VITEBSK, 15 July (BelTA) – Slavonic Bazaar is a venue of peace and good will, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said at the opening of the 25th international festival of arts Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk on 14 July, BelTA has learned.
The head of state emphasized that this year's jubilee edition of the forum is the key event of 2016 which has been declared the Year of Culture in Belarus. “This celebration is an embodiment of our spiritual wealth, openness and interest in the culture of different nations. It was for a reason that the three sisterly nations, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, teamed up at some moment in the past. We formed the core of this festival. Since its foundation, we have been demonstrating our cultural unity, albeit with varying success,” Alexander Lukashenko noted.
The Belarusian leader pointed out that the festival is often compared with the Olympic Games. “If we paraphrase Pierre de Coubertin's words: O Festival, You are Peace! Slavonic Bazaar is indeed a venue of peace and good will,” Alexander Lukashenko said.
“Our states attach special importance to the development of national art, carefully preserve traditions and art achievements of our predecessors. We can rightfully say that the three countries – Belarus, Russia and Ukraine – are the citadel of traditional culture,” he said.
According to him, this is especially important at a time when the world is losing the guidelines that had previously provided the basis for the cohesion of people of different views, generations and cultures. “Today many countries are suffering from ethnic strife, religious intolerance, the decline of morality, severe controversial conflicts. I think the point is that fruitful development of art requires understanding rather than confrontation, stronger humanistic traditions rather than barbaric destruction of cultural monuments and denial of all public morals,” Alexander Lukashenko emphasized.
“It is the constructive principles that our festival is based on. These principles constitute its strength and appeal,” the Belarusian leader noted.
