Viktor Liskovich: I have something to compare with

Viktor liskovich:

“i hAVe something to compAre With...”

The Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Council of the Republic on Education, Science, Culture and Social Development told the interviwer about his family dynasty, life universities and plans for the future

— You are one of the few parliamentarians who have quite extensive experience in legislative work: you used to work in the specialized commission in the lower house, headed a similar commission in the upper house. Does previous experience have an impact on your current status?

— I would like to start with the fact that managerial, organisational experience, i.e. working as an ordinary doctor, head of a department, chief obstetrician-gynecologist of the Grodno Region, chief doctor of a large medical institution, deputy chairman of the regional executive committee, is one of my activities. The other is related to public work. I was chairman of the trade union organisation of the Ostrovets Central District Hospital, which employed over 600 people. And, of course, it was bound to have an impact — I gained tremendous experience! Then I was a member of the Grodno City Council of Deputies, twice of the regional council, and in the House of Representatives of the fifth convocation I worked in the permanent commission on health, physical culture, family and youth policy. And knowledge of the law enforcement practice and the process of developing draft laws makes it possible to take meaningful, specific, accurate and quick decisions on the issues raised in citizens’ appeals, to make amendments to the draft laws that are supervised by our commission within its competence.

— The specialized commission that you chair is more understandable and close to people than any other, i.e. health, education, culture, just “social”, it is the core of our lives. Which sphere in your opinion as a lawmaker needs improvement now?

— As long as people are alive, they never stop, and this process cannot end at all. And the social sphere is our life from birth to old age, so it’s very important not to miss any aspect. A child is born — we need quality medical care so that the parents are healthy, children grow up and develop well, so that in nursery schools they get the initial guidelines for devotion and love for their country — these values can be formed from the age of three. Then they go to school, where it is already necessary to build relationships with other children and study. When a person becomes a student or gets a job, it is important to be accepted as one of the team, to go through the first stage of training and to use the gained knowledge. Then a person enters the active phase of life, e, g, they become production workers, scientists, managers, and at this stage it is important to show their talents. Then comes the retirement age, and we need social protection — there are also points that need to be included in the relevant bills with regard to our living conditions and the country’s economy. And it is very important for these documents to be based on life, on the interests of the majority of people, not on its minor group. But I would like to emphasise once again that as long as a person is alive, he or she will always develop, and accordingly

Viktor liskovich

laws are written by people and for people, for the comfortable life of society. Therefore, I would not say that a particular bill is very important today. The most important thing today is young people and their being in demand in society, their love for their Homeland and their contribution to the country’s future.

anyone can reach heights

— I cannot help but ask about the assessment of what is happening in the country at the moment…

— To be honest, I could have never imagined that I would witness attempts to destroy our country. It convinces me once again that we need to work with young people very impactfully, to show them what happened in our society some time ago and what has happened now. I have seen different stages of development in the country. I remember 1991, when, as chairman of the union, I had to distribute goods, coupons, vouchers… It was very hard: there was no salary, no goods, there was nothing, but the country coped with this devastation. And today, a modern, strong socially oriented state has been created. What is the point in losing everything in one moment?! For my part, I appreciate today’s life because I have seen the bad, so I value the achievements. I’m sure that young people need to be taught with an example of history to have something to compare with and see that we are moving forward. I am convinced that if you want to and can work today, you will reach any heights in your country. For example, I started working in the Soviet Union. I went through the main stage of my life in independent Belarus. Both periods can be roughly divided in half: a little over 30 years in one and almost 30 years now. So I would like to say that I have always had the opportunity to realize myself. I have, for example, ordinary parents. I was born in the city of Kobrin, the Brest Region, and left there secondary school. For the first four years I studied in the third shift — my classes were over after 9 p.m, and I was actively involved in social activities. I liked studying and was particularly interested in the exact sciences: physics, chemistry, mathematics and drawing. Once I became a prizewinner at the regional physics Olympiad. When I finished school at the age of 17, I entered the Medical Institute. I came there with clear understanding that the country is the place where I am needed. It so happened that all my recent life — 36 years — has been devoted to the Grodno Region, 13 of which are in the Ostrovets District. What do all these stages indicate? The fact that an ordinary person can realise himself — all conditions have been created for this. I wrote and defended my PhD thesis without being a postgraduate student, without leaving my hospital work, because I considered it necessary for my own development, for the country. And I am proud that the idea of my PhD thesis “Multilevel system of perinatal care” has been implemented throughout the country and is now successfully operating. I am one of the developers of this system, which was implemented at the first stage in the Grodno Region, where it produced very tangible results, and was subsequently developed throughout the country. But I don’t mean to say that I did it alone. First you must be supported by your teachers, later on you support your students. Then there will be a change of generations. I had the best teachers who contributed in various ways to my formation and development, to my personal becoming — doctors, managers and health care organisers. There are about 10 of them. And now I am very glad that I have students who are smarter than me, more successful and very proud when they turn to me for advice.

270 years all in all!

— Since we have already touched upon your medical experience, practical application of your work, I cannot help but speak about your family, which is an example of intergenerational continuity, a medical dynasty. I know that your family’s total medical experience is over 250 years…

— We’ve calculated — it’s 270 years.

— Is the younger generation, your granddaughter, going to continue the family dynasty?

— She is 12 years old. She loves medicine, but whether she will go further in this direction, I don’t know, it will be her choice. My children took their decisions without any pressure, work should be rewarding and enjoyable. It’s not enough to want — you need to feel your profession. Actually, my father’s brother Alexey Liskovich, who died, unfortunately, at the age of 47, had a scientific degree, who gave rise to our entire dynasty. Then there was me, my sister, her husband, my wife and her sisters, my children, my son-in-law and other relatives…

— And what about specialities?

— They are different: from a nutritionist to the chief obstetrician-gynecologist of the region. There are also cardiologists, dermatologist-venereologist, therapeutist, nephrologist, neurologist, pediatrician and obstetrician-gynecologist, me and my son-in-law. In other words, almost the entire range of specialties. Out of them all, without exaggerating or understating the importance of each, I would like to specify two. Firstly, this is my wife, who has been working since 1991 as head of departments at various hospitals, i.e. Ostrovets Central District Hospital, Grodno Regional Hospital and Regional Cardiology Centre. Secondly, this is my younger daughter, Associate Professor at the Department of Dermatological and Venereal Diseases of Grodno Medical University. She has successfully defended her PhD thesis and teaches classes for international students in English. From my point of view, this implies deep knowledge of her subject.

— What formed you as a doctor?

— In medicine, I went through all the stages: I worked in the district centre, actually in the village, then as a head doctor in the district centre, then as the chief obstetrician-gynecologist of the region. In other words, the whole range of positions. During that period of time, I delivered 6.500 times. I want to say that the most important stage is work in the district centre. This is a place where a person is very quickly formed as a professional, because it’s necessary to take decisions in no time. If you do something wrong, you will never acquire authority in this area. My 13 years of the Ostrovets period are the most valuable and important in terms of professional growth.

— To continue the topic of health care: I know that you are the author of many

Viktor liskovich at the sculpture “to Mothers and Children” at the 5th City Clinical Hospital of Minsk

monographs which have practical applications…

— Over 350 scientific works have been published: 10 monographs, eight textbooks, three monographs, three twovolume books, a manual for students on the organisation of health care — this is where I wanted to leave my knowledge to my followers. I think, to some extent, I succeeded. When I was deputy chairman of the regional executive committee and now as a senator, I am very actively involved in publishing popular scientific literature.

books waiting for their “heyday”

— In your office I see many books that have been published with your direct involvement…

— Yes, they have my ideas, concepts and, of course, a group of authors. If you have like-minded people, it’s easy to make 24 books in four years. We are talking about publishing albums, presentations in at least two or three languages (Russian, Belarusian, English), which reflect all stages of the creative path of the Grodno Region in the sovereign period of Belarus. This is history which can teach young people to be proud of and protect their land. The latest editions include four books from the series “Time Travel”, created in close cooperation with Vladimir Likhodedov. First of all, this is the book “Multinational Belarus”, which was published for the Republican Festival of National Cultures, the presentation of which was scheduled for September 19 in Grodno. The publication reflects the way people of different nationalities live in peace and harmony in our country, the way they used to live a hundred years ago. For the 7th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia we have published two books: “75 Years of Victory” and “Blockade”.

— Why such a tandem?

— Because one is dedicated to the defence and liberation of Belarus, and the other to the blockade of Leningrad as a symbol of heroism of the entire Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. In these books you will find Minsk and other cities of Belarus of revolutionary, pre-war, war periods, destroyed, restored and modern. It demonstrates how the country recovered and moved forward in a short period of time. The last book is dedicated to Lida. Why? Because this year Lida is the cultural capital of Belarus. The city is of interest to domestic tourists and foreigners. Earlier four more books from the series “Time Travel” were published in the Grodno Region, i.e. about Grodno, Slonim, Novogrudok and Smorgon. We are planning to keep on doing it, there is an agreement with the Grodno Regional Executive Committee and the author Likhodedov, that there will be books on each district of the Grodno Region. First of all, about the Grodno Region, Svisloch and Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Volkovysk, Shchuchin, Ostrovets and others. Each region has its own zest, so I think this series will be interesting for the reader. There are more plans. When we started with the “Hospitable Grodno Region”, we understood that we had to make a series. And then there was the book “On the Neman, Viliya, Shchara” — these are waterways and surrounding attractions of the Grodno Region. Later, the third book “The Augustów Canal: Unusual History and New Life” was published. It reflects the past, present and future of this unique waterway of our historical and cultural monument. The fourth book “Grodno Region: Protected World” is being made. It tells about almost 20 reserves and wildlife sanctuaries in the Grodno Region. It will include more than just informational material. The publication will be very useful for tourists, i.e. what unique features the region possesses, what to see there, what to be surprised about and so on. I think this book will be published early next year. In addition, a layout of the book about athlets, who put the Grodno Region on the map, has already been made. Most importantly, in the publication one can see how they gained victory. Not only their physical characteristics will be shown, but also their coaches, the schools they went to and their physical education teachers. In other words, the concept is to show the anthology of victories through the people who led the athletes to the championship titles. Finally, the third book, which will be published this year, is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Grodno Museum of History and Archaeology. All the more so because the Old Castle is undergoing a large-scale reconstruction. We’ve made room in the New Castle (the library has moved into the luxurious new building of the former National Bank in the Grodno Region) for an art gallery. The Palace of Textile Workers, which will be a branch of the museum, is being reconstructed, it will house the exhibition “Nature of the Grodno Region” and will reflect the period of the Soviet era. In this way, a kind of museum area will be formed in the city centre. Of course, we are doing our best so that this presentation

publication could represent the main museum of the Grodno Region.

— These publications, we can say, are more about professional activities. And what kind of literature do you, as a regular reader, like more?

— The period of war. I’ve liked it throughout my life, and my interest has not gone away. Documentary chronicles are particularly attractive. I am familiar with the books, which were published during the Soviet period, I have reread almost everything — the memoirs of the commanders-in-chief, books about the partisan movement in Belarus. I admire the memoirs of Zhukov, Rokossovsky, Vasilevsky. I have kept them since my childhood. For example, I’ve reread Zhukov’s memoirs four times and each time I perceive them in a new way. He was a very interesting man with a difficult fate, but he loved his country so much that, despite all the difficulties on his way, he showed an example of love for his Homeland. Thanks to him and his contribution to the Great Victory, we live at peace today.

what is interesting about social media?

— Let’s go back a bit from the past to the present: not so long ago you opened an Instagram account. I can’t help but ask: is it a tribute to fashion or a desire to be in contact with the youth public?

— I am very sorry that I did not do it earlier. At least two or three years ago. I quickly studied it and understood that the main group of subscribers are young people. You just don’t get subscribers there unless they want to. Boys and girls like it when you in a simple way tell them about the events that happened, that will happen, share your vision and opinion. And they respond to this dialogue. I am convinced that we shouldn’t dismiss new things. Sometimes we do it for one reason: we think it’s irrelevant and untopical. But when most young people use this channel of information, there is only one way: to study, catch up and use it.

— Not so long ago, the Youth Council (Parliament) was established under the auspices of the National Assembly. What do you expect from young parliamentarians?

— They have high expectations: they should be our successors not in parliament, but in management activity. There must be people who will lead the country forward, they will hold various positions in ministries, the Council of Ministers, deputies, the President’s Administration, someone will head a factory or a school, but there will certainly be leaders. All of them — 70 young people — are very motivated. They are students, young workers, and some

In the National academy of Sciences at the exhibition dedicated to the Victory in the Great Patriotic war even have children of their own, but all of them have come, on the one hand, on the recommendation of the regions, and on the other — at personal requests. And their first composition shows that they want to assert themselves and do a lot of good for the country.

to retire — only in Grodno

— And now, if possible, let’s go back to your family. You live in two cities — your relatives are staying in Grodno, and you are working in the capital. I take it that 260 kilometres for a happy family is not a distance?

— Of course it isn’t. The fact is that it was our decision: the children, my wife work, their life goes on in Grodno. I will not resist it, but when I retire, I will return to this city, I love it very much. I came to Minsk to work, most of the time I’m busy at work, so I only come home for overnight — nothing distracts me from my work, and there are weekends for family gatherings that help me keep balance.

— This distance makes you spend a lot of time on the road, don’t you get tired of driving?

— No. I feel 20 years younger than my age. Actually, when I worked as deputy chairman of the regional executive committee, I travelled a lot: I had to visit different places, see, compare, observe and draw appropriate conclusions. And after it to make forecasts. The most important thing is to make these forecasts useful for society, people and the country.

— I know that you have many different awards. Would you please name the dearest and most valuable ones?

— There are indeed many awards, but I will tell you about several. In 2008, I received the Medal of Merit, it was the first serious award, and I cannot help but mention it. Of course, there are other awards. But I would like to highlight separately the Order of Honour, which I received in March 2016, which is the second state award. To sum up, it is definitely the most valuable award. Interviewed by Olga Anufriyeva. Photo by BelTA.