Lukashenko to artistes: it depends on you whether Belarus remains original and recognisable in the world
Speaking at the solemn ceremony of awarding cultural workers before the gala concert of the Bolshoi Theatre artistes, President Aleksandr Lukashenko drew attention to the role of artistes in preserving the identity of our country
“On this festive day, the Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus, we, having agreed with you, are starting a new tradition of presenting high awards to artistes,” the Head of State noted. “On the eve of the holiday and today we talked a lot about the Great Patriotic War, our moral duty to the generation of winners that gave us life. Independence Day is not only a look into the past, but also a guide to the future of the country. You create this future with your creativity. Everything you do is necessary for people, like air. The state needs it. Because without you – bright, successful and talented – life is colourless and, worst of all, unspiritual. Where there is no creative culture that gives joy, people will never be inspired to develop. This refers both to personal, as well as global development – the development of the whole country.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko reminded that Belarusians have experienced this first-hand, “In the 1990s some leaders were shouting about ‘national-cultural revival’ while architectural monuments, theatres and museums were falling apart in front of some of today’s creative workers. Car dealerships and casinos opened in cinemas. Nobody needed creative people. The country simply rolled into the abyss. Fortunately, everything that we are rightfully proud of today – theatres and amphitheatres, castles and estates, museums and memorial complexes, creative workshops and exhibition centres – has been restored and created in a quarter of a century. I will say more, in such a short time we have actually revived what we have been losing with you for centuries. This became possible thanks to you, people of culture – creative, devoted to your profession, state-minded. What you have created and what you are creating today will remain in history. In many respects, it depends on you what it will be.”
Addressing the figures of arts, the President stressed that it depends on them whether Belarusians will continue to be just as proud of their country and their past in the future, “Will Belarus remain distinctive and recognisable in the world where the boundaries between national cultures are blurring before our eyes? Moreover, what is especially important today is whether we will preserve our unique national feature – moral purity. All these are the basic values on which an independent state is built. I want to thank those who are aware of their responsibility. It is your successes and achievements that gave rise to this meeting.”
