MINSK, 11 January (BelTA) – Art, sport, public service should be ethical and creative, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at the ceremony to present the Spiritual Revival Awards, special prizes to art luminaries, and the Belarusian Sports Olympus Awards in Minsk on 11 January, BelTA has learned.
The head of state noted that Belarusians have a special attitude to people who know how to create something unusual, something that pleases the eye and warms the heart, to those who spare no time enriching culture, preserving the historical heritage, educating young people. "To people like you, dear prizewinners," the Belarusian leader said.
"You have chosen to preserve the beauty of nature, human essence and culture as your lifework. Each of you makes a significant contribution to the nationaltreasure trove of national traditions, art and education," the president continued.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that a significant part of the projects that won the prizes are related to the preservation of historical memory and the formation of a public worldview among the younger generation.
"The youth themselves, with your help, actively participate in charitable and volunteer projects, in the work to search for fallen war heroes, to establish the names and perpetuate their feats," the Belarusian leader said.
"In this digital age, when the soulless world of artificial intelligence is described as a big dream of the future, and when social networks replace the normal human interaction, your work can only be seen as the salvation of mankind," the president emphasized.
The head of state noted that along with the Spiritual Revival awards and the special prizes, the Belarusian Sports Olympus Awards are traditionally awarded to athletes and coaches who glorify Belarus in international arenas and who demonstrate the advantages of a healthy lifestyle by their own example.
"Each of you, dear prizewinners, is a great talent. By your activities, your way of life, you confirm a simple truth: art, sport, public service should be ethical and creative,” the president stated. "You are patriots by your actions, true people's intelligentsia. You show that love for the Motherland is, first of all, service to it, the desire to make your country more beautiful."
Aleksandr Lukashenko considers the work of the prizewinners as an example for others showing that only creative work leads the state to prosperity. The vocation of a citizen has always been the protection and construction of the Fatherland. "Only such deeds enrich a person and lead them to spiritual heights, make them strive for the light, carry it to others," he said.
"Our way is to strengthen the independence, to take care for the current needs and the future, to keep people human," the Belarusian leader added. The head of state wished everyone health, prosperity, success in all endeavors, peace, family warmth and happiness.