"Zorka" was born when World War II was still raging in Europe. In late 1944 the first "Zorka" issue was published in a half-destroyed Minsk. It was at that time that "Zorka" made its first step; and it is still walking steadily keeping pace with modern tendencies: attractive both in outward appearance and contents.
Several generations of readers grew up reading "Zorka": my parents, my brother and I, and now my son. Those whose children have opened "Zorka" for the first time quite recently can still remember large-scale actions initiated by the weekly. Their children are bound to continue what their mothers and fathers started.
Foreigners are sometimes jealous of our success, but this is the best kind of envy there can be. We have recently met representatives of Belarusian diasporas from Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova and the United States. There was a shower of questions: "How do you manage to survive this heavy competition with magazines and brochures?" "What´s your secret?" Our secret is very simple: we speak about the things that are truly interesting to young people. "Zorka" advises how to resist foul language, rudeness; we unobtrusively inculcate in young people a taste for healthy lifestyle. We don´t deal with "eyewash", we write about seeming "dead-ends", too.
Our reporters are in constant search for new partners. We enjoy support of the Belarusian Children´s Fund, charitable fund "Compassion", international charitable organizations from Russia, Denmark, Germany and Italy, embassies of India, China, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
"Zorka" helps those who are guided by positive goals and are ready to display initiative to make their dreams come true. Would you like to visit the homeland of Hans Christian Andersen? You are welcome to take part in the contest "Andersen´s Fairy Tales Come Alive". Two groups of young painters, craftsmen and poets - a total of 70 people - have made two-week trips to Denmark under the auspices of the fund "Dienesmindes Venner". When this issue is published a "Zorka" team of 35 children and 5 adults will be representing Belarus in Denmark at the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the great tale-teller.
Lyudmila Gramovich
Secrets of Success
"Zorka" weekly has been awarded a bronze statue "Golden Litera" as "The Best Periodical For Children And Youth" at the first National contest of printed media
