Belarusian cultural sector called to protect national heritage

MINSK, 31 March (BelTA) - The entire cultural sector should be focused on the protection of national heritage, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he delivered his annual Address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly on 31 March, BelTA has learned.

“The state symbols of Belarus keep historical memory. It is probably unfair that we have three state symbols: emblem, flag and anthem while the national holiday celebrates only two of them. We need to correct this mistake. The protection of national heritage is a task that the entire cultural sector should be focused on,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

According to the head of state, Belarusians have always cherished their culture and folk art. “But time poses new challenges. Today it is not enough to cherish and revive. Gradual cultural ‘import substitution' has become an urgent task for us today. I will say it directly, and also voice the opinion of many people. It is time to move away from cultural trends and celebrations that are contrary to our Christian traditions and morals. We need to actively promote our traditions, symbols, performers, artists, and so on. The demand for domestic products is on the rise. And it is not only about events and activities,” the president said.

According to him, people want to see home-developed images and trends in everything from product packaging to the decoration of urban infrastructure. “Domestic manufacturers should work more actively to preserve and promote national traditions, values, and our historical memory,” the Belarusian leader added.