Year of Native Land in Belarus

MINSK, 9 February (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko announced the decision to declare 2018 as the Year of Native Land in Belarus during a ceremony to honor the best agricultural workers on 9 February, BelTA has learned.

The decision was prompted by thoughts about the importance of native land for every person, the head of state clarified. “Native land can be different. For some people, these words mean a hometown, a street, or a small community, a village where they spent the best years of their childhood. For others, this is a piece of wild nature pleasing the eye and filling with comfort. Belarus itself has become a native land for those who left it to seek their fortunes in other countries,” Alexander Lukashenko remarked.

It is time for everyone to remember their roots, the place that keeps a part of their souls, and pay due respect to this piece of land. “Such support should come from the bottom of the heart. It can be material, creative, enlightening – it depends on the person, his or her possibilities, imagination, and commitment. The time has come to show your worth and etch your name into the history of your native land,” the Belarusian leader stated.

Belarus is a beautiful country with clean comfortable cities, well-kept agricultural lands, and rich nature. “The state has done a lot in this field and will do more. The sky is the limit. You will always find where to put your efforts. Belarus is our common home, and it is in our interest to make it comfortable so that it becomes an example to follow. Let us show that we are true careful owners of our land. We are many, and this is why if every citizen makes a small contribution, our country will become even better,” the president stated.

In his words, personal participation of every citizen in this process will be a good example of true patriotism for further generations, when beautiful slogans and words are backed with actions.

“Our motherland needs love energy, faith, and care from every Belarusian. Belarus looks the way we see it and create it. The more successful self-confident people there are, the stronger the state is. We should communicate this message to our children,” Alexander Lukashenko believes.

This is impossible without teaching people to take pride in their country, city, village, and family. To inspire this feeling, we should be responsible for what we say and do, for our close ones, the president added. “We should show our children that whatever they become in the future, they will have a home, their native land, where they will always be comforted and will feel invisible support. There are some villages that have only three or five houses left. Once big villages, now they are nothing but small corners. We, however, are still attracted to the place where we made our first steps. As long as we have the time and opportunities, let us save these places,” the president said.

Those who have an opportunity to rebuild and revive these villages can give their names to these places, the head of state stressed. “Going deeper into the 2018 topic of the year, we will understand that it is us who need to do something good and useful for our native land. It is important for us to feel generous. To enrich our souls with beautiful unselfish deeds. To feel that we own our lives, that we are independent people who are sincerely happy for the accomplishments of their country and feel part of it,” Alexander Lukashenko summarized.