Lukashenko: Creative culture gives inspiration for development of person and nation

Creative culture inspires the development of both individuals and the country as a whole. This was stated by President Alexander Lukashenko at the awards ceremony of the workers of culture at the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus.

The President noted that the ceremony is held on Independence Day, and thus a new tradition is born in the country: to award high state awards to artists on this important holiday. However, there is one important condition for its continuation in the future, said the Belarusian leader: the existence of new worthy performances over the past year.

"On the eve of the holiday and today we talked a lot about the Great Patriotic War and our moral debt to the generation of victors that gave us life," said Alexander Lukashenko. - Independence Day is not only a look into the past, it is also a guide to the future of the country. And you create this future with your creative work.

The state and the people need the activity of cultural workers like air, the President believes.

The President stressed that everything that today the Belarusians are justly proud of - theaters and amphitheaters, castles and manors, museums and memorial complexes, art workshops and exhibition centers - was created within a quarter of a century. "I would say more: in such a short time we have actually revived what we had been losing for centuries," said Alexander Lukashenko. - It became possible thanks to you, the people of culture - creative, dedicated to their profession, government-minded. What you have done and what you create today will remain in history. And the history of our young and independent republic will depend largely on you. It will depend on you whether Belarusians will take pride in their country and their past, and belief in the future. And what is most important today is whether we will preserve our unique national feature - moral purity."

Alexander Lukashenko stressed that all these are the basic values on which the independent state is built.

"I want to thank those who are aware of their responsibility. It is your successes and achievements that have given the reason for this meeting. It gives me great pleasure to congratulate you on the state holiday, Independence Day of Belarus, and on your deserved awards. I would like to wish you good health, creative inspiration and new authorship projects. I would very much like our tradition to continue. If we achieve successes, we will have someone to award, and this means we will have a reason to meet. Happy Holidays. Thank you to everyone who has stayed in Belarus in these stormy post-revolutionary times and who gives their people joy and happiness," the President said.

The head of state presented orders, medals and badges of honor to cultural workers. After the ceremony, the festive evening continued with a gala-concert "Music, Art and Culture of Belarus in the Images, Feelings and Tremendous Attitudes of the Universal Theatre! The tradition to hold such large-scale performances with the participation of the best opera, ballet artists and orchestra on the Independence Day was born in the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus last year. The best works of world opera art were performed on stage, including excerpts from "Eugene Onegin", "La Traviata", "Romeo and Juliet", and thematic choreographic compositions were shown as well.