Second European Games in Belarus
Flame of Peace welcomed in Mir Castle
MIR, 21 May (BelTA) – The Flame of Peace relay of the 2nd European Games reached Mir Castle on 21 May, BelTA has learned.
The torch was carried into the castle by Deputy CEO of the Minsk European Games Organizing Committee (MEGOC) Anatol Kotau. He took the relay over from Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Belarus Fionna Gibb. The flame was also carried near Mir Castle by TV host Tamara Lisitskaya and singer Viktoriya Aleshko.
The flame was welcomed by students of the Mir secondary school.
MEGOC CEO George Katulin extended greeting to everyone on the arrival of the Flame of Peace to one of the cultural pearls of Belarus. “The coincidence in the name of the Belarusian settlement and the torch relay is symbolic. One of the core values of sports is peace. The relay race in the castle demonstrates that sport is a unique language of communication for different nations,” he said.
Mir Castle Director Aleksandr Loiko stressed that the cultural landmark got into the focus of the Belarusian sports life by taking over the relay of the 2nd European Games.
On 22 May the Flame of Peace relay will continue its way to Lida to visit Lida Castle, another cultural monument of Belarus.
The flame of the 2nd European games was lit at Ara Pacis Museum in Rome on 3 May. Then, Belarusian climbers took the torch to the summit of Mont Blanc. The Flame of Peace also travelled through Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.
In Belarus, the Flame of Peace has already traveled through Brest Oblast. In Grodno Oblast the torch was welcomed in the city of Grodno, the Augustow Canal and the city of Volkovysk.
Minsk will welcome the Flame of Peace in State Flag Square on 17 June. The Torch will travel along Pobediteley Avenue on 17 June and along Nezavisimosti Avenue on 18 June. On 19 June, torchbearers will visit Minsk landmarks, attend the greeting ceremony for athletes at the Athletes’ Village. The Flame of Peace torch relay will finish at Dinamo National Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2nd European Games on 21 June.
Belarus has already chosen 450 people as torchbearers. Among them are the country’s best athletes, outstanding scholars, culture and art figures.
Minsk will host the 2nd European Games on 21-30 June. Over 4,000 athletes from 50 countries will compete for 199 medal sets in 15 sports.
Belarus was granted the right to host the 2nd European Games at the meeting of the General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees on 21 October 2016.
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