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Lithuania’s Millennium celebrated in Belarus (Photo, video)

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The Millennium of Lithuania is our holiday with the neighbouring nations, with which the Belarusians have common history with.

An art exhibition “Millennium” opened in the Minsk Art Palace on October 22. About a thousand of art objects by over 300 authors are on display.

Alyaksei Marachkin, the head of “Pahonya” creative association that initiated the exhibition, told in an interview to www.charter97.org he believed the Belarusians shouldn’t keep out of their past.

“We had a long preparation for the exhibition dedicated to the millennium of the name Lithuania,” the Belarusian artist says. “It is important that the Grand Duchy of Lithuania is our common land that connects the people of Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, and Poland. We have the common history. We shouldn’t keep out of this date if we don’t want to accuse ourselves of absence of memory. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania is a prototype of the European Union, which didn’t have younger or older peoples-brothers. The example of Lithuania, which organized a magnificent celebration of the event, shows the importance of such events. The Belarusians shouldn’t forget about their great past. At least, we should take into account that the Statute of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was written in Belarusian.”

According to Alyaksei Marachkin, the Millennium exhibition was organized only due to enthusiasm of Belarusian artists. The Ministry of Culture didn’t give a penny for the exposition.

“This exhibition has been organized in association with the Ministry of Culture,” the artist notes. “We wanted to title it “ON Millennium of Annalistic Lithuania”. But the Ministry of Culture said the word “Lithuania” should be removed from the title. I don’t know how to regard this: maybe the authorities try to be careful or didn’t want to offend the neighbour... No representatives of the Ministry of Culture were present at the opening. Even if they had been there, they didn’t ask to speak. The exhibition was prepared without any help of the Belarusian authorities. They didn’t give a penny. It was made due to enthusiasm of Belarusian artists.”

Alyaksei Marachkin thanked representatives of foreign embassies who visited “Millennium”.

“It was pleasant to see the ambassadors of Lithuania and Sweden, representatives of the US Embassy. The exhibition will go down in history as evidence that we haven’t missed that date. I’d like to note that the Belarusian authorities paid no attention to the memorable date. Besides, they did their best to hush up the very fact of the exhibition. A similar situation can be seen in the whole cultural life in Belarus. Officials continue to follow the soviet laws. If there is an order of the chief, we’ll speak. If we don’t have an order, we’ll hush up.”

Ryhor Sitnitsa, the first deputy head of the Belarusian Union of Artists, said at the opening ceremony the Belarusian artists had made a 1000-year way to the exhibition. According to him, we shouldn’t forget that the Millennium of Lithuania is “our common holiday with the neighbouring nations, which whom the Belarusians have common history turned to the future”.

According to him, the exposition represents the works of the artists, who” put their life, heart and souls into the idea of national revival”.

The Belarusian Union of Artists issued an honourable medal on occasion of the memorable date. Medals were given to a number of outstanding figures of Belarusian culture, among them writers Ryhor Baradulin, Henadz Buraukin, and Nil Hilevich, musician Viktar Skarabahatau, artists Hauryil Vashchanka, Arlen Kashkurevich, Vasil Sharanhovich, Alyaksei Marachkin, Mikola Kupava, Uladzimir Basalyha, Mikhas Basalyha, Uladzimir Vishneuski, as well as to Mikhas Ramanyuk and Yauheni Kulik posthumously.

The exhibition will remain open till November 15. A broad cultural programme, meetings with scientists, artists, musicians, public discussions are scheduled.

Folklore collectives and knight clubs showed performances at the exhibition opening.

Artists Mikola Kupava, Ales Marachkin, and Ryhor Sitnitsa

People’s artist of Belarus Zinaida Bandarenka

People’s artist of Belarus Henadz Buraukin

Ambassador of Sweden to Belarus Stefan Eriksson

Robert Reeves Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy (on the right)

Coordinator of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Zmitser Bandarenka and head of “Pahonya” creative association Ales Marachkin

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