture. Each is a dreamer, with large eyes, like those of a child. Mr. Kostyuchenko’s characters have time to explore their feelings and dreams, love and faith — despite the hectic pace of life in our contemporary world, filled with technical achievements and pragmatism. Kostyuchenko’s success lies in his ability to react to artistic trends and events, while remaining soulful, lyrical and deeply intimate. His style well fits that of ‘new figurativeness’ — combining non-object and realistic art. He uses formal composition and his colours represent reality: green for grass, red for the sun and blue for water. This colour substantiality is well seen in his depiction of a watermelon in Summer.

His works vary in mood: some dramatic, with contrasting colours (Reserved Moment, Crucifix, and Rose Sunrise); and others harmoniouslybalanced, within a single pale colour range (Lullaby and White Morning). His multi-coloured compositions (red and green, and green and pink) are perhaps most in keeping with today’s trends and his nocturne pieces (Twilight and Moon Landscape) are exemplary. His works have little in common with advertising trends, rather echoing Chagall’s motifs (delicate naivety, multi-coloured figurines, and silhouettes of horses and cows). He belongs to the famous Vitebsk school, having graduated from the Vitebsk Pedagogical Institute’s Graphic Art Department, in 1974. Without doubt, Mr. Kostyuchenko’s new series of city landscapes (City 1 and 2, City Echo and By the Church) perfectly reflect the spirit of the Belarusian capital. Minsk is depicted as boiling with energy, greatly contributing to the capital’s ‘artistic brand’.

ART | PERSONALITY Pictures on the topic of Christianity occupy a special place in Mr. Kostyuchenko’s artistry, reminding us of touching folk icon masterpieces: Radunitsa, Meeting and Eucharist. These reflect not simply his religious attitude but the traditional mythological outlook of the Slavs (based on the agricultural calendar, with a yearly cycle of festivities). His unique sacral atmosphere is best seen in Easter Anticipation 1 and 2, Christmas and Radunitsa. In recent times, Mr. Kostyuchenko has mostly focused on large formats: Floater, Pontius Pilate and Jesus, and Meeting Anticipation. These draw on abstract expressionism’s desire to shape the invisible.

His conceptuality was evident at his Sign of Water exhibition — hosted by Minsk’s Modern Fine Arts Museum. He explored the life-giving power of water and, like a rainstorm on a sunny day, the result was unexpected yet predictable. He inspired us to open our eyes more widely in assessing this essential substance. Our vital water sources are endangered, with the Earth’s glaciers melting and drinkable water resources becoming scarcer. However, Belarus is rich in rivers and lakes, with spring waters found deep underground. Some states’ wealth is based on oil, natural gas or coal; our treasure is water. Mr. Kostyuchenko highlights this, demonstrating the value of water

against heat. The recent summer’s hot weather, which brought forest fires and drought, inspired Mr. Kostyuchenko’s series on the theme of water as a vivid life force. He stresses that water is vital to our daily lives, as seen in People Who Drink Water, which shows water flowing as life does. Mr. Kostyuchenko invites us to embrace the spiritual aspect of water; in caring for it, we show responsibility for future generations. His artistic expression aims to find a spiritual pivot — in his own self and in those around him. He strives to define the essence of human nature, revealing our relationship with the environment. His works are aimed at those who are inclined to ponder the ordinary, seeking deeper meaning; he overcomes material matters, inspiring us to shift our perspective. Of course, perceptions can differ, since opinions on every subject vary. We bring our own experiences and preferences to each work of art. However, Mr. Kostyuchenko’s encourage us to enter a dialogue. What does art mean to you? Artists don’t necessarily draw what they see at a given moment… I believe that artists, poets and writers share a similar spirit, although they differ in how they express themselves. I often ponder why we sometimes have something to convey and sometimes we don’t. Artists are born rather than trained, being inspired to share their ideas. They feel passionately. My Sign of Water and People of Earth exhibitions show my own attitude towards life. Artists find their ow n t he me — their own thoughts, which they then express. 2014 беларусь.belarus

ART | PERSONALITY Art has always existed to some degree and its diversity is what makes it interesting. I see art as a living organism, evolving; you sometimes have to expel bad ideas to leave the good. I believe it’s important to keep your sense of self; if you work sincerely, conveying your true feelings, the results will be worthwhile. Audiences sometimes fail to understand my mission but they usually accept my efforts and love my work. Is participation in exhibitions important for you? Of course, since it allows communication. Your works are not realistic, although you are capable of this. Why have you shifted from realism to other forms? What is realism? Is it when I’m walking down the street or in the forest — when I can feel and smell my environment, giving an emotional response? If we photograph the forest, we see an exact depiction but we also experience associative feelings. Each person’s response is a little different. It’s impossible simply to reproduce nature, as every ‘copy’ involves some personal interpretation. Of course, different images inspire different responses. Happiness is intangible thing, although it can be encapsulated in a painting. How can we explore personal relationships? People may be painted sitting close to one another, looking happy, but my depiction shows them as separate beings as much as they are united. I’ve approached the topic of water realistically but, truly, how can we decide what is ‘real’ — in the sense of being genuine — and what is not? What is your grand theme and mission? I want to explore my personal responses. We may be sitting chatting but if a car passes and my brush falls, a new moment of time is created. I want to depict each moment; themes are secondary in importance. What is vital is that each painting should inspire reflection. Do you think that works should be beautiful? беларусь.belarus 2014

Not necessarily. A man once told me that my works were beautiful, but I consider them to be far from perfect. What do we mean by beauty? For me, it refers to harmony of colour, where there is no need to change anything and where the depiction seems natural. However, I also want people to understand my ideas. There’s great skill in composition and rhythm, although there is more to art than this. Many artists remain unknown, being unable to work independently. Everyone struggles in their own way. You’ve taken part in many exhibitions, touring abroad. Has this experience been useful? I think we are only interesting when we are original. What are your artistic plans? Do you think you’ve already achieved artistic heights, with no more need to invent something new?

In my opinion, it’s bad to view yourself as a master. Repeating what’s already known to you is a waste of time, since you must always endeavour to improve yourself. Struggle is vital; you should never become indifferent. You might follow a certain path, developing exclusively within it, but there is no limit to perfection and no end to your work. I still hope to express myself more clearly in my works. A critic once said that ambiguity is a strong feature of Slavonic art. Mr. Kostyuchenko’s artistry is ambiguous, lacking rationality and relying on emotional exploration. He values understatement rather than plain assertions. In shaking free of a rational approach, he can embrace impulsive accents of bright colours. His plots seem to dissolve, creating a unique diffusion — as in Her Majesty Painting.

ART | PERSONALITY Mr. Kostyuchenko belongs to that generation of Belarusian artists who managed to escape the influence of pseudo-academic tradition. Art critic Nikolay Pogranovsky tells us that Vasily’s artistry ‘retains figurativeness’ but gives it ‘new sense’. He emphasises that this ‘compositional context is an organic pictorial component’ and that his use of ‘intense spots of colour remind us of Fauvist pictorial art’. However, he asserts that, while following European trends, Vasily’s work opens new avenues ‘which academic painting can hardly produce’. Mr. Kostyuchenko’s style is singular in often being limited to one colour palette: mostly red. Its nuances vary endlessly, smoothly ‘moving’ from one picture to another, gradually revealing ‘the topic of red’. What inspires you? Are your works based on life in Belarus and its national features? Or are you an ‘international’ artist?

Vasily Kostyuchenko belongs to that generation of Belarusian artists who managed to escape the influence of pseudo-academic tradition. His artistry ‘retains figurativeness’ but gives its ‘new sense’. This ‘compositional context is an organic pictorial component’ Of course, I’m inspired by global art. However, I’m most inspired by Belarus, where I live, communicate and experi-

ence life. Accordingly, my themes are born here — even when they are more global (like Sign of Water). The 20-yearold students of today are so different to me in their way of thinking that I fear a huge generational gap. Why do you think people are less interested in art today? This trend has existed for centuries: few are interested in art. It’s probably the world structure. Do modern artists focus too much on the need to sell their works, seeing consumers rather than art-lovers? It’s a complicated issue. I sometimes produce works with sale in mind, but I realise that this can affect the quality of your work. Perhaps all art aims to please others, in its fundamental essence. My co-author in creating a catalogue of Belarusian artists told me that we need to attract viewers by showing something impressive, yet comprehensible. An unprepared viewer accepts only those aspects of which they know; anything new is unusual to them. Have you ever thought about how audiences view you? We should distinguish between art and commerce. Selling works and drawing pictures are different aspects. Any work can be sold and should be. Artists need someone to promote their works. How can we assess auctions? Belarusian artists’ works have been sold at auction, but play no direct role in this; such sales come from a desire to make money. Sotheby’s is now paying attention to art previously overlooked, so today’s works may become ‘valuable’ in two or three decades. Artists often gain in attractiveness once they’ve died, although certain criteria of assessment exist. We know little of some artists not because their pictures are boring but because they are seldom shown in public. Are some Belarusian artists gaining global recognition? Zaborov and Chagall did so; the latter brought his works to Germany but nobody was interested in them, finding support only in France. This is Fate: artists need buyers. 2014 беларусь.belarus

ART | PERSONALITY

What can you say of the modern Belarusian school of painting? I’ve visited many states — including Germany, Sweden, Luxembourg and France. We are not accepted as outsiders there. In the past, Moscow greatly influenced Belarusian art. Painters also often visited Vilnius; local art was modern and interesting. We do have many educational establishments. I was once visited by an artist from the Novgorod Region, which has just one art college, despite the region being as large as Belarus. We have a whole School. You received the Special Presidential Award for Fine Arts. I was awarded for my contribution to the development of Belarusian art. I had a fruitful year, helping ‘furnish’ the National Library and organising several shows. What inspires your art? Do your works reflect Belarusian customs and national features or are you an international artist? беларусь.belarus 2014

We cannot help but be influenced by past masters: People’s Artists Mikhail Savistky, Leonid Shchemelev and Gavriil Vashchenko. Having looking at their works since childhood, they leave an imprint and it’s hard to change a trend. However, many of us now have the chance to travel abroad, demonstrating our artistry on a wider scale. We are influenced by global artistic trends but remain most inspired by Belarus, where we live, communicate and experience

life. Our themes are born here. Speaking of today’s 20-year-old students, I’m very much afraid that there is a generational gap. When we joined the Union of Artists, we saw this as success in itself. Modern artists lack such faith. I do not assert that they lack talent; on the contrary, they are talented. However, we need them to believe in their strength and potential. These young painters should realise that their work is needed. Are you worried about preserving traditions? Of course. Traditions can help the young, so they must be preserved. Vasily Kostyuchenko has his own perception of the world and his own artistic philosophy. His exhibitions perfectly characterise his passion for life. Reality takes many forms in his works. Each picture is a fragment within a series, focusing on global harmony. He sees the world holistically, rather than as a ‘frozen’ moment, and is keen to reveal the responses guiding his creativity. By Viktor Mikhailov

CINEMA

Alexey Dudarev

Feature film Belye Rosy. Return soon to hit the big screen

he scale of human m e m or y n e ve r fails to impress me; no matter how much time passes, a sudden recollection can bring to mind an event from many years ago as clearly as if it were yesterday. Even the smallest details remain vivid and the passing decades melt away. Belye Rosy, directed by Igor Dobrolyubov (based on Alexey Dudarev’s script) first screened in 1983, yet it seems that hardly a day has passed since we ‘gathered’ in the house always open to friends. I recall the pleasure with which Alexey and his wife Valentina presented the film, knowing that all would enjoy it. Those who failed to see it at the cinema most certainly purchased the video released by Belarusfilm. Alexey’s inimitable humour shone through and he laughed and cried on watching the film, alongside t he au d i e nc e.

The film has the ability to touch us deeply, stirring strong emotions. Scriptwriter Alexey met up with us to discuss shooting on the Kuril Islands. With tea and a pie and, of course, a festive glass of champagne, he revealed that he even acted in a scene deleted from the film. A trained actor, he’s able to re-enact scenes hilariously. Sadly, his friend Anatoly Zhuk, of the Belarusian Republican Young Spectator Theatre, died several years ago, leaving a legacy of amazing work, including poetry collections. How delightful it is to be reminded of younger days: the illusion is refreshing and beautiful, allowing us to feel light of heart rather than old of years. We realise at once that our memories remain forever and that precious times are never lost. I’ve watched the cult film Belye Rosy several times, like most people across post-Soviet territory. Each time, I experience the same feelings as I did during my very first acquaintance with the masterpiece, while noticing new details, as my eye matures. I can’t help but wonder how young scriptwriter

Thirty 50

2014 беларусь.belarus

CINEMA Dudarev managed such acute perceptions of ‘adult’ life; his approach to its ‘spiritual’ problems must stem from a deeper understanding than most of us ever achieve — and certainly not until later years. It seems that there is something mystical in Dudarev sharing Alexander Pushkin’s birthday: he appears to have some of the poet’s genius. He writes not only plays but verse and stories, joking that he attempts to find success by casting as many arrows as possible. As to what inspired him to write the script for the sequel to Belye Rosy, he admits being encouraged by People’s Artiste of Belarus Gennady Garbuk, who plays the elder son of Fedos Khodas, Andrey. They began chatting at the Yanka Kupala Theatre, in 2009, where Gennady was celebrating his 75th birthday. Some masterpieces seem destined to be created, born from another dimension. Dudarev once described Belye Rosy as a film existing in its own universe, illuminated by ethereal light and heat, generated by those who created it. It comforts me to think that a world might exist

of higher truth and light, as described by mystic poet and philosopher Daniil Andreev, known for his Rose of the World. He saw human creativity catching the vibrations of a celestial sphere, channelling noble thoughts into works

How delightful it is to be reminded of younger days: the illusion is refreshing and beautiful, allowing us to feel light of heart rather than old of years. We realise at once that our memories remain forever and that precious times are never lost of beauty. Such creators return something to the ‘heavens’ — as Andreev thought. Dudarev perhaps also felt a higher calling for Belye Rosy to receive new life, to bring joy to the world. Brand project 'B elye Rosy. Return' was

finished last September, as producer Alexandra Butor told us in her October interview for our magazine. The film marks her acting debut on the big screen, and she also helped Alexey Dudarev and Yulia Girel with the script. Alexandra has many pleasant recollections of working with Dudarev, and of filming with the cast — most of whom are now firm friends. In October, Alexandra told us, “We’re still on friendly terms and won’t lose touch, having become like family.” At the Belarusfilm premiere, the cast welcomed each other and their young director so warmly that their mutual adoration was obvious. The director of the film studio, Oleg Silvanovich, was inspired in asking Alexandra Butor to work on Belye Rosy and she did not let him down. According to Silvanovich, the film’

years later беларусь.belarus 2014

CINEMA

One subtlety does echo the 1983 film, embodying the original spirit of Belye Rosy: the importance of relationships. The contrast between city and village life, and the interaction between the main characters creates a mosaic of episodes, skewered by this central essence ing a simplicity that draws us in: as in commedia dell’arte.” One subtlety does echo the 1983 film, embodying the original spirit of Belye Rosy: the im-

portance of relationships. The contrast between city and village life, and the interaction between the main characters creates a mosaic of episodes, skewered by this central essence. The plot involves Irina, the wife of Andrey Khodas. Having left her husband and married a German millionaire, she is now a widow, running her husband’s company. Partnering ambitious Bodya and Rusachenko, Irina comes to Belarus to carry out the project begun by her husband: building a tourist complex in the very village where Andrey Khodas lives, alongside dumb girl Polya, and eccentric Struk (who spends all his pension on lottery tickets, dreaming of winning an apartment in Minsk). The neighbours have no idea that their tranquil lives are in jeopardy. Bodya and Rusachenko offer to buy their homes, to smooth the path of their development project, and promising to organise a place for Struk in a comfortable old people’s home in Minsk. The cast is star-studded, featuring established actors from Minsk’s leading theatres: the Yanka Kupala Theatre; the Belarusian Republican Young Spectator Theatre; the Russian Theatre; the Theatre of Belarusian Dramaturgy; and the Army Theatre. Russian actress Irina Yegorova-Kovrigo plays Irina, having played Andrey Khodas’ wife thirty years ago. Russian A n d r e y Me r z likin reminds Ms. Butor of Karachentsov,

They met like one family. Viktor Manaev, Anna Polupanova, Alexandra Butor, Pavel Kharlanchuk and Sergey Zhbankov during presentation of the film

2014 беларусь.belarus

Ivan Zhdanovich

success lies in its embracing of the eternal theme of love: for family, motherland and our roots. Certainly, the film will attract attention simply for having talented Russian actor Nikolai Karachentsov in a cameo role. Sadly, in 2005, he met with a severe accident. The nationwide premiere date is yet to be set but is likely to be over the summer. I watched the film with excitement, trying to forget the original Belye Rosy. It’s not a remake, as Ms. Butor has emphasised; rather, it stands in its own right as a modern film, reflecting contemporary life. We see both village living and busy urbanites, surrounded by buildings of glass and concrete, and high-tech offices and apartments, illuminated by the sun and the sparkle of city lights. We feel the rapid pace of life, which paralyses the soul. However, the film treats this segment rather like a game. Ms. Butor notes, “The film is inspiring, and dynamic, while hav-

CINEMA

Musical accompaniment on the Web Official soundtrack to Belye Rosy. Return available online

Ivan Zhdanovich

Meeting of Pavel Kharlanchuk with journalists after viewing of the film

which inspired her to cast him as the husband of Galyunya (daughter of Vasily Khodas). Tough businessmen Bodya and Rusachenko — played by Pavel Kharlanchuk (Yanka Kupala Theatre) and Sergey Zhbankov (Russian Theatre) — demonstrate cold calculation and the folly of pursuing wealth for its own sake. They lose sight of the human need for love and spiritual fulfilment, forfeiting their empathy and becoming little more than cynical tools of their company. Bodya is a leader by nature, casting aside Rusachenko’s doubts, borne from his gentler nature and greater tendency to appreciate others’ feelings. Their hearts are not evil; they have simply ‘momentarily’ sold their souls. In the final scenes of the film, the mask of ‘toughness’ falls from Bodya. Sitting in Andrey Khodas’ courtyard, we see at last a pleasant man relieved at not having made the terrifying choice of burning down Khodas’ home. He feels the beat of his heart, and the forgiveness of those who surround him, managing a sincere transformation. Lithuanian Juozas Budraitis — a legend of Soviet cinema — plays the leading role. Known for such Russian беларусь.belarus 2014

films as Nobody Wanted to Die, and Podranki, not to mention Rich Man, Poor Man, he has also appeared in Belarusian films: Anastasiaya Slutskaya; Time Doesn’t Wait; and Rudobelskaya Republic. He loves to film in Belarus and often attends the annual International Listapad Film Festival. He also enjoys welcoming guests from Belarus to his home, including Viktor Manaev (Yanka Kupala Theatre) who plays Struk. Struk is Viktor’s first major cinema role. Like Alexandra, it is his debut — and a very successful one. Viktor’s character manages to tread the fine line between humour and vulgarity, inspiring laughter yet stirring our compassion. We laugh through our tears, seeing his deeply hidden fear of loneliness, to which he will never confess. Belarusian actresses Anna Polupanova, Tatiana Garkusha, Yevgeniya Zhukovich and Yulia Smirnova head the female cast, bubbling with energy, as well as moral purity and feminine beauty, such as all aspire to. The film is guaranteed to lift our hearts, reminding us that we need not be slaves to greed and that money cannot buy all we desire.

osy Belye (White Dews) is the theme tune of the hit film, recorded by Switter Boys and composed by Vladimir Kondrusevich, who has written music for many foreign and Belarusian films and performances. The composition also uses Mikhail Tanich’s lyrics, from The Suffering song, performed by Nikolai Karachentsov in the first Belye Rosy (shot in 1983). The official soundtrack for the new film has been recorded by Switter Boys and Buranovskie Babushki. Switter Boys’ Ruslan tells us, “When director Alexandra Butor invited us to record the soundtrack, she said that she’d like to conclude the film in a similar manner to the original Belye Rosy and mentioned that she wanted Buranovskie Babushki to sing the final track. We offered our co-operation but it took almost six months for us to get together, as they were either on tour or preparing for the Olympics. We’re very thankful to them for having worked with us.” The song will soon be aired on Belarusian and Russian radio stations. Shots from the film, as well as from the film set, are used in the video: neither Switter Boys nor Buranovskie Babushki appear, having been on too tight schedule to take part. Film producer Alexandra Butor notes that the video features a great many ‘out-takes’ -- which are sure to delight viewers. Belye Rosy. Return continues the legendary comedy, directed by Igor Dobrolyubov and shot in 1983. The Khodos brothers, from the original film, are now joined by younger family members. The premiere is scheduled for April and will appear nationwide in autumn.

By Valentina Zhdanovich

THEATRE

his year, the International М@rt.contact Youth Theatre Forum brought together representatives of nine countries, including those from the UK and Italy for the first time. The seven-day programme included around twenty performances; classics like Faust, Hamlet, King Lear, and Crime and Punishment received original stagings, as befits such a creative event. The event is known for its extraordinary interpretations, inspiring audiences to buy tickets well in advance.

The programme included Polish Milka — a monologue based on Michał Walczak’s Sandbox, starring Krzysztof Grabowski as director, writer and actor. Other wonderful stagings were The Fearless Landlord — a nightmarish fairytale from the Russian Academic Youth Theatre, and The Beautiful — an English fantasy, based on texts by Rimbaud, Ionesco, Dures, Márquez, Bulgakov, Plath and Sandburg. There was even a German cabaret performance entitled In der Bar zum CROCODIL. Most performances were complete sell-outs, notes Mogilev student Margarita Kovaleva, who tells us, “Dur-

Contact at М@rt.contact Theatre festival in Mogilev offers fearful fairytales, a monologue in a sandbox and dance performances

By Lyudmila Minakova

ing King Lear, staged by famous Lithuanian director Linas Zai k au s k a s , s o m e people

Belta

“This festival occupies a special place in the country’s theatrical life,” stresses Belarus’ Minister of Culture Boris Svetlov. “It boasts a unique format. The project is about youth and for youth, so it has a great future; the potential of Belarusian theatrical art is forged here, as is tomorrow’s theatrical language.”

stood for the whole three acts. The performance was fascinating, with amazing acting. The audience hung on every word and gesture, in complete sympathy with the emotions portrayed. Sets and props were minimal but enough to create the necessary atmosphere. Even ordinary stones were used, and the musical accompaniment helped set the scene.” Belarus’ Maxim Gorky National Academic Drama Theatre opened the forum with Oracle?.. — a musical tragicomedy based on Andrey Makayonok’s Intimidated Apostle. The Republican Theatre of Belarusian Drama gave a new interpretation of the folk tragedy The Broken Nest — by Yanka Kupala, while Minsk’s SKVO’S Dance Company performed Happy Valentine. Mogilev’s Regional Drama Theatre surprised audiences with Fröken Julie, which won it the special Boris Svetlov prize — worth Br100m. The money is to be used to stage It’s a Family Affair — We’ll Settle It Ourselves.

2014 беларусь.belarus

CINEMA

 Alexander Mitta captivated by avant-garde Russian director Alexander Mitta tells journalists, ahead of private screening of Chagall-Malevich, that he plans to return to Vitebsk to shoot film on Russian avant-garde movement

“A

Nika added to film’s festival awards Belarusian-Russian The Role awarded Nika Award for ‘Best Screenplay of 2013’

criptwriters Konstantin Lopushansky and Pavel Finn received the award at a solemn ceremony in Moscow, for their action drama, set in the early 20th century. Produced by Belarusfilm National Film Studio, in collaboration with Russia’s Proline Media and Lenfilm, Finland’s BUFO STUDIO and Germany’s SIGMA H.V.e K, the plot revolves around a talented provincial actor, Nikolay Yevlakhov. While shuttling from one railroad station to another, accompanied by White Guards seeking refuge from the Bolsheviks, Red Army soldiers capture the men. Commanding officer Ignat Plotnikov surveys the prisoners before their execution by firing squad; stopping in front of Yevlakhov, he realises that they are identical in appearance. Suddenly, the enemy cavalry breaks through and Plotnikov is shot. Returning to Finland, actor Yevlakhov begins беларусь.belarus 2014

to research Plotnikov’s life, planning to ‘resurrect’ him back in Russia, using fake documents. In line with the ideals of the time, Yevlakhov plays this ‘role’ until, as Fate would have it, his execution by firing squad. The film has already been awarded at several prestigious festivals: the Russian Cinema Club Federation Award — at the 35th Moscow International Film Festival; the Cinema Without Borders special prize, from the CIS Executive Committee for the Development of Cultural Co-operation and Strengthening of Friendship Between Nations — at the 20th Minsk International Listapad Film Festival; the Alexander Tvardovsky Award for best screenplay; and the Anatoly Papanov Award — at the 6th All-Russian Golden Phoenix Film Festival. In addition, Maxim Sukhanov was named ‘Best Actor’ at the 17th International Dark Nights Festival (Estonia).

fter making my film about Chagall, I’ve become captivated by the avant-garde. It was an incredibly fruitful age and a great moment of truth in Russian history — when the Soviet Union spoke to the whole world: Tatlin, Malevich, Mayakovsky, and the absurd poets. It emerged from the revolution. During that time of communist terror, when the threat of death hung large, art presented a free language: new and bright. There were many talented painters so I want to explore Malevich in my next film and I won’t be able to do this without Vitebsk,” Mr. Mitta emphasised. The pre-premiere screening of Mitta’s Chagall-Malevich was held in Moscow on March 31st and received worthy recognition. He notes, The world premiere of Mitta’s Chagall-Malevich, including in Belarus, was organised on April 3rd — screened under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, in 17 cinemas across various cities.

Shot from the movie

UNIQUE WORK OF ART

Minsk Mayor Nikolai Ladutko and Nina Kukharenko

Place found for the tapestry The biggest tapestry in the world, listed in the Guinness Book of Records, is exhibited in the building of the central office of the Development Bank in Minsk

ecause the Tapestry of the Century exhibition took place during the Ice Hockey World Championship, not only Belarusians but also visitors to the country could see the unique, record breaking work for free. The peculiarity of the exhibition is that, due to the building’s architecture and the tapestry’s location within, visitors can view details from various levels. Previously, this could be done only with the help of binoculars. Documentaries by Belarusian and Polish cinematographers are dedicated to the author of the tapestry, Alexander Kishchenko — People’s Artiste of Belarus and twice laureate of

State awards (1980 and 1996), who was awarded the Frantsisk Skorina Order in 1993. One of these films captures a process of hand weaving over his Tapestry of the Century at the Borisov Works of Applied Arts. Remarkably, the author himself has invented a construction of the gigantic weaving loom in the form of a cube specially for this huge carpet-picture. The Tapestry of the Century is a 300kg canvas, which is as high as a six-floor house. It’s unrivalled worldwide as an item of the decorative-and-applied arts in the mastery of performance and the scale of idea’s embodiment in material. It was woven for almost six years. The 266 square metre fabric work of art contains around 806 kilometres of thread! The tapestry was woven from natural sheep hair and, according to some estimates, its cost exceeds $1m. The main idea of the tapestry is the fight between good and evil. It contains more than 80 portraits including Christ and Antichrist, the Pope, Churchill, Gorbachev, Stalin, Hemingway, Castro and the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, as well as events of creation like Noah’s Ark and the Last Supper. Kishchenko thinks that these portraits of the most famous personalities of the past and modernity, embody this idea. For the first time, thanks to the architecture of the building and placing of the tapestry, viewers can examine the linen in detail on various levels. Kishchenko summed up the results of his creativity, and of the whole century, when he said, in 1995, that the Tapestry of the Century was his ‘swan song’. After his death, the grandiose canvas was only twice exhibited in Minsk. It is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records so, undoubtedly, deserves to be seen by the whole world. Nina Kukharenko, his widow, recollects the opening of the exhibition in 1998, at the BelEXPO pavilion, dedicated to the anniversary of the death of her husband. She tells us, “At that time, the Tapestry of the Century was displayed in the most solemn and exciting setting, with choirs singing and candles lit. The tapestry was deliberately unrolled and raised up, so that it was revealed gradually: the magnificent image of Jesus Christ, the Mother and Child, and the fallen angel — the Antichrist, symbolising all of us, the Faithless, as Kishchenko himself used to say. Over 70 prominent political, creative and religious figures burst upon the eyes of spectators, images of the 20th century, alongside allegorical characters, invented by the author: a woman of the Universe, and a man of the Universe.” Being a professional artist herself, Nina helped her husband to create the Tapestry of the Century at the ‘technical’ stage, preparing drawings on cardboard, for later use by Borisov craftswomen. Nina Kukharenko even acted as muse, being used for many of his portraits; she was his pupil and helpmate, his friend and wife. She was the sounding board for the strings of his creativity and is now the treasurer of his huge legacy. By Veniamin Mishin

2014 беларусь.belarus

Tapestry of Alexander Kishchenko at the exhibition in the Development Bank