Vadim Gigin
MINSK, 17 January (BelTA) - While the majority of Belarusians chose peace and development, the opposition opted for the path of destruction, Director General of the Belarusian National Library Vadim Gigin said at a ceremony to open BelTA’s exhibition Parallel Worlds in Minsk on 17 January, BelTA has learned.
"The exhibition, which we organized together with the BelTA news agency, is of great importance for the public. It is in our common interest to draw as much attention to it as possible. I would say that here we work as subjects of civil society," Vadim Gigin said.
He noted that the National Library of Belarus is not only a book depository but also a large socio-cultural complex: "This is one of its several galleries. The mission of gallery and exhibition work is both to introduce people to works of art and to create a public response."
When we talk about the political situation around Belarus, it is important to take into account the historical background of the path that Belarus has traveled, Vadim Gigin believes. "The BelTA news agency and Irina Borisovna [Akulovich, BelTA Director General] approached us with an unusual proposal. We immediately responded, because it coincides with our vision of what is happening and with our understanding of how cultural institutions should work now. Here you see the history of our country, when a part of our society chose a parallel course, which led them to a dead end," Vadim Gigin noted.
While most Belarusians chose peace, stability and safety, the opposition opted for hype, destruction and submitting Belarus to foreign interests. "These are our neighbors; these are the people we talked to, went to the same school, the same university. I remember vividly the young President Aleksandr Lukashenko addressing the parliament in 1994, 1995, and 1996 and having a normal discussion with the people already preparing for his overthrow. We should understand the path the so-called opposition traveled: from the political opponents and even people in power to outright public enemies, extremists that have faced charges. This understanding is important if we want to make progress and avoid the situation when part of the nation chooses the destructive ways," he noted.
However, it is wrong to show only one way, Vadim Gigin added. "There should always be an alternative. This alternative is our political and economic system, our culture," Vadim Gigin said.
BelTA’s photo exhibition Parallel Worlds was officially opened at the National Library in Minsk on 17 January. The photo exhibition features the archival footage and reflects two worlds: the world of the state that is creation and development, and the world of the opposition that is destruction and degradation, BelTA Director General Irina Akulovich told BelTA.
