Marina Vasilevskaya was awarded the title of Hero of Belarus. In the Palace of Independence today honored our first astronauts and the team that helped make the historic flight. A meeting on the native land, which the whole country has been waiting for with trepidation. Not surprisingly, the President is breaking the usual protocol and personally welcoming Vasilevskaya home.
The President will say, for the past two weeks the country has been living under one slogan. "Space is ours!" - these were the words with which the first cosmonaut in the history of sovereign Belarus, Marina Vasilevskaya, was seen off and greeted. The country is also proud of our fellow countrymen - all those who in different years brought glory to the Motherland, developing space technologies and conquering space. We rejoice with special warmth at the success of our compatriot Oleg Novitsky. Vasilevskaya's flight is a new chapter in the space history of Belarus.
Lukashenko: Vasilevskaya's flight has brought Belarus to a new level of participation in space programs
"Her flight is a new level of participation in space programs, I repeat, of sovereign Belarus and a new level of allied, very good, fraternal relations between Belarus and Russia, our peoples," said the head of state.
According to him, the symbol of brotherly ties of the two peoples became the state flags, unfurled at an altitude of more than 400 kilometers from the Earth. People in Belarus watched the flight with bated breath, admired the Belarusian and Russian flags.
Marina Vasilevskaya awarded the title of Hero of Belarus
Today, during the ceremony, the President presented Marina Vasilevskaya with the medal of the Hero of Belarus - the highest degree of distinction! She also received a cosmonaut's certificate.
Astronaut Anastasia Lenkova and Deputy Head of the Aerospace Department of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Ivan Bucha were presented with special certificates of gratitude of the President. The parents of the cosmonauts were given letters of gratitude. Order of Honor has been conferred on Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences Vladimir Gusakov. The Medal "For Labor Merits" was awarded to Igor Cherginets, General Director of Belavia.
