Star of Commonwealth Award presented at Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus today

11 июня 2016

The winners of the CIS Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation have been honoured today at the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus.

The Star of the Commonwealth Award was founded in 2009. It is presented annually to mark the most important achievements in the humanitarian sphere, which contribute to the development of each country and the CIS as a whole. The award features three categories - for achievements in the field of science and education, culture and art, and humanitarian activities.

The award was previously presented to Alexandra Pakhmutova, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Vladimir Spivakov, Belarusians Rostislav Yankovsky, Anatoly Yarmolenko, Igor Luchenok and Nikolai Cherginets.

This year, Belarus’ contribution to intercultural dialogue in the CIS has been rated as environmental - biologists of Minsk’s Botanical Garden have received a diploma, a medal with Commonwealth symbols and monetary reward in the amount of 2 million Russian rubles for planting an alley of varied lilac.

In total, the awards have gone to eight people, the majority of which are representatives of the creative intelligentsia. One of them is Armenian scientist Sergei Abartsumyan.

Previous seven award ceremonies were held in Moscow and other large Russian cities. This year’s Russian laureate of the Star of the Commonwealth is People’s Artist of Russia, state award laureate and artistic director of the Maly Theatre Yuri Solomin.

People receiving the interstate prize are known in their own countries and abroad. Thus, works by People's Artist of Tajikistan Vafo Nazarov can be found in private and museum collections in 20 countries across the globe. Starting today, his painting called Mountains will be decorating the walls of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus.

The Commonwealth award also went to People's Writer of Moldova, Commander of the Order of Peoples' Friendship Ion Druta and Director of the National Library of Kazakhstan Umutkan Munalbayeva.

Among the winners are rector of the National Conservatory of Kyrgyzstan Muratbek Begaliyev and People's Artist of the USSR, pianist from Azerbaijan Farhad Badalbeyli