BELARUS #01/2012 by BELARUS Magazine

No.1 (940), 2012

BELARUS www.belarus-magazine.by

Беларусь. Belarus

Magazine for you

Politics, Economy, Culture

Minsk

Beijing

anniversary of Belarusian-Chinese diplomatic relations Topic of the issue:

A substantial vector

NEW

DIMENSION 200 no.8 (911),

4 6 3 " #&-

Belarus Беларусь.

e nomy, Cultur Politics, Eco

Magazine

for you

SaSHeS SiLK Men’S WoVen By nS Were BeLaruSia ion HiT a True faSH During Ce an in fr of THe reign ; LuDoViC XV THere Were To TS Mp aT Te aLL faKe THeM pe. oVer euro nS CoLLeC Tio ga Be n in THe LaTe y 19TH CenTur

Made in Slutsk pp. 40 — 41

pp. 36 — 37

www.belarus-ma

Magazine for those Magazine for thosewho want to know who want to know more more Six circulations – in Belarusia German, French, Spani www.belarus-magazine.by

Six circulations – in Belarusian, English,

YOU CAN SUBSCR

Contents

Беларусь.Belarus Monthly magazine No. 1 (940), 2012 Published since 1930 State Registration Certificate of mass medium No.8 dated March 2nd, 2009, issued by the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus

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

Year of great lessons

Distance is no obstacle

Discover a vaster area

Editor: Viktor Kharkov Executive Secretary: Valentina Zhdanovich

According to our Embassy, there are, at least, 150 more Belarusians living in China, their numbers annually increasing

Great deeds awaiting “Chinese preferen-

tial credits and direct investments running into billions are actively contributing to the streamlining of the Belarusian economy, and the adoption of advanced technology and innovations”...

Athletes from Zhodino

Looking into the future Chinese and Be-

Allures of enlightment Belarus is be-

larusian enterprises’ liaisons grow and develop

Harmony in Motion When we speck

about China we have the following image in our mind. Morning. Park. Many people do their morning exercises or dance with slow harmonious and delayed movements. Anyone who knows nothing about China (but how many of such people visit China?) and see the slow movements of “dancers” may decide that they are in a trance

Communicating through the ages Gao

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

Man — translator and promoter of Belarusian literature in China

Publisher: “SB” editorial office

Fragile beauty The Chinese porcelain and

This magazine has been printed at “Belarusian House of Press” Publishing Office” UE.

ceramics collection displayed as part of permanent exposition at the Belarusian National Art Museum provides for a possibility to get to know the immense variety of cultural traditions in this country

Unity Through Variety

79 Nezavisimosti Ave., Minsk, Belarus, 220013 Order No.100 Total circulation — 1977 copies (including 764 in English).

Write us to the address: 11 Kiselyov Str., Minsk, Belarus, 220029. Tel.: +375 (17) 290-62-24, 290-66-45. Tel./Fax: +375 (17) 290-68-31. www.belarus-magazine.by E-mail: mail@belarus-magazine.by

coming increasingly popular among the Chinese as a place to obtain higher education

Subscription index in Belpochta catalogue — 74977

Belarusians from Under the Heaven Ozhegov’s defining dictionary gives the following interpretation of the ‘diaspora’term: these are people belonging to one and the same nation who live beyond the country of their origin. I’ve lived in China for as long as 11 years, and the Chinese often call me ‘Lao Beijing Ren,’ which means ‘old Beijing citizen’ (though the‘old’part has nothing to do with my age).

Design and Layout by

For future foreign subscribers for ‘Belarus’ magazine, apply to ‘MK-Periodica’ agency.

Retro-style landmarks

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

2012 беларусь.belarus

Belta

editor’s note

New optimistic countdown

he long awaited snow has finally arrived on the eve of the New Year. In Australia or Brazil, people may be used to admiring New Year fireworks on ocean beaches but, in our country, we have our own winter way. Within just a few days, the snow has blanketed the earth and city asphalt. As I write, snowflakes reel in a cheerful, circular dance beyond the window. The snow may soon melt but, so far, everything is following the ‘winter schedule’ we know and love. The run of time through winter, spring, summer and autumn has its own ebb and tide.

беларусь.belarus 2012

Of course, it’s always useful to measure the present day against the past, to see where progress has been made and where weaknesses lie. As ever, some spheres thrive while others struggle. A year is only a drop in the sea of time, but can still be assessed for achievements. Was 2011 a good year for Belarus? Alexander Lukashenko has called it ‘difficult as never before’, due to global problems. Assessments and forecasts from the President are presented in Year of Great Lessons, showing how everyday life has been affected. This edition is a joint project with China magazine, dedicated to the 20th

anniversary of diplomatic relations being established between the Republic of Belarus and the People’s Republic of China: entitled A Substantial Vector. Naturally, twenty years is fleeting in historical terms but liaisons between our nations may have far reaching consequences. China is a leader worldwide while Belarus is a young sovereign state, yet fully-fledged mutual collaboration in every area — politics, trade and science — is possible. The phenomenon is the focus of both our publications. Understanding of various cultures is vital to successful relations between countries. Children of every nation live with the thought that they’d like to make the world a better place; it is a driving force globally. Meanwhile, parents dream of a better life for their children. Surely, there can be no stronger impetus for progress. BY Viktor Kharkov, magazine editor Беларусь. Belarus

Panorama

Baton picked up by city rich in traditions Gomel transfers honorary status of Belarus’ cultural capital to Nesvizh

 Basis established, with prospects to follow

he project was launched in 2010, with Polotsk becoming the country’s first cultural capital; it was followed by Gomel in 2011, which hosted 12 festivals and 27 concerts by national and foreign groups this year, as well as over 80 exhibitions. Never before have ballet, opera, operetta and variety performances been so richly presented in the city, which boasts a population of half a million. The ceremony of transferring the honorary status to Nesvizh included a summary of Gomel’s achievements. Artists from various genres appeared on Gomel’s stage — from circus performers to cembalists. Nesvizh, with its 14,000 population, has a high bar to match. Applause for Gomel was spontaneous in the packed hall. Officials were saying much that the bar is very high and have even deserved ‘unplanned’ applauses from the overcrowded hall. This is somehow a hint for the future cultural capital — fewer long speeches and more concrete events, which one can recollect in mind with great pleasure. We can certainly expect a wonderful schedule of events from Nesvizh for next year, as the Culture Ministry stresses. The honour not only allows local residents the chance to experience amazing performances; it will encourage guests to visit the town, promoting it as a tourist venue. Its Muses of Nesvizh Festival, as well as opera and ballet nights at the Radziwill Palace will delight audiences. Undoubtedly, the castle is the major cultural resource of the town, with four halls now open to the public and 40 rooms still being revamped. By 2012, it will be fully open.

Belarus and Myanmar have signed agreement on tradeeconomic co-operation

he document was signed during an official visit by a Belarusian governmental delegation to Myanmar, headed by Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich. During his stay, the Head of the Belarusian Government met the President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar,TheinSein,discussing

 Scientists decide to co-operate Belarusian-Lithuanian Innovation Centre to open in Minsk

he new organisation will be set up in line with an agreement signed during the Innovative Forum recently held in Minsk, between the Belarusian Innovative Fund and the Scientific Park of Kaunas University of Technolog y (Lithuania). The centre will help

prospects for bilateral relations. Mr. Myasnikovich noted that the viewpoints of our two countries coincide, laying robust foundations for the successful implementation of joint projects. He passed on words of greeting to Mr. Sein on behalf of the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, wishing success to the Myanmar nation. Agreements were signed on co-operation in education and agriculture, and between the chambers of commerce and industry of Belarus and Myanmar. An agreement to cancel visas for diplomatic and official passport holders was also signed. implement new joint BelarusianLithuanian projects, will aim to attract foreign investments and penetrate new markets for local hi-tech products, and will promote business contacts between scientists and industrial enterprises from our two countries. Its specialists will implement projects in spheres such as energy, construction, machine building, optoelectronics, laser technologies, new materials, ecology, bio-technologies and medicine. In the near future, its scientists will be designing ultrasonic equipment for medical establishments.

2012 беларусь.belarus

Resultsforecasts

Year of great lessons President Alexander Lukashenko summarizes events and lessons of the past year

he press conference lasted for four hours, w it h Alexander Lukashenko answering questions for a crowd of journalists using four microphones, installed in the National Library hall. Almost every media edition in the country was represented, with around 400 journalists sent by over 300 electronic and printed editions, alongside correspondents from foreign media accredited in Belarus. Mr. Lukashenko reminded those present that he has never avoided direct questions and always encourages sincere conversation. Moreover, last year, there were many burning issues regarding economy and politics. “It was a very complex year,” admitted the President. “I wouldn’t want it repeated.” The conference itself was more like a discussion, with the President asking journalists return questions, and calling for mutual sincerity. He reasoned his position emotionally, figuratively and, often, with humour, with plenty of soundbite quotations offered for news agencies and social network users. The event at the National Library was certainly lively. President Lukashenko was eager to address those journalists who were sharply critical in their attitude, wishing to respond to their comments, and prove his point. Answering questions, the President noted in particular:

беларусь.belarus 2012

On the results of 2011 and forecasts for the coming year

I have no wish to repeat the year our country endured in 2011, as it was very difficult. Prices for raw materials, components and hydrocarbon resources were the highest in the history of our state. The coming year is expected to be better for economic development than the very best of the past. Nevertheless, we must ask why events happened as they did. In fact, we’ve already answered

financial sphere now give us hope for a better future. Of course, I could offer you various facts and figures but I think you already know our development priorities for the coming year. We expect GDP to rise by at least 5-6 percent, with other areas following suit. There’s no real cause for alarm, as GDP may grow by 7 percent, maybe slightly more. Considering the situation, it is a very good result. Few countries boast such GDP growth. You must understand

Our priority is to raise standards of living for our people. This will be impossible if high price growth and inflation remain. Salaries should be raised but only where they are truly earned...Where labour productivity rises bonuses will be given; if there is no rise in production, then salaries will remain as they are. It is the law. this question: we lacked enough money to pay for raw materials. There were some errors regarding money supply, alongside certain problems with car imports, costing us about $2bn. Experts believe we wasted even more. As a result, the financial market experienced the situation from which we’re now slowly recovering. Events in the economic and

that we are achieving this not through higher prices for energy resources but thanks to the production sector, agriculture, processing and manufacturing industries. In a word, the hands and brains of our nation are responsible; there is nothing more to say. I would hate to see the situation occur again, affecting our economy and

Belta

ResultsForecasts

finances. Summing up the results of public and political life, it’s true that the year wasn’t easy. After the Presidential elections, we had to deal with complaints in all areas: ‘not the president we wanted’, ‘does not look the way we want it’, ‘wasn’t elected the way we wanted’, ‘not enough people voted the way we wanted’… You’re well aware of the consequences of December 19th, 2010, when some citizens (and provocateurs) tried to institute the regime they wanted unconstitutionally. You know what happened to our ties with the European Union and the United States. Initially, we also experienced complications with the Russian Federation but recent events indicate that we’ve managed to resolve most of these. I repeat: the year wasn’t easy. It was complicated and we can only blame ourselves. History cannot be changed; it will remain with us as a year of great

lessons. I sometimes think that some good may come from what happened, joking that God struck us over the head in warning, telling us to live within our means. If we want to live well, we must work harder. It’s an axiom. Nothing can be invented or added. We understand where our policy needs to be corrected and where attention should be paid to prevent such things from happening again.

On key events

I should mention the terrorist attack in Minsk — an extraordinary event which overshadows all else. As far as foreign policy is concerned, the breakthrough of Belarus regarding integration projects is one of the most important events of 2011. Events in the CIS, which were of a ‘protocol’ character, should not be underestimated in their importance.

The EurAsEC is a disappearing organisation, being no longer needed in Belarus, Kazakhstan or Russia. It has now fulfilled its function, bringing us through the Customs Union to the Single Economic Space, from January 1st. Another important event is Russia’s joining of the WTO. 170 million people reside within the Single Economic Space, so it is important to co-operate with them. I’d also like to highlight some facts within the framework of the BelarusRussia Union State. Judging by our financial and economic agreements, we may say that the forthcoming year will be rather good. Speaking of other events, we should say a few words about the ‘Arab Spring’, which has changed the global political situation. I keep saying ‘there is worse to come!’ There will be far-reaching effects. Look at what has happened in Tunis and Egypt following the results of their elections. The process has somewhat slowed down in Syria, maybe for the better. I hope Syria will emerge from this situation but, I repeat, the consequences will be serious. They say that Turkey is keen to take advantage of the situation to create a new empire. The Americans are reproached for being the ideologists behind the revolution carried out by the NATO block, whereby France and other states bombed Libya. The action is perhaps unambiguously assessed by ‘human rights advocates’ and our oppositionists. Our ‘fifth column’ may even agree with these assessments. A fierce fight for the future is evident. Who will rule the world? It will be owned by those who possess energy resources. Thus, the fight for energy resources continues, and it will become increasingly tougher.

On external factors

I must mention the financialeconomic crisis that hit the West and, especially, Europe. We — Russian, Belarusian, and Kazakh specialists — have discussed this issue very seriously,

2012 беларусь.belarus

Resultsforecasts alongside a statement by Christine Lagarde, Director of the International Monetary Fund. Dmitry Medvedev says we are on the brink of some ‘great depression’. I hope he is mistaken, although we are already seeing the symptoms of a recession. As a result, a tough anti-governmental movement has been triggered in the United States and in other countries. An important security concern for Belarus is the failure of US-Russia missile shield talks — an important and painful issue.

On positive events

There have been some good trends in recent months regarding the trade balance. The inflow of foreign currency is on the rise. Moreover, our trade with the EU has risen by 60 percent, giving a trade surplus of almost $2.5bn. We also have a trade surplus with Russia. If we manage to preserve this trend, there will be no economic, financial, social or political problems.

On satellite towns

All new construction around Minsk will be primarily concentrated towards satellite towns, as I’m afraid of becoming like Russia and other countries, where up to 30 percent of the population live in the capital and its suburbs. It’s awful to be so built up, with so much congestion. Of course, 25-30km isn’t far to travel to come into Minsk to work. People could live in more rural areas, like Zaslavl, Smolevichi, Dzerzhinsk and maybe even Logoisk. We’re developing new transport means to bring people into Minsk — such as an urban electric train. It’s wonderful. I’m overseeing this process. Minsk’s satellite towns are certainly appearing. The most important thing is to correctly distribute production powers. People can’t live only in Minsk. We should be working in every corner of our land, with the population evenly spread. We aren’t doing enough to encourage the process. However, we can’t just send a barrage of newcomers to Smolevichi, although the residents of Smolevichi and of Minsk

беларусь.belarus 2012

are like different fingers on one hand. They need to be integrated carefully, as I’ve warned local authorities. We should bear this in mind as the most vital aspect of such processes.

On price regulation

We’ll be primarily guided by economic measures, as we’ve already demonstrated over the past year — especially in the last six months. There will be no uncontrolled emissions. We are currently living without them and will continue to do so over the coming year. Money should be earned. Moreover, the major economic law on the correlation between salary growth and labour productivity will be rigorously observed. Where labour productivity rises (production output per unit of time), bonuses will be given; if there is no rise in production, then salaries will remain as they are. It is the law. We’ll use every method possible to keep prices under control. The Government is committed to reducing inflation to 18-19 percent, which will be better for all of us — especially the Government. I’m convinced that we’ll solve these problems. Our priority is to raise standards of living for our people. This will be impossible if high price growth and inflation remain. Salaries should be raised but only where they are truly earned. We’ve spoken of raising salaries and pensions several times this year, without using emission money. We’ll only raise salaries, pensions and other allowances if we have money in the budget. As I’ve said before, we’re ready to give the last rouble to people but won’t pay ‘money for nothing’.

On nuclear power station and prospects for Ostrovets

Ostrovets is becoming the most advanced town, as the nuclear power station boasts the highest technologies — like the space programme. We’ll build the power station to rival the most advanced worldwide, allowing us to be self-sufficient of imported electricity, and

to actually sell a considerable portion abroad. The population will double or triple in Ostrovets and we’ll select highly qualified specialists strictly. They must be tried and tested, responsible professionals. We’ll be planning the development of the town taking into account the creation of new jobs. Many people will find employment in local services. Major construction works at the nuclear power station and its surroundings will also provide work and local agriculture will be developed around Ostrovets, with definite efforts made to set up processing of milk and meat. We may help 2-3 large agricultural enterprises in the district set up final processing nearby. Every household will be connected to these facilities. We’re ready to implement a whole range of measures to avoid any problems in the town.

On the threat of ‘economic capture’

To those who say we are losing independence and sovereignty I can only say that they’d be silent if we’d sold our pipeline to their ‘patrons’. Why Russia rather than Europe or America or so on? I was guided by economic and financial profit, as we received $5bn for Beltransgas pipeline. Via this pipe, Belarus received natural gas from Russia and supplied small amounts onwards to Ukraine, Lithuania, Kaliningrad and Poland. Russia has now built the first gas pipeline along the bed of the Baltic Sea, to Germany, and a second line is planned. Who knows what’s next. Really, what did we lose? We were keeping the company alive while earning pennies. Our transit fees were 3-5 times lower than those charged by Western countries but we couldn’t force Russia to pay more, as they would have forced us to pay more for our natural gas. It’s wrong to say that Belarus lost ‘leverage’ against Russia; are we to wage war? Shall we swing the pipe at Moscow, the Kremlin, or Russia? Only idiots talk about ‘leverage’ against

Belta

ResultsForecasts

Russia; Russia has enough ‘leverage’ to influence us. Only an idiot can think in military terms regarding the solving of economic issues. We still have the pipeline and will receive even more in taxes. We’ve received guarantees that transit will increase and we’ll gain more transit earnings. Thanks to the deal, we’ll gain over $2bn every year. This will produce a real effect on our economy. Today, Belarus pays $165 per 1,000 cubic metres of natural gas. Are we ready to pay about $400 per 1,000 cubic metres? 2011 showed us that even $300 could drown us. Don’t criticise me. I acted for the people. Nobody has dug up the pipe and taken it to the Kremlin. It’s a normal and very profitable deal for our state. People still work there and the pipeline is to be modernised. What is there to complain of? Moreover, the deal is tied to other arrangements with the Russian Federation. In particular, with a Russian loan for building the nuclear power plant and oil prices for 2012. Oil delivery terms will be even better than in 2011 — better than for the last five years. Why has Russia done that?

On Belarus-Ukraine relations

I can’t say that things are rosy here. Economics are paramount, propelling us to adopt certain political and social decisions. Trade between Belarus and Ukraine stands at around $6bn — almost the same as with the EU. Progress is obvious. Since Kuchma times, we’ve had a package of agreements to settle; these are to be tacked in the context of our recent agreements. I met Viktor Yanukovych in Moscow and he told me his position. We had definite difficulties but Belarus is not to blame. I don’t want these difficulties to affect personal relations between presidents or state officials. Such moments exist but I believe that we can overcome them. As far as Belarusians are concerned, we’ve moved on. Stepping over such obstacles, we’ve spoken to Mr. Yanukovych and have agreed to finalise a date for meeting soon, to tackle those issues which need to be settled.

On death penalty

When I’m being criticised by the EU for the death penalty, I tell them to look over the Atlantic Ocean, to their great

Questions to the President were numerous

friend. As soon as that friend abolishes the death penalty, we’ll be next in line. Why do I say this? Not because we’ll immediately follow America’s example but because I want to show them that double standards are evident. The death penalty, with perhaps cruelly aggravated consequences and tougher laws, exists in the People’s Republic of China, as well as in neighbouring states and Arab countries — from which they pump oil. Why don’t they demand this from them… because they receive oil. Isn’t it clear? I assess all death sentences with my heart, as I do life sentences. I’m often frightened when documents and photos are placed on my table (I always demand that I see all the details regarding sentencing with this extreme punishment). There are sometimes cases where some bastards break into a flat, kill the whole family, rape the younger daughters and cut them into pieces, throwing them into the bathroom before leaving. They receive 25 years of imprisonment. I have the same feeling as you: they should be likewise cut into pieces and thrown into a bathroom…

2012 беларусь.belarus

Belta

Resultsforecasts

It felt like the entire assembly hall was involved

You don’t see the materials regarding these criminal cases. In our country, we do have life sentences and the death penalty. If there’s even the smallest chance that a mistake has been made, if we doubt even one of ten factors, the criminal receives a life sentence. No one passes the exceptional measure of punishment. I’m aware of this juridical practice. People often ask me about the terrorist act on the metro. You have perhaps forgotten what we survived. Put yourself in my place. When I went down to the metro forty minutes later, as I had no choice but to do, despite risking my own life, how do you think I felt? It wasn’t easy. I often think we should refer to public opinion in these matters, asking how people feel and think. We should speak to those who lost their loved ones. They are gone; they have perished. How would you feel if you had to look at an invalid without hands or legs, remembering the image for the rest of your whole life? This is my answer regarding the death penalty. You know, I’ve discussed this topic with many presidents and they tell me

беларусь.belarus 2012

that they’ve adopted a moratorium and can’t turn back, because there are too many problems. Let’s draw conclusions and make decisions based on the abundance of information.

On Parliament

The nation votes for its representatives. However, I also express my point of view during parliamentary elections. We’ll see how many oppose Lukashenko: our ‘fifth column’. Don’t deprive me of the opportunity to conduct at least some agitation. Excuse my immodesty, but I’m used to listening to various points of view. I’ve been told that, if there are no opposing points of view at a session, then it’s cancelled. It’s dangerous to come to me with only praise, agreeing with everything I say, as I don’t like flattery. If I hear it, I’m immediately made wary and suspect the person’s motives. Flattery can wreck a leader, as I’ve always believed and will continue to do so. You can’t reproach me that our Parliament only ‘approves’; you don’t know the battles which sometimes take place there.

I only ask deputies not to disgrace themselves by fighting, as may be seen elsewhere. Don’t succumb to wild emotions, as this may destabilise the situation. We all desire the well-being of our people so let’s solve issues calmly. If you don’t like a draft law, come to me directly and we’ll discuss it. We have a Parliament elected by the nation. Of course, citizens expect it to represent them and can have their word, as we should expect. I’ve always restrained my power and tried not to meddle, or agitate too much, as this will stir up the people. I’ve always adhered to this principle. We won’t violate existing legislation during parliamentary elections. No; they’ll be fair. I, as Head of State, guarantee this. I’m not afraid of opposition in Parliament. However, even when led by the hand, it’s almost impossible to get them into Parliament. I’ve already told you how it was. Those from the EU arrived and asked me why there were no opposition candidates in Parliament, asking me to help them become

ResultsForecasts elected. I listened and promised to do something. We asked the opposition to find normal people to offer as candidates, saying that we wouldn’t oppose their campaigning. Honestly, I did this. However, they didn’t find anyone. We gathered crowds at factories to hear them speak, but they didn’t arrive. What kind of deputies would they make when they are afraid to speak to a small labour group? Don’t reproach me that we lack a fair Parliament. The opposition is in the minority, so they must drum up support. Go for it! Set to work! Don’t wait for financial aid from abroad! You’ll find yourself in the same situation as Belyatsky, who didn’t pay his taxes. Then, you’ll be again saying that Lukashenko is to blame.

On political reforms

Reform is to be conducted in the near future. We’re currently considering how best to do this. I don’t need to suppress anything by force. Olga Abramova asked me a very precise question during the time of the previous Parliament: ‘Would you pass on the same political system to your successor?’ I answered sincerely that I’d given much consideration to the question and thought not. It’s vital that the right person is given power: someone who won’t be filling their own pockets to keep power, regardless of independence or sovereignty. We’ll return to this later; don’t be in a hurry.

External borrowing

We are not planning on taking out any more loans, although we’re ready to negotiate a loan with the IMF, since they are offering acceptable interest rates of 1-2 percent. We aren’t going to borrow at 10 percent, from Sberbank of Russia, as there is no need. If our businesses require funds, they can liaise directly or through our banks. The People’s Republic of China is also a willing lender; it’s no secret that major money is currently concentrated in Chinese hands. They’ve allocated us $15bn of commercial loans, linked to their programmes and constructions.

They’re also giving us another $2bn of loans on preferential terms. We’ll be constructing a runway at our National Airport, of a contemporary nature; the current one is slightly short and out-of-date. We should have a normal airport in time for the 2014 IIHF Championships, costing about $600m. China is giving us loans at just 1.5-2 percent interest, so we’re taking them — primarily for commercial projects. We don’t need to borrow at state level, as our gold-and-currency reserves are of the required amount. We won’t strain the situation. We’d rather gradually pay off loans than take out more.

On Belarus’ economic position

It wasn’t me who developed this economic model. The Belarusian public needed a socially oriented economy and I added market components. Why? Because we must compete, struggle and generate revenue; then the economy will be socially-oriented. I believe that any state, regardless of whether it has energy resources or not, should have a socially oriented economy. Otherwise, you have the situation now observed in Greece, the USA and the whole of Europe: slaughter, fighting and shooting. There’s worse to come… I want us to have a normal economy, without beggars on the streets and very rich people driving their Mercedes cars and so on. I’d like our economy and our country to have a ‘human face’. So, we won’t move away from a sociallyoriented economy. I’ve said so before and I say so again.

On relations with the EU and Poland

Our relations with the EU are developing poorly and Poland has definitely had a hand in making them worse. We didn’t expect anything from Poland’s presidency over the European Union… and have been proven correct. I answer briefly, as there’s no sense in dwelling on the topic. You’re well aware of it, as are the people.

On the events of December 19th, 2010

What would happen if someone in the USA attempted to enter the White House with a pick, shovel, bar or sharp instrument? Firstly, they’d never reach the door, as they’d be shot before coming within 1.5km. No one would even ask their name before sending them into eternity. Why am I reproached for protecting the state institution and arresting rascals? They were openly convicted; not 450 people, but just 20 or 25 — I don’t remember exactly. They were the real aggressors. You saw the events on TV, as Western journalists filmed everything. You saw what happened. Even one call to overthrow the ruling power in a non-constitutional manner is enough in democratic states to receive 15 years of imprisonment. For what am I reproached? If I encourage such phenomena, people will break down doors and throw in grenades. Power is designed to protect the law and bring order to a country. I’m asked about the fate of those convicted following the events of December 19th. In line with the Constitution, I can grant mercy, if someone applies to me for help. If they don’t apply, they remain in prison.

On the Union State

We aren’t destroying the EurAsEC; rather, it has transformed into the Single Economic Space. As soon as this reaches the necessary level of integration, as we currently have in our Union with Russia, it will fade away. However, the Single Economic Space still has a way to go before it reaches this point. I refer to healthcare and education, as well as equal conditions and equal rights. We’ve made significant progress but the military-political sphere still requires work. We have a joint army with the Russian Federation but nothing similar is discussed within the EurAsEC or the Single Economic Space. The CSTO hasn’t achieved this level either. I must assert that the Union State — as an area of our foreign policy — remains vital. We’ve agreed with Russia’s leadership that we won’t ‘neglect’ this project.

2012 беларусь.belarus

Plans

Athletes from Zhodino The small town of Zhodino, located 60km from Minsk, has many residents keen on weightlifting… as we shall later explore. Its Silach (Strongman) Health and Fitness Club has a triathlete section and has produced Anastasia Novikova, who captured gold at the World Weightlifting Championship in Paris in November 2011. This seemingly fragile woman managed to lift a 237kg barbell, allowing her to be crowned Europe’s strongest woman for the third time. She also won bronze at the 2008 Olympics

беларусь.belarus 2012

market for quarry machinery, exporting 95 percent of its manufacture. “We are winning large tenders organised by foreign companies who are keen to purchase ever more of our dump trucks,” the General Director of BelAZ JSC, Piotr Parkhomchik, tells us. “In 2010, we took part in a tender in Serbia, which did not previously use dump trucks of high capacity. Eventually, we won, despite competing against world

Belta

ecently, hundreds of Zhodino residents came to see Kirill Shimko pull a BelAZ heavy duty truck (able to carry 55 tonnes of cargo). Belarus’ record breaker in combined heaving events was awarded an honorary diploma by BelAZ’s Director General as a sign of appreciation for another record. Of course, public interest was also inspired by the fact that the Belarusian Automobile Works (BelAZ) is based in Zhodino. Its vehicles have been used in various records and, impressively, over 70 countries worldwide use its machinery. In fact, most Zhodino residents are connected with BelAZ in some way. Why are they so keen on endurance sports though, including weightlifting at the Silach Club? BelAZ is steadily developing new models and modifications for its machinery, while expanding its production volumes and conquering new markets. In early 2012, twenty 45 tonne dump trucks are to be sold to Indonesia. Meanwhile, the Belarusian giants are already used in China, Australia and the South African Republic. At present, the plant oversees a third of the global

renowned foreign firms. The Serbs bought ten dump trucks from us and, in 2011, purchased another eight without holding a tender. This speaks for itself.” Dump trucks of high and super-high capacity can carry loads of 220 tonnes or more; these occupy a major share in the plant’s range. No t l o n g ago, BelAZ

Plans assembled its first 360 tonne giant: over 9m high and 15m long. Today, the enterprise’s range equals that of famous rivals, despite the fact that dump trucks of high and super-high capacity are enjoying growing demand globally. The Belarusian Automobile Works plans to produce a unique 450 tonne vehicle in 2013, with customers in Chile and Russia already showing interest. BelAZ is designing its giant to suit these countries’ pits. The cutting edge design uses a new type of engine (since none existed of the necessary power) and new tyres (since none were able to withstand the colossal load). Two engines drive the gigantic vehicle, while dual tyres are installed at the front and rear axles; in time, BelAZ’s related enterprises will produce all the new components themselves. Clearly, BelAZ is pushing forward world automobile design. “A 450 tonne heavy duty dump truck is a unique

technical solution,” noted Belarus’ Prime Minister, Mikhail Myasnikovich, on visiting BelAZ. “To bring it to life, the enterprise is using its intellectual and production potential, while finding sales markets for its new machinery.” Amazingly, a 560 tonne capacity truck is now being designed, as the technical opportunities for its construction already exist. The Zhodino-made giants are ever being improved. Not long ago, BelAZ’s new generation cabin won a gold medal at a specialised international exhibition — being more spacious and boasting an electronic system of diagnostics. It is also equipped with a more comfortable seat, a climate control system and a table on which drivers can enjoy a light meal. “In developing the cabin, we took into account the wishes of our customers. By making drivers comfortable, we improve their working efficiency,” explains the Deputy General D e s i g n e r of B e l A Z , Gennady Boldyrev.

All 90-320 tonne dump trucks being supplied to foreign markets are now equipped with the new cabin. The plant is ever expanding its range and the first 180-190 tonne vehicle is soon to be assembled, while 240 tonne dump trucks are already a reality. In the near future, BelAZ plans to manufacture a 280-290 tonne vehicle. The enterprise is also expanding its range of auxiliary technology for dump trucks. “We’re currently moving towards heavier duty dump trucks, and a whole complex of quarry machinery to develop mineral deposits,” underlines BelAZ Chief Designer, Oleg Stepuk. “Moreover, our range of machines for underground use is also being developed.” Impressively, over its 50 years of operation, the company has created around 500 models of quarry machinery (over 135,000 vehicles in total). BelAZ is also enhancing its plant facilities. In 2011 alone, its industrial output rose about 1.5-fold against the same period of 2010. As the company tells us, by the end of 2011, it had manufactured fourteen 220 tonne dump trucks a month, rising by another two per month in 2012. Its production of 320-360 tonne giants will double. Technology is being constantly updated, with more efficient and, often, unique equipment installed. By 2015, new production facilities will have been launched at the plant, enabling it to annually manufacture 840 heavy duty dump trucks. In November 2011, Belarus’ Prime Minister, Mikhail Myasnikovich, visited the plant, discussing prospects for development and solemnly laying a time capsule into the foundations of a new production block (for the manufacture of heavy vehicles). The investment project is to cost around $500m. By 2013, the site should be ready for equipment to be installed. By 2015, BelAZ’s production should be double that of 2010. Simultaneously, Bobruisk’s Belshina JSC is working on new tyres for these giant vehicles. No doubt, a new era is on the horizon for Belarusian quarry machinery. By Vladimir Yakovlev

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue:

A substantial vector th anniversary of BelarusianChinese diplomatic relations

Exemplary partnership D

ear friends, It is my pleasure to speak to you via these special editions of ‘B elarus’ and ‘China’ magazines, which are dedicated to the 20th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the People’s Republic of China. In historical terms, twenty years is a relatively short period of time. However, in this time, our countries have managed to establish strategic, trusting and efficient partnerships, which can serve as a model to other states. Any anniversary presents the opportunity to summarise the results of our BelarusianChinese relations and make plans for the future. The successful expansion of bilateral contacts is greatly determined by the governments of Belarus a n d China sharing a similar approach towards social, political and economic policy, based on national interests and local traditions. Our foreign policies are also similar, as we both advocate a multi-polar world, valuing each state’s individual path of development; this is a sign of true civilization. Both Minsk and Beijing wish to see disagreements and disputes in

беларусь.belarus 2012

international affairs settled peacefully, through dialogue and negotiation rather than through unilateral acts or the exercising of power politics. Over recent years, relations between China and Belarus have progressed dramatically in the spheres of trade, credit and investment. It is no exaggeration to say that a breakthrough has occurred, with strategic political and economic partnerships bringing practical results. We are implementing major joint projects, expanding our cultural, scientific and educational exchanges every year, with impressive results. I am confident that Belarusian-Chinese contacts have mar vellous prospects, being based on principles of mutual benefit, co-operation, respect and sincere f riendship between our peoples. I hope that t h e s e special e d it i ons of ‘Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines will give readers a better understanding of the multifaceted partnership enjoyed by our two countries, with their promising prospects for co-operation. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Sergey Martynov

Basis for development

ear readers, friends! I am glad to welcome you to these pages of ‘Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines, which are dedicated to an important event in the history of our nations: the 20th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. Although two decades pass quickly in history, over this time, Belarus and China have achieved significant bilateral collaboration, while planning new directions, as this issue explores. Belarus and China provide a clear model of how two apparently diverse, yet congenial, countries can co-operate actively to support each other in such spheres as politics, trade, culture, science and education. Our high level of partnership is based on shared policies for domestic and foreign affairs, and shared views regarding international relations. We maintain regular friendly and meaningful dialogue at the highest level. I feel confident that Belarusian and Chinese collaboration has great prospects, as our people’s friendship is the foundation of our development, mutual respect, goodwill and trust. I hope that you discover new facts, ideas and opinions regarding the bilateral relations of Belarus and China within these pages and become an active participant in furthering these liaisons. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the People's Republic of China, Viktor Burya

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines

Being good neighbours E

ntering 2012, we gladly celebrate the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the People’s Republic of China and the eleven countries of the Euro-Asian Region — among which are Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Belarus, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. A range of new, independent countries has appeared across the EuroAsian Region over the past 20 years, following continuous change in the international situation and architectonics. The PRC immediately announced its official recognition of each country’s independence, being one of the first states to establish diplomatic ties at ambassadorial level. Over the past two decades, China has continuously developed, strengthening its traditional friendly relations and mutually advantageous co-operation with the above mentioned countries, demonstrating major successes. China adheres to principles of mutual respect, equality in relations, mutual advantage and preferences, co-operation and mutual gain; it follows a course of neighbourliness and partnership with other countries. Mutual visits at a high level have become ever more frequent between China and Euro-Asian countries; comprehensive strategic partnerships have been established with Kazakhstan and Ukraine, while age-old border issues with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have been settled. China and Euro-Asian Region countries respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, their development and security interests. We maintain close relations, liaising to solve international and regional problems, while making efforts to promote democratic relations and global multi-polarity, on a joint footing. Business co-operation between China and the Euro-Asian Region is developing well, continuously entering new stages. We have established pan-

vector co-operation across many fields — from power engineering and transport to high technologies. China’s Shanghai Co-operation Organisation provides a new platform for further co-operation on an equal footing, developing policy, economics, national security and human sciences. The successful development of relations between China and the EuroAsian Region is evidence of our neighbourliness; we are good friends and reliable partners.

Cooperation beyond borders

At present, international structures are experiencing reform and transformation, resulting in kaleidoscopic changes to policy, economy and financing. To assist each other in difficult times, we are working together to face challenges and promote long-term development. The Euro-Asian space should be characterised by peace, development and prosperity, serving the common interests of China and its Euro-Asian neighbours. China will continue to defend peaceful development, keeping its course of neighbourliness and partnership, while strengthening co-operation and strategic partnerships. It will tirelessly defend international peace and assist in jointly developing all countries, to bring prosperity. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, Yang Jiechi

ear readers! It is surely revealing that ‘China’ and ‘Belarus’ magazines are presenting a special edition dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Belarus and China. This edition not only immortalises the unforgettable 20 years of the development of our bilateral relations, but opens a window on the world of a changing China and many-sided Belarus. Belarus is a wonderful and spacious country, with hardworking and brave residents. Although China and Belarus are far away from each other, friendship between our two countries and nations has a long history. As Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Belarus, I am glad to have an opportunity to assure readers of the all-time high level of our bilateral relations. Twenty years ago, China was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the newly independent Republic of Belarus. Through joint effort, our bilateral relations have become mature, stable and healthy. Our political framework has strengthened, our commercial and economic co-operation has deepened, and our cultural exchange has intensified. I firmly believe that, during a new historical period, China and Belarus will adhere to their traditional friendship, continue to enlarge their cooperation in the sphere of state formation, maintain close liaisons in international affairs, and continuously encourage a new level of bilateral relations. I hope to see your periodicals continue to promote profound mutual understanding, contacts and cooperation between the people of our two countries. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Belarus, Lu Guicheng

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue:

A substantial vector Anatoly Tozik, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus and the Co-chairman of the Belarusian-Chinese Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation

Belta

Distance is no obstacle

n January, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the People’s Republic of China. Recognition by such a great power as China was vital for a state newly on the world map. The deep and diverse co-operation of our countries has supported our independence and sovereignty, since economic success is the best way to provide a dignified life for citizens, and earn a worthy reputation. Today, we analyse Belarusian and China relations with Anatoly Tozik, the Deputy Prime Minster of the Republic of Belarus and the Co-chairman of the BelarusianChinese Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation. It has been a long 20 year path for our countries. Anniversaries are a time

January 1992

September 1994

to summarise results, so what have we really achieved over the past 20 years? An agreement on diplomatic relations was signed on January 20th, 1992. Parliamentary deputy Alexander Lukashenko was on the official delegation which visited China in 1992. Twenty years have passed, which may seem a short period in a historical context but China has since become the leading nation worldwide economically, due to its dynamic development and potential. Meanwhile, Belarus has developed its statehood from scratch — following the dissolution of the USSR. We may say that our country has established itself as an independent international entity. Today, both our leaders and those of the Chinese note that our mutual relations may be viewed as ideal. We’ve faced no significant problems over two

Establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the People's Republic of China. Establishment of the Belarusian-Chinese Commission for Trade and Economic

беларусь.belarus 2012

decades. We respect each other and rely upon one another. Our leaders signed a declaration establishing a new level of our strategic cooperation in December 2005. You know, there are a few counties in the world which have signed such official documents… You’ve explained the political sphere. What about other spheres of cooperation? Of course, we’ve developed all lines of cooperation simultaneously. If, for example, 20 years ago, our trade turnover was $40m, by 2010 it had risen to $2.5bn. This year, I forecast trade turnover of up to $3bn. The new credit and investment level is our most important achievement. We’re now implementing a number of major investment projects, supported by banks and the Chinese

Cooperation. January 1995 The President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, visits China. June 1995 The Premier of the State Council of the PRC, Li Peng, visits Belarus.

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines Government. We’ve reached another level of mutual cooperation by establishing joint ventures in China and in Belarus, using direct investments over the past one-two years. These are the main achievement of recent years. You are a Chinese expert in the Government, so obviously know China well and served as an ambassador to China for a few years. Can you tell us how China’s combination of ideology and market-oriented economics differs from that once used by the USSR? What does the famous ‘Chinese model’ include? I’m lucky to have had the opportunity to live and work in China for five years, representing the interests of our country. As to why China has achieved a level of success beyond that of the USSR, it’s a difficult question. The 20th century was very difficult for China as, even after its revolutionaries’ victory and the establishment of a ‘new’ China, the country faced problems. It tried to catch up with advanced countries but we know the result of such efforts; there was a ‘great jump’ and ‘cultural revolution’, which brought the collapse of the economy and the political scene. A moral crisis seemed imminent. Fortunately, the country’s leaders had the necessary intellect and determination to understand the situation and take the first steps towards developing the country. Deng Xiaoping was the first of such leaders and is highly honoured by the Chinese. I expect that he will always be an important person in the history of China and to all world civilizations, since the influence of China on the development of the whole planet is growing. Unfortunately, the Soviet leaders’ minds were less brilliant, while lacking

stamina. As a scientist rather than as a politician, I believe that the objective conditions for the preservation and dissolution of the USSR developed in the late 20th century. Subjective factors also played a crucial role. China analysed events in the USSR in the second half of the 1980s very carefully, being influenced accordingly, although Chinese policy was determined earlier. In 2009, China celebrated its 30th anniversary of reform and openness. Ideology in China differs from ours, although, officially, the Chinese acknowledge Mar xism. Their Communist Party has 85 million members. All students study Karl Marx’s concepts at university, through a dialectical rather than doctrinal approach. China filters all ideas via its national concepts. Its current model is socialistic while combining the ideas of Confucius, Buddha and Marx. There is also a good dose of common sense. The latest approach may be summarised by a famous phrase of Deng Xiaoping: ‘do not worry whether the cat is black or white… what matters is that it catches mice’. I wouldn’t be too concerned about how ideology and market-oriented economics are combined. Rather, the Chinese focus on whatever is useful for the country and raises standards of living. Of course, China has made incredible progress, setting a unique example in the history of the world’s civilisation. Just 30 years ago, China was close to collapse; now, it is a world power. Its GDP is increasing at an average of 9.8 percent annually, and has been doing so for three decades. Chinese economic growth rose 10.2 percent in 2010, while other countries underwent crisis.

June 1995 Changchun (Jilin Province) hosts the Days of Science and Machinery of the Republic of Belarus. November 1996 The ‘Xingjian-Volat’ joint venture is set up in Xiaogan (Hubei Province) to assemble tractors (co-founded by the Minsk Wheel

It seems that China has no desire to dominate other nations and we never see Chinese diplomats reacting to small provocations, giving advice or making claims over other states… On the basis of my observations, I may conclude that Beijing behaves very reasonably in the international arena. China has never set any rigid conditions in our 20 year period of cooperation — including within my direct work in China. The Chinese leadership constantly emphasises at all levels and in its public speeches that the PRC is a developing country, with no pretensions to world domination. I believe that our planet views China as a state able to restore a balanced system — as destroyed in the dissolution of the USSR. China is attempting to halt the chaos threatening the world. What support does China offer Belarus within the international arena? Belarus and China provide mutual support. We always agree on the most important events in the international arena and our domestic policies are similar in many ways. Our similar approaches to human rights and democracy are often criticised, so this encourages us to support each other within the UNO and other international organisations. Democracy and human rights cannot be transferred from one country to another mechanically, as each has its own national interests. We view provision of accommodation, a good wage which allows the maintenance of a family, and child safety as being the most important human rights; China shares the same view but many Western countries have a quite different opinion.

Tractor Plant and Xingjian Corporation). April 1997 The President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, visits China. July 1997 Belarus’ State Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre tours China.

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue: Can cooperation with the Peoples Republic of China compensate for Belarus’ troubled relationship with the USA? Yes, in some way, I think. We desire ‘normal’ relations with Western countries, so the current situation is not our fault. Certainly, we are also eager to strengthen and develop our relations with China. It is a huge country with a diverse economy and enormous market. Meanwhile, it respects our country and understands our policy. Our economies are largely complementary and we can gain access to other markets in the region through China. Belarus is a small country in comparison to huge China, so how can we establish an equal relationship? It may sound strange but, despite these differences, Belarus and China have established a completely equal relationship. It is difficult to compare our countries: 10 million residents compared to 1.345 billion — according to the latest statistics. However, our relationship has never been that of an older and younger brother or that of one party giving and the other being dependent. In my own five year term of office as ambassador, I never pleaded for anything. I simply offered projects which were to the benefit of both Minsk and Beijing. We cooperate using the same principles and, as a result, have respect in China. Why is Beijing interested in Minsk? What do we offer? Belarus is a European country. Though China implements thousands of projects worldwide, Europe remains wary; it’s no secret. Meanwhile, Belarus is afraid of nothing. Beijing is interested in Belarus as a European country providing a demonstration of modern Chinese technologies and investments.

February 1998

A substantial vector Our cooperation with China is a model to Europe. We can modernise our national economy and establish enterprises producing competitive products. Of course, loans are not granted free of interest; credit lines always benefit the Chinese banking system… Beijing is making huge investments in other countries. Its main partners are Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Naturally, China is not acting altruistically; such liaisons are beneficial to China — which needs great resources — as well as to its partners. The times have passed of valuable resources being paid for by colonisers with glass toys (as happened 300 years ago). Today, China is building nuclear and coal power stations, railways, motorways, and factories producing modern products — all outside the country. Our knowledge of China is 20 years behind the times. As an interesting example, people tend to think that China mainly exports basic goods and light industry products. However, statistics show that its machine and technical and chemical industries constitute 85 percent of its exports to Europe. I’m sure you’d agree that Europe doesn’t import poor quality goods. I was surprised by these statistics and especially checked them against official sources. Chinese manufacturers are responding to demand, satisfying clients’ requirements for price and quality. In the CIS, we tend to hope that a Chinese jeep costing $14-16,000 will rival that costing $80,000; of course, it’s impossible. A Chinese car can rival a jeep costing $35-40,000 though. We need to consider what’s feasible. It’s thought that China will emerge from the current global economic crisis

‘Swan Lake’ performed in Beijing by the State Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus. March 1998 The National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus sends a delegation to China.

беларусь.belarus 2012

July 1999

even stronger than before. The rich European Union is borrowing from the PRC. Is this part of China’s anticrisis plan? In Chinese, the word crisis consists of two characters: one stands for ‘danger’ and the second for ‘chance’. In my opinion, no other country has used the 2008-2009 crisis to the benefit of its people as China has. From the very beginning, Chinese leaders viewed the situation as a chance to tackle problems unresolved during the pre-crisis period. Beijing has been deeply analysing and forecasting the situation and taking decisions which are both competent and reasonable. We can certainly say that the dollar has kept its value during these difficult times, first and foremost, due to China. China has the largest gold and foreign exchange reserves today — equal to $3.3 trillion. In 2010, China saw record levels of foreign investments ($105.7bn) and capital investments abroad ($59bn). Which investment projects implemented in Belarus are the most important and in which fields are Chinese investments most needed? Together with Chinese companies, we’re implementing about 20 major projects. Some are at the contract or credit agreement stage. The Chinese Government and banks have given $5.5bn in financial support for specific projects, with general credit lines equalling $16bn. This has given us ample reserves. The creation of a third mobile operator (known as ‘Life’) was the first successfully implemented project and a number have since been implemented in the power industry. The

Belarus’ Tzitovich National Academic Folk Chorus performs in Beijing. July 2000 PRC Vice-President Hu Jintao visits Belarus. April 2001 The President of the Republic of Belarus,

Belta

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines

Alexander Lukashenko, the President of the Republic of Belarus, and Hu Jintao, the PRC’s Paramount Leader, in Beijing, 2010

modernised TPP-2 has come into operation in Minsk and the large TPP5 is almost ready for launch. Power supply units have been installed at B ereza and Lukoml stations and construction of three large concrete enterprises is in its final stage. Testing of equipment at Krasnoselski plant has begun. A second, longer, runway is also planned for the national airport and a cellulose factory is being built in Svetlogorsk (a large import-substitution enterprise). A major cardboard

factory is planned for Dobrush, with many smaller scale ventures also in the pipeline. When Mr. Bangguo, the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, visited Minsk, a governmental loan worth $1bn was agreed for specific projects: the launch of a national satellite and construction of a high-voltage power line for an atomic power station. In addition, some funds are being directed towards Minsk’s airport and the reconstruction

Alexander Lukashenko, visits China. June 2001 PRC President Jiang Zemin visits Belarus. November 2003 Chinese painter Yuan Xikun is awarded the Belarusian Badge of Honour — the highest award for an outstanding contribution to

of the Gomel-Minsk motorway to bring it up to international standards. Chinese investments would also be useful in the transport sphere. China has already begun delivery of 12 powerful electric industrial locomotives and is electrifying one section of the Belarusian railway. Chinese railways are well ahead of those in Japan and Europe — by as much as ten years. Even the United Kingdom, the land of railways, has signed an agreement to allow China to help modernise its railways. The same agreement was signed by America and Beijing several years ago. China already boasts about 10,000km of high-speed railways; speeds of 486km were reached during train tests between Beijing and Shanghai and no air cushion was needed: only two rails and the carriage. I’ve never travelled by such a train but I suppose that its operational speed will be somewhat lower. I’ve travelled by Chinese trains at a speed of 340km, which was very pleasant. Stewardesses served food and drinks rather than passenger car attendants. Could the Chinese organise largescale production of cars in Belarus? If we had adequate understanding of the Chinese motor industry we could implement such a project. Unfortunately, even our officials believe that Chinese cars are not good enough. In fact, China leads car production worldwide, with over 18m produced there last year. Even if disadvantages exist, I’m sure they’ll be remedied within five years — to rival those made in Japan or Korea. I think it would be profitable to construct a joint factory with the Chinese, as we have machine building experience via our heavy engineering

developing cultural exchange between two countries. December 2005 The President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, visits China, signing a joint declaration in which it is noted that

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue:

a Belarusian-Chinese innovation centre opened this year at the BSU. When we talk about Chinese loans, sceptics say that these are tied, requiring us to buy Chinese equipment and to pay for Chinese specialists. Aren’t direct foreign investments more favourable for Belarus? When any country gives a loan, it naturally wishes to stimulate its own companies and exports. It would be very strange if China gave loans for us to buy German equipment. Of course, we can decide which technologies and equipment we wish to purchase with such loans. If we liaise skilfully with Chinese partners, we can purchase the latest technologies at two thirds of their cost in Europe. This is favourable both to us and to the Chinese. Naturally, after 57 years of working closely,

we know each other well enough to have faith in direct investments. We guarantee the safety of such investments and the expatriation of profits. In recent years, we’ve felt changes occurring. The first sign was the establishment of a joint venture between ‘Horizont’ and ‘Midea Group’, producing household appliances. Microwave oven production has increased, with high quality products proving competitive with other world-known brands. Three joint ventures were established in China between 2009 and 2010: by ‘Gomselmash’, ‘MTW’, and ‘BelAZ.’ A joint venture with ‘MZKT’ — producing chassis for large vehicles (including for the military) has been working successfully for some time. Of course, direct foreign investments are more favourable and we hope to begin large-scale attraction of such investments once the BelarusianChinese industrial park is launched. This major project is being instigated at the initiative of the leaders of our two countries. I have faith in the project and I want everyone to understand that it is to the benefit of both Belarus and China. Together, we’re creating the infrastructure for this park. The project will involve not only Chinese companies but others with modern technologies: The framework agreement between Belarus and China on cooperation under the industrial park project were signed by Anatoly Tozik, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, and Zhong Shan, the PRC’s Vice Minister of Commerce

Belta

industry. It would be greatly beneficial for us to establish an assembly plant, supplying components locally and producing a high quality vehicle. It would surely become a national favourite, due to its production location, and could retail at around $10,000 realistically. We’re already negotiating with a major Chinese corporation and perhaps could implement the project within a few years. It is believed that the Chinese are actively collecting the best global technologies. Is it really beneficial for us to share our technologies with the Chinese? It’s rather archaic to think this way. Firstly, who is preventing us from collecting the world’s best technologies? Secondly, even if we prevent our inventions from being widely used, the world develops so fast that technology becomes obsolete within two years. It’s perhaps better to sell inventions while they have a buyer. We should rid ourselves of this stereotype and see things realistically. We have great scientific research and innovative ideas but lack the resources to apply them to production. China has such resources and the huge market, so our interests concur. Belarusian universities and scientific centres closely co-operate with Chinese universities and scientific centres. There is a scientific and innovation centre in Harbin and

A substantial vector

Belarusian-Chinese relations have reached a strategic level. December 2006 The Republican Confucius Chinese Studies Institute is established at the State Belarusian University.

беларусь.belarus 2012

June 2007 A ‘Belarus’ tractor manufacturing line is set up in Urumqi (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region). October 2007 The ‘Horizont-Midea’ joint venture, making consumer electronics, is established in

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines from Japan, South Korea, and Europe. Gradually, we’ll see a host of companies keen to develop their manufactures as residents of our industrial park. Let’s discuss a sensitive question. After the successful visit of Mr. Bangguo to Minsk, the Russian newspapers published jealous articles about Belarusian and Chinese cooperation. ‘Kommersant’, for example, wrote that Beijing is challenging Moscow’s desire to privatise Belarusian enterprises. Is such competition real? You know, we’re eager to attract investments to modernise our enterprises. Like any other seller, we’re interested in attracting as many buyers as possible. Our position on privatisation, especially regarding large enterprises upon which the national economy relies, is determined wisely by the President. If Chinese companies are ready to make favourable offers, why should we refuse? If those from another country — such as Russia — have a more favourable offer, we’ll co-operate with them too. I think anyone would follow the same strategy. It would be wonderful if Chinese partners came to establish new enterprises. I’ve often enumerated the advantages of doing so to the Chinese. In recent years, we’ve simplified tax legislation and, in 2012, we’re planning to implement a number of changes to make our country more attractive to investors. Profit tax has fallen from 24 percent to 18 and we’re trying to simplify the registration of firms and other such approvals. Problems remain of course but we are moving in the right direction, as the Chinese observe. Companies which have already opened offices in Belarus (some have over 100 employees already)

would agree. Direct investments are flowing into Belarus. One Chinese company is building Lebyazhy housing estate in Minsk. When Mr. Bangguo visited Minsk, we placed the first stone into the foundations of the new five star Beijing Hotel — located favourably. About $70m of Chinese direct investments are being used for its construction. Clearly, business co-operation is not enough to provide sound relations between states. Are our people becoming closer? What steps are being taken to strengthen relations between us? Successful economic cooperation is impossible without the simultaneous development of human relations. We are always learning more about one another. Trade was my main concern as ambassador, as there were no political problems to resolve. Our human relations are developing well, with about 2,000 students from China studying at our universities. This figure has stabilised in recent years. The Chinese love to visit our country. Most only have one child, so their safety is very important to parents. Belarus is known for being safe, and offering good quality education. I know a little of the education provided by European universities, so can say with certainty that ours rivals that of Europe. Chinese students can study Russian, which is useful in working not only with Belarus but with Russia and all other CIS countries. There are two Confucius Institutes: at the BSU and at the Linguistic University. More are planned, as there are 17 across Russia. Chinese is studied at 130 universities there, so we lag behind Russia in this respect.

Minsk (co-founded by Belarusian Horizont and China’s Midea Group Corporation). November 2007 The Premier of the State Council of the PRC, Wen Jiabao, visits Belarus. August 2008 The President of the Republic of Belarus,

September 2009

We’ve been teaching Chinese at several schools for the past five years and are seeing sufficiently large interest. We’re also liaising with China’s media, sending our journalists there. We’ve established a correspondent centre at the Xinhua Agency, providing China with more objective information on our country. Belarus and China are far away from each other and, although we share many similar characteristics — such as kindness, openness and sincerity — we are very different. I may even say that we have different civilisations, personal value systems and mentalities. We need to know each other well in order to liaise effectively. Among other things, this helps us to negotiate more effectively and to find compromises. One phrase characterises the Chinese psyche: they love life not for its own sake but for the quality of living. They believe in reincarnation, with wrongdoing in a past life paid for in the next. It’s very wise if you think about it. Globalisation has influenced national features but some traditional ideas remain. The Chinese love their families dearly, treating older people with great respect. Additionally, I was amazed by their eagerness for knowledge. We think that our pupils study too hard but the Chinese certainly study more. Education is helping China grow, so tomorrow depends on knowledge. Of course, China is a country of contrasts. There are 150 million people earning less than $1 per day, while rural areas need development and access to medicine. However, China remains viewed as a powerful and advanced country. I’m sure its future is bright. Interviewed by Igor Kolchenko

Alexander Lukashenko, takes part in the Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing. The ‘AVIK-BELAZ Career Cars’ joint venture is set up in Beijing, to assemble, sell and service BelAZ heavy-duty dump trucks (co-

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue:

A substantial vector

Zhong Shan, the Chinese Co-chairman of the Belarusian-Chinese Commisson for Trade and Economic Cooperation, the PRC's Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy Representative for PRC's Negotiations on International Trade

Discover a vaster area

hat stands behind the dynamic growth of trade turnover between the two countries? Which peculiarities have been already determined in economical trade cooperation of the two countries? What kind of perspective of bilateral cooperation exist in the area of economy and trade? Our correspondent asked these questions to Zhong Shan, the Chairman of the Belarusian-Chinese Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation, the PRC's Vice Minister of Commerce and the Deputy Representative for PRC's Negotiations on International Trade. Political relations between China and Belarus have been rapidly developing, cooperation and interrelation in the area of economy and trade have

been deepening for 20 years. Will you, please, make a few remarks on trade and economic cooperation between our countries? After the establishment of diplomatic ties, bilateral relations develop in a healthy course and very successfully, senior leaders of both countries exchange visits and mutual political trust deepens, mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields demostrates high growth rates. In recent years, thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, ChineseBelarusian cooperation in economic and trade brings new successes. In bilateral trade stable maintenance of positive trends is guaranteed. According to statistics of the PRC's Customs, in 2010, the trade turnover between Belarus and China for the first time exceeded $1 billion and reached $ 1.27 billion, and annual growth was of

founded by Belarusian BelAZ and China’s CATIC Supply Corporation). December 2009 The ‘Harbin Dong Jin Gomel Agricultural Engineering Enterprise’ joint venture is set up in Harbin (Heilongjiang Province) to assemble, sell and service Belarusian forage

беларусь.belarus 2012

March 2010 March 2010

57%; only for the first 10 months this figure has already exceeded $ 1 billion, and the total turnover in 2011 will be a record. Today, great attention in the process of Chinese-Belarusian practical cooperation is given to the construction industry. The implementation of major projects in Belarus by Chinese enterprises has become a landmark event in relations between the two countries. This is the reconstruction of Minsk's TPP-2 and Minsk TPP-5, setting up a cement production line. All these examples of successful cooperation served its purpose in supporting economic and social development in Belarus. These days, the parties are also studying and preparing for implementation of a number of construction projects, namely a project to create a satellite, a Chinese loan to build plant in Belarus for production of

harvesters (co-founded by Belarusian Gomselmash and China’s Dong Jin Group). PRC Vice-President Xi Jinping visits Belarus. The ‘Volat-Xingjian’ joint venture is set up in Minsk to manufacture hydro-mechanical transmissions for heavy-duty machinery

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines sulfate bleached cellulose, reconstruction of highways and railroads, laying power lines, construction of a hydropower plant. I am confident that cooperation in this area will be crowned with new successes. Investment cooperation is an important component of economic and trade cooperation between China and Belarus. The joint ventures, such as ‘Volat-Xingjian,’ ‘Horizont-Midea’ and ‘Avik-BelAZ Mining Machines,’ which were created by the two parts on the basis of complementarity, mutual benefit and win-win relations, are successfully operating. According to the initiative of the top leaders of Belarus, Chinese companies build in Minsk the Beijing Hotel, hoping that this project will be another window for successful Belarusian-Chinese communication. The parties also continue to actively promote the construction of a Belarusian-Chinese industrial park in order to create a perfect platform for investment and cooperation. Looking back at the two decade long process of economic and trade cooperation between China and Belarus, we are deeply aware that the traditional ChineseBelarusian friendship and trust ensure a stable basis for cooperation between our countries, while the strategic guidance and constant support of higher politics remain an important key to promoting common development. Principles of equality, mutual benefit and common development provide an important guarantee for permanent progress in bilateral cooperation. Today, ChineseBelarusian cooperation is rapidly developing, its scope expanding rapidly and its content ever enriching. I hope that

the parties will take full advantage of beneficial opportunities and will bring economic and trade cooperation to a new level. What role does the ChineseBelarusian Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation play in trade and economic contacts between the two countries? The Commission was established in 1994 and focuses on tasks, such as learning and generalization of past cooperation experience, analyzing the situation in the field of trade and economic cooperation, exchanging views on future directions of cooperation and on concrete measures of its intensification, promoting joint solution of major problems, while solving major taks under collaborative projects. I should say that as an influential working mechanism of the intergovernmental level, the Commission has played an irreplaceable role in maintaining a healthy and stable development of Chinese-Belarusian trade and economic relations. Especially in recent years, to meet the requirements of development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, the Commission's work has become more efficient and productive. Competent trade and economic bodies of our two countries took p ar t in re cent me et ings of t he Chinese-Belarusian Commission, representatives of relevant agencies, such as service quality assurance, industrial and energy structures, as well as bodies and agencies providing services for certification and standardization were also invited; industry associations, financial institutions and major collaborative enterprise have been involved, in order to fully satisfy the demands of

(co-founded by Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant and China’s Xingjian Corporation). March-October 2010 Belarus takes part in the World EXPO in Shanghai, with over five million visitors to the Belarusian pavilion. June 2010 Belarus donates US$ 1 million to China to

different parties, focusing on seraching for a joint solution of practical problems. Alongside with the Commission, a variety of businesses and relevant agencies on both sides supported direct working relationship; agreements were signed on some important projects. Last November, the Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus A. A. Tozik and I co-chaired the 12th meeting of the Commission. Our parties reached consensus on further promoting development of bilateral economic and trade relations, increasing mutual investment, providing a favorable realization of important collaborative projects and deepening financial cooperation. This allowed to identify areas for further work. I take this opportunity to thank the participants of this meeting and all involved staff and I hope that all affected structures will put into practice the agreements which will fully enhance the role of the Commission to promote lasting economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. According to the Belarusian party, the volume of commodity trade between China and Belarus amounted to $ 2.157 billion in 2010, increasing to 72%, the volume of exports from Belarus grew by 172.5%. What is the cause of such dynamic growth? What is the structure of the Belarusian import in China? What kind of the Belarusian goods China is most interested in? Due to differences in methods of calculating customs statistics of the two countries is somewhat variable. According to the Chinese Customs statistics, in 2010, the total trade volume between China and Belarus amounted to 1.27 billion dollars,

help in overcoming the consequences of the earthquake in Qinghai Province. The money is used to build three kindergartens and to buy various educational equipment. A plaque noting Belarus' help is placed on the wall of each kindergarten.

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue:

A substantial vector

Wu Bangguo, the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and Mikhail Myasnikovich, Belarus' Prime-Minister, launching steam-gas units at TPP-2

increasing over the same period last year by 57%. Of course, both of these figures indicate a dynamic growth of Chinese-Belarusian trade. In the first place, the rapid growth of bilateral trade usually reveals trade potentials between the two countries. In the economic structures of the two countries, there is good complementarity, and the trade potentials of the two countries are quite large. In recent years, communication between enterprises of both countries are expanding, their cooperation is deepening, which serves to create more favorable opportunities for the development of bilateral trade. Prominent role in this process was played by ChineseBelarusian joint ventures and major contract construction projects imple-

mented by Chinese companies in Belarus. In the second place, a sharp increase in the volume of Chinese-Belarusian trade to some extent is evident due to comparison with a rather low rate in 2009. Under the influence of the financial crisis in 2009, China-Belarus trade turnover decreased by 5.7%, amounting to only 0.81 billion dollars, but due to the tireless efforts of the two countries Chinese-Belarusian trade started to recover, and then even exceeded the best indicator of the precrisis period. This testifies to the presence of a powerful engine of bilateral trade. In the third place, potash fertilizers are the traditional item of import from the Republic of Belarus to China. Due to fluctuation of prices and correlation of

July 2010 Minsk hosts the Science and Technical Week of Guangdong Province. August 2010 ‘Harbin Dong Jin MinskTractors’joint venture is set up in Harbin (Heilongjiang Province) to assemble, sell and service Belarus tractors (co-founded by Minsk Tractor Works and

беларусь.belarus 2012

demand and supply on the world market in 2009, the volume of transactions with potash was low. In 2010, ChineseBelarusian trade potash recovered, reaching normal levels, which served as an important reason for the increase of export of this production from Belarus. Nowadays, major B elar usian products imported by China include potash fertilizers, caprolactam, heavy machinery. China is open to the Belarusian import and welcomes the arrival on the Chinese market as much as possible of the Belarusian specific and competitive products. Earlier, during a visit to the Republic of Belarus, the Chinese leaders and responsible officials of the Ministry of Commerce, the leaders of Belarus have repeatedly expressed their hope for a

China’s Dong Jin Group). October 2010 The President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, visits China. October 2010 The Belarusian State Ballet Company takes part in the International Folk Art Festival in Suzhou (Jiangsu Province).

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines countries in trade and economic sphere? What are the possibilities for improvements in this area? China and Belarus have done an effective job of improving the climate for investment and trade, as well as to promote bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Now, this cooperation is in the process of deepening and dynamic development. It is necessary to enhance the appropriate comprehensive measures of governmental agencies and other organizations. I propose to strengthen contacts and promote cooperation of such agencies as trade offices, quality control, customs and foreign currency services, as well as other financial and insurance institutions which are reponsible for taking effective measures and working out ways to improve efficiency and reduce burden on enterprises in coping with links, such as standard and quality certification, trade settlement, customs clearance of goods, import and export of capital. This will provide firm support for intensification of bilateral cooperation. Chinese and Belarusian economies are complementary and have vast space for interaction. It's been over 30 years

since the policy of reform and opening up was launched in China. There have already been created a number of excellent competitive businesses. There are large collaborative capabilities of the parties in the field of mineral resources, exploitation of clean energy, infrastructure construction, machinery, co-production of high-tech products, construction, industrial park, etc. The Chinese party supports dicovering advantages of enterprises of the two countries, deepening of their contacts based on market principles, so that they, by allocating capital, fusion and absorption, as well as cooperation in the fields of research, development and adoption of production technologies, could continually expand collaborative industries, enrich the content of cooperation and ensure an even broader space for development of Chinese-Belarusian cooperation and collaboration. Wang Fan 'China' magazine

Belta

large-scale output of Chinese enterprises and financial institutions to Belarusian market. How would you assess the investment climate and market situation in Belarus as the President of the Chinese Chinese-Belarusian Commission? B elarus has an advantageous geographical location, is distinguished by its high level of education, tstability, a good industrial base as well as excellence in such areas as petrochemicals, electronics, optics, automotive and mechanical engineering. The Republic of Belarus is a member of the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, and this is a vast market. When in 2011 I accompanied the Chairman of the NPC's Standing Committee of China Wu Bangguo during a visit to Belarus, I couldn't but notice the friendly attitude of the Belarusians towards the Chinese, and this is an important reason for the attractiveness of Belarus to Chinese investors. In recent years, number of Chinese enterprises and financial institutions cooperating with Belarusian partners has increased, which proves the unique appeal of Belarus. Top leaders of Belarus, including President Alexander Lukashenko, have repeatedly expressed their hopes that more Chinese enterprises will enter the Belarusian market and promised to provide investment guarantees and benefits. We admire the open attitude of the Belarusian party and gladly assist Chinese enterprises in establishing a favourable investment climate, and collaborative projects in Belarus. At the same time, we welcome the arrival of Belarusian enterprises in China for the sake of collaboration and joint achievement of success. In your opinion, what limitations still exist with respect to the two

Chinese builders at the construction site

October 2010 The Days of Belarusian Culture are hosted by the PRC. December 2010 The State Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus performs in Beijing. September 2011 Standing Committee of the National

People's Congress Chairman Wu Bangguo visits Belarus. September 2011 Belarus hosts the Days of Chinese Culture. September 2011 A nother branch of the Confucius Institute opens at Minsk State Linguistic University.

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue:

A substantial vector

Great deeds awaiting “Chinese preferential credits and direct investments running into billions are actively contributing to the streamlining of the Belarusian economy, and the adoption of advanced technology and innovations,” noted the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, speaking of investment co-operation between Minsk and Beijing, on meeting the Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Wu Bangguo, in September 2011

ines of credit reaching 15 billion US Dollars have been opened by the Chinese government and banks, for the financing of joint investment projects in Belarus. Many of those financed by China are almost complete, while others have just begun. Truly, their scale is unprecedented in Belarus.

Belta

Solid portfolio

Laying the first stone of the Beijing Hotel Complex foundation in the centre of Minsk

беларусь.belarus 2012

Chinese capital and technologies have been introduced into major sectors of the Belarusian economy: communications, energy, construction, and transport. Most projects are being funded by Chinese loans granted on profitable terms, with preferential interest rates (much lower than, for instance, those Minsk receives for its Eurobonds) and with longer payback periods. Belarusian mobile operator BeST was created with a loan from Eximbank of China while equipment and software were provided by Alcatel Shanghai Bell. Minsk has been developing its cooperation with ZTE (a telecommunication company) for many years. Belarusian company Promsvyaz has entered into joint production of modems with ZTE, and the Chinese company is keen to take part in the privatisation of Belarusian telecommunication assets, expanding its presence on the Belarusian market. Moreover, ZTE and the State Science and Technologies Committee of Belarus intend to create a ‘clever’ logistic system. “The idea of the joint project is to trace

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines various strategic goods, including through customs, with the help of RFID technologies, which place electronic marks on goods,” explains the Chairperson of the State Science and Technologies Committee, Igor Voitov. This should help to improve management of goods and transport flow. The project is expected to be implemented with a Chinese preferential loan. Chinese companies and financial institutions are actively participating in updating the Belarusian energy sector. The upgrading of Minsk’s heat-electro power stations 2 and 5 has been carried out with Chinese loans on good terms. Meanwhile, two major hydroelectric power plant projects, in Lukoml and Bereza, were launched in 2011, with construction and equipment of steamgas plants contracted out to the Chinese Machinery Engineering Corporation and mostly funded by Eximbank of China ($633m). The design, procurement and construction of new production lines at the Belarusian Cement Plant and at Krasnoselskstroimaterialy and Krichevtsementnoshifer enterprises have been funded by Chinese credit totalling $1.3bn. Belarus has been able to raise its production of cement, supply its own construction sector and enlarge exports. Another major Belarusian-Chinese project is the construction of a bleached cellulose production plant in Svetlogorsk, in Gomel Region. Cellulose is widely used to produce paper and cardboard. The main objective is to satisfy the home market and export the remaining capacity. US $676 million has been set aside for construction: one of the largest investment projects that Belarus intends to carry out within the next five years.

Sky-high level

Besides co-operation in traditional economic sectors, Minsk and Beijing are liaising in advanced branches. During his visit to Minsk, Mr. Bangguo signed contracts and agreements that, according to Mr. Lukashenko, ‘will initiate projects which break the mould’. The launch of

Belarus’ first communications satellite by China and the creation of a ChineseBelarusian industrial park are at the heart of our joint efforts. The President of Belarus is convinced that these projects lay foundations for long-term partnership between Minsk and Beijing in the sphere of advanced technologies, which could ‘become China’s original business card in Europe’. The President of the Chinese Great Wall Corporation, Yin Liming, agrees with his Belarusian counterpart. The corporation is the only one of its kind in China, having the right to build and launch commercial telecommunication satellites for foreign customers. “The contract with Belarus represents the beginning of satellite launch services provided by China to the European market,” asserts Yin Liming. China Daily notes that the contract signed with Minsk to launch a satellite is the seventh signed by China with a foreign country, and the first with a European state. The telecommunication satellite for Belarus is based on China’s ‘Dunfanhun-4’ device, which can remain operational for up to 15 years. The launch will take place within two years, from Xichang space launch site, in Sichuan Province. China is also to build a ground satellite control station in Minsk, while training technical personnel for its operation. The Chinese-Belarusian industrial park will contribute to the development of such advanced technologies as biomedicine and fine chemistry, alongside traditional branches — such as machinery construction, electronics, and domestic appliance production. The park could become the largest Belarusian project to be implemented jointly with foreign partners, with an estimated cost of $30bn. It will cover 80 square kilometres and employ 600,000 staff, who’ll enjoy unparalleled benefits. The park will encompass not only Chinese but European manufactures, with exports aimed at the CIS and EU. Belarus’ Prime Minister, Mikhail Myasnikovich, tells us, “We are placing our greatest hopes on the Chinese-

Belarusian industrial park, which is a major infrastructural project. It will be unique worldwide in its range and volume of investments.” The Belarusian government hopes to duplicate the success of the industrial park in Suzhou, built by China and Singapore. Dozens of the world’s largest corporations, from the Fortune500 list, implement projects there, aiding the park’s gross output of over $1bn.

Two-way traffic

In 2014, Belarus is to host an important international competition: the Ice Hockey World Championship. Although it is not the most popular game in China, Chinese companies are keen to help organise the event, making it another example of extensive and many-sided co-operation between Belarus and China. New, high-class hotels are being built in Minsk to accommodate guests, including the five-star Hotel Beijing — one of the largest. Construction is being funded by Chinese investors, with the hotel due to launch by the beginning of the Championship. The building will be notable in its beauty and will showcase China’s achievements in the field of advanced technologies and modern architecture. Minsk National Airport is to gain another runway by 2014, aided by Chinese investments, allowing it to accept the world’s biggest passenger airliner: Airbus A-380. Furthermore, a modern international passenger air terminal is being constructed by Chinese investors, giving passengers a comfortable and pleasant environment in which to wait. Belarus and China have a solid portfolio of joint projects and future plans, running into billions. According to professional economists, this is mutually profitable, as China is freely offering loans at reduced rates of interest while generating employment. Moreover, Belarus is being enabled to update its technologies, improve infrastructure and raise its competitiveness, thanks to its strategic partnership with China. By Vladimir Vasiliev

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue:

A substantial vector

Looking into the future Chinese and Belarusian enterprises’ liaisons grow and develop

Belta

insk’s most recent combined heat and power plant (TPP-5) is located 40km south-east of Minsk. The Chinese Company of International Economic Co-operation (CCOEC) has mounted and adjusted its contemporary air circulation unit, allowing at least 400 MW (±10 percent) output; it has been designed, built and installed by the Chinese, costing 260.19 million Euros.

Chinese builders putting into operation Power Unit 2 of Minsk’s TPP-5

беларусь.belarus 2012

Components are delivered ready-tooperate and the site is now being prepared for launch in early 2012. The Minsk TPP will be the most powerful in Belarus. The CCOEC first liaised with Belarus in the electrical energy sphere in 2007, helping modernise Minsk’s TPP-2. The Chinese construction company’s president, Ma Chzhiu, tells us that the project received serious assessment and planning before work began, with the company’s top 50 specialists engaged in design, installation and assembly. Naturally, there were initial obstacles, particularly regarding working hours; while the Chinese were content to work long hours and, even, night shifts, their Belarusian counterparts were unhappy to see their private life affected. Even though overtime received extra pay, they preferred to spend time with their families. Eventually, a compromise was reached, explains Mr. Chzhiu, “Belarusian workers gradually accepted our work style and even rose to the occasion, wanting to show they were as hard working as the Chinese. They also enjoyed our Chinese cuisine.” A 72-hour trial was conducted at Minsk’s TPP-2 at the end of June 2011; now, it’s supplying heat and lighting to Minsk homes. Lu Guychen, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Belarus, sees this successful experiment as an ‘example of co-operation by enterprises from both countries, thanks to which the confidence of Chinese enterprises located abroad has significantly increased’. Mikhail Mikhadyuk, the Deputy Minister of Energy of the Republic of Belarus, is certain that our liaisons in power engineering are vital. He notes, “Belarus relies on further strengthening its energy co-operation with China.” Of course, this is just one example of the rapid development in trade and economic cooperation between China and Belarus in recent years. Annual turnover between our countries reached $30 million in the first years of establishing diplomatic relations; this rose to $827 million by late 2008, and may yet reach a record $3

Belta

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines

Chinese Huawei company has brought its telecommunication devices to display in Belarus

billion. It’s no wonder that Mr.Bangguo, the Chairman of the National People's Congress, who visited Belarus several months ago, declared that ‘such dynamic development of relations between two countries and such turnover growth is rarely seen anywhere worldwide.” Close co-operation by Chinese and Belarusian enterprises in various fields has inspired this development — as personified by Chinese telecommunication companies ‘Zhongxing’ and ‘Huawei’ in Belarus. The former joined the Belarusian telecommunication network to create a CJSC in 2007: a Belarusian live TV broadcasting channel. A contract has now been signed for a sixth year. Since 2009, the two Chinese companies have liaised closely with Belarusian ‘Life’ mobile operator (LIFE), setting up communication stations across six regions of Belarus. Chinese enterprises are establishing themselves in Belarus, while Belarusian ones are launching in China, often collaborating with Chinese companies. The Belarusian Automobile Works OJSC (BelAZ) is one of the largest worldwide for high-capacity and extra high-capacity heavy-duty dump trucks.

These are found at one of the largest coal pits in Inner Mongolia, and were used during the recent building of Sanxia (Three Gorges) Dam. In 2009, ‘BelAZ’ secured its position on the Chinese market, with the joint venture ‘AVIKBelAZ Mining machines’ LLC opening in Beijing, founded by ‘BelAZ’ OJSC and the Chinese corporation ‘CATIC Supply’ (part of the Chinese Aircraft Industry Corporation). Each party owns half the shares. It is the first joint venture for ‘BelAZ’ far abroad. A l e x a n d e r Lu k a s h e n k o, t h e President of the Republic of Belarus, attended the launch ceremony for ‘AVIK-BelAZ Mining Machines’ LLC. Chang Hui, the Director General of China’s ‘CATIC Supply’, underlined that both sides were liaising to improve the AC power supply system for heavy-duty dump trucks and that a new ‘AVIKBelAZ’ brand was planned. Another joint venture with Belarus has been operating in South China for 16 years: ‘Volat-Xingjian’ — a joint limited liability company producing all-terrain trucks. Located in Xiaogang city, Hube Province, the enterprise boasts capital

investments from ‘Xingjian’ (part of the Chinese Space Industry Corporation) and Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MWTP); shares are owned 70 and 30 percent respectively. It is the only joint venture in the country to produce allterrain heavy duty trucks, with annual production of about 200 vehicles (up from just ten initially). Meanwhile, its line producing hydromechanical transmissions is owned 50 percent equally; the venture was set up in Minsk in September 2010, thanks to more than ten years of co-operation. It will also produce cross-country capacity trucks in the future. Anatoly Tozik, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, notes that a third stage of co-operation is planned — establishing joint ventures with mutual and direct investments. He tells us, “Belarus is giving priority to the creation of the Belarusian-Chinese Industrial Park, which will focus on Chinese and European manufacturers. Major Chinese investments will arrive in the Republic as a result.” By Wang Fan ‘China’ magazine

2012 беларусь.belarus

A substantial vector

At Russian classes at the Belarusian State University

Allures of enlightment Belarus is becoming increasingly popular among the Chinese as a place to obtain higher education

n 2011, about 2,000 Chinese students attended higher educational institutions in Belarus, with 1,500 taught in Minsk. Bilateral agreements regarding education and scientific degrees ensure that qualifications issued in Belarus are recognised in China and vice versa.

Far-reaching prospects

Via joint cultural exchange events and activities, students have been able to share their experience to bring our nations closer. This has further encouraged liaisons, as Victor Buria, the Ambassador of Belarus to China, emphasises. He believes that student exchange projects between our two states are a vital element in strengthening partnerships.

беларусь.belarus 2012

Among Chinese citizens, the most popular higher educational institutions in Minsk are the Belarusian State University, the B elarusian National Academy of Music, Minsk’s State Linguistic University, and the Belarusian National Technical University. Chinese students also attend higher educational institutions in Vitebsk, Gomel, Mogilev and Grodno, taking a wide range of specialties: from technical to medical. However, the most popular courses are in classical music, singing and dance, computer-generated graphics, design, international law, economics, languages, medicine, architecture, marketing, management, and entrepreneurship.

Common language is no problem

Chinese students arriving in Belarus tend to have better command of the Russian language than other foreign citizens. After finishing their preparatory training, they are capable of entering any higher educational institution countrywide, knowing the language just as well as Belarusian students, asserts Viacheslav Molofeev, Dean of the Preparatory Faculty, at the Belarusian State University. In fact, many Chinese study Russian at school. Young Ms. Chang Ying recently spent a month learning Belarusian in Minsk, attending classes with Svetlana Yakuba, an assistant professor at the Philology Faculty of the Belarusian State

Artur Prupas

Topic of the issue:

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines University. Until recently, Chang knew almost nothing about Belarus, but can now read the works of Yanka Kupala in the original and is teaching Belarusian at the Scientific and Technical University of Harbin.

Everyday life matters..

Zhan Yanna Jia came to Minsk a few years ago, taking a room at the Belarusian State University hostel. She’s used to sharing accommodation, as she lived in a hostel while studying in China. In Belarus, Chinese students usually like to live together. The advantage, as Zhan notes, is that they quickly settle in, sharing the same interests, customs, traditions and habits. However, it does little to encourage the speaking of Russian, since it’s easier to chat in Chinese. Living in Minsk is certainly convenient of course. Zhan tells us, “I cook my meals at the hostel, trying local recipes, as I really like traditional Belarusian dishes. The bread-based soft drink kvass is particularly delicious. I wouldn’t say that I spend much time on entertainments. Sometimes, my husband and I visit exhibitions or go to the circus, but we usually just walk in the park. I’ve long ago gotten used to living in Minsk, but I still sometimes yearn for home when walking along the street. Even back in 2010, the President of Belarus supported the idea of building a China Town, so students may yet find a piece of their motherland in our capital, making them feel less homesick.

Talent has no ethnicity

Chinese students presenting historical costumes at the Belarusian Fashion Centre

Belta

Chinese culture has always been popular in Belarus. Even in the 18th century, at Nesvizh Palace, the Radziwills had a hall painted in Chinese style. The

frescoes were recently discovered by renovators. Of course, cultural events allow us to share our beloved traditions. In 2011, the National Museum of History hosted an unusual exhibition featuring Chinese students in Minsk, with 26 costumes from across China on display, belonging to various ethnicities (there are 56 in all). The Silk Road exhibition was arranged by the Embassy of China to Belarus and by the Belarusian Fashion Centre, with Chinese students and Belarusian models wearing clothes from the Han and Tang imperial dynasties, alongside present-day clothes. Chinese students from the Belarusian National Academy of Music performed during the show. In October 2011, Gong Lee, a postgraduate student at the Academy of Music, won the second prize at the 3rd V.S.Popov Moscow Competition for Choir Conductors (no one received the first prize) and was given a special award for the best interpretation of a Russian folk-song. Inessa Bodyko, Ms. Lee’s creative manager, and the artistic director and choir conductor of the Academy of Music, believes that the Chinese musical students’ ability to shine in Belarus shows that ‘talent will always find its way’. She notes, “Belarus has everything needed to train and develop gifted young people, regardless of ethnic nationality.”

People are all important

Progress has been seen in negotiations between Belarus and China regarding raising the number of university places for Chinese students in Belarus. According to the plan, thousands may receive their training at higher educational institutions here, paying fees and generating export revenue. Clearly, the move is profitable for Belarus, as fees for one year of learning Russian are $1600. The average annual fee for other subjects is about $2000. Natalya Bulanova, who heads the Foreign Liaisons Office at the Ministry of Education stresses that all specialties are offered to Chinese undergraduates and post-graduates, but numbers are limited due to lack of accommodation. A solution is near at hand, as Presidentr Lukashenko notes, “We’d like to accept more, so are building more hostels for foreign students. Soon, we’ll be able to educate more Chinese students. Importantly, we’ll have ‘our’ Chinese guys in China, who we can rely upon to help us develop contacts, being once taught here. If we arrive in China and hear ‘we were taught in Minsk’ or ‘we studied in Vitebsk’ or ‘we were educated in Belarus’, it’s clearly of significance; people are all important.” Chinese students don’t just train in the arts, of course. Recently, 25 Chinese miners graduated from Soligorsk Mining and Chemical College, with fees paid by a Chinese company. For several months they gained experience at ‘Belaruskali’. The Ministry of Education of Belarus is confident that, every year, China will send more talented and gifted young people to receive their higher educational training in Belarus. By Viktor Andreev

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue:

A substantial vector

Belarusian students from Dalian

Belarusians from Under the Heaven

Ozhegov’s defining dictionary gives the following interpretation of the ‘diaspora’ term: these are people belonging to one and the same nation who live beyond the country of their origin. I’ve lived in China for as long as 11 years, and the Chinese often call me ‘Lao Beijing Ren,’ which means ‘old Beijing citizen’ (though the ‘old’ part has nothing to do with my age). According to our Embassy, there are, at least, 150 more Belarusians living in China, their numbers annually increasing 30

беларусь.belarus 2012

n fact, China has always held certain attraction for foreigners. Based on the 2010 population census, foreigners, permanently living here, number about 600 thousand people, their major quantities concentrated in big cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. As for Belarusians, they are most numerous in Dalian (Liaoning Province). In September 2010, Belarusians even founded their fellow-countrymen community, comprising 52 people (mainly students). Students, by the way, make up most of Belarusians in China. However, students are not the only ‘fresh blood’ suppliers for the Belarusian community. Thus, Belarusians have made their contribution (as amazing as it might at first seem) to Chinese mass media development, such as, for example, Russian broadcast by the China Central TV (CCTV). In September 2009, when the broadcasting was only started, there was just one Belarusian, Alesya Korzun. Today, Belarusian team includes five people, the quantity, as I was told, expected to grow. It’s all about reputation, as the first two Belarusians — Alesya Korzun, the presenter, and Alla Maltseva, working off-screen (who came to Beijing with her Chinese husband) — have proved themselves to be high-class professionals and disciplined employees. So, Belarusians at the CCTV are becoming more and more numerous, with prospects of establishing anothercommunityoffellow-countrymen more than real. It might well happen that one day the CCTV’s corridors will hear our Belarusian Christmas carols, which, by the way, are well known thanks to China’s International Radio, its Belarusian Editorial Office preparing news in the Belarusian language. Aspiring for true professionalism, China’s International radio has invited two Belarusian specialists to work for them. So, this is how Belarusian journalists unexpectedly (and, first of all, for themselves) have become popular in China. In terms of culture, Belarusians can also boast some achievements. Seven years ago, Harbin’s weather as usual freezing with temperatures below -30°C, at the festival of

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines snow and ice sculptures, which is the most remarkable event of the tourist season, I happened to meet the Belarusian crew. Dressed (more for the sake of warmth, than for the sake of beauty) in khaki cottonwool jackets, a traditional outfit for Northern China, and looking really determined, saws in their hands, they were working on an ice sculpture. And though they got no prizes, they managed to show what they were really worth. So, today Viktor Kopach and Maxim Petrulya are welcomed guests in various China’s regions. It is common practice in this country for some town or city to invite a hundred sculptors from all over the world for a month so that they could work on a new site — a Sculpture Park, the biggest one (not only for China, but globally, which is confirmed by a UNESCO diploma) situated in Changchun, Minsk’s twin city. In this park, one can also find works of Viktor Kopach, Maxim Petrulya and other Belarusian sculptors. But let’s go back to Harbin (which is not always that freezing). I must admit that this town is among those few Chinese settlements where the name of our country is immediately recognized, provoking joyful exclamations like: “Belarus! Sure! What a wonderful country!” During our summer visit to the city, all officials we met there either had already been or were going to visit our country, their comments on our country and its people being only those of good memories. In many respects, this situation is due to the two joint enterprises currently operating in Harbin — ‘Dong Jin-Gomel’ (with Gomselmash) and ‘Dong Jin -Minsk’ (with Minsk Tractor Works). They have the same Chinese partner, which is Dong Jin Group Company, and its owner, Zhang Dajun, is ‘sure of further prospects.’ Belarusians are also employed at the joint enterprises, mainly on a rotational basis, with Gomselmash and MTW specialists coming to work here for a couple of months to tell their Chinese colleagues about the equipment and help adjust, test and operate it. Language barrier is a problem, of course, but as I heard a worker from Gomel once say, toying with a big

wrench in his hand: “Machinery are the same in every country, and as machine operators we have our own ways to understand each other.” This is what our specialists like, their chins always up. Belarus-China relations are often described as ‘cloudless’; however, for those to match up the description, both in terms of politics and economy, our priority should be, first of all, establishing interpersonal relations — a process which is far from being easy and fast, unlike, say, establishing joint enterprises. As it seems to me (though my opinion might well be biased), what we can currently observe in China is forming of a Belarusian diaspora, which, by now, already comprises secondgeneration Belarusian born to BelarusianChinese couples. Mikhail Penyevskoy, having lived in China for 18 years, has his own explanation of the special China’s charm: “Most importantly, we feel comfortable here, both mentally, financially and socially. Take, for instance, a thing as simple as the sun. Sunny days in China are more numerous than in Belarus. So, if on getting up you can see the sun, your mood is sure to be positive, whether in autumn or winter. China gives an opportunity to live in comfort and develop, passing something on, learning things and expanding knowledge. Economic progress makes it possible for every person to find their proper places.” Thus, we can see that Belarusians have put down roots deep into Chinese soil.

Nastya Yevets: Becoming History Nastya Yevets, born in Grodno, has lived in Beijing for 4 years, just finished her studies and is working now.

Nastya Yevets: in the thick of history. At the Olympics 2008 opening ceremony in Beijing

eing a journalist means meeting lots of people. In 2007, we were covering Olympics 2008 preparations in Beijing, which once brought us to a secondary school our national team was ‘responsible’ for. The children from this school were to take part in the Belarusian flag lifting ceremony in the Olympic village and some other events. So, we enter the classroom and see Chinese children diligently writing our national hymn in their exercise books. It was fascinating watching a really young girl, her hair fiery red, confidently conduct these fifty-voice choir, from time to time making remarks (in Chinese, of course) about ‘peaceful people’ and the rest of what our hymn says. This is how I met Nastya and since then have done my best to keep in touch with her as it was interesting to me to follow her life. Nastya’s contribution to the Olympics 2008 was more than just this children’s choir as later she volunteered as an interpreter for the Belarusian national team. This was a time never to be forgotten — little sleep or rest, even meals were quite rare. But the sensation itself of being at the Olympics and in the thick of it made all hardships seem like nothing at all. The Olympics were over in no time, having though brought us new friends and impressions. “I’ve become history!” this is what Nastya, as usually emotional, cried out loud, showing her pictures with sports stars. But even after the feast was over, everyday life was far from being monotonous. “I was literally enthralled with watching this country develop from the inside,” says Nastya. “For me, there seems to be no other place like China where one’s horizons would expand so far and wide. I have lots of friends who live in various corners of the world. Where else I would have met them? This summer, for instance, I went to Germany to visit my friends whom I met here. A couple of years ago, I also went to Paris, invited by friends, too. In this country, you feel as though the entire world is open before you and your opportunities are unlimited.”

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue: As it becomes evident from Nastya’s experience, being persistent and active, one can achieve a lot. “I was so happy when I found myself in the thick of the Olympics. I could hardly imagine I would be able to get an inside look of the World Fair!” It was 2010 when Nastya was enthusiastically pouring it on me. That year, Shanghai was preparing to host the World EXPO, so Nastya, naturally, couldn't miss a chance like this to once again live her mark in history. Perspectives seemed to be immense, and so they were: six months in Shanghai, working for Belarus’ national pavilion (this time it was no volunteer work, which for a student paying for her studies mattered a lot) and, of course, unlimited international communication. “This was amazing! Simply amazing!” keeps saying Nastya today. "I had my moments when I wanted to leave it all and just run away, as some things didn’t come easy to me. But, on the other hand, where else I would have seen this much of the world? We danced salsa in the Brazilian pavilion, tangoed — in the Argentinean one, and cried our eyes out weeping over Polish films. This means I’ve actually had a roundthe-world trip and this took me only as long as half a year! Let alone friends I’ve made!” Lost (in communication, rather than in translation) as she once felt, her troubles with Chinese visitors coming to see the Belarusian pavilion (their numbers, incidentally, being five times as big as it had been expected) were only a bleak memory now. It’s because we indeed remember only those things which were really good: “Every month, music and dance companies from Belarus would come to perform in our pavilion. And this was awesome! The Chinese were fascinated, watching, applauding, and it seemed like they were about to hit the floor themselves. We enjoyed ourselves, too. When at home, there are always reasons not to go to a show, while here all you have to do is to stop and watch. They even sang for me my favourite song at their last show, which was so pleasant! It was then that I knew for sure I've done the best I could in my job.”

беларусь.belarus 2012

A substantial vector

Vadim Sugak: taijiquan morning routine

Today, Nastya is at the crossroads, her study years behind, just like presentation of her ‘China-Belarus Cultural Relations and their Development Trends’ graduation paper she brilliantly defended, and the HSK exam in the Chinese language she passed with the highest grade. Now it’s time to get down to real work. For several years, Nastya has been teaching English at Chinese schools (though this could hardly be called a paid job — she just really enjoyed working with children, like that time when she taught them sing the Belarusian hymn; besides, the line in her resume would not be irrelevant). In fact, not many of her colleagues know that she comes from Belarus, taking her for an American or English. As Nastya explains: “It’s just everyone wants to have a native speaker as a teacher, and most can’t even imagine that English is hardly my native language.” With offers to work as a teacher so numerous, lots of Chinese mysteries undiscovered and historical events yet to attend, Nastya opts for staying in Beijing.

“You know, my opinion on China, just like my intentions, might be changing ten times a day,” she told me when we last met. “Say, in the morning you open your window wide, hoping to get some sunshine, but all you can see is smog. And you decide then: I don’t love China any more. Then again, stuck in a stuffy train carriage, with hardly a spot to put your feet on, you start wondering whether this is the right place to live in. But, a moment later, seeing magnolia in full blossom, you’d think to yourself: is there any other place as beautiful like this? Then you meet a Chinese child in the street, who smiles at you and greets with a hallo. How is it possible not to love this? A friend of mine once told me: “China and me have special love/hate relations.” And I do agree with him, though, after having lived in China this long, my love is definitely bigger.” To my mind, Nastya Yevets is a perfect example of what people call a ‘world citizen.’ This kind of youth — always heading for something and unfailingly optimistic — is the foundation of our future, the future we all share.

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines Vadim Sugak: Curiousity Roads Lead to Beijing Vadim Sugak, born in Orsha, has lived in Beijing for 3 years and is currently a student

adim and I couldn't long set our minds on a place to meet, wondering whether it would be better if I attended his taijiquan classes (naturally, I doubted we could have a talk there) or if we should pick some other location. Finally, we chose a coffee-house, which, of course, was far off Chinese style (as it is common knowledge that the Chinese prefer tea), but was more than convenient for a meeting like ours. I was quite puzzled, when before we set to our cheesecakes, Vadim took a picture of it. Vadim, obviously aware of my confusion, explained: “One girl, a friend of mine, has just left Beijing for Belarus. She has worked here as a fashion model for free months. So here I am, making up a list of things she would miss. A good cheesecake is one of those, for sure.” Vadim is like a puzzle to me. taijiquan, the Chinese language, fashion business — and it’s all about him. And I’m most sure, if ever asked to explain what brought him to China with just one word, he would use ‘curiosity.’ The starting point for the journey was … tea. “I had this friend of mine, Andrey,” recalls Vadim, “who is sort of an expert in Chinese tea. He never sells it though, believing that, once he starts doing it as a business, his interest in tea as an art of its own would vanish. And, from what I know about his tasting different tea sorts, writing reviews, taking part in seminars, he does act as though tea were a real art. Such people… you know, well… they are fanatics. He has a special cellar to store teas, their various sorts requiring different temperature and humidity regimes — just like wine. Naturally, I got curious what could possibly be so special about Chinese tea, so I paid him regular visits to taste tea and talk.”

But then it turned out that there was more to Vadim’s interest in China than just tea. When in Minsk, Vadim took up taijiquan: “At first, I was just curious what it’s like.” Then there arose a new interest: is it possible at all to master Chinese? “My journey from home to work took quite a time,” recalls Vadim about what happened eight years ago, “so, I thought: what if I used this time for something like learning a language? At least, to try and see if I could handle this, with all these hieroglyph, you know…And then I took up a language course at the Linguistic University, which in those times was, perhaps, the only one in Belarus. There I met those people who were first to get interested in China, as times were quite different from today, when about every educational institution runs a Chinese language course. Back then we felt like ground breakers and the whole thing seemed to us extraordinary.” Then, Vadim, having graduated from the Faculty of Applied Mathematics of the Belarusian State University, worked for MTS Company for some time, had a ‘decent’ salary, as he puts it, but there came a time when he started to long for changes. There are these people, you know, whose spirits are ever unsettled, searching for new places, meetings and impressions, making up new life strategies. And Vadim seems to be one of those. “Everything was ok, but, when I was 30, it just came to me I should change something. I thought: why not go to China to study Chinese, and then… then I shall see what I shall see.” “Why 30?” “Well, it’s a verge where you have to finally set your goals for life. Something was worrying me, making me wonder whether I was where I was supposed to be, doing what I was supposed to do. This is a kind of nagging, when something feels totally wrong, and if you go on with it, things will still be ok, it’s just that this nagging won’t disappear. And I just went for it, without having consciously taken the decision.” No doubt, one can’t but admire a resolve like this, though there are few

who would dare to do the same — leave for a foreign country, where all people are totally strange, caring tuppence for you. And that’s what I call the most extreme of all extremes — a tough test to prove one’s strength and abilities to survive, change, adapt to the world and make the world meet your expectations. “Was it hard?” I ask Viktor, though the answer seems more than evident. “When it comes to down-to-earth, everyday issues, the answer is ‘yes.’ I’ve never had troubles with people, but with finding a flat — wow! That was something! We have the so-called western mentality, our world logically arranged, while in this country logics is an illusive thing ever slipping away. , which I found hard to understand.” “Are the Chinese any different from us? I mean, their lifestyle, way of thinking?” “Their way of thinking is, of course, different, just as their habits and mentality. In fact, in Belarus I had met Chinese people, so basically I was ready for things, though I had my shocks here as well. As a matter of fact, I believe this ‘tolerance’ thing Belarusians are famous for has had its effect, too.” Having applied for an educational grant and passed all the exams, Vadim was admitted as a МВА student (International Business Administration) to Renmin University of China (where, by the way, all studies are in English) and is now studying there free of charge — thanks to the grades he got at the exam. Go, Belarusian! Vadim never stops generating ideas. First, he tried to organize a ‘Belarusians in China’ group in social networks, but failed, through no fault of his, however, rather (which is Vadim’s personal opinion) through inactivity and unwillingness to form national unions, which is characteristic of Belarusians living abroad. Currently, besides studies, he is engaged in what he believes to be a far more promising project — fashion model business. Vadim's belief in success of the project is largely based on the great demand for foreign faces

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue:

at the Chinese advertising market. “Russian-speaking people, including those coming from Belarus, are not rare here,” Vadim obviously enjoys telling me about his ‘baby’ project, “which is why I thought it would be a good idea to unite these people under our project, acting as intermediates between Chinese agents and advertisers and those Slavonic people who are willing to take up a job like this. I’m convinced that in China our people lack a commonly shared information space, as information here mostly comes from their immediate acquaintances. This is not to their advantage, since in this way many agencies manipulate foreigners, undercutting prices.” This activity is totally new to Vadim, as he has had no such previous experience: “However, I have always had around me people working in this field — models, designers and photographers. Perhaps, it was the way my angel tried to prompt me the right path as things started to ‘flow’ right from the start. There was also a girl, of course. Love gives wings to fly, you know.” So, for now Vadim has a whole pile of ideas, and I’m curious how those will turn out.

беларусь.belarus 2012

A substantial vector

Valeria Song: Three Weddings and One Large Family Valeria Song, born in Mogilev, has lived in Beijing for 4 years, currently employed

“I

knew I wanted to be with him since the very moment I laid my eyes on him”, sitting in a cosy café in one of Beijing’s European quarters, I’m hearing Valeria Song talking of her husband, — “Back then I lived in the hostel of Minsk State Linguistic University, and once we were invited to a party organized by Chinese students. I was rather skeptical about it, having agreed to go there only for my friend's sake, who had really talked me into it. Perhaps, that was just the prejudice I had about Asian guys, like many of my fellow-students did. But, eventually, I came and saw him, immediately realizing that I was ‘gone.’ I remember as I entered I noticed a tall handsome guy in a suit with a tie, his friends looking just as posh. It was right then that I understood how

prejudiced I was about people from Asia. I at once felt the power of my attraction to him.” However, if for Valeria it was love at first sight, for Song Chao, things began with mere friendship — a strong good friendship between students sharing the same hostel. “First, we were just friends,” Valeria goes on with her story. “I helped him with Russian, explained rules, you know, participles…” “So, those were participles that set your feelings on fire?” Valeria blushes a little, hesitating to answer. Maybe, their love was rather a ‘product’ of pots and pans? “We started cooking together,” Valeria continues, “It was interesting — the famous Chinese cuisine and things like this. And, you know, what bought me? The way he cared about me, always asking if I was hungry and willing to cook something for me, if I was.” “But that's like saying ‘Hi’ for Chinese, since even their variant of ‘How do you do?’ sentence in literal translation sounds like: Are you hungry?" “Sure,” Valeria seems to have no problem with that. “It’s a Chinese tradition, but back then I had no idea about it.” So, soon friendship grew to become an affair. Taken the efforts Valeria herself had to make to overcome the stereotypes about Asian people, it was only natural to expect her parents, living in a small village near Mogilev, to be shocked when she first brought Song Chao to meet them. Now, she’s only laughing: “My Mom, naturally, was, at first, stunned, but then she said: “Ok now, time to broaden my horizons,” limiting this expansion, though, to China’s borders. This all happened before my mother met Chao in person. Once he’d been to our house, she told me: “Don’t you dare to come alone next time.” She liked him so much! He talks Russian well, so they could for hours on end sit at a table, just like us now, and talk on and on and on…As though they became related… All at once… And later, as we came home together, he met my aunts and we had a

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines great time, all family down the table… having meals…it felt so good..." “This whole ‘domesticity’ thing is a lot like China, don’t you think so?" “Sure, I do. We have much in common. My people immediately recognized him as ‘their’ man.” “What happened then?” “Well, then,”she sighs. “We talked about our future, of course. I was in my fourth year, while he was about to graduate. So we had to come up with something. The key issue was his being a foreigner; otherwise the decision could have been postponed for however long. First graduation, then work — there would have been no need to hurry, if he were a Belarusian. But we both understood that, once he graduates, he would have to leave the country, just because his visa would have expired by that time. So, the question was: are we together or should be break up?” Whenever a Chinese guy starts to think of marrying someone, it’s high time for his parents to come to the fore — either implicitly or openly. China remains a country where family opinion counts, especially in marriage matters. If we say that marriages are blessed by the heaven, every self-respected Chinese knows that marriages are concluded in parents’ homes. So, Chao, having stuffed his suitcases with quite an impressive collection of photos and videos to show his girl of choice, went home — to Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (Valeria now celebrates there the moon calendar New Year), where his parents’ home is situated. While Chao was on the ‘crusade’ trip, his Chinese friends from Minsk, worrying about their future, took care of Valeria, regularly inviting her to dinners, cooking meals. On coming back, Chao did not say a thing about his parents’ verdict, though it seemed like it had been positive. Now, Valeria is sure there had been a big family gathering, all videos and photos thoroughly studied and discussed. A couple of days later, right as they were having dinner with Valeria's parents, Chao stood up and said: “Mother Liusya, I want to marry.”

Naturally, one wedding was not enough. There were three of those, the first one taking place in Minsk with all bride’s relatives and bridegroom’s friends coming together to make a 40-guest party, where everyone was enjoying themselves. “In summer, we went to China, where we at once started to prepare for another wedding,” Valeria narrates. “We invited 300 people — everyone Chao once studied with, went to the same kindergarten, was friends, attended the same college, Academy, then relatives, of course, his father's friends, his mother's colleagues from where she used to work — basically everyone they have ever known. This was our first wedding, as two weeks later I was told we had to visit some other relatives in another town. Naturally, I wondered what we were going to do there and was answered that we were going to have another wedding as some relatives had not been able to come over. 200 people more all in all. But a Chinese wedding is very different from ours, 2 hours — and it is over. At our weddings, a newly married couple sits at the head of the table, while everyone else is entertaining them, whereas in China they stand on the stage, together with the toast-master, and entertain their guests. I even had to sing and dance. The repertory is wellknown and obligatory: I sang “Katiusha”, and then, together with Chao, “Evenings Near Moscow”, while his parents did the dancing. Next came the traditional bows, lots of them. First, we bowed three times to the guests, thanking them for doing us honor coming here, after which we bowed to the parents, three more times. I remember we were bowing to the ground, the toast-master telling something in the background, until we heard the parents say: “Stand up!” Next, bows to each other: first, the mother and the father, then we, first touching with forehead, then with noses, and, finally, kissing. In the end of the evening, his friends prepared a firework for us.” …So, it’s been four years already since Valeria and Chao live in Beijing. She, having mastered Chinese, works as a teacher of German in one of the

Universities, doing her best to keep terms with her new relatives, since, as they say, (which is quite in line with my views) the one who marries a Chinese, also gets forever bound to their family. It is also true that Valeria’s parents were not the only ones to have broadened their horizons, Chao’s Chinese family having done pretty much the same thing, as they could have hardly expected that their son would come back from the far away Minsk with a wife. “He is the love of my life,” says Valeria. And I wish them happiness, whether according to the Chinese or the Belarusians, as happiness is a universal thing, meaning that you are loved, understood and welcomed. By Inessa Pleskachevskaya

“Equilibrium” sculpture by Belarusian Viktor Kopach erected within Tsinghua University campus in Beijing

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue:

A substantial vector

An international group practicing taijiquan under Viktor Xiao’s supervision at one of the most ancient Beijing sites

Harmony in Motion When we speck about China we imagine the following image in our mind. Morning. Park. Many people do their morning exercises or dance with slow harmonious and delayed movements. Anyone who knows nothing about China (but how many of such people visit China?) and see the slow movements of “dancers” may decide that they are in a trance

nyone who knows China traditions will stop and think “It is true! They indeed do it!” and nod his head satisfactorily. It is true Chine. No tricks. The Chinese indeed do their morning (as well as day and evening) exercises which resembles a slow dance. They are sure that it is the exercises that help them to keep energy, mobility and health in their extreme old age. There are many types of such gymnastics and taijiquan is the most popular gymnastics indeed.

Teacher

…It is sunny morning and I do to the main square of the country Tyananman. An entry into a small park which once was an imperial temple of forefathers is on the right hand of Mao Tszedun portrait. A very different group makes the exercises in

беларусь.belarus 2012

the park in the lights of cool but bright winter sun. The majority of the group is the Chinese, but foreigners are here too. Here is Belarus Vadim Sugak, here is American, here is the Koreans… 70year-old Victor Sjao the instructor of the group moves easy as a young person. “It is all due to taiji,” he laughs. We were acquainted with Victor Sjao several years ago in Minsk where he holds taijiquan seminars. Such people as Victor Sjao would be called a man with an unusual destiny. But he does not agree with it and think that “canvas of his life” is quite simple. “I was born in a cave,” he tells… Here, of course we have to mention that a “cave” means Shaanxi province were houses are often cut right in Loessial plateau even today. But Victor was born in an unusual cave located within the territory of small town of Yanan, which was a communistic capital of China for over 13 years (from 1935 till 1948).

Way to taijiquan

— Did your parents were communists? — ask. — My dad was a communist, but my mum was always a nonparty person. Perhaps as a result of living in the communistic capital of China, Victor’s childhood resembles childhood of many other children of his age born in Yanan. In 1943 his mum took him and his brothers and sisters to Chimkent, and in four years they were sent to the well-known Ivanovo children's home where about 50 children from China including children of ideological (and not only ideological) opponents Mao Tszedun and Tchan Kayshi (who became friends despite of their fathers) were raised there. “In 1949 my father took us from Ivanovo,” Victor tells. From 1951 till 1953 we lived in Prague were the International Council of Piece Defence was held. And only in 1953 I finally returned to China. I was 12 years old and I spoke no Chinese at all

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines only Russian. It was necessary to learn language of my fathers. Now I on speak Russian and Chinese with equal ease and both language are native for me”. Victor has opened taijiquan for himself as a result of a necessity. He did gymnastics but damaged his vertebra. “My body already required movement in this time and my friends recommended taiji. I was fascinated by taiji and master myself since that time. Firstly, I learned so-called park taijiquan anyhow and from anyone. I found my master only in 1982. It takes 20 years to find him.” Victor does not say the name of his master. He says that original Chinese tradition requires to keep name of a master in secret. Of course nowadays many traditions are forgotten and his own learners will say name of their without hesitation, but he is a person of old traditions… “Is it possible to gain insight into the taijiquan without a master?” I ask. “No,” he says steadily at once. — But why? — Because knowledge is transferred through the contact with a master using your feeling. There are no books which can explain which feelings you should have… — Do you mean physical feelings? — There is a memory of a body, physical memory. You cannot understand taijiquan without a teacher otherwise anyone could learn it from books and video records. A teacher neutralises tension, he helps to neutralise your personal conflicts and personal tensions. Contact with a master showing taijiquan movements is obligatory…

ples is not a opposition of contrasts such as Yin and Yan as many believe. Marxist unity and conflict of opposites are well known to Victor Sjao born in a communistic cave. He notes that “Taiji is not a conflict it is a harmony of contrasts”. Ancient China has discovered the main space law consisting in harmony and all other laws are derivative of it”. Taijiquan began as fighting art and became very popular in the early 19th century when Yan Luchan became the main trainer of emperor guards. Yan was invincible and it explains sudden popularity of taijiquan. Even the name of the art was different. Is was called “soft, wadded” (“tsuan” — “struggle, fight”). Taijiquan philosophy is interesting: soft wins firm, weak wins strong, slow wins fast. “It is much wiser than an unconditioned reflex and desire to use force against force,” Victor Sjao tells. But after three invincible generations of Yan family taiji was degraded Victor thinks. The main reason of such degradation was underestimation of the traditional culture which included taijiquan as its essential part. And today in Victor’s opinion traditional taiji is “almost forgotten”. But in the same time sport taiji develops actively and due to it “taijiquan” term is still in vocabulary of modern people. After the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949 f ighting ar ts were forbidden for non-military people, and therefore ancient practices

Roots and Philosophy

Tr a d i t i o n a l taijiquan (learned by Victor Sjao and his Belarusian learners) is a fantastic mixture of almost all achievements of Chinese culture. Taiji princi-

To master taiji one needs the guidance of a teacher

such as taiji and other “tsuans” b ecame necessarily h e a lt h -

improving exercises. But the ban was highly effective and up-to-date taiji is a puzzle with a great deal of pieces saved by old masters. Whether the puzzle pieces could be collected again? Victor Sjao is not ready to give unequivocal positive answer. “We study ancient practices in archives and try to understand how taijiquan have looked like. It resembles paleontology when you shall understand the whole dinosaur using one tooth or one bone” he said. But Victor Sjao believes in revival taijiquan. “Taiji is the unique system which does not require attack and approach and attacking person lose. It means that taijiquan philosophy learns that I cannot and I shouldn’t attack. Isn’t it the space harmony law?” Victor Sjao is sure that taijiquan has a universal value. He has learners not only in China but in Belarus and in Russia and knows it very well. After all taiji is more difficult for foreign learners that for Chinese ones. The Chinese understand taiji since the beginning — it runs in our veins, but foreign learners have to learn it from scratch… But if they fill and understand taijiquan philosophy and art at any time they became persevering and even annoying in a good sense.” Victor Sjao considers his learners from Belarus and Russia as an “experiment”. He visits them only two times per year and it means that constant contact of a learner and a master which is very important according to his previous words cannot be provided. “It is an unimaginable for China,” he says. But nevertheless he is happy with the experiment results. The group of instructors had developed which insistently study traditional taijiquan. Victor believes in his learners. “I don't even know now whether traditional taijiquan will be restored in China or abroad,” he says.

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue: Learner

Evgeny Skornyakov, the only individual learner of Victor Sjao in Belarus who was granted the official title on a Bayshi ceremony in Beijing follows steps of his master in Minsk. Perhaps, Evgeny is one of those instructors-methodologists of Beijing taiji school who persistently “study” the ancient art, my colleague has quoted words of the Chinese master. I suppose that Skornyakov has any ground to become a dedicated learner! But what did they study? I will try to understand it at metting with Evgeniy in his taiji studio located on the ground floor of an apartment house on Rabkorovskaya Street southwards and not far from Minsk railway where “Druzhnaya” station locates. I go down the steep stone steps. And feel atmosphere of the interior which reminds of China where I have never been at once. Walls made of red-brown stone, arches and columns separating one hall from another, low benches… Most part of my generation have seen exotic of this great country in colour, very soft and smooth wipers with dragons and strange beautiful flowers, dazzling Chinese lamps, thermoses and painted caskets. Now we have a priori a great variety of other possibilities to face China in real or in virtual world. And mysterious taijiquan is one of such possibilities.

Yin — Yan

We are in a great hall where lessons take place. I stay away from learners trying not to interfere their lesson. Meditative music created positive atmosphere. With my lateral sight I observe activity on the green carpet. Eight ladies of respectable age move fluent and almost simultaneously. They do not look at each other. It seems that they are shrink into themselves. I’m glad to note that I’ve seen something like that in a TV program devoted to Oriental single combats. — It is my favorite group, my “girls,” Evgeny says about 65-year old and older

беларусь.belarus 2012

A substantial vector women. Meanwhile, women take bright red fans… Later I was told that some women are 80 years old. There was also a 95-year old woman who joined the grout when she was 89 years old! According to the ancient Chinese tradition period of a life after seventy years old is called “desired” period. It is not amazing that our women whose age we in the old manner consider as respectable or declining years learn taijiquan with Skornyakov for about 10 years! By the way, I say to Evgeniy that modern psychologists classified the age after 70 years old as “late adulthood.” We both agree with the widespread statement that the life is good at any age if a person is healthy. Ever ything what Evgeny says is interesting to me. Before our meeting I visited “Taiji-Minsk” site where a lot of that curious information for journalists and interested persons who wants to join this ancient art is provided. I have found a treatise about ushu and quotations of wise men about oriental single combats, articles of Victor Sjao and impression of the Belarusians who have visited seminars in Beijing. Impressions about the country and about meetings with taiji masters organized by Victor are very enthusiastic. — Generally, word “taijiquan” is more correct, though “taiji” is also used, Evgeniy says. He explains that “taiji” stands for “great border.” The philosophy of taiji is based on the doctrine about two polar beginnings Yin-Yan, interaction and alternation of which generates the great border on which the Universe genesis is based. Now we discuss the

meaning of Yin and Yan, weak and strong, dark and light, day and night … but we do nothing, he says. And there, he nods to women, people try to understand tsuan. That is how Yin and Yan make itself felt in the human body and human understanding of this process. A practice provides feelings and understanding of Evgeniy harmony in Skornyakov giving movement instructions and ways of its achievement. The Chinese have understood law of Yin and Yan movement without separating people from nature a long time ago and developed taijiquan practices. Evgeniy tells me about constant change of Yin and Yan which cannot be stopped by anyone. Not only day and night movement but also taijiquan are everlasting. My interlocutor is absolutely sure that this ancient art of harmony in movement which was developed in the in Udan mountains in ancient days is immortal. And moreover, it is in China with its deep traditional roots where taijiquan will be revived. After all, Chinese civilisation is about 5000 years old. Yes, Evgeniy says, today the traditional culture of the country is changed and does not prevail. For example, many people hardly know that porcelain, enamel, varnish, silk, gunpowder, compass and many other things were invented in ancient China. And average life expectancy of the Chinese is 92 years! Did such life expectancy result from the alive genetic memory of the people living in harmony with nature? I agree with Evgeny that any nation is strong with its traditions, admitting that it is not that important that today taijiquan in China is rather a popular exercise. If form is preserved, it will be filled with the content some day, since it is known that all global events are cyclical and new life cycle will revive long-forgotten things.

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines Way of Life

Skornyakov has been learning taijiquan from Victor Sjao, a master of the 7th generation of the Yan family of Van Yunchuan school, for more that 10 years. Victor Sjao is is noly taijiquan teacher. “The teacher gave me understanding of the taijiquan core. It is impossible to explain,” Evgeniy says. Earlier his teachers were Vietnamese master Red Dragon An and professor Le Cimhoa who revealed secrets of Oriental single combats, such as ushu in particular. Evgeniy has been going in for ushu for about 35 years. By the way, Evgeniy graduated from the Physical Culture University as a training specialist. When he was a student he worked with 6-year old children. He says it was interesting to play with them to understand technique of single combats and to explain in to children. Evgeniy's wish to share with people his knowledge arose in China for a long time when he taught ushu in the country's major sports university. Now he has two diplomas. He received his second diploma in Beijing in the presence of all elders and masters of the traditional taijiquan. Evgeniy recorded a video of this official ceremony. I should admit that the festive admission of a learner of such outstanding master as Victor Sjao is impressive. Now Skornyakov has his own learners. There are adult people

Ivan Zhdanovich

Fans make a beautiful practice

among t hem. S ome of t hem do their exercises at “White dragon” school, some teach other people in other cities of the Republic, in particular, in Mogilev and in Brest under the supervision of Evgeniy. There are two taijiquan directions in Evgeniy's school: ushu (an external one) including all animal styles and taijiquan (an internal one). What are the results of such way of life? “Here are the results,” he laughs. The medical board examining for long-term business trip shows that I am an absolutely healthy 50-year old man.

taijiquan Bonuses

Except for health, Evgeniy admits, taijiquan ensures internal peace. It is an admirable way of life. “But who may ignore problems arising sometimes in a subway where someone may step on your foot?” I ask. He answers as easy as, possibly, he reacts to inconveniences which accompany our movement in public transport at rush hours. — Yes, my finger and my brain feel it. But I understand that it is not the end of a life I behave accordingly and keep my psychical balance. — Do you mean that taijiquan helps you in such situations? — It does. I understand what is the most important thing for me and if I should subdue to reflexes or keep my internal harmony.

— And if you see an openly violent behaviour? — I stop it. — Is it difficult in a daily life to infuriate you? — It would better to ask my wife… I speak with his wife after the lesson is over. Tamara smiles, as though trying to convey that it is indeed difficult. By the way, she has never tried teaching because she learns taijiquan in another group of her husband. It seems that taijiquan supports her, too. “It helps so much!” one of “girls,” Maria Vasilievna Kolodezhnaya says. I can see that Maria Vasilievna is the head of the group. “I am 82 year old,” she reveals her “secret.” She looks like a conspirator since she knows that I’m amazed. I cannot stop my whoop. She looks 10-15 years younger! Other women come to us, too. Each of them wants to tell about changes which became possible due to taijiquan: easiness and energy of the body, no insomnia, a relief from joint pain, well see sight and strong immune system… “If you could see us at the beginning,” another one of taiji learners remembers. We could not boot ourselves and helped each other… The third woman says that thoughts about life hardships are almost gone and it is not easy to quarrel with somebody. These women don't even account for the fact that they have been visiting our studio for a long time because, step by step, taiji became their lifestyle. They are still proud that their “adult” group is unique in the CIS and “even in Moscow.” The women are extremely grateful to the teacher, Evgeniy Skornyakov and respectfully call him Evgeniy Kirillovich. Health and desire of self-improvement are the bonuses of taijiquan and something undefinable but easily felt by all learners. And now I think, perhaps, I should join taijiquan learning? By Valentina Zhdanovich Inessa Pleskachevskaya Minsk-Beijing

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue:

A substantial vector

Communicating through the ages Gao Man — translator and promoter of Belarusian literature in China

ur country is soon to celebrate the hundredth anniversar y of the birth of national B elarusian poet Maxim Tank. A bright and broad-minded person, he travelled widely — with Soviet delegations, and with political and public figures, with fellow writers, and alone. He was invited by the art organisations of other soviet republics and by nations around the world. In his tenth volume of p o e t r y, he me nt i ons dozens of places with which his life was connected. He often referred to China and its writers, having spent 1957 in this distant Eastern c o u n t r y. H i s Chinese cycle of poetry was inspired by his tour of China, accompanied by young translator and publicist Gao Man. Of course, years pass. In Decemb er 1983, Maxim Tank wrote in his diary: ‘K.Sherman, who has just returned from the Moscow

беларусь.belarus 2012

Translators’ Council, passed on Gao Man’s regards. I thought that he had died during the Cultural Revolution in China...’ On January 5th, 1987, he wrote: ‘...My old friend Gao Man is to visit. It is such a pity that I can’t meet to thank him for translating my poetry into Chinese and for publishing my book of poems.’ Four days later, on January 9th, he wrote: ‘Ge Baotuan has come. Oh, my illness has come at the wrong time!’ His ‘Selected works’ ( B e ij i n g , 1 9 5 8 ) were translated into Chinese by Ge Baotuan a n d Wu Lanhan ( t h e

6th volume of ‘Belarusian Writers’ mistakenly spells his surname as Uhlanhan). However, Wu Lanhan was actually Gao Man’s pseudonym. Tank’s notes of January, 1987, read that Gao Man should arrive soon but he only reached Moscow. It was Ge Baotuan who came to Minsk. Sadly, after 1957, Tank never again met his translator. However, Gao Man (or Wu Lanhan) was clearly a special person, to be remembered by the Belarusian poet for so many decades. As he was born in 1926, it seemed unlikely that he would still be alive but we asked the Chief Editor of the ‘Russian Literature and Art’ magazine an d D o c t or of P h i l o s ophy X i a Zhongxian to help, in early June, 2011. Professor Zhongxian was on a trip, so didn’t respond immediately but, by the middle of August, we had the address of Gao Man, his phone number, and his daughter’s e-mail. We made contact with the oldest Chinese translator and publicist, an active promote r of Russ i an and Soviet literature in China. He g a v e u s h i s recollections of

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines Maxim Tank from October, 1957. He long ago wrote: ‘It was unexpected that, after so many years had passed, there was a person in Belarus who had read my article about painter Georgiy Poplavskiy. The article was written long ago. I suppose, there are details which need to be corrected...” He had written about the Belarusian painter, artist and craftsman Georgiy for a Chinese newspaper. After translation into Belarusian, the text was published in ‘Literature and Art’. “I was in Minsk 56 years ago [in 1955 — А. К.],” he tells us. “At that time, the main street was under const r uc t ion. I don’t remember the details of my trip but I met sculptor Zair Azgur. After many years, I received a collection of my works from him. On the front cover, with a shaking hand, he had written his signature.” Maxim He sp e a k s of Tank Z ai r A z g u r i n h is l e tt e r of Au g u s t 28th, 2011: ‘At that time, we chatted a lot with Zair Azgur in Minsk. Then, a few years later, influenced by this meeting, I wrote ‘Before meeting Zair Azgur himself in 1955, I saw his works — busts, memorials and high reliefs — dedicated to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. I was impressed by how the sculptor had welcomed the Chinese delegation to his studio. They hugged. For a long time, and with enthusiasm, he chatted about ancient Chinese culture, praising the new changes in China. In the end he said that he’d certainly visit China, then added that, if he failed to do so, then his son would certainly make the journey. Those words have always stayed in my heart’. He continues, “In 1956, I met Azgur in Moscow. By that time,

the Belarusian artist had finished the Chinese writer Lu Xun’s bust. I thought how amazing his skill was that he could create a sculpture of the great Chinese thinker and writer from such a remote distance. Soon afterwards, the bust was donated to the Chinese Government. I remember that snowy day, when there were so many visitors to Lu Xun’s memorial house. Each spent quite some time looking at the ‘Belarusian’ Lu Xun and, from the sparkle in their eyes, I k ne w t hat my countrymen were move d by t he artist from that distant land. Our central newspaper ‘Yinzminz Yizbau’ published a photo of Azgur’s sculpture of Lu Xun.” He wrote more about t h e P e o p l e’s P o e t of B elarus: ‘In 1957, Belarusian poet Maxim Tank joined a S oviet ar t delegation and I accompanied him. We visited many places in our country. Afterwards, he released his poetry collection which includes works about China’. The third volume of Maxim Tank works (Minsk, ‘Belarusian Science’, 2007), includes poems from 1954 to 1964: ‘The Great Chinese Wall’, ‘Qi Baishi’, ‘Longmen Caves’, ‘Kerchief ’, ‘Rice Bowl’, ‘Bridge of Eternal Peace’, ‘White Horse’, ‘Bronze Mirror’, ‘I’ve Waited Half the Day for You’, ‘Drought in Henan Province’, ‘In the Shadow of the Memorial on Lake Dinghu’, ‘Yangzi’, ‘Tray of Coconut’, and ‘Old Tale’. In these and other works, Tank tackled diverse themes, speaking enthusiastically about the rich history of China. He was interested in the social change which had arrived

with the communist government. He meditates on the role and place of the artist in society, and his relations with people. Sadly, this volume is missing some of his Chinese cycle poems. We hope the omission may be rectified, with all of the poems published in one complete volume. “Ge Baotuan and I translated them into Chinese and published his poetry collection,” explains Gao Man. “I wrote an afterword, before the Soviet Union collapsed...” It’s intriguing that he was so interested in Russian and Soviet literature and culture. He explains, “I was born in 1926, in Harbin, living there for over 20 years. At that time, there were many immigrants — especially Russian people. I studied at the Christian Union of Young Men, where most of the teachers and students were Russian. There were also representatives of other nationalities, but we didn’t distinguish between them, as all spoke Russian...” Harbin is one Chinese city which most Belarusian people are familiar with, as Novogrudok Catholic priest Fabian Abrantovich (1884—1946) was sent there in November, 1928. He was the apostolical executive for Russian Catholics in Manchuria and wrote several articles for Belarusian religious editions. From 1918—1919, he corresponded in a friendly fashion with Yanka Kupala. I n t h e e a r l y 1 9 3 0 s , Ya z e p Her manov ich (b or n in 1890 in Galshany) headed St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker lyceum in Harbin. His ‘China — Siberia — Moscow’ was published in Belarusian, Polish, Italian and Russian. It would be wonderful to see it also released in Chinese. ‘From childhood’, wrote Gao Man, ‘I learned Russian and loved this country and its people. Russian literature and art awake sympathy for simple, working people in their fight for liberation. We, Chinese people, the owners of our own country, lived then under pressure from Japan, so

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue:

A substantial vector His memory lived on however, on both sides, as did Maxim Tank’s memories of China — through his poetry. One verse reads: When you visit this paradise, Believe, that you see it in reality, not in a dream: Wonderful Beihai Park and Beihai Lake, Which shines in a golden setting, like nephrite.

World literature classics depicted by Gao Man

Russian literature opened our eyes’. He knows Volkovisk native Vsevolod Ivanov but didn’t meet him in Harbin. He tells us, “I was still a child, so didn’t understand anything and didn’t know about this writer. Many years later, I found his name and works among literary materials and wanted to read his works about China — ‘Typhoon on Yangzi’, ‘Shandong’, and ‘The Way to Diamante Mounting’...” Speaking again of Maxim Tank, he notes that they knew each other before his visit to China. As soon as he arrived in Beijing, he wanted to meet Qi Baishi but the old artist had already passed away, so they visited his grave. We know little about Qi Baishi (1860—1957), as his life is a total mystery. In fact, biographers differ in opinion regarding his date of birth: 1864, 1863, 1861 or 1860. It’s known that he was born to a poor family in Hunan Province and, when he was nine, began learning calligraphy and

беларусь.belarus 2012

painting. At 28, he became an apprentice of artist Hu Tinyuan, learning Chinese national ‘guo hua’ painting. He moved to Beijing in 1917. At 66, he was invited to become a professor of the Painting Department at Beijing Art University. In 1953, he was chosen to be the first Chairman of the Chinese Artists’ Union and the Chinese Ministry of Culture awarded him the title ‘Great Chinese People’s Artist’. In 1956, he was awarded the International World Premium and died on September 16th, 1957, two weeks before Maxim Tank arrived in Beijing. Even in the Ukrainian town of Zolochiv, there is a monument to the Chinese artist, and his works are held by the State Museum of Oriental Art (Moscow) and by the Hermitage (St. Petersburg). On August 28th, 2011, Gao Man wrote: ‘After M. Tank returned to his homeland, we communicated but, sadly, his letters disappeared during the dark years of the Cultural Revolution’.

China also remembers Maxim Tank. In his book of selected poems, Gao Man refers to Maxim Tank as one of the brightest Belarusian poets, with a wider use of language than Lu Xun, Ai Qing, or other Chinese poetic classics. One of Gao Man’s recent works translates Maxim Tank’s poem ‘Lao She’ — written in 1988 (only discovered by the Chinese translator recently). He gives an interlinear translation into Chinese. Some details from Gao Man’s (Wu Lanhan’s) biography are still worth mentioning. He was born in 1926 and now lives in Beijing. For a long time, he was the Chief Editor of ‘World Literature’ magazine, gathering the best translators for the job and actively translating the works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Bunin, Akhmatova, Pasternak and others. He wrote ‘Notes on Russian Visual Art’ and is an Honoured Artiste of Russia, awarded the Russian Order of Friendship. Gao Man has translated journalistic works by Svetlana Aleksievich — in particular, her documental ‘Zink Boys’. In 2011, he met the Belarusian poet Naum Galperovich, in Beijing, dedicating a poem of his own to his visitor from Minsk. He is also a calligrapher, and has painted portraits of Belarusian writers such as Yakub Kolas, Yanka Kupala, Ales Adamovich, Vasil Bykov, Maxim Tank, Svetlana Aleksievich, and Naum Galperovich. Reproductions of these works have been given to the Belarusian writers. Interest from the bright and multifaceted personality of Gao Man is testament to the fascinating qualities of Belarusian literature and culture. By Ales Karlukevich

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines

Fragile beauty

Belta

The Chinese porcelain and ceramics collection displayed as part of permanent exposition at the Belarusian National Art Museum provides for a possibility to get to know the immense variety of cultural traditions in this country

hina has always been world famous for its porcelain, with ceramics and porcelain included into the highest achievements of Chinese civilization. Porcelain products enjoyed great demand not only in China proper, but far and wide beyond its borders. Porcelain fancy articles, which first got into the Medieval Europe by accident, were treated like relics of immense value. The fictile art has a history which is over three thousand years long. Porcelain proper was first manufactured in China approximately in the sixth-seventh century, when the technology and input

components selection became improved to the extent that it was possible to obtain articles of pure white colour and excellent finesse. The China ceramics and porcelain collection at the Belarusian National Art Museum, comprising about 120 pieces, is rather modest in size, its first exhibits delivered to the museum from Beijing in 1957 to be later supplemented with ceramic and porcelain pieces donated by the State Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow. The rest of the exhibits from the collection were bought from private collectors in Minsk. The most ancient exhibits from the museum collection date as far back

as the Ming Dynasty age, comprising porcelain and ceramic pieces manufactured in Longquan, Zhejiang province, and Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, which are underglaze decorated with cobalt paint. The best of celadon technique is embodied in articles covered with a greenish-grey glaze formed by adding ferrous oxide. According to one version, the term ‘celadon’ originated from Arab ‘saladun’ (eng. ‘solid’), while another one says that it was Celadon, a character of the seventeenth century most popular French novel ‘Astrée’ by Honoré d’Urfé, who gave this technique its name due to the greenish-grey ribbons he wore. The finest pieces are believed to be those

2012 беларусь.belarus

A substantial vector

Belta

Topic of the issue:

manufactured by the Song dynasty craftsmen (Х — ХIIIth centuries), though Longquan ceramists of the second half of the fourteenth — early fifteenth century were still able to manufacture pieces of a quality equal to that of the Song ones. In the National Art Museum collection, celadon pieces are not numerous, comprising a brush cleaning jar, a bottle and a vase. Their exact age is difficult to identify, even for stuff as experienced as that working for the Minsk museum; however, there’s a number of technical characteristics (such as ceramic body colour, glaze) which make it possible to conclude, with a certain degree of credibility, that those celadon pieces were manufactured in the late fifteenth — early seventeenth century. According to the museum treasurers, the Chinese brush cleaning jar is the most ancient piece of art in the collection displayed at the Belarus’ major museum. It is notable that the craftsman who manufactured the piece followed traditional Song patterns, covering the jar with greenish-grey dark-streaked glaze, while the unglazed ceramic fragment in

беларусь.belarus 2012

the jar bottom testifies that the piece dates as far back as the late fifteenth — early seventeenth century. The bottle, covered with a glaze of amazing grey-blue colour and adorned with a low relief scene, is also possible to identify as belonging to the same age. Song celadon and early Ming Dynasty pieces boast floral patterns, geometrical ornaments, and, in rare cases, fish or bird images, either engraved or carved in soft dough. The fact the unknown craftsman who manufactured the bottle uses anthropomorphous images testifies to its later origin. The attribution is confirmed by the thick, slightly greyish ceramic body colour, whereas, for earlier pieces, it is typical to have a red-brown ceramic body in their unglazed bottom fragments. The vase, its floral ornament comprising twisting stalks, leaves and big lotus flowers carved in dough and covered with a greenish glaze, was manufactured in the celadon decline period, right in the end of the Ming Dynasty rule. Taken the greyish ceramic body, the sharp coloration and the carelessly done ornamentation, the vase can be

concluded to have been manufactured in the early XVIIth century, when pieces from Longquan kilns had lost much of their renowned quality, their manufacture gradually coming to a halt. The emperor’s seal with underglaze cobalt painting manufactured in Jingdezhen pertains to the Ming Dynasty period. Chinese craftsmen had used cobalt to paint white porcelain surfaces since Yuan rule (1280—1367), creating a wonderful aesthetic effect against white and blue backgrounds. The Ming Dynasty period is the time when underglaze cobalt painting became widespread. The technique is complex and requires great skill. Paint is applied onto an unglazed ceramic body. Once painted, the piece is then glazed and burnt at 1350—1400ºC. The seal from the Minsk collection is covered with a solid, hastefully running painting, using pale, slightly greyish cobalt, which makes it possible to date it as far back as the late Wanli rule (1573—1620), when Jingdezhen articles lost much in their quality and quantity due to the tricky political and economic situation within the country.

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines мода Another range of articles displayed at the Belarusian National Art Museum, comprising the seventeenth — early twentieth century porcelain and ceramics, is the most numerous, being represented by various periods within the Qing Dynasty rule (1644—1911). The pieces of the late seventeenth — eighteenth century, manufactured during Kangxi (1662—1722), Yongzheng (1723— 1735), Qianlong (1736—1796) rule, are distinguished by their multiple painting patterns and shapes. In the first half of the seventeenth century, China experienced significant political changes. The year 1644 saw the rise of the foreign Manchu-origin Qing Dynasty, the country involved in a war and a series of anti-Manchu riots. The once thriving Chinese economy, its power gradually built up during the Ming rule, was undermined, which, of course, could not but have an adverse effect on the ceramic manufacture. Almost all of Jingdezhen kilns were destroyed, and it was only during Kangxi rule, the second emperor from the Qing Dynasty, that the once great ceramic centre activities began to be revived. Burning kilns for porcelain were being restored at rapid pace, with Ming Dynasty times output reached as early as in 1680. During Kangxi rule, ceramists focused on improving porcelain patterns and techniques. It was the time when luminous monochrome glazes with finest shade gradations, requiring quality burning, reached their peak popularity. The most widespread patterns included glazes, such as “red sacrifice,” “apple colour,” “tea leaf colour,” ”yellow fish scales.” The museum’s collection includes a small vase, shaped as a double pumpkin and covered with an exquisite dark-olive glaze, which can serve as a perfect example of the Kangxi period monochrome articles from Jingdezhen. T h e s e c on d half of the seventeenth centur y — the early eighteenth century are

also notable for development of traditional painting techniques, such as blue underglaze, polychrome overglaze and a complex decoration technique, combining underglaze cobalt painting and overglaze enamel painting. The latter technique was used for a high cylindrical vase with a bell-mouth and a small swelling in its body centre on a display at the National Art Museum. The vase boasts three horizontal belts with picturesque ornaments: the one at the top features women, dancing and playing musical instruments in a garden, while, somewhat lower, one can see blooming p e on i e s and p e a ch t re e branches. It should be noted that, in general, overglaze painting in green shades, its major colour being intensive green, dominate Chinese porcelain decoration patterns of the late seventeenth — early eighteenth century. Craftsmen also used yellow, purple, blue and black colours. The cylindrical vase exhibited at the Minsk museum features birds on a blooming cherry plum tree and peony bushes, which symbolize the spring onset and are painted on symmetrically arranged figured imprints. It is evident that while employing the popular ‘birds and flowers’ pattern, the craftsman constructs the painting as an unrolling scenery, the deep green background with flowers and spiral curls still more contributing to the effect. It needs to be borne in mind that t h e

trend towards revival of porcelain art, typical of Kangxi times, can be observed throughout the subsequent Yongzheng rule, the period being the big come back of the Song Dynasty aesthetics. The porcelain articles of that time are disting u i s h e d by their finesse, fragility and exquisite décor, monochrome patterns prevailing and t he complex underglaze engraving technique enjoying its revival. Porcelain underglaze cobalt paintings also managed to retain the best of the old school and were still in great demand, though later the blue underglaze painting would go out of fashion, superseded by the polychrome porcelain. The 20-30’s of the eighteenth century gave rise to a new polychrome painting technique, the so-called ‘rose range,’ which contributed to further thrive of ‘birds and flowers’ patterns. Pieces from this range have a new special collaurinbased rose paint introduced into their colour palette. The Meihua tree in blossom (a cherry plum symbolizing the onset of spring, one of the ‘noble four’ plants, besides the bamboo, the orchid and the chrysanthemum), peonies and birds, rose and gold colours dominating, make up the ornaments on a dish manufactured in Guangzhou workshops. Qianlong rule period porcelain pieces come in multiple shapes and various ornaments. These include a Chan bowl (a tea bowl on a low ring-shaped stem), Meiping vases (with pear-shaped bodies and a narrow throat to keep a blooming Meihua tree branch during the New Year celebrations), Guan jars (with a ball-shaped body and a wide throat with a cover to keep tea, sweets and New-Year gifts in) as well as bottles and dishes, decorated with underglaze cobalt painting, overglaze enamel painting, reliefs and underglaze engraving. The

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue: scene depicted on the vase decorated with an underglaze cobalt painting is based on an ancient tale about carps, who, heading upstream the Huang He river, try to jump over the so-called Longmen rapids (‘The Dragon Gates’). According to legend, those carps who manage to do this, ‘fly off ’ the ground, becoming dragons. The vase was painted in a traditional graphical manner, the major focus being lithe and expressive lines. The Guan jar painting is an illustration of the ‘scenic stain’ trend, with free brush strokes unlimited by the darker shade cobalt contour. Based on technical characteristics, such as white ceramic body, dense and slightly bluish glaze, the nonuniform cobalt shade, the jar can be identified as manufactured in the mid eighteenth century at private Jingdezhen workshops. The bottle for aromatic substances, adorned with polychrome overglaze enamel painting, is a perfect example of works from Qianlong period. On one of its sides, there’s an image of a traveller against a mountainous background, while the other side features a scientist with his servant, feasting his eyes on the beauty of orchids blooming in the mountains. The bottle painting is arranged as an unrolling scenery and, by its general mood, is very close to landscape paintings, their major object being admiration of the beauty and power of nature. The brilliant craftsman, obviously a master of this art confident about his skills, has managed to make his painting an utter perfection, its content totally in synch with the object shape and its colour range outstanding with its delicacy. The decorative pieces from the Chinese collection of the Belarusian National Art Museum combine ‘flower and birds’ patterns, scenic and landscape paintings with hieroglyphic inscriptions, sometimes covering a substantial part of the surface. Mostly, such inscriptions are poems, their contents directly related

беларусь.belarus 2012

A substantial vector to either the functionality of a piece or whatever is painted on its surface. Thus, the Qianlong period bottle for aromatic substances, featuring blooming chrysanthemums as symbols of autumn, has also a poetic inscription devoted to this season. The tradition, having survived throughout the nineteenth century till present day, dates as far back as the Ming Dynasty age. Another fine example of it is a tray for Chinese tea ceremony identified as belonging to the early Jiaqing rule period, which is adorned with a poem, framed by an ornament of wreathen lotus stalks, flowers and leaves. The Qianlong rule is remarkable with high quality of porcelain products; however, there already emerge certain signs of stagnation in the porcelain art, which reveal themselves in shapes of products becoming more intricate, paintings overloaded with ornaments and craftsmen trying to imitate other materials. Thus, the décor of the Chan bowl from Guangzhou workshop is virtually an imitation of the carved red varnish coating, while the internal surface, covered with gold, looks as though made from metal, rather than porcelain. During Qing period, porcelain figures of the ‘eight’ immortal — Lü Dòngbīn, Iron-Crutch Li, Zhongli Quan, Elder Zhang Guo, Cao Guojiu, Han Xiang Zi, Lan Caihe, He Xiangu — who, having reached immortality, helped people, enjoyed immense popularity. The figures were manufactured in a great number of Chinese ceramic centers, craftsmen decorating those with rough overglaze paintings using intense green, blue, purple, yellow and red colours. The figures, no marking on them, are usually difficult to identify. Based on similar relics kept

in other museums and private collections, pieces included in the Belarusian National Art Museum’s collection can be identified as belonging to the late eighteenth — early nineteenth century. The nineteenth century marked the period of porcelain manufacture decline in China. Craftsmen of those times were more and more frequently reproducing patterns from Ming, Kangxi and Yongzheng periods, contributing nothing of their own to painting techniques. Porcelain ornaments became eclectic, combining various techniques. However, Jingdezhen craftsmen cont inue d ma k ing hig h-qua lity porcelain, though their paintings were already showing signs of asymmetry and their backgrounds were rather faint. It was as early as the Ming Dynasty period when porcelain products were marked with a label, consisting of six, in rare cases, four hieroglyphs, standing for the dynasty name and the emperor’s rule slogan. The labels were usually applied as underglaze cobalt paintings, while, during Qing age those were sometimes, though quite rarely, marked with black or red overglaze paint. Quite frequently craftsmen’s labels featured either some of the ‘Eight Treasures’ (an artemisia leaf, a rhomb) or stamps with good whishes. The fact that Chinese porcelain enjoyed great popularity both on the domestic and the foreign market and the demand for porcelain by the emperor’s court was increasing from year to year provoked an outburst of forging during the Qing rule, the major objects affected by forging activities becoming porcelain with Ming Dynasty slogans. This was mainly done for commercial purposes. Whenever craftsmen forged a label for some other purposes, besides gaining additional profit (for

Belta

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines мода

At the exhibition of Chinese porcelain and ceramics

example, made a copy), they would make deliberate distortions when writing hieroglyphic symbols. Many of those nineteenth century artists, who made replicas of Ming and early Qing period pieces, marked their products with slogans of their times. For instance, the tetrahedral rectangular-shaped dark-blue glazed vase from the Minsk museum’s collection marked with a Guangxu rule label is an exact copy of an article from Qianlong period. In the second half of the nineteenth century, Guangzhou workshops provided for most of national-style porcelain exports. The most vivid example of such exports is the vase adorned with a colourful scenic painting, its prevailing colours being intense rose and gold. By the end of the XIXth century, porcelain manufacture had reached its peak decline, as the semi-colonial China had serious economic issues. The old school achievements were virtually lost, which greatly affected porcelain quality. What was produced were either bad imitations of ancient pieces or fancy shaped articles overloaded with orna-

mentation. Ceramic manufacture was breathed in a new life in the 30’s of the twentieth c e n t u r y, w i t h C h i n e s e porcelain craftsmen gradually reviving the previously lost old artistic techniques. In the 1950’s, craftsmen started manufacturing traditional colour glaze products, employing techniques, such as celadon and ‘ox blood.’ The ‘rice grain’ technique, first appearing back in the eighteenth century and mostly typical of late Qing pieces, also enjoyed great popularity at that time (its sequence was as follows: first, on a dried, but unburnt ceramic body, a craftsman made holes shaped as rice grains, proceeding to cover the surface with multiple, up to 30, glaze layers, finally putting the piece into the burning kiln). In the second half of the XXth century ceramic manufacture continues to develop, major ceramic workshops being those in Yixing, Shivang and other.

Shivang settlement in Guangdong province is one of major ceramic manufacturing centers. It was back in the eighteenth century that its produce had already gained wide recognition. Vases and figurines are made of heavy yellowish clay and covered with a dense glaze layer, either splashed or in erratic streaks, following the eleventh-twelfth century artistic traditions. It is known that in the 1950’s, on an instruction by China’s Culture Ministry, the ‘Folk Art’ State Canton Workshop set up an experimental artistic studio in Shivang, which united the best local sculptors. A horse figurine, made by a contemporary Shivang craftsman, which is part of the Minsk museum’s exposition, has no signs of stylization and is distinguished by its utmost realism in every detail. The figurine has a green glaze cover with erratic black and yellow-brown streaks, which are typical of Guangdong ceramics and give the image a special charm and significance. As it becomes evident on seeing works of talented Guangdong craftsmen, the fine plastic art, common for contemporary Chinese culture, is at its creative rise. Thus, the China porcelain and ceramics collection displayed at the Belarusian National Art Mus eum provides for a general idea of the ceramic arts history in this country. And if Ming dynasty pieces on display at the Minsk exhibition are quite scattered in time, Quing dynasty pieces make it possible to trace the way shapes and patterns evolved, becoming more intricate and decorative. It is visible enough that the best twentieth century pieces, while embodying the traditions of the past, are also blessed with creativity and imagination. And it is our cultural relations that make us so sure that we would be able to follow further Chinese craftsmen’s achievements throughout the twenty first century. By Viktor Mishutin

2012 беларусь.belarus

Topic of the issue:

A substantial vector

Unity Through Variety Thinking of Belarusian cuisine, we tend to imagine potatoes, meat, bread and fresh milk. Chinese cuisine is absolutely different, its taste determined by ingredients such as rice and ginger and various sauces. It may appear that our cuisines have nothing in common, but this may not be quite true

he Chinese are passionate about their food, which is both sophisticated and simple. Eating is always a source of genuine pleasure. In fact, they have no phrase for the expression ‘to have a snack’ and their traditional greeting — heard a hundred times a day — translates as ‘Are you hungry?’ Belarusians are less particular about what they eat, although pleasure is naturally essential. We share an attitude towards meals as a time to relax and enjoy good conversation. Is it significant that we love milk while 80% of Chinese people are lactose intolerant? Does it matter that our pickled garlic is spicy, while the Chinese equivalent, though looking almost identical, tastes sweet? Is it an issue that chicken claws are a delicacy in Beijing, priced sometimes higher than chicken breasts, while we just throw them away? What does it matter that the Southern Chinese prefer rice and Northern Chinese prefer steamed Mantou dough balls to bread? Shall we disregard the fact that China's most popular delicacy is ‘smelly tofu’ (soft yet very strong smelling); our usual cheese holds little attraction for them, as they think its flavour strange. All these differences matter not when we share the same table — in Beijing or Minsk. Belarusians and Chinese people share similar ideas of the components of a good meal: good company, plenty of food and endless chatter. Just like us, they are fond of toasts, carefully prepared dishes and songs. We are also similar in being curious about international cuisine while being culinary patriots; after trying exotic delicacies, we always return to our traditional diet. Read below to discover two recipes — traditional to each country and exotic to each other. Variety is the foundation of happiness — in all spheres. By Inessa Pleskachevskaya

беларусь.belarus 2012

Recipe for gourmets How to prepare ‘Ziran Yangjou’

rotein rich lamb, being soft and tender, is easily digested. Meanwhile, cumin helps control ‘chi’ energy, aiding digestion and preventing uncomfortable bloating. Accordingly, lamb with cumin is both delicious and healthy.

Ingredients

300g lamb (gaskin) 30g coriander, 30g Shaosin rice wine, 10g salt, 5g weijing flavouring (glutamate), 10g ground pepper, 15g cumin seeds (jeera), 20g green onion, 20g ginger, and 300g vegetable oil

Method

1. Slice the lamb into 4cm long fillets, 2.5 cm wide and 0.3 cm thick (cutting across the grain of the meat). 2. Rinse the onion and ginger in water and cut into pieces. 3. Fry the cumin in a dry pan without oil, and grind before mixing with pepper (leave out the pepper if you prefer a milder flavour). Add weijing flavouring. 4. Rinse the coriander in water, cut finely and add to the spices. 5. Coat the lamb with the mixture, then marinate for 20 minutes in Shaosin rice wine, salt, water, ginger and onion. 6. Remove the ginger and onion before flash frying the lamb in a pan of hot oil. As the juices emerge and the temperature of the oil drops, remove the meat to rest for a few minutes. Reheat the oil, then cook more slowly. 7. Add some more cumin, ground pepper and weijing flavouring and serve with a sprinkling of coriander.

Joint project by ‘Беларусь.Belarus’ and ‘China’ magazines

Delights of Draniki There are few who fail to find draniki (potato pancakes) tasty; their fans are numerous

ven those who are watching their weight occasionally put aside their diets to enjoy a plate of draniki (potatoes being full of carbohydrate). What the dish lacks in nutritional value it retains in its ability to lift the spirits; surely, eating one's favourite food must afford its own health giving properties. Belarusian draniki are mentioned even in the 18th century, being cooked in rural homes before appearing on urban tables. Today, they are found on all traditional Belarusian menus, in settlements large and small. They should be served piping hot from the oven and are often served with sour cream — although other accompaniments are also popular. Almost every home has its own variation on the recipe, serving with spareribs and onions sautéed in butter, or with mushrooms (called ‘machanka’ — from the Belarusian verb ‘makat’ — ‘to dip’) and grated cheese. Draniki suit red fish, such as salmon, lax and trout, Pacific herring and red or black caviar. The thought of it makes my mouth water. My personal favourite, on meeting relatives and friends, is draniki with red caviar. It is my pleasure to share the recipe with our readers, as it is unfailingly a success with Belarusians and foreigners alike.

Ingredients

To feed 3-4 guests (about 30 pancakes): 5-6 average medium to large potatoes 2 tablespoons of sour cream, mayonnaise or natural yoghurt 1.5-2 tablespoons of flour 100-150g olive oil 10g salt (optional) a pinch of dried dill and wisp of fresh a can of red caviar

Method

1. Peel and finely grate your potatoes (a blender may be used). 2. Add your sour cream, flour and dried dill, and mix with a spoon. 3. Having added some olive oil to your pan, heat moderately, until the oil begins to spit. Spoon small portions of the potato mixture into the pan and fry each side until brown, adding more oil for further pancakes. 4. Strew your finished plate with dill and either place your caviar in a silver caviar dish (or small salad dish) or place a little onto each pancake, with a leaf salad or napa cabbage to the side. 5. Enjoy! A quarter-cut dranik with red caviar and sour cream. Recipe by Valentina Zhdanovich

2012 беларусь.belarus

Made in Belarus

Alexander Stodub

Beautiful world of crystal ware Traditions of artistic glass production in Belarus are over 100 years old

Wilhelm Krayevsky. The latter understood that crystal and glass can be both functional and beautiful. Since 1904, the factory has exported to France and the UK, Egypt and Afghanistan; 225 masters once worked at the enterprise and, in 1910, it was awarded an honorary medal at an exhibition in Paris. The French capital awarded the factory again 67 years later, bestowing the ‘Golden Eagle’. The factory survived two wars, enduring every hardship. It went on to develop its artistic glass and crystal manufacture, expanding its traditions. Its crystal shot glasses, wine glasses, goblets, vases, confectionery and salad bowls, ash-trays and various souvenirs are owned by millions around the world. The factory’s green and blue glass appeals to those seeking something unusual, as do its unique shot glasses and decanters (made to lean like the Tower of Pisa). The enterprise’s sorting room offers an embarrassment of riches, all worthy of note. Its glasses are suitable for every occasion and beverage — from tea to cocktails. Its stem ware now includes triangular shaped martini glasses. Each design is created in dozens of variants, to suit every taste. Belta

hat unites US former President Bill Clinton and the current President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev? Many might be bewildered but the workers of the crystal factory in the small Belarusian town of Borisov know that both heads of state were given beautiful pieces of Belarusian crystal during official visits. The quality is highly assessed around the world, making Borisov’s crystal factory a national landmark. It began its manufacture 112 years ago, opened by Minsk merchant Berka Kabanov, who was later replaced by

беларусь.belarus 2012

Gold decoration is a handiwork

Made in Belarus The vases are astonishing in their delicacy and size — being up to 1.5m high. You can have any image you like engraved, with the etching lasting a lifetime. Portraits of those celebrating birthdays or anniversaries are popular, as are depictions of animals: elephants, swans or traditional Belarusian aurochs. The factory even makes a windmill, with rotating blades in crystal! The factory recently made a souvenir football (almost to scale) to celebrate BATE Borisov entering the European Champions League. Meanwhile, its dishes for fruit and confectionery, alongside jeweller y boxes, make wonderful gifts. The factory’s inventory numbers 3,000 designs. In 2010, the Borisov enterprise was given another honorary award, at an international exhibition in Paris, adding to its prizes and diplomas from 30 states. Of course, glass and crystal are fragile, so the factory museum only has items dating from after WWII. Early artistic compositions are full of lyricism, made from dull white and almost black glass. In total, over 7,000 types of goods have been created by Borisov glass blowers, making a solid contribution to our national artistic legacy. It’s hard to believe that glass — so full of sun, joy and warmth — is made from sand, plumbum oxide and potash. To create goblets and vases which sparkle like diamonds, ingredients are heated to 1,500 degrees, using technology developed by English masters. They brought glass to the world, boasting a unique ‘voice’ and transparency, playing with light. Of course, only the purest sand is used (without iron impurities); like the other raw ingredients, this is imported, as is the natural gas which feeds the furnaces where the liquid glass is melted day and night. Mastery and dedication of glass blowers is just as important as ingredients. They stand on a platform around the furnace, blowing each piece by hand, individually, from the fiery hot liquid. An impressive 450-500 shot glasses and

goblets can be manufactured in a single shift, while several people may work on a vase throughout one day. Engraving follows, alongside packaging, after which goods are distributed to shops and sent abroad… eventually adorning festive tables near and far. “In 2011, the enterprise almost doubled its production,” notes Anatoly Goretsky, the Director of Borisov's Crystal Factory. “Importantly, we’re ever updating our range, to ensure that we are meeting customers’ demands. In fact, over 40 percent of our goods are exported.”

several Belarusian enterprises, including perhaps Borisov’s Crystal Factory. These enterprises employed thousands of workers, as well as highly qualified specialists from Poland. After the tragic death of Krayevsky, Julius Stolle became the sole owner of the firm and, for many years, personally supervised the shape, colour and design of every item. He passed down his secrets to his descendants and, in the 1930s, Belarusian glass blowers from Neman Glassworks sent a whole railway carriage of crystal to London, where Stolle company had a representational office.

Belarusian ‘crystal’ traditions are over a century old and are largely the result of the work of engineer Wilhelm Krayevsky and his companion Julius Stolle, who arrived in Belarus from the famous Dyadkovo Crystal Factory in Russia. Stolle came from a family of hereditary artists and glass blowers from Northern Czechia. In 1895, Krayevsky and Stolle leased a glass workshop from landowner Zenon Lensky, in Berezovka, near Lida, and in 1893, began making crystal. Over the course of time, they extended their factory, taking over

Since then Belarusian ‘crystal’ enterprises have survived the whims of fate, wars and revolutions, fire and destruction. Each time, they have recovered, expanding production. During Soviet times, Neman Glassworks employed around 5,500 people, being the USSR’s third largest glassworks regarding production volumes. Graduates from Leningrad and Minsk’s artistic universities have helped preserve the traditions of crystal production, allowing millions of people worldwide to continue enjoying the beauty of Belarusian glass. By Vladimir Yakunin

2012 беларусь.belarus

Belta

Renovation

Retro-style landmarks Numbers of restored architectural monuments associated with world famous people are ever expanding

hat does it mean — a Motherland? In various Belarusian regions people would sure give different answers to this question. The Culture Ministry jointly with Grodno Regional Executive Committee has launched a contest to select the best design of a monument to Mindaugas, who is believed to be the founder and the first King of the Lithuanian Dutchy. The monument, both by its composition and plastic solution, is required to follow the top classical and national traditions of monumental art. By spring 2012, the ministry will have considered applications by sculptors. Mindaugas was the one who united Lithuanian and Belarusian lands in

беларусь.belarus 2012

the XIIIth century, creating a single state, with the Pope recognizing it as a kingdom. History has always been a topic of interest in many Belarusian regions, with much efforts spent on ‘building bridges’ to connect us with past ages and reviving the traditions which unite Belarusians with lots of other European nations. So, the year 2012 will be no exception in this respect, restoration of ancient monasteries, estates and cathedrals on-going with financial support offered not only by the state proper, but by private investors as well.

Monastery to host a hotel

The former Bernardian fratry in Minsk Uptown District will have been completely restored by 2013. The history

of the buildings lined up along Kirill and Mefodiy street dates back as far as the XVIIth century, when there appeared a monastery. Later, the monastery hosted a prison and then — firemen quarters. Most recently, the principal building was used as a military commandant’s office. When reconstruction activities unfolded in the historical centre of the capital, it was decided to restore all monastery buildings to host a hotel, a number of museums and other facilities. “The principal monastery building is to be restored the way it was in the XIXth century,” says Sergey Baglasov, the facility’s research supervisor. “The reconstruction is to bring the interiors back to their former XIXth century appearance, revealing earlier layings, opening up arched ceilings and making ceramic tile

Renovation identical to original tile samples found on the floor.” The building is to host a 49-accommodation hotel, adjoined by small onestorey pavilions, which are to be built anew as their remnants were only fragmentary. The pavilions are to include a restaurant, a sports complex, a hairdresser’s parlor, an Internet-centre, a bar, a bookstore, and a costume rental store as well as utility rooms and a parking lot at the subsurface level. The complex will boast a number of small museums: that of carriages, fire fighting and an archeological exposition with subsurface fragments of old buildings on display.

precise dimension drawings for all buildings in Zybitskaya street as made in the XIXth century and early 1950’s, before the demolition. Larry is sure that the original appearance of Zybitskaya Street is possible to reconstruct.

Dostoyevsky celebrations in Dostoyevo

In 2021, the world is going to celebrate the 200th birthday of famous Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky, who comes from Belarus’ Ivanovo District, which is close to Orda’s estate.

Off-the-map quarter on a river bank

Near the Bernardian monastery, parallel to the Svisloch river, there runs Zybitskaya Street, one of the oldest streets in Minsk. Once, it boasted a hithe, barks arriving here from the very Black Sea. None of these remained however. Up to the 1950’s, the lands had been densely built up, but then the quarter was demolished. Now there are plans to restore it, with 2 ideas under consideration. The Belarusian Republican ScientificMethodological Rada for Historical and Cultural Heritage has already approved the Minskproyekt design offer. Natalia Baranets, the project’s supervisor, having thoroughly studied the 1960’s topo surveys and the XVII-XVIIIth centuries layout plans, has come to the conclusion as follows: “To provide for reconstruction of the site the way it once was is impossible due to lack of documentary evidence.” An alternative solution was proposed by an action group composed of graduates from the Belarusian National Technical University and the Belarusian State Academy of Arts. Its authors, having investigated deep into the archives, took all care possible to recreate the streets in their original appearance. Andrey Larry, one of the group of authors, has reviewed air photographic surveys and available photo archives, having also discovered

During a recent meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Myasnikovich, the Belarusian Prime-Minister, proposed to restore the Dostoyesky family estate in Dostoyevo settlement under the Union State cultural projects, and Mr. Putin was positive about the offer. The idea of Dostoyesky Estate’s revival was also supported by Belarus’ Culture Ministry, which has assigned some of its funds for these purposes. Incidentally, Dostoyevsky’s Museum at Dostoyevo Settlement school (its cabinet of curiosities in January 2012 celebrating the 30th anniversary) has recently received a complete set of works of the fellow countryman, comprising 18 Moscow-published volumes. The valuable parcel, addressed to Mikhail Myasnikovich, was sent from Moscow and handed over by Tadeush Struzhetskiy, the Deputy Culture Minister.

Napoleon Orda’s come back

In the XIXth century, Krasniy Dvor Estate in Ivanovo District, which is in Polesie, belonged to the artist Napoleon Orda. The former school building in Vorotsevichy village already hosts a museum and a picture gallery dedicated to the artist. In 1943, an archeologic research was carried out at the site of the burnt nobility estate, which is now under restoration. By now, there has already been casted the foundation and constructed a brick cellar with an arched ceiling. In December, builders started erecting a timber blocking, its first set made up by oak beams and the rest of sets — of pinewood. The front façade is to look like a four column porch with a small balcony. Exterior walls will be plated with wooden lath and whitewashed, the roof batten, widows small in size, the building itself accomodating half a dozen rooms, lots of stoves and fireplaces — a design typical of the late XVIIIth century Polesie estates. This was how the estate looked at the picture painted by its famous owner. A fruit orchard, comprising 180 apple trees, 100 pear trees and lots of plump trees of various kinds, adjoins the estate, while, at the back of the owner’s house, there can be found a pond, which remained unchanged till present day. All of the above information was obtained from the 1835 inventory compiled by the officials upon judicial order on its sequestration, which was the due Orda had to pay for his participation in the 1831 nationalist rebellion. Orda himself had to leave for France, staying there for another twenty five years. On coming back from Paris after the pardon, Orda travelled all over his Motherland. It is thanks to his pictures, which amounted to thousands, that Belarusian and neighbouring nations can have an opportunity to see with their own eyes the way castles and palaces with their impressive parks would look like for Napoleon from Krasniy Dvor. By Alena Nekrashevich

2012 беларусь.belarus

More than passion

Eastern pirouettes Vitaliy Molchan, 27, is a fairly serious guy who once aspired to become a programmer. However, dance resided in his soul, bringing with it a dream of working professionally. Now, the ballet dancer with the Youth Variety Theatre is the only man in Belarus to professionally belly dance, being honoured with the title of Vice-Champion in this unusual art

Vitaliy Gil

беларусь.belarus 2012

is search for his own path began in high school. “At first, I went to a conventional school but, every single morning, I literally had to force myself to go. My mother noticed and finally suggested that I go to a school that specialised in theatrical arts. In 10th grade, my dance teacher, Marina Kletskina, invited me to attend the ‘Pirouette’ Sport and Ballroom Dance Club. It was a revelation, as I’d never been interested in dance before, avoiding discos and wondering what the attraction was.” Maybe, you were shy? Naturally, I was shy. I wasn’t confident enough in my moves to bear being judged by others. I rather loved what I was good at: computer science, mathematics,

More than passion physics and school boy football. I might well have become a programmer, as I was entirely engrossed in computer games. I was quite unwilling to give up on the idea. Even on joining the theatre, I tried to continue at university but, to become a good programmer, I’d have needed to give up dancing. Talent is 1 percent fate and 99 percent perseverance, so I understood that scattering my efforts would leave me with nothing. After just one year of university, I decided to devote myself to dance. Do programmers and dancers share any common characteristics? A programmer establishes humancomputer exchange, while a dancer is also an ‘interpreter’, mediating between a choreographer and the audience. Dancers have no written language, using movement and expression to communicate; the more skilful the dancer, the clearer their conveyance of the

choreographer’s message. How did you realise that dance is your vocation? As I see it, your vocation is something you cannot imagine giving up. Your entire being craves it. I do feel that I could be successful in some other sphere but I also love to dance, so I have no intention of ‘quitting.’ How do you promote your skills? For now, much of my time is devoted to the Youth Variety Theatre, where I work not only as a ballet dancer, but also staging shows. Currently, I’m working on a new dance project which explores the eternal question of women’s true desires.

Aren’t you afraid that your attempts, like those of others, will fail? We only propose our own vision of the issue; the essence of our efforts is the search itself, since this provides sensations and feelings which feed our emotional and mental satisfaction. As a matter of fact, one answer to the question is already known: everyone seeks love. However, love takes many forms, as does our perception of the world. One woman may seek protection, while another may prefer to feel powerful, dominating a man… What is your personal interest in staging such a show? We h a v e n o v a r i e t y t h e at re which specialises in dance, promoting it as a separate art. So, our show is testing the waters. We expect to prove the viability of the genre, though, unfortunately, in our country, we have no market for such a show as yet. Don’t Khoroshki work in the same direction? As far as I know, ‘Khoroshki’ shows have no actual plot, being rather compiled of dance pieces united under a theme. Also, they stage folk dances, while my aspiration is to create a theatre of contemporary dance. Is the underdevelopment of the genre evidence of lack of demand? This may well be true or it may not; no one has ever tried before. Audiences need to be introduced to new ideas gradually,

persuaded to respect and enjoy a genre. Vitally, we must believe in the ideas we pursue; I am a believer. Don’t you fear that your enthusiasm will fade? It’s stronger than mere enthusiasm; it’s my main dream. What about belly dancing? Is it a true passion? I b ecame involved thanks to Yelena Grinchik — known as Yasmin. Some years ago, she set up the Harem Show Dance Company and, seeing me rehearse at our variety theatre, invited me to take part. This is how I joined the Harem Show. Yelena asked me to stage a solo dance piece, which won me the title of Vice-Champion among Male Belly Dancers, at the World Dance Olympics in Moscow. It’s been more than three years since I began working with Lena. Our joint efforts are now focused on a Chinese style piece. Are there any other male belly dancers besides you? In Belarus, I’m the only professional performer but, in Egypt, male dancers are more common than female. It may seem odd to us but that’s only because it’s unfamiliar. By Viktor Novak

2012 беларусь.belarus

Music Olympics

Starry round dance

Alexander Ruzhechka

Dmitry Koldun’s Ships acknowledged song of the year, TEO recognised as musical discovery of the year and J:Mors’ Electrification of the Whole Country named most successful tour

ver 20 singers, composers, music arrangers, producers and musical journalists have been recognised at the First National Pop Music Award, hosted by the Palace of the Republic. Ordinary fans and professionals alike have been eagerly awaiting the ceremony. It was organised by the STV TV Channel two years ago but has only just received the status of a national award, thanks to the Culture Ministry, bringing a whole new level of importance to the ceremony. The organising committee received around 600 applications from those wishing to conquer the musical Olympus but there were only 16 nominations. The small number of prizes lends them even more significance. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re a nominee or a winner,” muses Honoured Artiste of Belarus, Irina Dorofeeva. “The

беларусь.belarus 2012

vital thing is that the contest inspires creative competition, showing everyone that they aren’t alone in this world and that we share a desire to create music, write beautiful songs, release CDs and tour.” According to the jury, which assessed the achievements of musical figures over the past year, Inna Afanasieva is the best female singer and Alexey Khlestov the best male singer. Nina Bogdanova has been recognised as the most interesting lyrics writer while Leonid Shirin is the best composer (he writes for Alexander Tikhanovich and Yadviga Poplavskaya, as well as Irina Dorofeeva and others). Maxim Aleinikov has been acknowledged as the best producer (working with such bands as Topless and E.V.A). Oleg Klimov, working for ‘SB. Belarus Segodnya’ newspaper, has won the nomination for best musical journalist, while Troitsa is

the best musical band. Meanwhile, the best album of the year is ‘Volume First’ by Anna Khitrik and S`unduk. The jury declared the Love-Destiny concert, by Alexander Tikhanovich and Yadviga Poplavskaya, to be the most compelling of 2011 while ‘Electrification of the Whole Country’ by J:Mors was named as the most successful tour. Litesound’s ‘See You In Vegas’ video was recognised as the best. The members of the band admit that they created it completely by their own efforts. Alena Lanskaya won the prize for best song for ‘White Swallow’ and Dmitry Koldun’s ‘Ships’ won the ‘Song of the Year’ nomination. Irina Vidova was awarded the People’s Choice Award (a public vote) for ‘For the Last Time.’ Both maestros and newcomers were recognised at the ceremony, with TEO named as the discovery of the year. Lidia Zablotskaya, who recently returned from Junior Eurovision, was named the best young performer. The winners have been given diplomas, money prizes and a statuette in the form of a star. Moreover, special prizes were given to Sasha Nemo for best musical acoustics, to Venera for best stage image, to Vadim Galygin and Ilya Mitko for best duo and to ProSSpekt for best writing debut. From now on, the National Pop Music Award will include recognition of those who have given dozens of years to their profession. By Lyudmila Melyaeva