ORSHA, 5 May (BelTA) - Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko called on his fellow Belarusians to keep peace and quiet as he visited St. Ilya Church in Orsha on Easter on 5 May, BelTA has learned.
“The main thing is peace. This is my responsibility,” the president said. “Since time has chosen us, we must preserve peace and quiet in our land. This is the most important task for our generation.”
According to the head of state, this year Easter is celebrated just ahead of a great secular holiday - Victory Day. 2024 is of special significance to Belarus as the country marks the 80th anniversary of its liberation from the Nazis.
“This year holds great meaning to us. During the years of fascist aggression Belarus did not exist. It was wiped off the face of the earth, from its western to its eastern border. Everything was destroyed. People survived only thanks to our nature, our forests that hid them,” the head of state said. “Is it possible to forget these heroic feats of our people? We cannot do it!”
The president also touched upon the political processes taking place inside Belarus. The current time is complicated by the ongoing change of generations. “It is very important for us not to break the traditions that we have created together with you. It is important for our children to keep everything we have created. This is not because we must hold on to the past. We need to do this because the one who tears the thread of generations, provokes, at least, chaos and, maximum, war,” the Belarusian leader said.
“The fact that we stood on the shoulders of the previous generation saved us. We absorbed everything that our fathers and grandfathers had created. That is why we survived. Any country breaking this generation bridge brings chaos to its land. There are always those who want to take advantage of it. Therefore, in this difficult time of generation change I would like us to preserve all the best that was created on our land,” the head of state added.
Addressing the residents of Orsha, the president noted that they have everything necessary for life - from fertile soil to a large number of enterprises.
“So many enterprises have been built in and around Orsha that there is not enough workforce today. I have already said that we will do everything necessary to provide these enterprises with workers. Today people have an opportunity to earn and provide for their families,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The president lit a candle and presented an icon of the Resurrection of Christ to St. Ilya Church. The head of state got an icon of St. Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky as a gift for Easter.