UNESCO Victor Hugo Medals for famous Belarusian actors
In different parts of the world Belarus is known as a country with a rich historical and cultural heritage, amazing nature, but, more importantly, as the birthplace of outstanding people who, a century ago and today, win recognition around the world.
Many European countries celebrated the year 2015 as the year of the talented composer and diplomat Michal Kleofas Oginski. The 250th anniversary of his birth has been included in the UNESCO Calendar of Anniversaries of historic events and of eminent personalities celebrated by member states and associate member in 2010-2015. In October, Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich was named winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. At the end of November, there came another inspirational news.
Three prominent Belarusian actors - Tamara Nizhnikova, Gennady Ovsyannikov and Rostislav Yankovsky – were awarded the UNESCO Victor Hugo Medals. These medals are awarded in recognition of the contribution to the development of the national and world culture. By the way, in 2014 UNESCO Five Continents Medal was awarded to the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, which also happened for the first time in the history of Belarus.
For many years the medal holders, the People’s Artists of Belarus and the USSR, winners of prestigious international awards, have fascinated the audience with their talent and zest for life, have been teachers for young actors at the theater and the cinema.
Tamara Nizhnikova’s beautiful voice, rare coloratura soprano, is well-known across the globe. For more than 30 years she sang at the State Opera and Ballet Theater. She has been teaching in the Belarusian Music Academy for many decades. Gennady Ovsyannikov’s career includes over 80 bright theater and film roles. The 80-year-old actor is still in action. The legend of the Maxim Gorky National Academic Drama Theater Rostislav Yankovsky, the founder of the famous dynasty of actors and producers, played tens of leading theater and film roles.
The official awards ceremony took place on the stage of the legendary Kupala Theater in Minsk: on behalf of UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova the medals were presented by First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Alexander Mikhnevich and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to France, Belarus’ Permanent Representative in UNESCO Pavel Latushko. The protagonists of the evening Tamara Nizhnikova, Gennady Ovsyannikov, and the wife of Rostislav Yankovsky, Nina Cheishvili (Yankovskaya), were accepting congratulations sitting in elegant chairs on the stage. The troupe of the Yanka Kupala Theater presented their new production ART based on Yasmina Reza’s play of the same name and staged by Nikolai Pinigin.
See photos from the award ceremony and unique archive photos depicting moments of the life of the renowned actors in our picture gallery.
On picture: Belarus’ Permanent Representative in UNESCO Pavel Latushko hands in the UNESCO Victor Hugo Medal to the wife of Rostislav Yankovsky, Nina Cheishvili (Yankovskaya)
