Accord and respect are the components of peace

Aleksandr Lukashenko presented Spiritual Revival awards, special prizes for people of culture and art, and the special prize Belarusian Sport Olympus

This annual event has already become one of the unshakable traditions of independent Belarus, and it is no coincidence that it is timed to coincide with Christmas. After all, this bright holiday symbolises faith, love, kindness and mercy. Thus, it is these universal values that the Belarusian state invariably puts at the forefront of its policy, 

“We’ve always known, and today we recognise particularly acutely that all the material and immaterial values created by the Belarusian nation act as staples, on which basis the national statehood was born and developed… Today we understand that national cultures and traditions cannot be adapted to match a unified standard, that the world is beautiful thanks to its diversity. Apart from understanding it we confirm it with the history of our state where people of different faiths and different ethnic origins have lived for over a century in accord, while enriching all of us spiritually. And if there is accord and respect, then there will be peace.”

The President recalled that the first laureates of the Spiritual Revival awards were honoured in Belarus more than a quarter of a century ago, “Back then we couldn’t even fathom what challenges we may face in the fight for our spirituality, for our historical legacy, and our way of life. And we couldn’t imagine how relevant the tradition to award people, who dedicate themselves to the noble work of preserving our spiritual origins, will be.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko bestows the Medal of Francysk Skaryna upon Editor of the Belarus President Activities Coverage Department of the Belarus Segodnya Publishing House Yevgeny Kononovich

The Head of State especially emphasised the significant role of Orthodoxy, which united the Slavs into an ancient state more than a thousand years ago, taught mercy, peacefulness and love for one’s neighbour.
Belarus’ example in this regard is a genuine challenge for the project bent on global unification to match ultrafashionable values and so-called trends forced upon the entire world, the President is convinced, “We understand that this cultural expansion (it is also called soft expansion) will be followed by not exactly soft, I’d even say, quite hard consequences for independent states: the loss of statehood and sovereignty. The loss of oneself as a nation.”
The annual ceremony to award laureates of the year prizes is primarily a token of recognition of all those who work in the humanitarian and cultural field, those who preserve our spiritual origins, 
Aleksandr Lukashenko believes, “Without an exaggeration, you play a leading role in matters of ensuring national security of the Republic of Belarus.”

‘Our choice is creation’

The Old New Year reception on behalf of the President took place on January 14th. During the event, the Head of State stressed that Belarusians celebrated the New Year and Christmas holidays in the comfort and warmth of home, at the festive table, but most importantly, under the peaceful Belarusian sky. 
“Traditionally, I thank all of you for your work, for your position, which in this difficult time is a reliable support for our state,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted. 
Journalists, political scientists, artists, athletes, representatives of various professions and spheres of activity, senior officials, and heads of government bodies and enterprises have been invited to the presidential reception. 

The President emphasised, “These are people immersed in the political life of the country and the world. The people who, frankly, make this policy and create this world. I will put it bluntly: no matter what information or other agenda they try to impose on, we, Belarusians, have always built our policy and way of life independently, and we will continue to do so. No external circumstances and threats will change our goals. Our choice is creation.”

The Head of State remarked that Belarus purposefully moved from the Year of National Unity to the Year of Historical Memory, knowing that the former is simply impossible without the latter and vice versa. It is impossible to imagine the future, a good, bright future, without such concepts as peace and creation. This is how Belarusians want to see 2023 — the Year of Peace and Creation. And not only on our own land.
The President noted that now even those who yesterday opposed themselves to the state, opposed, as they say, the ‘regime’ understand this, “Today they see their salvation in this regime. About 90 percent of them. I’ve already talked about this in the temple: we are ready for this. In what form it will be, what path they should cover to go back to their home is up to you to decide… Dear friends! I have every confidence in you and millions of people like you, true patriots. Therefore, I will repeat what I said on January 7th: this year should definitely be better. We promised this to people.”
Participants of the ceremony for presenting the Spiritual Revival awards, special prizes for people of culture and art, and the special prize Belarusian Sport Olympus

Aleksandr Lukashenko presented state awards to journalists and cultural workers after the keynote speech. 
The Medal of Francysk Skaryna was bestowed upon Head of the Belarus President Activities Coverage Department of the Belarusian Telegraph Agency Vladimir Matveyev, Head of the Cultural News Department of the Main Directorate of the National State Television and Radio Company Mikhail Revutsky, Editor of the Belarus President Activities Coverage Department of the Belarus Segodnya Publishing House Yevgeny Kononovich, soloist with the Zhinovich National Academic Folk Orchestra Andrei Kolosov, Chief Director of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre Anna Motornaya, soloist and leading stage master of the theatre Dmitry Shabetia for their fruitful work, high professionalism, significant personal contribution to the development of national journalism and television, outstanding achievements in theatre and music arts.
The President’s Letters of Commendation were awarded to eight journalists for their significant personal contribution to the implementation of the state information policy, high professionalism, objective and comprehensive coverage of events in the socio-political and socio-cultural life of the country. 
The President’s Letters of Commendation went to three employees of the main directorate of the National State Television and Radio Company: Head of the Reporters’ Department Anastasiya Benedysyuk, Deputy Head of the Political Commentators’ Department Ilona Krasutskaya, and Head of the Editorial Department Irina Yakovleva.
The President’s Letters of Commendation were also bestowed upon Deputy Director of the News Broadcasting Department of the Second National TV Channel Svetlana Knutova, Director of the Morning Broadcasting Department of the Second National TV Channel Tatyana Rudakovskaya, Head of the Internet Resources Support and Development Department of the Belarusian Telegraph Agency Natalya Yeremich, Head of the Radio Broadcasting Department of Alfa Radio of the Belarus Segodnya Publishing House Vadim Shepet, and Head of the Computer Graphics Design Department of the TV Production Directorate of Stolichnoe Televideniye Dmitry Golovchits.

Memory in names and faces
The National Archives of our country, together with the Belarus Segodnya Publishing House, has created a unique scientific, cultural and educational resource for the entire territory of the former USSR, perpetuating the partisans. The project received a special award from the President for significant work on the formation of public consciousness, popularisation of the history of the partisan and underground movement in Belarus.
The Partisans of Belarus web portal (https://partizany.by/) is a tribute to everyone who fought the enemy in the occupied territory of the country, says Director of the National Archives Andrei Demyanuk, “This is an immersion in microhistory — a person, a family, a village, a city, a region. To personify partisan heroes, to preserve the memory of them, to convey it to the younger generation and to instil a sense of patriotism, duty and responsibility with examples of courage — these are just a few of the tasks that the portal is already solving.” 
Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Belarus Segodnya Publishing House Dmitry Zhuk notes, “This project is primarily focused on the younger generation. Which, through documents, through the award lists of their great-grandfathers and great-great-grandfathers, can come into contact with the events of the Great Patriotic War. This project allows each of the Belarusians to find their relatives who took part in the partisan movement. And this personal emotional involvement is the best motivator for the preservation of historical memory.”

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by
Photos by BELTA